Congress vs Trump

[luzribeiro]

"The U.S. special counsel investigating possible ties between the Donald Trump campaign and Russia in last year’s election is examining a broad range of transactions involving Trump’s businesses as well as those of his associates, according to a person familiar with the probe.

The president told the New York Times on Wednesday that any digging into matters beyond Russia would be out of bounds. Trump’s businesses have involved Russians for years, making the boundaries fuzzy so Special Counsel Robert Mueller appears to be taking a wide-angle approach to his two-month-old probe."

Mueller Expands Probe to Trump Business Transactions

"The roots of Mueller’s follow-the-money investigation lie in a wide-ranging money laundering probe launched by then-Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara last year, according to the person.

FBI agents had already been gathering information about Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, according to two people with knowledge of that probe. Prosecutors hadn’t yet begun presenting evidence to a grand jury. Trump fired Bharara in March."

I've suspected for quite a while that it will be his finances, not possible Russian collusion, that will end up being the most harmful story for the Trump administration. This is supported by years of assiduously refusing to reveal his tax returns, and a damning paragraph in this NYT article only underscores the point:

"Asked if Mr. Mueller’s investigation would cross a red line if it expanded to look at his family’s finances beyond any relationship to Russia, Mr. Trump said, “I would say yes.” He would not say what he would do about it. “I think that’s a violation. Look, this is about Russia.”"

Of course Trump absolutely loathes the Russia story because, if we accept his own statements, he feels Russian interference and the investigation into collusion undermines the legitimacy of his presidency. To put the financial aspect into perspective, he'd rather we all focus on Russia instead.

On the other hand, this is starting to smell too much of a witch-hunt:

Senators Take Action to Protect Robert Mueller's Trump Investigation

"Two members of the Senate Judiciary Committee are moving to protect Special Counsel Robert Mueller's job, putting forth new legislation that aims to ensure the integrity of current and future independent investigations.
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware plan to introduce the legislation Thursday. The bill would allow any special counsel for the Department of Justice to challenge his or her removal in court, with a review by a three-judge panel within 14 days of the challenge.
The bill would apply retroactively to May 17, 2017 — the day Mueller was appointed by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to investigate allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible ties between Russia and Donald Trump's campaign."

This reeks of a power-grab, and arms-twisting. Now Trump will be given more ammo to rile up his base by arguing that the political class is literally making the rules up as they go along.

In any case, regardless of what people think of Trump, this should probably trouble each and every single one of them.

Comments

[oportet]

I guess since all other problems are solved, this legislation they're working on isn't a waste of time at all!

I hope they work extra hard on it, I hope they pass it, then I hope Trump vetoes it and fires Mueller anyway.

[policraticus]

What characteristic defines the Trump organization? Lock step messaging? Rigorous security? Discipline? No. Undisciplined messaging defined the Trump campaign and it has absolutely defined the Trump administration (a term I use loosely)so far. Trump's camp leaks like a sieve. It is outrageous. The lack of message discipline is only rivaled by the earnest desire of every reporter in every newsroom across the land to be the one who gets the scoop that brings down Trump. The sooner, the better.

So, I ask this sincerely, does it stand to reason that if evidence of the sort of collusion that would lead to prosecutions existed, wouldn't that credible evidence already be disclosed and earning the Times or the Post or CNN big money, ratings and Pulitzer prizes? I think it does. And while absence of evidence is never evidence of absence, given the nature of human beings and our manifest inability to keep secrets when telling secrets will earn us money or get us power and praise, I find the lack of evidence to this point pretty convincing. Trump and his associates almost certainly did not "collude" with the Russians in whatever it is the Russians are suspected of doing. Continuing this investigation will probably get a couple of "perjury" or "obstruction" scalps on technical faults, it might expose the Trump circus as amateurish goofs and buffoons, but what does that mean? Nothing we didn't know going in to the investigation already.

This whole thing is looking more and more like a Alex Jones type "Bush did 9/11" conspiracy to me, a never ending investigation in search of a crime that likely never happened. Kalfka couldn't have written a better story line.

[dewline]

Some of that evidence is already in the public domain, precisely because DT-45 and his crew cannot keep their mouths shut when it would behoove a properly competent Evil Overlord to fall silent.

Consider also the experience and skills of the investigative team that Mueller's pulled together.

[policraticus]

What is this evidence of which you speak? Please be specific.

I see conjecture and hearsay aplenty. I see speculation and rumors aplenty. There are accusations and implications aplenty. Actual, you know, evidence of an actual, you know, crime... that is sorely lacking.

Mueller and his crew will labor mightily and, like the mountain, they will bring forth a mouse.

[fridi]

Congress did something similar with the sanctions on Russia taking away presidential authority.

It's a constant arms wrestle between the institutions.