Turning the heat up on the Russian probe.

Yesterday we learned that Robert Mueller was now investigating the Trump family finances.

But that was by no means not all of the bad news for Donald Trump.

Courtesy of TPM: 

The special counsel and congressional committees investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election are looking into possible money laundering by President Donald Trump’s former campaign chair Paul Manafort, the Wall Street Journal reported late Thursday.

Gee money laundering, why does that term keep coming up?

Oh, but that is not all.

Courtesy of the New York Times:  

Banking regulators are reviewing hundreds of millions of dollars in loans made to Mr. Trump’s businesses through Deutsche Bank’s private wealth management unit, which caters to an ultrarich clientele, according to three people briefed on the review who were not authorized to speak publicly. The regulators want to know if the loans might expose the bank to heightened risks. 

Separately, Deutsche Bank has been in contact with federal investigators about the Trump accounts, according to two people briefed on the matter. And the bank is expecting to eventually have to provide information to Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel overseeing the federal investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia. 

It was not clear what information the bank might ultimately provide. Generally, the bank is seen as central to understanding Mr. Trump’s finances since it is the only major financial institution that continues to conduct sizable business with him. Deutsche Bank has also lent money to Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, and to his family real estate business.

This, of course, is EXACTLY what Donald Trump expressed so much concern about in that bizarre  New York Times interview the other day.

It must literally be bananas in the Trump White House right now, with Trump losing his shit with every new revelation that comes down the pike.

Former national security adviser Michael Flynn starts defense fund to pay Russia probe legal bills.

Courtesy of Bloomberg: 

Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn plans to set up a fund to raise money to pay his legal bills stemming from multiple investigations into possible Trump campaign ties to Russia, according to a person close to Flynn. 

Flynn may become the first associate of President Donald Trump to begin raising money for legal costs associated with the Russia investigation, though others also are weighing how to finance their legal defenses. So far, Trump’s campaign organization has only footed legal bills related to the investigation for the president’s oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., according to records of expenses through the end of June. 

Even if Flynn is never charged with a crime, his legal costs could reach hundreds of thousands of dollars, said William Jeffress, a lawyer with Baker Botts. The tab could easily climb to $1 million for a criminal defense, Jeffress added. 

Legal preparations to establish Flynn’s defense fund are already underway, said the person close to Flynn.

I wonder how many Russian checks he will receive?

So now I have to wonder if those hints that Flynn is working with the FBI are in fact true, since one might think that cooperating would greatly reduce his legal expenditures.

I do think however that Flynn is only the first who will be seeking this kind of monetary support.

I have heard that there are many in the White House, even everyday staff, who are also being forced to lawyer up as the FBI and Robert Mueller probe deeper and deeper.

And that would include former Trump campaign communications adviser Michael Caputo who is now raiding his children's college funds in order to pay his attorney fees due to these investigations. 

Bernie Sanders' wife Jane wishes out loud, on Fox News, that the FBI probe into Hillary Clinton's e-mails would hurry up.

Courtesy of The Washington Free Beacon:  

Bernie Sanders’ wife Jane lamented the slow pace of the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server as secretary of state Thursday. 

“It would be nice if the FBI moved it along,” Sanders said.

First off it is pretty shitty that Jane Sanders is feeding into this Right Wing fantasy that Hillary Clinton will be indicted.

Secondly she said this on freaking Fox News where all of those Right Wing nutjobs are waiting for their daily ration of conspiracy theory flavored red meat.

Just a couple of reminders, there is NO evidence that the FBI has any intention of indicting Hillary Clinton.

There is also NO evidence that her e-mail server was hacked. (However the State Department e-mails were hacked.)

And consider this for a moment. IF the President thought, even for an instant, that Hillary was in danger of being indicted don't you think he would have encouraged Joe Biden to jump into the race so that there would be somebody out there who could protect his legacy?

Because I can guarantee that Bernie Sanders has no intention of doing so.

No I found this whole interview on Fox News to be in incredibly poor taste.

For the spokesperson of an ostensibly liberal candidate, who claims to want to stick to substantive policy discussions, to be throwing gasoline onto the radical Right Wing conspiracy bonfire is inexcusable.