Courtesy of AP:
President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman is registering as a foreign agent.
Paul Manafort's spokesman says he was in talks with the government about registering before the 2016 election and is now "taking appropriate steps" in response to "formal guidance" from the government.
The spokesman says Manafort's lobbying work was not conducted on behalf of the Russian government and began before Manafort started working with the Trump campaign.
It's unclear whether Trump was aware that Manafort was in talks with the government about registering before he hired him.
Probably not, I am fairly certain that Trump was not aware of much during the campaign outside of poll numbers and crowd reactions.
You may remember that Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn had previously registered as a foreign agent for Turkey.
Now having one member of your campaign or administration register as a foreign agent is odd enough, but to have two?
And if that was not enough, we are also learning that Paul Manafort received money from Trump associates on the day that he stepped down as the campaign manager:
Aug. 19 was an eventful day for Paul Manafort.
That morning, he stepped down from guiding Donald J. Trump’s presidential campaign, after a brief tenure during which Mr. Trump won the Republican nomination, Democrats’ emails were hacked and the campaign’s contacts with Russia came under scrutiny. Dogged by revelations about past financial dealings in Ukraine, Mr. Manafort retreated from public view.
But behind the scenes, he was busy with other matters. Papers were recorded that same day creating a shell company controlled by Mr. Manafort that soon received $13 million in loans from two businesses with ties to Mr. Trump, including one that partners with a Ukrainian-born billionaire and another led by a Trump economic adviser. They were among $20 million in loans secured by properties belonging to Mr. Manafort and his wife.
The purpose of the loans is unstated in public records, although at least some of them appear to be part of an effort by Mr. Manafort to stave off a personal financial crisis stemming from failed investments with his son-in-law.
So to sum up, Paul Manafort was working as a foreign agent for Ukraine during his time as Trump's campaign manager, he received at least 1.2 million in secret payments from Ukraine before coming to work for Trump's campaign, and then received around 13 million "in loans" after he was forced to leave that campaign when his ties to Russia and Ukraine were made public.
But hey, no reason to be suspicious. Right?
How is it suspicious if it is all on the books for all to see?
ReplyDeleteWell isn’t that special, registering years AFTER the fact.
ReplyDeleteManafort needs to change his name ManD'Fort
ReplyDeleteJail for tax evasion is a few months away.
ReplyDeletehaha. Yeah, not.
DeleteOT, but Trump has just dropped a huge fucking bomb in Afganistan.
ReplyDeleteTrump and stumps dropped a HUGE bomb on America in November of 2016. The sob pos slob has some bigly explaining to do in court under oath along with his co cons. We can look forward to hearing after hearing of impeachment and resignations coming soon to all creditable honest worthy news channels.
Deletehttp://edition.cnn.com/2017/04/13/politics/afghanistan-isis-moab-bomb/index.html
Delete21,000.0 LBS
First on CNN:
US drops largest non-nuclear bomb in Afghanistan
Well goodie, they have all the proof in case little donnie tries to have it destroyed here in the USA.
ReplyDelete===============================================
The Trump-Russia Connection Was the Buzz All Over Europe in 2016
.... GCHQ first became aware in late 2015 of suspicious “interactions” between figures connected to Trump and known or suspected Russian agents, a source close to UK intelligence said....Over the next six months, until summer 2016, a number of western agencies shared further information on contacts between Trump’s inner circle and Russians, sources said. The European countries that passed on electronic
intelligence — known as sigint — included Germany, Estonia and Poland. Australia, a member of the “Five Eyes” spying alliance, which also includes the US, UK, Canada and New Zealand, also relayed material, one source said.
....It is understood that GCHQ was at no point carrying out a targeted operation against Trump or his team or proactively seeking information.... Instead both US and UK intelligence sources acknowledge that GCHQ played an early, prominent role in kickstarting the FBI’s Trump-Russia investigation, which began in late July 2016.
....The Guardian has been told the FBI and the CIA were slow to appreciate the extensive nature of contacts between Trump’s team and Moscow ahead of the US election....“It looks like the [US] agencies were asleep,” the source added. “They [the European agencies] were saying: ‘There are contacts going on between people close to Mr Trump and people we believe are Russian intelligence agents. You should be wary of this.’
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/04/trump-russia-connection-was-buzz-all-over-europe-2016
Wtf!
ReplyDeleteIvanka ! Why the long face ? Where is Manafarts left hand ? And what's with that smile?
And you stupid man with the power tie. What's with the thumb ? Is that what you stick up your ass? Imbeciles!
Seems they should all be registering as sex offenders, tax evasion, international criminals, and just plain idiots today.
ReplyDeleteMore like EveryDay.
DeleteThe head can't think, not of right mind, doesn't know about NATO trashes it. Finally gets a look, feel and then knows a bit about it.
This prez is, there is something Very Wrong with this 71 yr old fat @ss!
I like the way these guys have registered as foreign agents after the fact. Duh. They never thought about what they were doing before???
ReplyDeleteBeaglemom
Looks like Ivanka is reading the teleprompter so she can help her illiterate father through his words.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/apr/13/british-spies-first-to-spot-trump-team-links-russia
ReplyDeleteThese a&&es should be given a fair trial then put in jail for YEARS.
ReplyDeleteThey (and their enablers) knew exactly what they were doing and who they actually worked for when they plotted together. Hang 'em all.
Jack Slater
ReplyDeleteTwitter › Jack_Slater
The bomb Trump just dropped on Afghanistan cost $314 million. Enough money to fix the water crisis in Flint almost three times over. #MOAB
26 mins ago - Twitter
saw the video -- looks like they dropped it in a big, empty field...
DeleteAt least the audio doesn't catch them laughing hilariously.
@anon 11:42 am
DeleteI would suggest you look up what an MOAB does. Any structures within a mile are knocked down, any person within 2 miles will be deaf forever. The concussion alone most likely caused deaths.
Well, Trump obviously likes to spend money. Other people's money, that is. I resent my tax dollars being spent so that he can brag about dropping bombs. The man has not an ounce of empathy in his overstuffed body.
DeleteBeaglemom
Trump and Melania will be going to Mar-A-Lago for the weekend. Where's the Rethugs outrage?
ReplyDeleteWithin the hour, Mar-A-Lago here I come for the weekend. What about the #MOAB bomb? Ask the generals, they are the ones eho killed all those terrorists. My hands are clean, no blood on my hands.
ReplyDelete11:28 -- What's for dessert!?!
DeleteWhat's for dessert?
DeleteIvanka silly
Beautiful cake. Pretty pie. Really nice looking chocolate chip cookies. Handsome as hell brownies. Absolutely gorgeous cheesecake. They have only the best looking sweet stuff at Mar a Loco.
DeleteThe trumps are really pushing the gig abit too far. Who will they be entertaining this weekend? Is marslargo wiretapped too? Americans have a right to know what and who goes on there. The bugs and camaras may not be enough.
ReplyDeleteTerrorists don't come after me and my family because that #MOAB bombed killed your wifes and children. Not my fault. The generals did that on their own.
ReplyDeleteDid Trump tell his family and relatives to invest in the #MOAB company because after we drop that bomb we will order a couple of more bombs?
ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete"Probably not, I am fairly certain that Trump was not aware of much during the campaign outside of poll numbers and crowd reactions" .Truth Grif-I have said this many times.
Such a creepy family.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rawstory.com/2017/04/trump-promised-hed-have-a-full-report-on-the-russian-hack-today-he-doesnt-have-it/
ReplyDeletehttps://www.yahoo.com/news/us-agencies-were-asleep-were-155016516.html
Delete"'There's something not right here': British spies warned the US about 'extensive' contact between Trump team and Russia"
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/04/trump-ethics-anti-corruption-foreign-corrupt-practices-act
ReplyDeletehttps://wonkette.com/615541/trumps-cia-director-just-read-wikileaks-fuckhead-julian-assange-for-filth
ReplyDelete