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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsNew Michael Cohen memo outlines "Trump's involvement in a conspiracy to collude with Russian gov.
Michael Cohen's legal team has released a 12-page memo it provided to House Democrats Thursday. The memo outlines evidence of what his team describes as "Trump's involvement in a conspiracy to collude with Russian government intervention in his favor during the 2016 presidential campaign" and "other felony crimes committed by Trump before and after he became president."
The big picture: This release comes two days after the New York Times reported that members of special counsel Robert Mueller's team believe the details of the Mueller report are more damaging than Attorney General Bill Barr first indicated in his summary, which said Mueller's team did not establish a conspiracy with Russia.
*On Thursday, attorney Lanny Davis indicated that Cohen could provide documents from his computers and phones from the past decade that would give "significant value to the various congressional oversight and investigation committees."
Read the memo, plus appendices.
https://www.axios.com/michael-cohens-alleged-evidence-trump-crimes-russia-70a202e0-a474-4322-9033-7e674bfec4ed.html
dewsgirl
(14,961 posts)the public sphere. That makes me feel a little better.
Iliyah
(25,111 posts)Any means necessary . . . Cohen is a liar, a traitor, un-patriotic, he's crazy, insane, jealous, et al.,
Ummm, everything shithole and the Republicans are.
Oh, it's the Democrats fault - coup . . .
True Blue American
(17,996 posts)True Blue American
(17,996 posts)Is one smart Attorney. Always on top of every situation and clear with his facts.
I knew when Cohen hired him it was the right choice. And for some reason I feel that Donnie Deutsche, Cohens friend, who sees Cohens faults very clearly but is his friend may have helped Michael choose.
mopinko
(70,388 posts)because of the delay of the report?
i dont see how it helps him to cough up such damning evidence at this point of the timeline if he has already supposedly completely cooperated.
was he lying then, or is he lying now?
i wish he would just put it out there. it can only help him so much at this point.
it can help the country a lot.
RKP5637
(67,112 posts)become way out there all the time. Is he lying again ... so damn hard to tell.
triron
(22,031 posts)Barr just prematurely cut off Mueller.
RKP5637
(67,112 posts)triron
(22,031 posts)RKP5637
(67,112 posts)This entire affair is so incredible and has all the markings of a cover up.
at140
(6,110 posts)Do they report to the dept of Justice with Barr at the helm?
shanny
(6,709 posts)anything to the DoJ. They can simply do their investigations and follow where ever the facts lead. True, they can be derailed by an unscrupulous US Attorney, but I believe the one tRump appointed...recused himself because tRump appointed him.
at140
(6,110 posts)SDNY can prosecute and remove.
lindysalsagal
(20,795 posts)Significantly.
at140
(6,110 posts)Trump cares only about Trump.
triron
(22,031 posts)hughee99
(16,113 posts)Note that Cohens statement says that Cohen knows Trump colluded with the Russians, but when asked the if he has physical evidence to back it up, the statement is intentionally unclear. If Cohen had the goods, hed have used them already and walked.
KPN
(15,679 posts)this stuff to either the Mueller or the SDNY investigation or both? Im guessing the latter ... and hes only now making sure the House investigation committee sees what Barr has been withholding. The timing makes perfect sense if that is the case.
RKP5637
(67,112 posts)This is a way to bypass Barr.
Auggie
(31,240 posts)northoftheborder
(7,575 posts)If so, Mueller already has this info and was incorporated into the report.
triron
(22,031 posts)Hopefully we learn more about this soon.
Silver Gaia
(4,552 posts)There was something said about a hard drive he'd "found" with info on it that he wants to share with Congress. Since it's part of what was initially confiscated in the raid and then returned to him, I think it's likely part of the Mueller report. He's trying to make sure this info gets to Congress, and probably doesn't trust Barr to do that any more than we do. JMHO.
thesquanderer
(12,001 posts)But at this point, Congress can not be certain as to when or how much of the Mueller report it will ever see, so there could be value in his bringing additional information directly to congress beyond what they have already asked him about. There could also be things he was asked by Mueller/FBI to not reveal publicly until the completion of the Mueller report. There could also be things he is offering to reveal that didn't relate to Russia, and therefore may not have been within the purview of Mueller's investigation, and could also have been outside the scope of what he had been asked to talk about previously. So... possibilities.
DENVERPOPS
(8,895 posts)He was praying for a pardon and when Trump fed him to the wolves with no pardon, Cohen had an ace or two that he hadn't played just to get even???????
When and if this whole thing starts to flip against Trump and Republicans in the House and Senate and the entire Trump administration including kids, a whole big bunch of them will be standing in line sweating plea deals for spilling their guts.
Another great article in DU today about what happened when Barr set out to clear the Reagan/Bush Treasonous activities.
I'm sure the Repubs think he can pull it off again...........
WhiteTara
(29,736 posts)and he's trying to reduce those 3 years. That's my guess. And I think that he wants to see trump go down. We all want that perp walk.
dawg day
(7,947 posts)to the grand jury.
Mueller's investigation is finished. Cohen has been sentenced. Now he's trying to get some time taken off. I heard the attorney say that he's only just got back his documents and hard drives to consult.
samnsara
(17,665 posts)...14 million files including vids..pretty juicy!
at140
(6,110 posts)will say anything because he is terrified of the prison mates who generally hate snitches.
mercuryblues
(14,562 posts)Since Barr came out defending trump with his "summary" and silence from Mueller, Cohen decided to release the Kraken.
triron
(22,031 posts)Perseus
(4,341 posts)When is someone going to get all the proof available and take action to indict the entire family as well as some of the repubs implicated with the family and Russians.
triron
(22,031 posts)I fear Barr will obstruct though.
RKP5637
(67,112 posts)down. A lot of very capable and smart people are working on this, even if tRump is the smartest asshole in the entire Universe, as the idiot claims.
at140
(6,110 posts)2 year long investigation with help of competent lawyers and FBI agents?
triron
(22,031 posts)I have thought this all along. Barr's 'report' just stunk to high heaven to me.
yet so much of the media fell for it like lemmings.
RKP5637
(67,112 posts)onetexan
(13,081 posts)after he serves his prison term (assuming his sentence won't be shortened), Michael Cohen can write a tell-all book on his experiences and dealings during the time he was with the Idiot.
If in fact his mea culpa is real, i'd be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt that he's now seen the light and is repentant of his errant ways. The book would be a means for him to take care of his wife and children, who themselves have gone through alot because off this ordeal.
triron
(22,031 posts)Sorry if I am off base.
onetexan
(13,081 posts)criminal behavior by his former thug of a boss. I also happen to believe that he is contrite and do have empathy for him now that he has been disbarred from practicing law. He has to be able to take care of his family somehow. Hopefully his life is heading down the right path going forward.
triron
(22,031 posts)Kablooie
(18,648 posts)Where no conspiracy was found, suddenly Cohen reveals that he has evidence of conspiracy?
I will be surprised if this turns out to be what it purports to be.
triron
(22,031 posts)Kablooie
(18,648 posts)I assume that was Muellers conclusion because I doubt Barr would put himself in the position of having lied about such an easily disproved statement.
I could be wrong but I'd bet Barrs statements all have weasel words that he will use to prove he was interpreting, not lying.
dawg day
(7,947 posts)Check out his confirmation hearing.
He can always say it's a matter of interpretation what a "conspiracy" is. Mueller apparently said not that there was none, but not enough evidence to prove it beyond reasonable doubt.
That doesn't mean the conspiracy doesn't exist, only that by criminal court standards, it might not be fully proven.
Impeachment proceedings have a different standard of guilt.
at140
(6,110 posts)official report by Mr Mueller. Barr knows he will not survive in prison.
The report should be released mid-April anyways.
uponit7771
(90,371 posts)... Barr most likely go to jail for his stupidity.
triron
(22,031 posts)madville
(7,413 posts)They have already been through it. If he had something he should lay it out, he's just scared to death of prison at this point even though he's probably just going to some minimum security place.
Kablooie
(18,648 posts)There's no new hard evidence. The accusations are circumstantial which has been shown not to be enough to bring charges against a president.
triron
(22,031 posts)What 'hard' evidence are you looking for. There has to be more beyond whatever is provided in these documents.
Kablooie
(18,648 posts)With Trump I'm not even sure that audio tapes would do it.
Circumstantial evidence will not be enough to overcome Trump.
Qutzupalotl
(14,344 posts)triron
(22,031 posts)SummerSnow
(12,608 posts)Honeycombe8
(37,648 posts)It's the wrong decision, in my view. But who am I to question someone like Mueller or his topnotch team?
If Cohen had something to say on that, he should have said it during all those interviews by the Mueller team. Maybe he did. I don't know.
Demsrule86
(68,825 posts)at140
(6,110 posts)can we focus on defeating Trump by nominating the candidate most likely to win?
At the risk of sounding like a spoil-sport, the Russia collusion tool of getting Trump
removed is a bit too late. Mueller has already issued a report after a thorough investigation.
I do not wish to depend on disbarred lawyer Cohen to save us from Trump.
triron
(22,031 posts)Second the conpriracy investigatigation continues in SDNY, DC and EDNY, not to mention
congress.
at140
(6,110 posts)with standard redactions for confidential grand jury material and classified stuff.
If he fails to release the report on time as promised, all bets are off.
Until then I am cooling my jets.
triron
(22,031 posts)at140
(6,110 posts)Demsrule86
(68,825 posts)There is no guarantee we will win the next election.
at140
(6,110 posts)I wouldn't!
triron
(22,031 posts)at140
(6,110 posts)Demsrule86
(68,825 posts)The worst most corrupt president of My lifetime. Nice clean folks don't associate with men like Trump. Let' at least look. He go three years big deal....if it helps bring down Trump let's do it.
greymattermom
(5,754 posts)That would be very damning, somehow much more than audio records.
Demsrule86
(68,825 posts)Honeycombe8
(37,648 posts)And if Cohen is saying something he didn't tell Mueller, it's questionable, unless he has strong documentary evidence.
But maybe he's leaking what he told Mueller. If it is, Mueller has ruled on what those statements mean as far as indictment.
triron
(22,031 posts)triron
(22,031 posts)triron
(22,031 posts)dem4decades
(11,322 posts)I'm so tired of false hope. Mueller looked at that for 2 years and nothing.
at140
(6,110 posts)The last thing I want to hang on to is false hope, based on a convicted disbarred lawyer. I am facing the reality squarely in the eye, which is if Barr was saying opposite of Mueller's conclusions, he is essentially committing perjury by falsifying what special counsel concluded. That is a serious crime and Barr would be an idiot to face long prison time at his age.
With election only 18 months away, the real & best opportunity to remove Trump from office comes in Nov 2020. Nominating a winning ticket should be top priority.
dem4decades
(11,322 posts)It's a question of whether stupidity and hatred rules the nation.
kskiska
(27,051 posts)We may have reached the point of no return.