,

The Government and Manafort Continue to Argue about the Agency of Being an Agent

36 Comments
/
/
emptywheel
Mueller and Manafort continue to argue over whether sleazy influence peddling is like spying or just a minor paperwork matter.
Read more →
, , , ,

Brett Kavanaugh Called John Yoo His "Magic Bullet"

143 Comments
/
/
emptywheel
Brett Kavanaugh found John Yoo's withdrawal from 9th Circuit consideration a 60 question mark emergency.
Read more →
,

Open Thread: Take the Ride

126 Comments
/
/
Rayne
Because we really need to lance this wound, here's an open thread.
Read more →
, ,

Roger Stone's Excuse for His "Podesta Time in a Barrel" Comment Is Even Stupider Given the Paul Manafort Prosecution

12 Comments
/
/
emptywheel
Given that we now know how desperately Paul Manafort was trying to cover up his ties to Ukraine in August 2016, a Jerome Corsi report that Stone claims was written in response to Manafort's plight cannot be about (as Stone has claimed under oath) John Podesta.
Read more →

Brett Kavanaugh Was In the Loop on (Broader) Precursor to John Yoo's Stellar Wind Memos

57 Comments
/
/
emptywheel
Patrick Leahy just suggested he has proof that Brett Kavanaugh was involved in a September 17, 2001 memo that authorized surveillance broader than Stellar Wind.
Read more →
,

Bill Clinton Did Not Win an Election By Getting a Blowjob: The Danger of Lindsey Graham's Willful Ignorance about Russian Interference

26 Comments
/
/
emptywheel
In his statement in Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing yesterday, Lindsey Graham embodied the problem with Republicans' deliberate ignorance about Russian interference in the 2016 election. As part of his statement, he raised the…
Read more →
,

Mueller Ready to Get Trump on the Record on His Involvement in the Russian Conspiracy

109 Comments
/
/
emptywheel
While the NYT has been reporting incessantly about an obstruction case against Trump, Mueller has been acquiring all the evidence he needs to know whether Trump's written answers denying involvement in a conspiracy are true or not.
Read more →
,

Would Rod Rosenstein Object to a Mueller Action before Brett Kavanaugh Is Confirmed?

13 Comments
/
/
emptywheel
We've talked a lot about whether the upcoming mid-term elections would limit Robert Mueller's actions in the next 65 days. But would Rod Rosenstein prohibit Mueller from taking major actions before Kavanaugh gets confirmed?
Read more →
, ,

Spy versus Spy: The Two Alleged Agents of Foreign Powers Sitting in the Alexandria Jail, Part Two (Mariia)

48 Comments
/
/
emptywheel
Why was Mariia Butina charged under 18 USC 951 but Paul Manafort charged under FARA?
Read more →

Contra Kavanaugh

45 Comments
/
/
Rayne
Bad faith on the part of White House and GOP; nomination by an unindicted co-conspirator; favoring government over women, corporations over individuals — there are plenty of reasons why Brett Kavanaugh shouldn't be confirmed to SCOTUS.
Read more →

Democracy Against Capitalism: Markets

40 Comments
/
/
Ed Walker
The market may be free, but you aren't free of the market.
Read more →
, ,

Those Sexy Details in the Papadopoulos Sentencing Memo Aren't Intended for Your Consumption

65 Comments
/
/
emptywheel
Even more interesting than the detail that Jeff Sessions supported the idea of Trump pursuing a meeting with Putin, George Papadopoulos' sentencing memo makes clear just how closely linked that meeting with Russians releasing dirt really was.
Read more →
,

"Young George" Papadopoulos Wants "Mercy and Compassion" (from Trump) for Something He Believes Is Treason

51 Comments
/
/
emptywheel
Rather than write a sentencing memo, George Papadopoulos has written a bid for a pardon.
Read more →
,

Among Other Things, Sam Patten Plea Signals that Mueller Referrals Will Include False Congressional Testimony

92 Comments
/
/
emptywheel
There are a number of interesting details related to the Sam Patten plea agreement. Perhaps most interestingly, they show Mueller will use lies to congressional committees for prosecutorial leverage.
Read more →
,

Frothy Republicans Confuse Oleg Deripaska and Donald Trump

42 Comments
/
/
emptywheel
In an effort to claim that everything that one of DOJ's top experts on Russian organized crime, Bruce Ohr, was doing in 2016 amounted to a conspiracy against Donald Trump, the frothy right has confused Trump with Oleg Deripaska.
Read more →
, ,

Spy Versus Spy: The Two Alleged Agents of Foreign Powers Sitting in the Alexandria Jail, Part One (Paulie)

37 Comments
/
/
emptywheel
In the next few weeks, we're going to have multiple proceedings that contemplate what constitutes being a spy.
Read more →
,

Don McGahn's Bullshit Report Covering Up the Flynn Firing

116 Comments
/
/
emptywheel
Murray Waas has a second story on how his reporting--which repeats narratives that are not true--provides the best proof that Trump obstructed the investigation.
Read more →
,

If Mueller Shows Trump and Stone Cheated to Win the Primary, Will Republicans Turn on Trump?

135 Comments
/
/
emptywheel
If Mueller alleges that Roger Stone used rat-fucking to help win Trump the primary, will it provide Republicans an excuse to turn on Trump?
Read more →
, ,

The Trump Team Strategic Errors: Rockets Instead Bursting In Air

104 Comments
/
/
emptywheel
Back in March, Paul Manafort refused to waive venue on the charges based in VA, which led to two trials. It was, at least in part, a bid to separate the easier tax charges from the more exotic FARA ones, and to get before more friendly jurors. It doesn't appear to have worked.
Read more →
, , ,

The Mueller Investigation: What Happens on September 7?

66 Comments
/
/
emptywheel
September 7 is the day 60 days before the mid-term elections, and Mueller has Randy Credico scheduled for a grand jury appearance. But Andrew Miller's efforts to stall may prevent that.
Read more →
Share this entry