This just in! Cohen is a sleazeball!

[Value Buy]

Mueller is asking for substantial jail time for Cohen regardless of so called "cooperation".
Cohen had created massive fraud concernig certain agreements with madeup contracts where he received funds from the proceeds.
No link yet, but it sounds like he made Avenatti look like a stand up lawyer!

[Value Buy]

So far, nothing points to Trump.

[oped]

Is that Mueller or SDNY? 

[Value Buy]

There are two reports out, so it may be both, but I am not sure.
Looks like five years and a large monetary fine. He also basicaly stole money from Trump.

Nothing on Manafort yet.

[Value Buy]

"The Five" on Fox are discussing it right now.

[oped]

Actually i'm reading trump is implicated on multiple fronts... Russia and campaign finance issues with the payoffs. 

[Value Buy]

Federal Prosecutors: motivated by greed.
Prosecutors: recommending four year sentence. Sentence recommendation reflects deliberate and serious conduct.

Sentencing is December 12th.
He expected a position in the WH and was upset when he did not get one.

[Tennesseer]

Dec 7, 2018 17:07:51 GMT -5 Value Buy said:

So far, nothing points to Trump.

Anything redacted in the report? You do know trump could be in the redacted, yes?

[Value Buy]

Dec 7, 2018 17:18:32 GMT -5 oped said:

Actually i'm reading trump is implicated on multiple fronts... Russia and campaign finance issues with the payoffs. 

Wrong. As discussed previously, it is not illegal to pay off a person to keep quiet.
The campaign finance issue against Trump has not gotten closer due to anything Cohen has admitted to.

[Value Buy]

Dec 7, 2018 17:22:39 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Dec 7, 2018 17:07:51 GMT -5 Value Buy said:

So far, nothing points to Trump.

Anything redacted in the report? You do know trump could be in the redacted, yes?

Not sure. Fox News is just giving talking points, but no mention of redactions.
Interviewing Alan Dershowitz now, and he says it looks like prosecutors are underwhelmed with the cooperation, as in no smoking gun.

[oped]

It is illegal to pay a person in order to influence an election and then not record that campaign expense. 

[Value Buy]

Anyone have a link yet with all the details?

[Value Buy]

Dec 7, 2018 17:25:41 GMT -5 oped said:

It is illegal to pay a person in order to influence an election and then not record that campaign expense. 

All I have heard is Cohen took money from Tump fraudulently. I have not seen whether the pay off came from campaign funds.

[Tennesseer]

Dec 7, 2018 17:25:10 GMT -5 Value Buy said:

Dec 7, 2018 17:22:39 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Anything redacted in the report? You do know trump could be in the redacted, yes?

Not sure. Fox News is just giving talking points, but no mention of redactions.
Interviewing Alan Dershowitz now, and he says it looks like prosecutors are underwhelmed with the cooperation, as in no smoking gun.

Underwhelmed with Cohen's information does not mean Mueller's team doesn't have plenty of overwhelming information. Pure speculation at right now.

And who knows-maybe what information Cohen did provide saved him from an even longer prison sentence.

[oped]

Actually looks like they are combining it to criminal conspiracy.

[oped]

Mueller just plans to concurrent SDNY.

[Value Buy]

www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/us-trumps-ex-lawyer-deserves-prison-despite-cooperation/ar-BBQD9ls?li=BBnb7Kz

[Tennesseer]

Dec 7, 2018 17:31:28 GMT -5 Value Buy said:

www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/us-trumps-ex-lawyer-deserves-prison-despite-cooperation/ar-BBQD9ls?li=BBnb7Kz

Cohen should not get off with no prison time even if he did cooperate with Mueller's team. His crimes which he pleaded to are pretty serious.

[oped]

Mueller is in the enviable (?) position of knowing SDNY is asking for time and so he can just say he'll take concurrent and not pile on, but he still gets time. 

[oped]

It’s amso possible SDNY is less satisfied because while c was willing to give up trump he was more hesitant to give up the .org.

[Gardening Grandma]

Dec 7, 2018 17:07:51 GMT -5 Value Buy said:

So far, nothing points to Trump.

You’re getting this from Faux “news”.

[Value Buy]

Dec 7, 2018 18:20:15 GMT -5 Gardening Grandma said:

Dec 7, 2018 17:07:51 GMT -5 Value Buy said:

So far, nothing points to Trump.

You’re getting this from Faux “news”.

Last night my homepage was full of articles claiming Mueller has Trump.
Today, they have all seemed to have disappeared from my homepage.

Mueller has squat, and he knows it.
Now if he would switch direction and look at the FBI, Hillary's time at the State department, or Obama's role in undermining Trump's campaign he can find plenty of stuff. He could wind up with real collaborators and have significant prison sentences.

[Virgil Showlion]

They're not seriously going to make hay over Pres. Trump paying hush money to a mistress and not listing it as a "campaign finance expense"?

It doesn't matter how loudly the man's foes yell "felonies", if that's the worst Mr. Mueller came up with, charging him will resemble persecution more than justice for anyone who doesn't hate him.

Yes, yes. I know Mr. Mueller is also sitting on a wellspring of Russia-related charges ready to erupt imminently. We haven't forgotten.

[tbop77]

I never thought I'd live to see the day when conservatives would rally around a man that directed hush money be paid to his whores to influence the election.....

I think I understand it now.  Sessions, Tillerson and anyone who will not perform illegal activities for President Trump:  lowlife
                                              Cohen, General Flynn, who testified to illegal activities:  lowlife
                                              Manafort, who lied and cheated:  good man

Boy, I'm glad he hired the best people......

[thyme4change]

Even if they never connect anything to Trump, the company he keeps says a lot about him.

[kadee79]

Dec 8, 2018 9:21:12 GMT -5 Value Buy said:

Dec 7, 2018 18:20:15 GMT -5 Gardening Grandma said:

You’re getting this from Faux “news”.

Mueller has squat, and he knows it.

Don't do as others have and rush to any conclusions…..YET.  Mueller isn't done yet, time will tell.  And everyone seems to keep forgetting that Mueller's main focus is on Russia influence...where ever that may lead.

[Tennesseer]

Dec 8, 2018 9:43:51 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

They're not seriously going to make hay over Pres. Trump paying hush money to a mistress and not listing it as a "campaign finance expense"?

It doesn't matter how loudly the man's foes yell "felonies", if that's the worst Mr. Mueller came up with, charging him will resemble persecution more than justice for anyone who doesn't hate him.

Yes, yes. I know Mr. Mueller is also sitting on a wellspring of Russia-related charges ready to erupt imminently. We haven't forgotten.

A Republican controlled House of Representatives has impeached for less:

Bill Clinton: "I did not have sex with the woman."

"Although proceedings were delayed due to the bombing of Iraq, on the passage of H. Res. 611, Clinton was impeached on December 19, 1998, by the House of Representatives on grounds of perjury to a grand jury (by a 228–206 vote)[17] and obstruction of justice (by a 221–212 vote).[18] Two other articles of impeachment failed – a second count of perjury in the Jones case (by a 205–229 vote)[19] and one accusing Clinton of abuse of power (by a 148–285 vote).[20] Clinton thus became the second U.S. president to be impeached, following Andrew Johnson in 1868. (Clinton was the third sitting president against whom the House of Representatives initiated impeachment proceedings since 1789.)"

Impeachment of Bill Clinton

Fortunately, the Republican controlled senate was a little more reasonable but it was close:

"The perjury charge was defeated with 55 "not guilty" votes and 45 "guilty" votes. On the obstruction-of-justice article, the chamber was evenly split, 50-50."

How the senators voted on impeachment

[weltschmerz]

Dec 8, 2018 9:21:12 GMT -5 Value Buy said:

Dec 7, 2018 18:20:15 GMT -5 Gardening Grandma said:

You’re getting this from Faux “news”.

Last night my homepage was full of articles claiming Mueller has Trump.
Today, they have all seemed to have disappeared from my homepage.

Mueller has squat, and he knows it.
Now if he would switch direction and look at the FBI, Hillary's time at the State department, or Obama's role in undermining Trump's campaign he can find plenty of stuff. He could wind up with real collaborators and have significant prison sentences.

"Look! Squirrel!"

Trump did the exact same thing today. Everything is crumbling around him and he says "What about Hillary's emails?"

[swamp]

I didn’t think it was news that Cohen was a sleazeball.  I thought that was a given. 

[Virgil Showlion]

Dec 8, 2018 13:46:19 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Dec 8, 2018 9:43:51 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

They're not seriously going to make hay over Pres. Trump paying hush money to a mistress and not listing it as a "campaign finance expense"?

It doesn't matter how loudly the man's foes yell "felonies", if that's the worst Mr. Mueller came up with, charging him will resemble persecution more than justice for anyone who doesn't hate him.

Yes, yes. I know Mr. Mueller is also sitting on a wellspring of Russia-related charges ready to erupt imminently. We haven't forgotten.

A Republican controlled House of Representatives has impeached for less:

Bill Clinton: "I did not have sex with the woman."

"Although proceedings were delayed due to the bombing of Iraq, on the passage of H. Res. 611, Clinton was impeached on December 19, 1998, by the House of Representatives on grounds of perjury to a grand jury (by a 228–206 vote)[17] and obstruction of justice (by a 221–212 vote).[18] Two other articles of impeachment failed – a second count of perjury in the Jones case (by a 205–229 vote)[19] and one accusing Clinton of abuse of power (by a 148–285 vote).[20] Clinton thus became the second U.S. president to be impeached, following Andrew Johnson in 1868. (Clinton was the third sitting president against whom the House of Representatives initiated impeachment proceedings since 1789.)"

Impeachment of Bill Clinton

Fortunately, the Republican controlled senate was a little more reasonable but it was close:

"The perjury charge was defeated with 55 "not guilty" votes and 45 "guilty" votes. On the obstruction-of-justice article, the chamber was evenly split, 50-50."

How the senators voted on impeachment

Firstly, the man repeatedly lied under oath in open court. The situations would be comparable if Mr. Mueller called on Pres. Trump to testify as to whether he'd paid hush money to his mistress, and Pres. Trump lied under oath. Trump might well oblige if given the chance, but unless/until he does, he's done nothing so heinous as lying in open court (at least when it comes to concealing his adultery).

Secondly, the charges against Pres. Clinton were defeated--as you point out--despite the obvious perjury. In no small part, I imagine, because the government of the day felt Pres. Clinton's office dalliances were his private business and the investigation shouldn't have existed in the first place. I happen to agree with them.

If the Democrats go after Pres. Trump on the basis of something Middle America genuinely resent, e.g. quid pro quo or large-scale tax evasion, they'll stand a fighting chance of impeaching him without looking like vindictive bullies. If they go after him on the basis of legal technicalities, especially relating to private issues, they'll be 2/3rds of the way to handing him his second term.