Currently Paul Manafort is persona non grata among the Trump folks, and they have even started a smear campaign against him.
The reason for that is now starting to become clearer.
Courtesy of Bloomberg:
In fact, Manafort had alerted authorities to a controversial meeting on June 9, 2016, involving Trump’s son Donald Jr., other campaign representatives and a Russian lawyer promising damaging information on Hillary Clinton, according to people familiar with the matter. The president and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, were dragged into the matter as details repeatedly emerged that contradicted the initial accounts of that meeting.
Actually the New York Times more or less confirmed this as well back in June:
Mr. Manafort, the former campaign chairman, also recently disclosed the meeting, and Donald Trump Jr.’s role in organizing it, to congressional investigators who had questions about his foreign contacts, according to people familiar with the events.
The way the Times reported on this it sounded as it Kushner's attorneys had compelled him to reveal this meeting in order to finally come clean about how many meetings he had with Russian representatives during the campaign.
However if in fact the initial revelations came from Manafort's testimony to congressional investigators that would not only fit team Trump's pattern of only revealing information they are forced to reveal, but also explain the animosity currently being directed at Manafort.
It is fairly clear that this meeting between Junior, Kushner, and Manafort with the Russians has really turned up the heat on these investigations, so it would stand to reason that the person responsible for the word getting out is currently at the top of Trump's list of enemies.
He also seems to be number one with Robert Mueller who has now not only had his home raided by the FBI but has also subpoenaed his bank records.
I would suggest that Manafort start cooperating fully with the investigators, get himself a food taster post haste, and avoid taking any long strolls out in public.
Alternative? Fall on your sword for Trump? Could he inspire such loyalty even in his own bloodline...?
ReplyDeleteTrump thanks Putin for expelling U.S. diplomats to dismay of State Department
ReplyDelete...."I kid you not, I have heard from three different people in the last five minutes," one State Department official told POLITICO shortly after Trump's comments. "Everyone seems pretty amazed. This statement is naive and shortsighted. It sends a terrible signal to local employees everywhere."
"THANK Putin?" another bewildered State Department official responded. "I don't have words that are printable to describe my reaction."...
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/10/trump-thanks-vladimir-putin-diplomats-241498
Trump: ‘I Want to Thank Putin’ for Expelling U.S. Diplomats
Delete—Saves Us ‘a Lot of Money’
Who pays all the relocation expenses? Not everyone is saving money.
DeleteThe Russians are sacrificing a lot of revenue from all those families.
Trump is happy for thinking he is saving money. Actually no one was fired, they are only being transferred.
They are still on payroll. There are just huge costs to move everyone.
Manafort - Dead Man Walking
ReplyDeleteWhen does he go into witness protection?
DeleteYep - and he should avoid balconies or the rooftops of multi-story buildings.
ReplyDeleteAnd bathtubs. Stay far away from bathtubs.
DeleteMaybe he should be jailed for his own protection...
ReplyDeleteJared Kushner just got slapped with a fine by the Office of Government Ethics for a late financial disclosure
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rawstory.com/2017/08/jared-kushner-just-got-slapped-with-a-fine-by-the-office-of-government-ethics-for-a-late-financial-disclosure/
Or, it could just be in registering as a foreign lobbyist, he had to disclose such meetings. Would have been no problem if The Jr. Rump had been forthcoming. But duh, Mueller can cross-check. Isn't that why Ivaaaahhhnka may now be in some hot water, too?
ReplyDelete"The President was using one of his favorite tactics. He is blaming Democrats for the very thing that he is accused of doing. Without Hillary Clinton around to blame everything on, Trump’s tactics are being exposed."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.politicususa.com/2017/08/10/trump-blames-democrats-criminal-acts-collusion-russia.html
Let me note something about this afternoon’s news that Paul Manafort is switching out his legal team. Pay attention to some key parts of the rather brief announcement. The statement by spokesman Paul Maloni says that Manafort is “in the process of retaining his former counsel, Miller & Chevalier, to represent him in the office of special counsel investigation” and that “as of today, WilmerHale no longer represents Mr. Manafort.”
ReplyDeletehttp://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/moving-fast-3
Rachel was on this last night. His new attorney was involved with Bush 1 and pardoned by him after nine days in jail for corruption.
DeleteManafort is singing away!
ReplyDelete