Michael Cohen Investigation

[Tuco 5,085]

13 hours ago, Francisco 2.0 said:

The $200,000 from ATT is kinda interesting.

 

Let's see.  During the campaign, Trump came out against the ATT-DirecTV merger.  

I'll take "Net Neutrality" for $200,000.

One of the biggest backers of shitcanning net neutrality paid Trump's personal lawyer, who also happens to be in the RNC leadership, $200,000 in "insight" fees while the Republican Congress is in the process of dismantling the widely popular net neutrality regulation.  Every Republican Congressman has some explaining to do. 

[EMAWesome 101]

13 minutes ago, burntorangebongos said:

I believe Avenatti's pinned tweet that there is no PAC or any entity paying him for the Stormy case. This is to showcase himself to the nation. He is upping his profile big time. The dude is like a race horse that loves the attention and race. He wants to show off and end up in the winner's circle. Since he is an intelligent and talented lawyer, I think he's got a pretty good shot.

Well it does make sense that she would hire an attention whore for a lawyer.  He could teach her a couple of things about the presence of a camera making you get off.  When it comes to media accessibility he makes James Comey look like J. D. Salinger.

[Captainant 28,004]

7 minutes ago, Tuco said:

I'll take "Net Neutrality" for $200,000.

One of the biggest backers of shitcanning net neutrality paid Trump's personal lawyer, who also happens to be in the RNC leadership, $200,000 in "insight" fees while the Republican Congress is in the process of dismantling the widely popular net neutrality regulation.  Every Republican Congressman has some explaining to do. 

The payments also stopped after shit pie repealed title 2 at the FCC for ISP's. Totes unrelated though right? 

[burntorangebongos 10,787]

That is by design to help his strategy of goading the president or Guiliani into saying stupid shit. They are the biggest attention whores of all. It has worked and it has brought a "deep throat" character to him that wants to help him with factual info he wouldn't have gotten without a high profile.

[WhatTheBuck 28,852]

16 minutes ago, burntorangebongos said:

I believe Avenatti's pinned tweet that there is no PAC or any entity paying him for the Stormy case. This is to showcase himself to the nation. He is upping his profile big time. The dude is like a race horse that loves the attention and race. He wants to show off and end up in the winner's circle. Since he is an intelligent and talented lawyer, I think he's got a pretty good shot.

Watch that Real Time interview I posted all the way to the end. 

[triplehorn 2,664]

Novartis was interviewed by Mueller in November 2017 - nearly 7 month head start on the news going public.  

Taken that a Putin connected oligarch also lavished cash on the account, the Cohen raid the other week was not about Stormy payments, it's about Russia.

Cohen is still an acting deputy RNC finance chair, right?

 

[Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand 13,597]

I can't believe a guy that bragged about paying off politicians on the campaign trail would be involved in any corporate corruption. Also, Hillary's lawyer would have gotten 5 mil.

[Francisco 2.0 32,442]

1 hour ago, WhatTheBuck said:

How many times did you click the Submit Reply button?

3 times, apparently.

Which to me seemed odd the first time I clicked the button.  Nothing happened...so, onward I went.

 

 

 

[Pig Bellmont 8,777]

Payments by AT&T were made to Cohen in 2017, right?  That’s a pretty big fucking deal. God knows what the $500k was for- Avenatti probably knows it wasn’t for the Stormy payment, but is Trump/Cohen going to reveal their true dealings with that oligarch? I’m sure that’s not a conversation they want public. 

Avenatti may be able to get us closer to a Trump resignation than Mueller can. Avenatti will shout loudly about all incriminating evidence on every news channel irrespective of investigative norms... just a thought 

[Mojo Hand 4,580]

Yeah ATT straight-up paying 200 large to Trump's personal attorney/bag man while he was president is astonishing. 

[Francisco 2.0 32,442]

3 minutes ago, Mojo Hand said:

Yeah ATT straight-up paying 200 large to Trump's personal attorney/bag man while he was president is astonishing. 

Makes one wonder....how many times in the past has something like this happened.

[FondrenRoad 4,378]

59 minutes ago, burntorangebongos said:

I believe Avenatti's pinned tweet that there is no PAC or any entity paying him for the Stormy case. This is to showcase himself to the nation. He is upping his profile big time. The dude is like a race horse that loves the attention and race. He wants to show off and end up in the winner's circle. Since he is an intelligent and talented lawyer, I think he's got a pretty good shot.

Of course it is. Cochrane's firm boomed after OJ.  Plenty of attorneys would have taken this case for free. Its a career maker. 

[kevwun 15,964]

5 minutes ago, Francisco 2.0 said:

Makes one wonder....how many times in the past has something like this happened.

LBJ had a similar setup.  When people wanted something from him, they would buy ad time on his radio and tv stations.  Occasionally there would be commercials broadcast in Texas on his stations for things that weren't actually available for purchase in the state.  One of the major papers was about to break the story on it all while his was VP.  Then Kennedy was assassinated and they dropped the story.

Edited May 9, 2018 by kevwun

[Dertyberd 394]

16 minutes ago, Francisco 2.0 said:

Makes one wonder....how many times in the past has something like this happened.

Every fucking day.  Since Citizens United, that's how the system works, and its all legal if you are using 501(c)(4)'s and not "coordinating".  These clowns just put the money in an LLC because thats the way payoffs work in the private sector and they're arrogant idiot cunts.  They are going to drain the swamp by showing the country how big of swamp creatures they are, and because they're so plain dumb.  This is a beautiful day for America.  Sunshine motherfuckers, you're caught with your tiny peckers out.  

[Mojo Hand 4,580]

I agree about Citizens United, but an off-the-books cash payment for direct personal enrichment is even more corrupt that campaign money. 

[Tuco 5,085]

10 hours ago, triplehorn said:

 

Just as a guide:

Columbus Nova, has already been discussed from the Russia angle.

Elliot Broidy. I know he has been discussed for paying 1.6M, in one of the most expensive abortions ever.  But what I didn't realize is that he had previously pled guilty to a pension kick-back scheme.  In 2009, the NY AG (state, not the SDNY) Cuomo had a case where the state comptroller was receiving kick backs from Broidy for preferential treatment in pension investments.  Broidy pled guilty to a felony, but a judge reduced it to misdemeanor in 2012 after her paid the state back $18M.  So, in April 2017, Broidy and Cohen are both named deputy finance chairs for the RNC. 

Keith Davidson was the lawyer for Stormy and the women Broidy paid off.

Korea Aerospace claims the $150,000 contract was for "consulting services on accounting matters."  They make trainer jets. "KAI builds the T-50 trainer jet which has been developed with U.S. fighter jet maker Lockheed Martin. The two firms have partnered to compete in an auction for the U.S. Air Force’s advanced pilot trainer jet procurement of about 350 new jets. The results of the auction are expected later this year."

Novartis, as has been discussed, is a pharmaceutical company.  Their response is “shortly after the election of President Trump focused on U.S. healthcare policy matters. The terms were consistent with the market. The agreement expired in February 2018.”  But they are also making it clear that it was prior to their current CEO, Vasant Narasimhan, taking over.  But, of course, Narasimhan was still in the upper management and had dinner with Trump. 

Roughly 1.4M in transactions and zero honest answers.

Edited May 9, 2018 by Tuco

[kevwun 15,964]

A porn star is going to take down a President and his party.

[hayden_horn 11,374]

yeah, i guess i'm hoping that this shady as fuck stuff gets as much sunlight as possible, no matter where the money leads us

[Tuco 5,085]

I'll add that it makes sense that Mueller kicked this to SDNY.  This is straight-up bribery to a guy with power in the White House and the RNC.  Sure, it includes getting bribed by Russians, but it's more than that.  I said a couple days ago I really had no idea what they had on Cohen.  Well, I think I do now.  The tricky part is that bribery, as a legal matter, has gotten more complicated.  I think it was the Virginia governor who got cleared because while the prosecution was able to demonstrate that money was flowing to his bank account, they couldn't indicate direct government actions as the result.  Bribing for access was not illegal.  Cohen doesn't directly control any government actions.  It seems obvious it's a bribe, but my guess is that charges will deal more with bank fraud to obscure it.  I'm not a lawyer, so others may want to chime in. 

 

*Bob McDonnell conviction overturned

Edited May 9, 2018 by Tuco

[kevwun 15,964]

If this scandal gets big enough it might actually lead to some campaign finance reforms.  A future and former felon working for the financial wing of the RNC is going to play in Peoria I do believe.

[Loco 3,754]

4 minutes ago, kevwun said:

A porn star is going to take down a President and his party.

and in some cases again

[Tuco 5,085]

8 minutes ago, kevwun said:

If this scandal gets big enough it might actually lead to some campaign finance reforms.  A future and former felon working for the financial wing of the RNC is going to play in Peoria I do believe.

Don't forget the rapist.  Wynn resigned after being accused of sexual harassment and assault.  But Peoria doesn't care.  The Dems need to connect it to the specific policies.  Any time a Congressman defends his vote on Net Neutrality, "ATT paid Michael Cohen $200k and the RNC $xxx to make that happen" should be the automatic response.  Link the obvious bribe, the normal bribes called "campaign donations", and the policy. 

[kevwun 15,964]

It is also easy to understand.  Collusion is very complicated.  Felons trying to hide money given in exchange for votes isn't.

[TahoeHorn 107]

46 minutes ago, Mojo Hand said:

... but an off-the-books cash payment for direct personal enrichment is even more corrupt that campaign money. 

Yeah.  Much, much more.

[shnsajax 3,592]

35 minutes ago, kevwun said:

A porn star is going to take down a President and his party.

Its pretty fitting that they would take down the party of the fake evangelicals.

[Mojo Hand 4,580]

I was reading that Novartis has been recently embroiled in major bribery scandals in Greece and China, too. 

[Bat Guano 359]

1 hour ago, Dertyberd said:

Every fucking day.  Since Citizens United, that's how the system works, and its all legal if you are using 501(c)(4)'s and not "coordinating".  These clowns just put the money in an LLC because thats the way payoffs work in the private sector and they're arrogant idiot cunts.  They are going to drain the swamp by showing the country how big of swamp creatures they are, and because they're so plain dumb.  This is a beautiful day for America.  Sunshine motherfuckers, you're caught with your tiny peckers out.  

Yeah, the Cohen popup LLC was Trump's slush fund to pay off porn stars or whatever other sub rosa payoffs needed to be made, funded by people and firms that wanted favors from the president. Cohen got a 25% cut; knowing Trump he probably got a cut too, because he always wants a piece of the action. I'm guessing there will be about a million in payments going to some Trump company/ies also. That still leaves a couple million for paying off bimbos, plumbers, house painters, or whatever. Pretty fucking swampy indeed.

[triplehorn 2,664]

fwiw, Andrew Intrater is close Putin oligarch Vekselberg's cousin.

Edited May 9, 2018 by triplehorn

[Mojo Hand 4,580]

The pic isn't working for me.  What does it show? 

[triplehorn 2,664]

3 minutes ago, Mojo Hand said:

The pic isn't working for me.  What does it show? 

Spoiler

accompanying tweet:  

 @SpicyFiles

Oh FFS @GOP | get it that Trump is “your” guy but it sure looks like you & Trump’s Victory (what an oxymoron) PAC are co-mingling donations. There’s a word I’m looking for...-cough- laundering Russian Money? Read lower right hand corner carefully

[Pig Bellmont 8,777]

5 minutes ago, Mojo Hand said:

The pic isn't working for me.  What does it show? 

RNC disclosures of Andrew Intrater giving $29,600 in a single contribution 

[Anastasis 23,520]

54 minutes ago, hayden_horn said:

yeah, i guess i'm hoping that this shady as fuck stuff gets as much sunlight as possible, no matter where the money leads us

I think its going to get sunlight, but I won't hold my breath that it stimulates any push for real reform.  Money is the cancer at the center of our politics. 

[JimmyHoffa 1,188]

3 hours ago, burntorangebongos said:

I believe Avenatti's pinned tweet that there is no PAC or any entity paying him for the Stormy case. This is to showcase himself to the nation. He is upping his profile big time. The dude is like a race horse that loves the attention and race. He wants to show off and end up in the winner's circle. Since he is an intelligent and talented lawyer, I think he's got a pretty good shot.

 

It's basically the same as gaining followers on Instagram, twitter, and snap to make money. And he is doing a really good job of not blowing his load of info all in one shot. The slow leak of info allows him to extent his 15 minutes and probably depending on the outcome will result in a pretty significant pay raise to be a "legal analyst", host or whatever offer comes his way. 

One thing about America is you can become famous and get paid a shit ton of money for a lot of things.

[TahoeHorn 107]

3 minutes ago, Anastasis said:

 ... I won't hold my breath that it stimulates any push for real reform.  Money is the cancer at the center of our politics. 

You are conflating a bunch of issues.  Off-the-books bribes are not anything like PACs.

Edited May 9, 2018 by TahoeHorn

[Anastasis 23,520]

Just now, TahoeHorn said:

You are conflating a bunch of issues.  Off-the-books bribes are not anything like PACs.

Of course there are numerous issues. My statement stands. 

[Fozzz 152]

Actually, Anastasis, there is absolutely nothing wrong with companies like Novartis and AT&T shelling out hundreds of thousands of dollars for Michael Cohen's "insights" into the administration.  

[High Plains Drifter 11,085]

5 minutes ago, TahoeHorn said:

You are conflating a bunch of issues.  Off-the-books bribes are not anything like PACs.

Distinction without a difference.

[kevwun 15,964]

Buying a vote is buying a vote.  It being legal when done through a PAC doesn't make it any more palatable.  I will happily watch Cohen go to jail though.

Edited May 9, 2018 by kevwun

[Mojo Hand 4,580]

At least the public gets to see campaign donations and decide for itself.   Money in the pocket like this is much worse because it passes unseen. 

[Anastasis 23,520]

Just now, Fozzz said:

Actually, Anastasis, there is absolutely nothing wrong with companies like Novartis and AT&T shelling out hundreds of thousands of dollars for Michael Cohen's "insights" into the administration.  

Nothing wrong, or nothing illegal?

[kevwun 15,964]

3 minutes ago, Mojo Hand said:

At least the public gets to see campaign donations and decide for itself.   Money in the pocket like this is much worse because it passes unseen. 

Nobody gives a shit when it's out in the open either.  See Net Neutrality.  Maybe this time enough people will see what a cesspool campaign financing is.  I hope so.

Edited May 9, 2018 by kevwun

[chainsaw 10,045]

I wonder if the "insights" were worth it.  ATT already has the guy's browsing history.  How much "insight" do you need to understand that the man is a complete moron?

[TahoeHorn 107]

3 minutes ago, kevwun said:

Buying a vote is buying a vote in reality.  It being legal when done through a PAC doesn't make it any better.  ...

Sure.

But it isn't always clear when a vote is being bought.  Suppose, John Doe, a cotton farmer from Alabama pools his money with other cotton farmers to get the message out that Billy Bob Jones, a cotton farmer sympathetic to the interests of cotton farmers, would make a good Senator.  Is John Doe buying votes?  Should he be able to pool his money with other cotton farmers to advertise the merits of Billy Bob?

[kevwun 15,964]

John Doe is buying a Senator instead of votes.  It's two different paths that lead to the same place.

[Nice Guy Eddie 13,568]

As an American public company, won't AT&T pretty much has to explain why they are using funds to pay Cohen?  It would seem that if you owned 1 share of AT&T stock, you could ask for an explanation, and most likely file a suit to get more info.  not to mention that some state's AG may be interested to hear more about this as well.   They may want to see if this fits the category of a bribe or not.  

[TahoeHorn 107]

2 minutes ago, chainsaw said:

I wonder if the "insights" were worth it.  ATT already has the guy's browsing history.  How much "insight" do you need to understand that the man is a complete moron?

I'm sure Mueller will ask for copies of Cohen's consulting reports,  notes of his consulting advice, and records of meetings or phone calls to listen to advice.  A showing of $200K worth of advice would go a long way to arguing that the payment was for advice.  I don't expect we'll see that though.

 

The real question is whether Trump received money or benefits (e.g. payment to women) from Cohen.  Was Cohen (1) providing real benefit, (2) running a scam or (3) serving as Trump's bagman?  The documents will say.

[Anastasis 23,520]

Cohen will hide behind the cloak of lobbying.  

 

 

[kevwun 15,964]

Since Cohen appears to specialize in buying people off and laundering money, I'm guessing it wasn't for #1.

[SuingToGetAMessageBoard? 3,861]

1 minute ago, TahoeHorn said:

I'm sure Mueller will ask for copies of Cohen's consulting reports,  notes of his consulting advice, and records of meetings or phone calls to listen to advice.  A showing of $200K worth of advice would go a long way to arguing that the payment was for advice.  I don't expect we'll see that though.

 

The real question is whether Trump received money or benefits (e.g. payment to women) from Cohen.  Was Cohen (1) providing real benefit, (2) running a scam or (3) serving as Trump's bagman?  The documents will say.

And AT&T was very clear t wasn’t legal advice and he isn’t their lawyer, so no claims of privilege.  (Don’t know why that would be Mueller and not SDNY though)

[kevwun 15,964]

1 minute ago, Anastasis said:

Cohen will hide behind the cloak of lobbying.  

 

 

He can't because he's a moron and didn't do it the legal way.  It will be ironic if they succeed in draining the swamp because of their incompetent corruption.

Edited May 9, 2018 by kevwun