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DonViejo

(60,536 posts)
Sat Feb 10, 2018, 09:31 AM Feb 2018

Trump-Russia Isn't About the Cover-Up. It's About the Crime.

In Watergate, it was the cover-up, not the crime. But in Russiagate, that stands to be turned on its head. We already know a lot—and we can be sure Mueller knows more.

JONATHAN ALTER
NICK AKERMAN
02.09.18 10:48 PM ET

Recall the Watergate cliché that the cover-up is worse than the crime. That may have been true then. While it was never established that President Nixon knew in advance about the break-in at the Watergate complex, he was forced to resign after proof emerged that he used the CIA to obstruct the FBI investigation.

In the Russia scandal, special counsel Robert Mueller has credible proof of obstruction of justice—i.e., the cover-up. But in a highly politicized climate, where “memos” and insults are weapons of distraction, that won’t likely be enough. Even if Democrats take control of Congress in November, most Republicans—like most juries in run-of-the-mill criminal cases—will demand significant evidence of an underlying crime as a motive for the obstruction before turning on President Trump, much less voting in the Senate to remove him from office.

While Mueller and his team don’t leak, signs that such evidence exists are clear from news reports, which contain only a tiny portion of what the special counsel’s office possesses. The fragmentary and often disconnected nature of those reports obscures the reasonable supposition that Mueller is well on his way to detailing conspiracy, wire fraud, illegal foreign campaign contributions, or all three. During Watergate, the special prosecutor had most of the evidence that doomed Nixon at least nine months before his August 9, 1974 resignation. Mueller, too, likely has the goods already, even without “smoking gun” tapes.

One tip-off was in Michael Flynn’s December 1 “allocution”—his signed submission to the court as part of his guilty plea to making false statements to the FBI on January 24, 2017. It received almost no media attention but suggested the nature of the criminal conspiracy that would likely be at the heart of Mueller’s prosecution.

more
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-russia-isnt-about-the-cover-up-its-about-the-crime?ref=home

24 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Trump-Russia Isn't About the Cover-Up. It's About the Crime. (Original Post) DonViejo Feb 2018 OP
Once again, an excellent post...thanks for sharing! SWBTATTReg Feb 2018 #1
In the fog of Trumpery it is easy to forget this. But this is the greatest assault that has Squinch Feb 2018 #2
right on... debsy Feb 2018 #4
If you really think that, you should join the Resistance. Get in touch with Indivisible ... Hekate Feb 2018 #21
thank you... debsy Feb 2018 #22
Cheers! Hekate Feb 2018 #23
And many in the Trump administration could be considered enemy combatants, triron Feb 2018 #19
As we continue to live out the sequel to the Manchurian (I mean Russian) candidate... debsy Feb 2018 #3
My question edhopper Feb 2018 #5
One would think that he does PatSeg Feb 2018 #6
Especially since Dunce Jr edhopper Feb 2018 #9
Yeah, those kids of his! PatSeg Feb 2018 #15
Mueller has evidence of crimes committed not fooled Feb 2018 #7
I would think Democratic could resucitate the investigation standingtall Feb 2018 #12
And money laundering mob money--Russian mob and others. nt tblue37 Feb 2018 #8
The problem may be that it is too big for our government to handle? kentuck Feb 2018 #10
Of course it is about the crime, but if you can't convince a jury that a crime has been committed, Nitram Feb 2018 #11
Mostly TimeToGo Feb 2018 #13
Don't assume they won't go for a conviction on the main crime. They will if they have enough Nitram Feb 2018 #16
My point basically TimeToGo Feb 2018 #17
send to Rachel triron Feb 2018 #14
kick for visibility triron Feb 2018 #18
The criminal list is long you need a World Series type program to keep track. sarcasmo Feb 2018 #20
YES. MBS Feb 2018 #24

Squinch

(50,954 posts)
2. In the fog of Trumpery it is easy to forget this. But this is the greatest assault that has
Sat Feb 10, 2018, 10:00 AM
Feb 2018

ever been made on our Democracy.

And, call me a sap, but for all its faults and failings, I love the idea of what our Democracy could be if we took care of it.

Hekate

(90,710 posts)
21. If you really think that, you should join the Resistance. Get in touch with Indivisible ...
Sun Feb 11, 2018, 03:06 AM
Feb 2018

...and your local Democratic Party. The truly massive Women's Marches have been used extensively for GOTV, voter registration, networking, and encouraging women to run for office. Were you there?

Have you noticed the number of GOP Congressmen who have decided to not run again this year? A lot of them have been confronted outside their local offices by fed-up constituents, in some cases every single week for over a year. They also get many, many phone calls to their offices every single day. The poor things are just all tired out. Have you been calling them and visiting their offices?

Make sure you vigorously support the Democrats running to replace them.

Have you noticed that hun dreds, if not thousands, of women are filing to run for office this year? They are running as Democrats. Get out and support them.

Change is happening. Be part of it. Don't "hang out complaining on a blog." DU is a discussion board, anyway. You're welcome to hang around, debsy, but a lot of DUers are Resisting in real life, so hustle your bustle and do the same.

debsy

(530 posts)
22. thank you...
Sun Feb 11, 2018, 12:46 PM
Feb 2018

I have been part of the resistance - I even crocheted my own pussy hat! I had tried perviously looking up an indivisible chapter in my area and there wasn't one last time i checked but there is now so I've contacted them. I was being cynically rhetorical in my post. It is more productive to be positive and, by all means, actions speak louder than words - thanks for the reminder!

triron

(22,006 posts)
19. And many in the Trump administration could be considered enemy combatants,
Sun Feb 11, 2018, 12:44 AM
Feb 2018

including the POTUS.

debsy

(530 posts)
3. As we continue to live out the sequel to the Manchurian (I mean Russian) candidate...
Sat Feb 10, 2018, 10:36 AM
Feb 2018

...it is very important to remember that the crime is treason and it seems there are many senior office holders who are either complicit or actively participated in the coup. With all these branches of government being held by traitors, it is hard to see a way out of this except to exit and stop paying taxes to support it. I still hold out a glimmer of hope but it is minuscule at this point.

PatSeg

(47,486 posts)
6. One would think that he does
Sat Feb 10, 2018, 11:02 AM
Feb 2018

It doesn't appear like anyone was being very careful or discreet. For all the suspicious activity that we've heard about on the news, I am sure Mueller is aware of much more.

PatSeg

(47,486 posts)
15. Yeah, those kids of his!
Sat Feb 10, 2018, 01:44 PM
Feb 2018

They are such a riot. For such a family of liars, it is amazing how often they tell the truth and implicate themselves. It is scary that such an inept group of people, could get as far as they have.

not fooled

(5,801 posts)
7. Mueller has evidence of crimes committed
Sat Feb 10, 2018, 11:12 AM
Feb 2018

but will anything come of it?

dump's gonna fire rosenstein, GOPee house will never impeach, etc.

I wonder whether the Dems can resuscitate the investigation if they take back the House.

standingtall

(2,785 posts)
12. I would think Democratic could resucitate the investigation
Sat Feb 10, 2018, 12:20 PM
Feb 2018

once they take back the house if Trump does fire Mueller,but even if the can't there is enough data already available to justify impeachment. Many of Trumps efforts to obstruct justice have been in the public eye and on top of obstruction of justice Trump has refused to impose the sanctions on Russia that were passed with a veto proof majority.

kentuck

(111,098 posts)
10. The problem may be that it is too big for our government to handle?
Sat Feb 10, 2018, 12:02 PM
Feb 2018

at this vulnerable time in our history??

Nitram

(22,803 posts)
11. Of course it is about the crime, but if you can't convince a jury that a crime has been committed,
Sat Feb 10, 2018, 12:09 PM
Feb 2018

the cover-up will get them out of office and into jail. I don't care how we do that as long as we do it.

TimeToGo

(1,366 posts)
13. Mostly
Sat Feb 10, 2018, 12:45 PM
Feb 2018

I'm not sure though that a jury can't be convinced. I worry that if they can't convince a jury many Americans won't be convinced.

I want them out no matter what, but to many, obstruction of something they don't think was a crime will sound like petty politics.

This is why I hope each and every day that they can prove the crime. And I am generally not an optimist. But, I honestly think they will.

Nitram

(22,803 posts)
16. Don't assume they won't go for a conviction on the main crime. They will if they have enough
Sat Feb 10, 2018, 06:03 PM
Feb 2018

bullet-proof evidence.

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