Manafort and Gates, were charged with "conspiracy against the United States," "conspiracy to launder money" and other offenses. The two were expected in court in Washington by the afternoon.
The Justice Department indictment on Manafort and Gates contains 12 counts: "conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading FARA statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts."
Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI.
The Manafort and Gates indictment unsealed on Monday morning does not make any reference to Russia's influence campaign against the presidential election, but it does allege extensive financial ties between Manafort and Gates and powerful Ukrainians.
The Papadopoulos materials, on the other hand, detail the many contacts investigators say he had with Russian-linked operatives. He met at least two people, a man and a woman, who the FBI says were working for the Russian government and had boasted to him about the help it could offer the Trump campaign against Clinton.
Original Submission #1 Original Submission #2 Original Submission #3
(Score: 3, Interesting) by NewNic on Monday October 30 2017, @10:00PM (6 children)
Trump's problem with pardons is that they void the subject's 5th amendment privilege. If they don't face criminal prosecution, then they can be compelled to testify.
lib·er·tar·i·an·ism ˌlibərˈterēənizəm/ noun: Magical thinking that useful idiots mistake for serious political theory
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday October 31 2017, @12:11AM (5 children)
They'll do what Scooter Libby did when it looked for a moment like Dick Cheney and Karl Rove might go down for their crimes: he took the rap in exchange for a reward later. It's what the mafia does.
Here's the part that many will not expect: that's what the power elite want, too. They like sacrificial lambs to go down for the crimes they all commit so they can seem innocent and honorable in comparison, and then continue right on blithely looting anything that isn't nailed down. If there actually was a broad-based investigation of all this kind of dealing, most of them would wind up in prison and that they would never allow.
So while we're making predictions of what's gonna happen next, I'll throw mine in the hat: Kim Jong-Un goes down and wipes all of this stuff off the front pages. Then, if Trump is smart, he seizes war-time powers and goes after the Clintons, Hollywood, and all the people who have it in for him.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by Geotti on Tuesday October 31 2017, @01:28AM (1 child)
I believe that might cost the US a lot in terms of concessions towards China und Russia. Maybe too much, so I wouldn't count on it. Probably something Middle-East, or Africa. Again.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday October 31 2017, @02:51AM
Maybe, but we don't have 3 carrier battle groups and nuclear bombers and everything else hovering outside Iran at the moment. We do have those things with North Korea. The pump has been primed. If Kim Jong-Un bats so much as an eyelash Trump has no reason in the world now not to flatten him. It would suck for South Korea and maybe Japan, but that's all to the good because they'd instantly be mobilized for the anti-China coalition DC really needs to put together (assuming North Korea is dispatched quickly enough).
I dunno. A crazy dictator waving threats with nuclear weapons plus an insecure president of the world's sole superpower with a burning desperation to change the narrative adds up to war.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday October 31 2017, @03:15AM (2 children)
Trump maybe already has a way to go after Hollywood, maybe:
https://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?noupdate=1&sid=22251&page=1&cid=588140#commentwrap [soylentnews.org]
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-entertainment-news-updates-corey-feldman-hollywood-pedophiles-1509372721-htmlstory.html [latimes.com]
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday October 31 2017, @12:48PM (1 child)
Yes, but Trump seems to not know how to go on the offensive. He only knows how to be offensive.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by linkdude64 on Tuesday October 31 2017, @09:16PM
Yes, he certainly backed down at every opportunity during his campaign. /s