October 31, 2017


News and Views


WHEN THINGS HAPPEN TO POLITICIANS THAT SEND THEM SCRAMBLING TO MAKE UP A GOOD COVER STORY (LIE), THEY CALL IT “DISTRACTING.” WHAT THEY MEAN IS “DAMNED EMBARRASSING.” EUPHEMISMS INTEREST ME. THAT’S THE KIND OF THING THEY GET FROM THEIR PUBLIC RELATIONS FIRM. THERE WAS A GREAT MOVIE SOME 15 YEARS AGO ON THIS THEME CALLED “THE FIXER.” I CAN’T REMEMBER HOW IT WENT ANYMORE, BUT IT HAD A SINISTER ASPECT TO THE STORY, AS I SEEM TO RECALL. MAYBE I’LL FIND IT ON YOUTUBE AND WATCH IT AGAIN.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-russia-investigation-john-kelly-very-distracting-white-house/
CBS NEWS October 31, 2017, 6:37 AM
As White House downplays Russia investigation, John Kelly calls it "very distracting"

The first indictments in the Russia investigation put the White House on the defensive. President Trump wanted to focus on his tax overhaul push this week, before he goes on a 12-day trip to Asia.

The Trump White House expects the special counsel's investigation to wrap up soon and claims it is business as usual here. As the investigation accelerates, the president's lawyer insists that Mr. Trump is not considering firing Robert Mueller.

The president and first lady handed out candy on the South Lawn on Monday, even after White House officials said they weren't at all spooked by the bombshell indictments, reports CBS News correspondent Margaret Brennan.

"We're not worried about it distracting because it doesn't have anything to do with us," said White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Chief of Staff John Kelly also tried to distance the president from the unfolding controversy.

"All of the activities, as I understand it, that they were indicted for was long before they ever met donald trump," kelly said on fox news monday.

[note: see the slate article under a second blog from today, called “How Long, Sir?”]

But he told Fox News that he and the president discuss the probe multiple times a day.

"It is very distracting to the president, as it would be to any citizen to be investigated," Kelly said.

John Dickerson weighs in on White House reaction to charges in Russia probe
Play VIDEO
John Dickerson weighs in on White House reaction to charges in Russia probe

The president reportedly spent Monday morning fuming as the Russia indictments played out on TV.

A senior Republican told the Washington Post, "everyone is freaking out."

White House lawyer Ty Cobb pushed back, telling CBS News "I don't know where the perception of agita comes from, but it's not real," and "the walls are not caving in."

The president claimed any alleged criminal actions by former campaign chair Paul Manafort pre-dated the election, tweeting: "Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign."

But the indictment contradicted that claim. Details of Manafort's alleged criminal activities range from 2006 to February of this year, and he's accused of laundering money during the campaign.

Sanders also insisted that George Papadopoulos -- who pleaded guilty to lying to federal agents -- attempted to arrange meetings with Russian officials on his own accord.

"The actions that he took would have been on his own," Sanders said.

Of course the Papadopoulos plea agreement revealed that he was actually encouraged by an unnamed campaign adviser to pursue contact with the Russians. The president has yet to comment on those charges.

© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.


MUELLER MOVING FORWARD

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/robert-mueller-russia-investigation-whats-next/
CBS NEWS October 30, 2017, 7:49 PM
What's next in Mueller's Russia investigation?

The charges announced Monday in the special counsel investigation into Russian meddling in the U.S. election signal an aggressive probe -- a double-barreled punch that veteran prosecutors say is just the beginning, CBS News' chief legal correspondent Jan Crawford reports.

Taken together, lawyers say the indictment of Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, and the plea deal with George Papadopoulos, have a common purpose beyond the underlying crimes: to shake some trees and get witnesses to cooperate with the broader investigation.

Papadopoulos met with government lawyers and started cooperating after his arrest in July. Manafort and Gates, so far, have not.

Lawmakers react to charges in Russia probe
Play VIDEO
Lawmakers react to charges in Russia probe

But now, the threat of prosecution and jail time -- or even additional charges against them -- could cause them to flip if they have information that special counsel Robert Mueller would be interested in.

"Extremely strong, very serious charges, that put a tremendous amount of pressure on Manafort and Gates to plead and cooperate," former federal prosecutor Peter Zeidenberg told CBS News correspondent Julianna Goldman.

That's a common approach in these wide ranging investigations, Crawford reports. They're not just one big case that's filed at the very end, but a series of interim cases throughout.

"This investigation has got a head of steam and there will be a lot more shoes to drop," Zeidenberg said.

© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.


SOME ARE ASKING WHETHER OR NOT TRUMP MAY TRY TO FIRE MUELLER. THE LAWYER COHN SAYS "THERE IS NO BASIS" TO FIRE HIM. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT WHEN TWO REPUBLICAN SENATORS AND A FEW DEMOCRATS AS WELL HAVE POINTEDLY AND STRONGLY WARNED HIM IN FRONT OF THE TV CAMERAS NOT TO TRY THAT, I THINK HE IS LISTENING TO THEM. BESIDES, FOR TRUMP TO HAVE TO WRESTLE WITH MUELLER WOULD PROBABLY BE LIKE TWO SUMO WRESTLERS. IT WON'T BE A PIECE OF CAKE FOR TRUMP. MUELLER BOTH SMART AND TOUGH. I'M SO GLAD THAT HE IS THE ONE WHO IS HANDLING THE INVESTIGATON. I WOULD HATE TO SEE JEFF SESSIONS IN CHARGE. I DO NOT TRUST SESSIONS.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-lawyer-says-theres-no-basis-to-fire-robert-mueller/
By REBECCA SHABAD CBS NEWS October 31, 2017, 8:12 AM
Trump lawyer says there's "no basis" to fire Robert Mueller

One of President Trump's lawyers said Tuesday that there is "no basis" to fire Robert Mueller as special counsel in charge of the federal investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

In an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America," Jay Sekulow was asked if he could definitively say that the president has ruled out firing Mueller.

"Let me say this and I have said this, there is no conversation regarding firing Robert Mueller. And there's no basis to fire Robert Mueller," Sekulow said.

Asked again if the president is ruling out firing Mueller, he said, "I will say this, the president has not indicated to me or to anyone else that I work with that he's had any intent of terminating Robert Mueller and the way it would work is, you could only terminate a special counsel for cause and we just don't see any basis for cause."

Sekulow was also asked if Mr. Trump is ruling out pardons, but Sekulow said that he hasn't had a conversation with the president about that, but that "pardons are not on the table."

He said that he discussed with the president on Monday the federal charges against three of his former campaign aides, but he denied reports that there was a meeting with all of the lawyers in the White House residence for hours.

"I just want to say that that's not true," he said. "That did not take place. We had a conversation with the President, discussed what the charges looked like and that was it.

On Monday, it was revealed that Paul Manafort, one of Mr. Trump's 2016 campaign chairmen, Rick Gates, Manafort's former business associate and George Papadopoulos, a foreign policy adviser to the campaign, were indicted by a federal grand jury. Manafort and Gates surrendered to the FBI, and later pleaded not guilty in federal court to 12 counts including conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy against the U.S., unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading statements surrounding the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), false statements and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts.

Papadopoulos, meanwhile, pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI. His statements had to do with the nature of his relationship with "certain foreign nationals whom he understood to have close connections with senior Russian government officials."

CBS News' Jillian Hughes contributed to this report.

© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.



DA DEMS DID IT!

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-weighs-in-on-george-papadopoulos-case/
By REBECCA SHABAD CBS NEWS October 31, 2017, 8:41 AM
Trump weighs in on George Papadopoulos

President Trump on Tuesday weighed in on George Papadopoulos, who served as a foreign policy adviser to his 2016 campaign and pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.

Mr. Trump said on Twitter that Papadopoulos was merely a volunteer on the campaign and has "proven to be a liar."

Follow
Donald J. Trump ✔@realDonaldTrump
....came to the campaign. Few people knew the young, low level volunteer named George, who has already proven to be a liar. Check the DEMS!
8:16 AM - Oct 31, 2017
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The president also repeated that the events involving Paul Manafort and Rick Gates took place "long before" Manafort joined the campaign in March 2016. The indictment against the two men that was disclosed to the public on Monday says otherwise.

Follow
Donald J. Trump ✔@realDonaldTrump
The Fake News is working overtime. As Paul Manaforts lawyer said, there was "no collusion" and events mentioned took place long before he...
8:09 AM - Oct 31, 2017
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Mr. Trump is trying to shift the attention to Hillary Clinton and the Democrats in the election.

Follow
Donald J. Trump ✔@realDonaldTrump
I hope people will start to focus on our Massive Tax Cuts for Business (jobs) and the Middle Class (in addition to Democrat corruption)!
8:21 AM - Oct 31, 2017
23,185 23,185 Replies 9,890 9,890 Retweets 39,526 39,526 likes
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White House Chief of Staff John Kelly is also trying to distance the president from the unfolding controversy.

"All of the activities, as I understand it, that they were indicted for was long before they ever met Donald Trump," Kelly said on Fox News Monday.

But he told Fox News that he and the president discuss the probe multiple times a day.

"It is very distracting to the president, as it would be to any citizen to be investigated," Kelly said.

On Monday, it was revealed that Manafort, one of Mr. Trump's 2016 campaign chairmen, Gates, hid former business associate and Papadopoulos were indicted by a federal grand jury. Manafort and Gates surrendered to the FBI, and later pleaded not guilty in federal court to 12 counts including conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy against the U.S., unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading statements surrounding the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), false statements and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts.

Papadopoulos, meanwhile, pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI. His statements had to do with the nature of his relationship with "certain foreign nationals whom he understood to have close connections with senior Russian government officials."

© 2017 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.



"AT SOME POINT YOU HAVE TO ASK, 'WHY ALL THE DECEPTION?'" SCHIFF SAID.” TRUMP HAS DONE THIS FROM THE FIRST. HE THINKS IT SOLVES HIS PROBLEM, BUT IT JUST CREATES A MUCH BIGGER ONE. NOW THE RESULT MAY VERY WELL BE EXPULSION FROM THE WHITE HOUSE. I HATE TO BE HARD-HEARTED, BUT THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HE DESERVES. BESIDES, HIS ACTIONS ARE DAMAGING OUR WAY OF LIFE AS GOOD AMERICANS. LOCK HIM UP!!

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lawmakers-react-to-charges-in-special-counsel-investigation/
By NANCY CORDES CBS NEWS October 30, 2017, 8:09 PM
Lawmakers react to charges in special counsel investigation

WASHINGTON -- Reaction to the indictments against Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, and the guilty plea from George Papadopoulos, in the special counsel investigation came quickly Monday on Capitol Hill, where the House and Senate Intelligence Committees -- and the Senate Judiciary Committee -- are conducting parallel investigations into Russian election meddling.

Republicans gave the special counsel a wide berth Monday.

"This is what Bob Mueller was tasked to do," Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said.

"No reason not to trust him," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina.

Democrats, meanwhile, argued the indictments and the guilty plea from Papadopoulos are proof of a pattern -- a pattern "of people affiliated with the Trump campaign lying about their connections with the Russians," said Sen. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.

Paul Manafort, Rick Gates plead not guilty to 12 counts
Play VIDEO
Paul Manafort, Rick Gates plead not guilty to 12 counts

"At some point you have to ask, 'Why all the deception?'" Schiff said.

Schiff told CBS News that Manafort's shady financial dealings did not end when he went to work for candidate Trump.

"During the campaign while he's campaign manager, [Manafort is] trying to obtain more money for his work for these pro-Russian interests in Ukraine; money like that which he has now been indicted for laundering," Schiff said.

Republican Sen. Richard Burr, who is running the Senate's Russia investigation, said Papadopoulos was a "person of interest" in his probe as well.

George Papadopoulos pleads guilty to lying to FBI
Play VIDEO
George Papadopoulos pleads guilty to lying to FBI

"Lying to the FBI is a serious charge," Burr said.

Democrats argue it's time to pass a bill protecting special counsel Mueller from a presidential firing.

"The investigation must be allowed to proceed unimpeded," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said.

Republicans say President Trump knows better than to try that.

"The president should let the special counsel do his job," Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said.

But they'd still rather talk about almost anything else.

"That really isn't our job," Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said Monday.

"I don't see how the indictment changes the president's ability to do his job. There is a process for this to go forward. And I trust that it will happen," Cornyn said.

The White House said Mr. Trump has no intention of trying to fire Mueller, and Republicans say that's a good thing, because even his fellow Republican and recent golf partner Sen. Graham said there would be "holy hell" to pay if Muller were dismissed without cause.


KLOBUCHAR IS CALLING FOR LEGISLATIVE ACTION TO CONTROL HOW THE INTERNET CAN LEGALLY BE USED FOR POLITICAL ADS. THANK GOODNESS. IT HAS BEEN A WILD WEST FREE FOR ALL, SO FAR.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amy-klobuchar-says-paul-manaforts-surrender-could-just-be-the-beginning/
By REBECCA SHABAD CBS NEWS October 30, 2017, 8:48 AM
Amy Klobuchar says Paul Manafort's surrender "could just be the beginning"

Video – Klobuchar interview 6:17

Sen. Amy Klobuchar said Monday that the move by President Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort to surrender to federal authorities "could just be the beginning" in the Russia investigation.

"The issue is even if he is charged with something unrelated to Russia, it could just be the beginning," the Minnesota Democrat said in an interview with "CBS This Morning."

Manafort and his former business associate, Rick Gates, have been indicted by a federal grand jury as part of the investigation into Russian meddling in the U.S. election, according to unsealed documents released Monday.

The 31-page indictment charges them on 12 counts including conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy against the U.S., unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading statements surrounding the Foreign Agents Registration Act , false statements and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts.

CBS News spotted Manafort leaving his apartment in Alexandria, Virginia Monday morning with his lawyer and entering the Washington Field Office of the FBI.

A federal grand jury used by Special Counsel Robert Mueller approved the first charges stemming from the investigation, CBS News reported Friday.

Klobuchar said that Manafort failed to register under the Foreign Agent Act when he was representing the former government in Ukraine that was tied to Russia. She said that lawmakers are also aware of "shady business dealings" and "money laundering" involving reports of wire transfers in 2012 and 2013.

"I consider it a truth hunt and not a witch hunt," Klobuchar said when asked to react to Mr. Trump calling the investigation a "witch hunt." "We owe it to our democracy."

"What I want to know is how far this went, who was involved, and who gave the orders," she said about the federal probe.

Klobuchar discussed a bill she's co-sponsoring that would make political ads on social media more transparent, saying "it's about Americans having the right to know who's trying to influence them."



THIS STORY IS ABOUT THE HORRIBLE MASS MURDER THAT OCCURRED IN NYC TODAY. WE DON’T YET KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS PERSON, BUT I’M SURE IT’S ANOTHER NUT CASE OUT TO CLEANSE THE WORLD OF EVIL BY KILLING PEOPLE. HE PROBABLY HATES LIBERALS AND HILLARY CLINTON, OR HE CONSIDERS ALL WOMEN TO BE PROSTITUTES. HE MAY ALSO HAVE LOST HIS JOB, OR HIS LADY LEFT HIM. SO MANY MEN HAVE NO PATIENCE WITH WOMEN BECAUSE THEY CRY, BUT WHEN THESE SAME MEN GET DEEPLY DISCOURAGED, THEY START SHOOTING STRANGERS OR RUNNING THEM DOWN – THAT’S THE MOST POPULAR METHOD NOWADAYS. IT’S A FAD OF SORTS. HE WAS CARRYING A TOY GUN. THAT’S A SIGN THAT THIS IS “SUICIDE BY COP,” MOST LIKELY. HOW DEPRESSING THIS IS. BELOW THIS ARTICLE WILL BE UPDATES IF THEY HAVE NEW INFORMATION. “THE SUSPECT IS IN CUSTODY, POLICE SAID.” THAT, AT LEAST IS GOOD NEWS.

https://www.yahoo.com/gma/york-city-officers-responding-reports-shots-fired-lower-194603578--abc-news-topstories.html?soc_trk=gcm&soc_src=ecd5e8af-dc90-3332-9efb-d522bf6b8dfa&.tsrc=notification-brknews
6 dead after driver plows into people on New York City bike path
Good Morning America
EMILY SHAPIRO and AARON KATERSKY
Good Morning America • October 31, 2017

At least six people are dead and others injured after a vehicle drove onto a bike path in lower Manhattan in New York City. The sprawling crime scene runs several blocks along the West Side Highway.

A vehicle entered the West Street pedestrian and bike path north of Chambers Street, hitting multiple people on the path, leaving some dead and "numerous people injured," New York City police said, citing preliminary investigation.

The vehicle kept driving south until it hit another vehicle, police said. At that point, the suspect, who was "displaying imitation firearms," got out of the vehicle and was shot by responding officers, authorities said.

The suspect is in custody, police said.

View image on Twitter

Martin Speechley ✔@NYPDSpeechley
All media responding to the incident in Lower Manhattan are asked to meet DCPI reps at Chambers Street and Greenwich Street.
3:35 PM - Oct 31, 2017
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A truck hit multiple people on the bike path on the West Side Highway, a witness told ABC's New York station WABC. The truck crashed into a school bus at Chambers and West streets, near Stuyvesant High School, the witness added.

"Everybody started running," the witness said. "...Everything was happening so fast."

The witness added of the driver, "He kept going all the way down full speed."

"Thank god the trick-or-treaters weren't out yet," the witness later said.

Video from the scene showed mangled bicycles strewn across the bike path.

There is no active threat, according to the mayor's press secretary.

Eric Phillips ✔@EricFPhillips
Mayor’s been briefed on extremely preliminary info. NO active threat. https://twitter.com/nypdnews/status/925443702985773057 …
3:31 PM - Oct 31, 2017
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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio are heading to the scene.

The FBI is also responding to the incident.

Police warned that New Yorkers should expect many emergency personnel in the area.

PHOTO: Authorities respond to incident in lower Manhattan in New York City, Oct. 31, 2017. (Jeff/WFH/Twitter)
PHOTO: Authorities respond to incident in lower Manhattan in New York City, Oct. 31, 2017. (WABC)

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JS
JS40 minutes ago
This was an attack. CNN calling it an accident.
ReplyReplies (59)42198

Jake
Jake38 minutes ago
Condolences for the deceased and their families.
ReplyReplies (6)3058

JS
JS42 minutes ago
Religion of peace strikes NY, again.
ReplyReplies (23)34288



https://ca.news.yahoo.com/police-respond-shots-fired-near-194022625.html?soc_trk=gcm&soc_src=ecd5e8af-dc90-3332-9efb-d522bf6b8dfa&.tsrc=notification-brknews
8 killed by New York motorist in 'cowardly act of terror'
The Canadian Press • October 31, 2017

NEW YORK — A man in a rented pickup truck mowed down pedestrians and cyclists along a busy bike path near the World Trade Center memorial Tuesday, killing at least eight and seriously injuring 11 in what the mayor called "a particularly cowardly act of terror."

The driver was shot in the abdomen by police after jumping out of the truck with what turned out to be a fake gun in each hand and shouting what witnesses said was "Allahu Akbar!," Arabic for "God is great," authorities said. He underwent surgery and was expected to survive.

Officials who were not authorized to discuss the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity identified the attacker as 29-year-old Sayfullo Saipov and said he is from Uzbekistan and came to the U.S. in 2010. He has a Florida driver's license but may have been staying in New Jersey, they said.

The driver barrelled along the bike path in a rented Home Depot truck for the equivalent of about 14 blocks, or around eight-tenths of a mile, before slamming into a small yellow school bus. The mayhem and the burst of police gunfire set off panic in the neighbourhood and left the pavement strewn with mangled bicycles and bodies that were soon covered with sheets.

"I saw a lot of blood over there. A lot of people on the ground," said Chen Yi, an Uber driver.

Eugene Duffy, a chef at a waterfront restaurant, said, "So many police came and they didn't know what was happening. People were screaming. Females were screaming at the top of their lungs."

Argentina [sic: There is no prior reference to this name, so I conclude it must mean that the Embassy of Argentina said this.] said the dead included Argentine citizens.

Police closed off streets across the western edge of lower Manhattan along the Hudson River, and officers rushed into the neighbourhood just as people were preparing for Halloween festivities, including the big annual parade through Greenwich Village.

"This was an act of terror, and a particularly cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians, aimed at people going about their lives who had no idea what was about to hit them," Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

New York and other cities around the globe have been on high alert against attacks by extremists in vehicles. The Islamic State has been exhorting its followers to mow down people, and England, France and Germany have all seen deadly vehicle attacks in the past year or so.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called it a "lone wolf" attack and said there was no evidence to suggest it was part of a wider plot.

New York City Police Commissioner James O'Neill said a statement the driver made as he got out of the truck and the method of attack led police to conclude it was a terrorist act.

On Twitter, President Donald Trump called it "another attack by a very sick and deranged person" and declared, "NOT IN THE U.S.A."

While police did not specifically blame the Islamic State for the New York bloodshed, Trump railed against the extremist group, tweeting, "We must not allow ISIS to return, or enter, our country after defeating them in the Middle East and elsewhere. Enough!"

Police said the vehicle entered the bike path at about 3 p.m. on West Street a few blocks from the new World Trade Center, the site of the deadliest terror attack in U.S. history. The truck then turned at Chambers Street, hitting the school bus and injuring two adults and two children.

A paintball gun and a pellet gun were found at the scene, police said. At least two covered-over bodies could be seen lying on the bike path, and the front end of the pickup was smashed in, as was the side of the school bus.

Tom Gay, a school photographer, heard people saying there was an accident and went down to West Street, where a woman came around the corner shouting, "He has a gun! He has a gun!"

Gay said he stuck his head around the corner and saw a slender man in a blue track suit running on West Street holding a gun. He said a heavyset man was chasing him.

He said he heard five or six shots, and the man in the tracksuit fell to the ground, gun still raised in the air. He said a man came over and kicked the gun out of his hand.
___
Associated Press writers Sadie Gurman in Washington and Tom Hays, Michael Balsamo and Adam Geller in New York contributed to this story.
Colleen Long And Jake Pearson, The Associated Press


DISHONESTY IS EVERYWHERE. I WAS WAITING FOR A DEM TO SHOW UP AS A CHARACTER IN THIS SAGA OF LIFE, AND SOME LEGISLATORS, TOO, BECAUSE THEY ARE DEEPLY INTO THE LOBBYING GAME. THE BUSINESS OF POWER IS CORRUPT. ONLY BERNIE IS A REAL GENTLEMAN.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/democratic-lobbyist-tony-podesta-quits-220227572.html
Democratic Lobbyist Tony Podesta Quits After His Firm Turns Up In Manafort Indictment
HuffPost
Paul Blumenthal
HuffPost • October 30, 2017

WASHINGTON ― Tony Podesta, the Democratic Party super-lobbyist, announced his resignation as head of the Podesta Group after the company appeared in the indictment of former Donald Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort on Monday.

Manafort and his business partner Richard Gates were indicted on 12 criminal charges, including money laundering, making false statements and failing to register as foreign agents for the government of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. The indictment came from the office of special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, in particular accusations that Russia hacked the emails of Trump’s political opponents and influenced the election.

The Podesta Group and another firm, Mercury Public Affairs, are listed in the indictment as “Company A” and “Company B,” although it is not known which company is A or B. The two firms were hired by Manafort to lobby for the Yanukovych government in 2012 but did not register as foreign agents until 2017.

At an all-staff meeting announcing his departure, Podesta told staff that he was leaving because of the possible legal issues arising from Manafort’s indictment. According to Politico, which first reported Podesta’s departure, he said he “needs to fight this as an individual, but doesn’t want the firm to fight it.”

Tony Podesta is a major Democratic Party figure in Washington, D.C. He and his brother, John Podesta, who was Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign manager, founded the Podesta Group in 1988, but John Podesta has not been involved with the firm since 1993. The Podesta Group routinely ranks as one of the top-earning lobbying firms in Washington. In 2016, the firm raked in $24 million from its registered lobbying business, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

The allegations in the indictment related to the Podesta Group’s lobbying on behalf of Yanukovych, who had close relations with the Russian government, and his Party of Regions begin in 2012, when Manafort led a public relations effort in Washington during Yanukovych’s re-election campaign. Manafort hired the Podesta Group and Mercury Government Affairs, a Republican lobbying firm, as part of this campaign. But he hired them through the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine*, [Also Called “The Centre” In An Article Yesterday] a Belgium-based nonprofit that acted as an arm of the Yanukovych government, to mask the true source of the lobbying campaign.

Signing up the lobbying firms this way also reduced transparency about the lobbying campaign. Both firms could claim that they were not working on behalf of a foreign government or foreign political party, which allowed them to register under the less rigorous Lobbying Disclosure Act and not as foreign agents. Lobbyists who register as foreign agents must disclose far more information about their activities than those who register for domestic or non-foreign government-aligned clients.

The indictment explains, however, that the Podesta Group and Mercury Public Affairs were aware that they were working for a foreign government and still failed to register as foreign agents. Gates wrote to “Company A,” according to the indictment, that it would be “representing the Government of Ukraine” in Washington.

In November 2012, according to the indictment, Gates wrote to both the Podesta Group and Mercury Public Affairs that they provide “an assessment of their past and prospective lobbying efforts so the ‘President’ could be briefed by ‘Paul’ on what Ukraine has done well and what it can do better as we move into 2013,” presumably referring to President Yanukovych and Paul Manafort.

The Podesta Group and Mercury Public Affairs were neither hired nor paid by their nominal client, the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine. They were both hired directly by Manafort and Gates, and were paid from the former Trump aides’ offshore accounts in Cyprus and the Grenadines. The two firms received $2 million in payments from 2012 through 2014 from these offshore accounts.

As part of the campaign, the two firms directly lobbied members of Congress on potential sanctions targeting Ukraine and on toning down a resolution expressing disapproval for a trial of Yanukovych’s former political rival, ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Much of this lobbying was personally directed by both Manafort and Gates, according to the indictment.

In August 2016, the [sic] The Associated Press revealed that Manafort orchestrated this lobbying campaign on behalf of the Yanukovych government, which fell in February 2014 after the Maidan protest movement drove him into exile in Russia. In response to the AP report, Gates distributed talking points to Podesta Group and Mercury Public Affairs to help them deny that they worked for the former Ukrainian government.

In 2016 and 2017, Manafort and Gates, the Podesta Group and Mercury Public Affairs retroactively registered as foreign agents. Manafort and Gates registered as lobbyists for the Ukrainian Party of Regions while the Podesta Group and Mercury Public Affairs registered on behalf of the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine.

Failure to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act is rarely prosecuted or punished. Most violators can escape legal sanction by retroactively registering. The indictment of Manafort and Gates, however, charges the two with failure to register as foreign agents and also with making false statements in their retroactive registrations.

Mueller has already called representatives of the Podesta Group and Mercury Public Affairs to testify. It is unclear whether these firms or the principals who signed the lobbying contract with Manafort and Gates will face any charges.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.


MERCURY PUBLIC AFFAIRS
https://ballotpedia.org/Mercury_Public_Affairs

Mercury Public Affairs
Mercury public affairs.png

Basic facts

Location: Washington, D.C.
Type: Public Strategy Firm
Affiliation: Bipartisan
Top official: •CEO: Kieran Mahoney
•President: Kirill Goncharenko
Founder(s): Kirill Goncharenko and Kieran Mahoney
Year founded: 1999
Website: Official website

Connections
•Brian Jones
•Rick Wiley
•Mike DuHaime
•Roger Salazar

Mercury Public Affairs is a bipartisan political strategy and consulting firm that focuses on campaigns and political communications ranging from advocacy advertising to litigation communications to media and public relations. The firm has multiple locations throughout the U.S and in Mexico City as well as London. The firm was co-founded, in 1999, by Kirill Goncharenko and Kieran Mahoney in Manhattan. The firm has since been purchased by Omnicom Group, a company that controls 1,500 marketing communication agencies around the world.[1] Omnicom Group's chairman is Bruce Crawford. Several past and present members of Mercury are working on presidential campaigns for the 2016 election cycle.



http://nypost.com/2017/10/30/bernie-sanders-get-stuck-waiting-for-a-train-with-de-blasio/
METRO
Bernie Sanders gets stuck waiting for a train with de Blasio
By Yoav Gonen October 30, 2017 | 2:53pm | Updated


Sen. Bernie Sanders took a subway ride with Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday — but only after waiting 10 minutes for a downtown A train.

The progressive bosom buddies met at Penn Station shortly before 11 a.m. to ride just five stops to Fulton Street, but were forced to make small talk on the platform because of delays in service.

As they waited, they were serenaded by a pair of musicians, and then caused a ruckus when they entered a packed train with dozens of reporters, photographers and bodyguards in tow.

Riders shouted out encouragement, snapped photos and shot videos — and at one point, a man started shouting, “Lock up Trump! Lock up Trump!”

Sanders suggested Hizzoner’s* so-called millionaires tax proposal to fund the MTA long-term could work miracles.

“When you ride on the subway, you should ride in comfort, you should ride in a subway car where you can sit, where you know where the train is coming,” said Sanders. “That is not a radical idea. It exists around the world.”

The proposed tax faces a rough road in Albany, which would have to approve it.

Sanders insisted he wasn’t taking sides in a battle between Gov. Andrew Cuomo and de Blasio over how to fund the subways — even though Cuomo has called the millionaires tax proposal “dead on arrival.”

“I’m not taking sides — to be honest, I’ve got enough to keep me busy in Washington without getting involved in New York state politics,” Sanders said. “[To] ask people on top to pay a little more in taxes, I think that is fair, I think it’s the right thing to do.”

The mayor — who endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016 over Sanders — echoed Sanders’ message of a rigged financial system that has propelled those on Wall Street to the top of the heap.

“They got a lot of what they got because of laws that benefited them specifically, and tax laws written for them,” said de Blasio.

The mayor for months has declined to support calls for half-fare Metrocards for the lowest-income New Yorkers — despite a hefty city budget surplus — and only embraced the idea as part of his proposed tax on the wealthy.


HTTPS://WWW.MERRIAM-WEBSTER.COM/DICTIONARY/HIZZONER

DEFINITION OF HIZZONER*
—Used as a title for a man holding the office of mayor

First known use: 1882
Origin and etymology of hizzoner
An alteration of “his honor”




http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/carter-page-reacts-to-indictments-papadopoulos-plea-1084943939800
ALL IN WITH CHRIS HAYES 10/30/17
Carter Page reacts to indictments, Papadopoulos plea
Carter Page, former foreign policy advisor to Donald Trump's presidential campaign, speaks frankly with Chris Hayes about what he knew and when he knew it. Duration: 10:00


http://www.msnbc.com/hardball/watch/russian-backed-content-reached-126-million-on-facebook-1084867651628
HARDBALL WITH CHRIS MATTHEWS 10/30/17
Russian backed content reached 126 million on Facebook
126 million Americans received Russian-backed content on Facebook during the 2016 campaign, according to prepared testimony the company submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Duration: 9:01


http://www.msnbc.com/the-beat-with-ari-melber/watch/ari-melber-breaks-down-what-s-next-for-mueller-s-russia-investigation-1084922947748
THE BEAT WITH ARI MELBER 10/30/17
Ari Melber breaks down what's next for Mueller's Russia...
Trump tries to distance himself from Russia investigation downplaying roles of Paul Manafort and foreign policy adviser, George Papadopoulos. Duration: 5:04


http://www.msnbc.com/mtp-daily/watch/schiff-says-fmr-trump-adviser-george-papadopoulos-was-on-radar-1084754499522
10/30/17
Schiff Says Fmr. Trump Adviser George Papadopoulos Was on Radar
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) joins MTP Daily to discuss if today’s news of former Trump aides being indicted is evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia. Duration: 7:56


THIS NEXT IS FROM MCCAIN’S RECENT SPEECH WHICH WAS, AGAIN, A GREAT ONE. DO LISTEN TO IT.

http://www.msnbc.com/mtp-daily/watch/chuck-really-listen-to-what-mccain-is-saying-1075452995559
MTP DAILY 10/17/17
Chuck: ‘Really Listen to What McCain is Saying’
Tonight Chuck is obsessed with what Sen. John McCain was really saying last night, but not what some people are saying he said and the Trump versus McCain narrative you may be hearing. Duration: 2:18


http://www.msnbc.com/mtp-daily/watch/can-political-polarization-be-fixed-1075443267729
MTP DAILY 10/17/17
Can Political Polarization Be Fixed?
Former Rep. Jason Altmire joins MTP Daily to discuss his book, "Dead Center," which focuses on how to fix political polarization. Duration: 6:24


http://www.msnbc.com/hardball/watch/russian-backed-content-reached-126-million-on-facebook-1084867651628
Embed
HARDBALL WITH CHRIS MATTHEWS 10/30/17
Russian backed content reached 126 million on Facebook
126 million Americans received Russian-backed content on Facebook during the 2016 campaign, according to prepared testimony the company submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Duration: 9:01



http://www.msnbc.com/hardball/watch/russian-backed-content-reached-126-million-on-facebook-1084867651628
HARDBALL WITH CHRIS MATTHEWS 10/30/17
Russian backed content reached 126 million on Facebook
126 million Americans received Russian-backed content on Facebook during the 2016 campaign, according to prepared testimony the company submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Duration: 9:01


http://www.msnbc.com/hardball/watch/matthews-we-need-a-leader-who-can-unite-the-country-1084895299563
HARDBALL WITH CHRIS MATTHEWS 10/30/17
Matthews: We need a leader who can unite the country
Chris’s new book, "Bobby Kennedy: A Raging Spirit," revives the life of someone who believed minorities and working class whites could be united in political purpose. Duration: 0:56


http://www.msnbc.com/hardball/watch/will-trump-fire-mueller-1084889667589
HARDBALL WITH CHRIS MATTHEWS 10/30/17
Will Trump fire Mueller?
As Robert Mueller makes his first criminal charges, Democrats are already stepping up efforts to protect the special counsel. Duration: 3:39


http://www.msnbc.com/the-beat-with-ari-melber/watch/top-clinton-aide-on-manafort-indictment-justice-will-be-served-1084924483572
THE BEAT WITH ARI MELBER 10/30/17
Trump points the finger at Hillary Clinton after Mueller...
Following Mueller’s indictments of Trump campaign staffers, Trump tries to shift the attention to Hillary Clinton. Philippe Reines, advisor to Hillary Clinton, and former Obama adviser, Ron Klain join Duration: 6:57

WHAT IS THE “FARA STATUTE?” IT’S THE FOREIGN AGENT REGISTRATION ACT.
https://www.fara.gov/rstatutes.html


http://www.msnbc.com/the-beat-with-ari-melber/watch/young-undocumented-immigrant-with-cerebral-palsy-detained-in-texas-1083254851788
Embed
THE BEAT WITH ARI MELBER 10/27/17
Young undocumented immigrant with cerebral palsy detained in...
A 10-year-old girl with cerebral palsy is fighting for her life after Trump’s border patrol took her into custody after emergency surgery Duration: 4:43


http://www.msnbc.com/the-beat-with-ari-melber/watch/donald-trump-jr-knew-trump-tower-meeting-was-with-kremlin-official-1083253827941
THE BEAT WITH ARI MELBER 10/27/17
Donald Trump Jr. knew Trump tower meeting was with Kremlin...
Donald Trump Junior was told he was meeting with a ‘Russian Government attorney” before the infamous Trump Tower meeting. Duration: 11:53