triplehorn

I don’t think it’s going to stop. With so much coming to a head in the courts representing further increments in severity of evidence and testimony, I don’t even foresee a lull. The hardest thing about lying and bullshitting is being forced to publicly sustain it for a prolonged period of time, especially when all you can do is deny obvious reality. The longer R’s go without getting a breather, the harder it will be for them to remain convincing to anyone.

There was some news a couple months ago about DB not having Trump's tax returns on file (obviously something they'd use in processing a billion in loans). fwiw, I think it's now up to 4 former high level DB execs who interfaced in some capacity with DB loans/money laundering who have ended up dead in the last 18 months.

The rationale that Graham isn't threatening a lawsuit is dumb. The source could be wrong, but it's not coming from known prevaricators. Apart from anything Lindsey may have done, what's most consistent is a person with a track record of fraud, bribery, and extortion employing blackmail. We have a POTUS who only understands mob rules.

VVV "Before writing the Cartel trilogy and establishing residence on the New York Times best-seller list, Don Winslow was a private investigator. He really does have friends in federal law enforcement. He’s a smart guy, and he knows his stuff. Furthermore, that tweet has been up for almost two months, and Lindsey Graham—who is almost certainly aware of it, tagged as he is by a blue-check account—has made no move to have it stricken from the record. Why not? Unlike the bogus-lawsuit-loving Devin Nunes, who is suing a pretend cow, Graham is a good attorney, and thus familiar with the concept of discovery. He also understands that it ain’t libel if it’s the truth."

"In America, the only thing easier to buy than a gun is a Republican"

According to the Laws of Compensatory Pathologic Narcissism, the Rocky ‘shop suggests something recently happened to diminish his physical ability. - big overcoat, WH doc traveling w him. -decreased movement of left arm in a guy who constantly gesticulates with both hands. - no golf

about those tax returns...

Re Trump financials, revealing basic facts could have tremendous bearing on the larger context of Trump decision making being driven by active compromise. Recall in August 2009, Trump was denied a final time for loan for a mere 25 million pounds from Bank of Scotland because the bank considered it "too risky." Yet here we have Deutsche bank loaning Trump a billion dollars over a decade. Also, you may have missed a couple months ago Lawrence O'Donnell reporting a source informed him Trump's DB loans were only made possible being co-signed by Russian billionaires close to Putin. O'Donnell was forced to retract based on msnbc reporting policy only. If true, that would glaringly demonstrate our WH occupant is owned by Putin. 100% beholden to survive. No need for financial gymnastics.

Trump: "Talk To Rudy!" Impeachment transcripts detail Giuliani's outsized influence in Ukraine policy - Rudy Giuliani was mentioned more than 430 times during House impeachment investigators' interviews with two key U.S. diplomats - Sondland said officials were "disappointed" by Trump's "direction that we involve Mr. Giuliani" in Ukraine policymaking. "Based on the President's direction we were faced with a choice. We could abandon the goal of a White House meeting for President [Volodymyr] Zelenskiy ... or we could do as President Trump directed and talk to Mr. Giuliani to address the president's concerns." - Sondland said Trump did not make clear during a meeting earlier this year what Giuliani's concerns with regard to Ukraine were. "He wasn't even specific about what he wanted us to talk to Giuliani about. He just kept saying: Talk to Rudy. Talk to Rudy." - Giuliani and Trump were pushing for Zelenskiy to make what was deemed an "anti-corruption" statement, and Sondland testified that he and Volker had to workshop that statement so Giuliani would be satisfied. - Giuliani drove Trump's negative view of Ukraine, Volker testified, describing the president's comments from an Oval Office meeting this year. Dotard.

For a couple hundred million Americans, Thanksgiving and Christmas are real obstacles to sustained focus and energy on impeachment. The real push has to be after the start of the new year, which also aligns with the courts opening the evidentiary and testimonial floodgates.

Paper crimes are literally black and white. open and shut. pretty quick and easy to prove. The jury had no problem convicting Paul Manafort for his financial fraud and money laundering in short order. Re: "It would take a competent prosecuting authority six months or more to work up a case of mortgage/bank fraud," I'm going out on a limb here, but there's a fair chance some investigative body that can share their evidence and findings with the House has already done that work. Don't know, but maybe it could be handed over and used to buttress or advance House findings for impeachment of a sitting POTUS.

no surprise here:

If Trump's financials show that we have a partner of transnational criminal organizations occupying the WH, what a snore that would be. Even if House doesn't point to a statutory crime, exposing that kind of criminal corruption shows in flashing red lights why Trump would engage in serial obstruction of justice to hide his acceptance of Russian interference, why he would meet with Putin in private with no witnesses or transcripts, purportedly to hide his personal dealings, and make not a single decision that would do something other than benefit Putin's mafia state and initiatives to increase its leverage. The Ukraine bribery scheme, at it's core is also a mutual beneficial plot about undercutting Ukraine on Russia's behalf and corruptly influencing our 2020 election for Trump. So no, it's really not starting from whole cloth. It's all related and to the extent all the corners of the picture can get filled out, it makes a more compelling public case for conviction and removal - or removal of complicit Senate acquitters.

The qualifier in the first tweet is Mueller's *report* didn't address Trump financials. However we know from past reporting that Mueller subpoenaed Trump/Deutsche Bank financials and is believed to have had access to Trump/Trump Org tax returns. Keep in mind Mueller's report maintained a narrow focus while spinning off over a dozen investigations to other investigatory bodies. It's certainly conceivable Congress is pursuing what Mueller already has/had, which could be an active part of ongoing investigations delegated by Mueller before Barr shut him down. Very importantly, the House is in the unique position to readily present it to the public through the course of its impeachment inquiry.

The Mazars subpoenas of Trump/Trump Org are for up to time present which spans into his presidency, fwiw. The House investigation into Trump financials isn't about Ukraine bribery. It's about foreign compromise through corrupt financial practices (like money laundering) and/or being propped up by foreign cash (possibly having a up to a billion in Trump DB loans co-signed by Russian enablers). There are clear legislative implications for reform on the face of it.

Maybe no one should be struck by the fact that the deadline to appeal the Mazars Trump tax returns decision was moved up from Feb.11th to Dec 5th by SCOTUS. But what other explanation is there other than it being a response to a sense of urgency associated with ongoing impeachment investigations ? I can't find a date range for his requested returns apart from it spanning 6-8 years. If that includes 2017 and 2018, then it certainly could involve crimes actively committed while occupying the WH as Trump has engaged in personal business and profiteering full steam ahead. Deutsche bank financials tied to his loans could link directly to foreign financial compromise. Evidence of money laundering would likely also have a direct bearing on foreign compromise/financial alliances and could directly spill over into ongoing campaign finance. The Second Circuit should be ruling on the Deutsche Bank Trump financials any week now with an anticipated appeal to SCOTUS to follow.

Thanks, good read. So 12/5 has the potential to be a very bad news day for Trump in that Mazars could be compelled to turn over Trump's taxes and other subpoenaed financials per the Circuit ruling Trump lost. Mazars has already indicated it will comply. Nothing Donald could do to stop it. And if SCOTUS grants review, although the deadline for this term is June 2020, in all likelihood it would happen a lot sooner given the urgency related to the active impeachment inquiry.

Seeing it noted by another: 'Trump is required to file his request for cert by 12/5. The deadline had been February, so this is a *significant* acceleration of the case.' If the acceleration of the deadline date to request cert is any indication, given the circumstances of this case having specific and urgent bearing on an active impeachment inquiry, perhaps it follows that SCOTUS will expedite all facets or the process involving it to the extent it can.

Judge Jackson: I like the cut of her jib

Wonder if the above is the same aide who traveled with Nunes to Vienna in late 2018:

Yes, however there is reason to believe SCOTUS would expedite a resolution in early 2020 as opposed to next summer. Apart from the Mitch McConnell's wishful fantasy, there has never been an expectation the House would have the necessary evidence and testimony for an ironclad case before the end of 2019.

SCOTUS order in cases re Trump tax returns postponed until end of next week (Fri 12/6). and later today should be getting a ruling from judge Jackson on McGahn re Trump claims of "absolute immunity" which he's applied to many to prevent testimony to Congress.