The dominos continue to fall. The latest is that Cohen's business partner, Evgeny Freidman (a.k.a. the Taxi King), has reached a plea deal with prosecutors and will cooperate with the government:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washin ... ing-flips/

This potentially will put more pressure on Cohen himself to make a deal. That potentially would be a bfd.

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'But very bright were the stars upon the margin of the world, when at times the clouds about the West were drawn aside.'

For anyone who thinks that Mueller and his team are no longer looking into collusion:
Mueller's investigators questioned Kushner about potential Russian collusion, obstruction


Seven hours is a long time, and a second interview is a big deal, particularly when you are talking about the president's son-in-law and one of his most senior advisors.

Meanwhile, from the gift that keeps on giving:
In reversal, Giuliani now says Trump should do interview with Mueller team
Never a dull moment with Rudy!

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'But very bright were the stars upon the margin of the world, when at times the clouds about the West were drawn aside.'

He'll say something else at his next interview, I'm sure. I'm not sure why anyone is still taking him seriously.

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When you can do nothing what can you do?

I've said this before; I'm not generally an anxious person, but this administration and it's lies has me in knots and on edge. It's so obvious to me that something is not right and that norms are being broken (and not in a good or healthy way). The swamp is swampier. It's always someone else who is to blame/at fault. The CIA, the FBI, the Justice Department, the media, it's never Trump (and his Russian friends) who are wrong.

At Trump Tower, Michael Cohen and Oligarch Discussed Russian Relations

I don't know if they will ever find the fire, but there sure is a lot of smoke.

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'But very bright were the stars upon the margin of the world, when at times the clouds about the West were drawn aside.'

More smoke.

Report: FBI obtained wiretap conversations of Kremlin-linked banker who met with Trump Jr.



Fire?

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'But very bright were the stars upon the margin of the world, when at times the clouds about the West were drawn aside.'

The entire US ruling class, not to mention that of the UK has been in bed with gangsters and robber barons in Russia since the1990s. Putin is demonized because he refused to acquiesce in the agenda of the Atlantic Council (like the CFR, a direct lineal descendant of the Rhodes-Milner 'Roundtable'). I don' want to make this all like Twitter or something, but there are other informed points of view about this 'Russian collusion' story.

Mueller's team has asked Judge Jackson (the DC Circuit judge) to revoke Manafort's bail, alleging that he has been engaging in witness tampering. It may lead to additional charges as well.

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'But very bright were the stars upon the margin of the world, when at times the clouds about the West were drawn aside.'

The judge ordered Manafort to respond by Friday and set a hearing for next Friday. But apparently Mueller's team has copies of text messages and at least one of the witnesses is willing to testify that Manafort specifically asked him to commit perjury.

Meanwhile back in New York, the Special Master in the Cohen case has reviewed the first batch of evidence and concluded that only a tiny percentage of the material seized was either privileged or "highly personal".

https://www.newsday.com/news/nation/tru ... 1.18969881

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'But very bright were the stars upon the margin of the world, when at times the clouds about the West were drawn aside.'

Progress....

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“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

I went to check the docket at the DC District Court to see if Manafort had filed his response to the request to revoke his bail (since it is due today) and while he had not filed anything, I see that Mueller's team has filed a superseding indictment adding two new charges of obstruction of justice. Also charged was Konstantin Kilimnik, a Russian business associate of Manafort's who has ties to Russian intelligence.

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'But very bright were the stars upon the margin of the world, when at times the clouds about the West were drawn aside.'

Cohen has reportedly parted with his legal team and hired a new, as of yet unidentified, attorney. As with Gates before him, this is likely to be a sign that he is going to try to negotiate a plea deal (although unlike Gates, he has not yet been charged). It is particularly significant that he has split with his attorneys at this time, because they are right in the middle of the process of going through the voluminous evidence seized by the FBI in the raids on Cohen's home, office and hotel room. I don't think the judge is going to allow a new legal team to start that process from scratch.

Of course the million dollar question is, what if anything does Cohen have on Trump?

Meanwhile, Mueller's team continues to tighten the screws on Manafort, with a new filing that included a copy of a 2013 memo to former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych from Manafort essentially taking credit for lobbying efforts in the U.S. on Yanukovych's behalf, to counter Manafort's claim that his lobbying was only in Europe. I think Manafort is going down, unless he too turns on Trump.

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'But very bright were the stars upon the margin of the world, when at times the clouds about the West were drawn aside.'

Those who would speak or act against our Dear Leader should be instantly imprisoned without trial.

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“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

You think you are joking, Prim, but you are not.

In the meantime, The Hill.



http://thehill.com/policy/national-secu ... tical-bias

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“It may help to understand human affairs to be clear that most of the great triumphs and tragedies of history are caused, not by people being fundamentally good or fundamentally bad, but by people being fundamentally people.”

- Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman, Good Omens

Good News! Although dear leader (gag) will probably see that as evidence of the 'deep state' (in other words: checks and balances).

"Deep state" = one that goes deeper than me

Manafort's bail has been revoked and he has been jailed pending trial. And CNN is reporting that Cohen has signaled a willingness to cooperate with prosecutors.

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'But very bright were the stars upon the margin of the world, when at times the clouds about the West were drawn aside.'

And the NY AG filed suit against the Trump Foundation.

Strap in.

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When you can do nothing what can you do?

Trump's campaign manager. The one not already in jail.

https://twitter.com/parscale/status/1009109946242301952



Would someone reassure Brad that the innocent have nothing to fear?

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“It may help to understand human affairs to be clear that most of the great triumphs and tragedies of history are caused, not by people being fundamentally good or fundamentally bad, but by people being fundamentally people.”

- Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman, Good Omens

What an idiot Michael Avenatti is. I'm embarrassed to share a profession with him.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/24/politics ... index.html

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'But very bright were the stars upon the margin of the world, when at times the clouds about the West were drawn aside.'