Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen reaches plea deal with prosecutors

John Brennan must have forced him to do bad things.  

Not clear he is cooperating, just pleading guilty.

You couldn't start another thread about Manafort? 

The Cohen guilty plea is the more interesting of today's events.

Didn't take a rocket scientist to figure Manafort was guilty of tax evasion, but all that stuff happened years ago and does not implicate anyone but himself and Gates who already pled guilty.

With the Cohen plea, however, he admitted to making an illegal campaign contribution at the express direction of Trump.  If the dude is to be believed, that would strongly suggest Trump knowingly or willfully accepted and/or solicited an illegal campaign contribution in violation of federal campaign finance laws.

The United States Of CREEPY Dis Honest Washington D.C. - Trump Is The Leader Of SCUMBAG

TODAY Is A Very BAD Day For Trump

Trump knowingly or willfully accepted and/or solicited an illegal campaign contribution in violation of federal campaign finance laws. << THIS ! thanks ken

FOX will probably cover Hillary's emails tonight.  Or maybe just go to the orange one's WV rally live from start to finish.

meanwhile, on the karma front:  https://twitter.com/MichaelCohen212/status/678410436774141956

>>>>Cohen and white MLB players bitten in the ass for past tweets.

don't forget movie directors and comedians or these people...

http://emgn.com/entertainment/12-tweets-that-got-people-fired-from-their...

https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/04/12-people-whose-tweets-got-t...

https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/vd8xad/more-people-are-being-arrested...

maybe just don’t tweet 

>>>>FOX will probably cover Hillary's emails tonight.  

They have something even more insidious than Clinton's emails as their lead story.  Fox has been closely following the case of a Iowa college student who turned up missing a couple of weeks ago and have been running non stop coverage of the story.  Well, they found her body today and arrested an illegal alien for her murder:  http://www.foxnews.com/

Today was a good day for patriotic Americans and had day for trump and his Russian  loving followers. God bless the FBI and those hard working investigators of the dept of justice. The Fox news nightly round up of ass kissingg trump lovers will be twisting themselves into knots tonight trying to explain this away.

They have something even more insidious than Clinton's emails as their lead story.  Fox has been closely following the case of a Iowa college student who turned up missing a couple of weeks ago and have been running non stop coverage of the story.  Well, they found her body today and arrested an illegal alien for her murder:  http://www.foxnews.com <<<

Google News has actually run this a lead story in the morning and most of the day.   They've also recently given the Colorado father who apparently killed his wife (and perhaps kids) a top headline over the past couple days.     Many people get killed in the U.S. every day, yet we have these "focus stories" ... not sure if it's intentional diversion or if the news outlets are simply giving people what they want?

Today was a good day for patriotic Americans and had day for trump and his Russian  loving followers. God bless the FBI and those hard working investigators of the dept of justice. The Fox news nightly round up of ass kissingg trump lovers will be twisting themselves into knots tonight trying to explain this away.<<<

I've been careful not to get too excited about any given day's events or developments; in the end, all that matters are whether 35 Senators are willing to collectively stick their heads in the sand and explain it all away.   

Not only will they, you'll pay them to do it.

https://www.donaldjtrump.com/rallies/tickets

the news decides whats important

I'm not too excited, nothing matters if the dems don't win back the house in Nov. If and when they do,  I'll be shooting off fireworks the street . 

>>>>Many people get killed in the U.S. every day, yet we have these "focus stories"

Most people who get killed in the US every day are black, Latino, or "white trash."   When you get folks like an attractive 20-year-old lily white college student or a white housewife getting killed, that will lead the news cycle. Throw in an illegal immigrant as the perp and you have given the Fox News talking heads plenty to keep them busy in distraction mode for the foreseeable future.

>>>>nothing matters if the dems don't win back the house in Nov.

I tend to agree with that, but the new Cohen admissions that Trump personally directed him to make illegal campaign contributions is still interesting.   Cohen already said Trump knew that Don Jr. was soliciting opposition research from a foreign national, but for that to go anywhere, you would need to prove (1) Cohen is telling the truth and (2) opposition research constitutes a "thing of value" under the applicable campaign finance laws.   You don't have that second hurdle with today's allegations.   But yeah, however it plays out, it won't be until after the critical upcoming mid-terms. 

Lily white? 

Only in Trump's America is the story about your campaign manager being found guilty not the top story of the day, because his personal lawyer plead guilty to covering up Trump's affairs with porn stars. 

Trump will be telling his if nutso followers tonight in West Virginia that it is all take news, disregard all that noise coming from those court houses.

Guilty verdicts are NOT guilty verdicts..

I looked over the Cohen plea deal and briefly reviewed the statutes he allegedly violated.   Basically, on the campaign finance stuff that implicates Trump, Cohen admitted he paid off Stormy Daniels to influence the election and that payment was a campaign contribution that exceeded the $25,000 limit set by law.  See 52 USC 30116; 30118 (setting campaign contribution limits for US companies and citizens).   Those laws also prohibit accepting contributions that exceed the limit, so in theory, if Trump knew that the payment exceeded the limit and was for the purpose of affecting the election, he is potentially criminally liable.  

I haven't given it too much analysis or looked at the relevant case law, but here is what I anticipate Rudy arguing:

(1) Cohen is a liar.

(2) Assuming he is telling the truth, the payment to Stormy was to protect Trump's relationship with Mrs. Trump and wasn't a campaign contribution as that term is used in the relevant campaign finance laws.

(3) The payment came from or was always intended to have come from Trump himself (in a very roundabout way) and is not a contribution.

(4) Its Obama's fault.

1) Fake News                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 2) Talk to my Lawyer.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      3) Don't ever let the truth get in the way of a good story.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    4) I, and only I, can fix this!

My mom gestated the best turkey.

MAGA - MY ATTORNEY GOT ARRESTED

WOW

Cohen's attorney,Lanny Davis on Maddow's show tonite...

Lanny Davis just hinted at some wild shit.

eg  https://mobile.twitter.com/JohnJHarwood/status/1032079274155630592

^^^What WALSTIB said.

WOW!

Only The Best People!!!! 

Pardon you?

No, pardon me.

Where's Thom???

Thom is busy watching puppy videos to help him deal 

Most people who get killed in the US every day are black, Latino, or "white trash."   When you get folks like an attractive 20-year-old lily white college student or a white housewife getting killed, that will lead the news cycle. Throw in an illegal immigrant as the perp and you have given the Fox News talking heads plenty to keep them busy in distraction mode for the foreseeable future.<<<<

I find it interesting that major news aggregate websites such as Google / Yahoo / Reuters also keep these sorts of stories in the forefront in the midst of much "larger" news.  Perhaps it's more a reflection of a much larger embedded societal racial tension that exists as a persistent undercurrent vs. any sort of explicit intentional plan by news agencies?

I'd love to find a news aggregate index that allows one to remove coverage of any given issue for a certain amount of time ... allowing all other stories to "percolate upwards".

This is somewhat amusing:

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1032247043992023040

If anyone is looking for a good president, I would strongly suggest that you don't retain the services of an egomaniacal reality show host.

Before everyone creams their jeans about this a few fun facts.

1. Sick as it all is there is no law against paying off women. In fact our lovely congress critters have their own taxpayer funded account to do just this.

2. They tried this with John Edwards and failed.

3. It was not campaign cash that was used.

4. Like it or not Trump has history paying off women way before the campaign so the easy argument if charges were filed would be that this would have happened anyways campaign or not.

5. 99% of the time FEC violations result in repayment and a fine. Although here there is no campaign to reimburse as it was his cash not donors.

6. Slick Willie lied to a grand jury about sex and was re elected. It's the economy stupid if I remember correctly.

Now if Cohen somehow photoshopped the picture of himself and his son in LA at a ball game and really was in Prague setting up dnc hacking or whatever then it's a different story and they will really have him this time. But from whats been made public good luck hanging your hats on this one.

Hold onto your tinfoil hat ^

‘Only the best’ 

Hold onto your tinfoil hat

If only the gay frogs hadn't stolen it from me!!

A crime is not a crime

Woobs stole it directly from Fox News:

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/08/22/trump-likely-safe-after-cohen-...

Chavo polishing up his Guiliani talking points.

>>>> no law against paying off women

True, but there are laws regarding the reporting of and restricting the amount of campaign contributions.  See, e.g. 52 USC §§ 30116; 30118.

>>>>They tried this with John Edwards and failed . . .It was not campaign cash that was used.

As I recall, the allegations were technically different.  In the Edwards case, the candidate was accused of using campaign funds improperly to conceal his extra-marital affair.  In this case, the allegation is that Trump directed and accepted an illegal campaign contribution.  Its also worth noting that Edwards' career was ruined by the scandal.  Trump got caught on tape bragging about his ability to grope women and still won the election.  

>>>>Like it or not Trump has history paying off women way before the campaign so the easy argument if charges were filed would be that this would have happened anyways campaign or not.

Then why did he wait until weeks before the election to pay off Stormy for something that happened ten years in the past?  I know Rudy is going to argue that the payment was made in the regular course of business with the sole purpose of protecting his marriage, but the timing is so suspicious and blatant, a trier of fact would most likely find that the purpose of the payment was to influence an election and hence was a campaign contribution subject to federal campaign finance laws.

>>>>99% of the time FEC violations result in repayment and a fine. Although here there is no campaign to reimburse as it was his cash not donors

True on the first point but in the case, its clear Mueller is looking at jail time for Cohen, which is allowed under the statute.  Prosecutorial discretion.​   On being Trump's cash, that is an interesting point.   Not sure how that would play out.

>>>>Slick Willie lied to a grand jury about sex and was re elected. It's the economy stupid if I remember correctly.

If you remember correctly, Bill was reelected in 1996.  The scandal did not break until 1998 and became a shit show that plagued the rest of last term in office.  But that brings up a bigger issue in that Mueller has signaled that he would follow DOJ guidelines and memorandum and not seek a criminal indictment of a sitting president.  However, the House can still draw up articles of impeachment based on the violations of campaign finance laws and maybe obstruction of justice.  Then it would be another political shit show that has the potential of weakening the administration and make the prospects of reelection dimmer.

>>>  On being Trump's cash, that is an interesting point.   Not sure how that would play out.

what if Donald claimed the payout to be legal expenses and deducted them on his taxes?

i'm getting sick of lawyers...

sorry ken.

I love how Republicans – the law and order party – have suddenly discovered that prosecutors threaten people with jail time because they break laws that rarely get enforced. Like that hasn’t happened a million times in Cannabis cases alone.  As Republicans are so fond of saying whenever it involves poor people. If you can’t do the time don’t do the crime

>>>>If you can’t do the time then don’t do the crime. 

Yup. I don’t think they think that applies to white collar crime though. 

“Impeachment is not about punishment. Impeachment is about cleansing the office. Impeachment is about restoring honor and integrity to the office.”

- Lindsey Grahame (1999)

Nope sorry no fox news for me. But I did glance over a WSJ article a bit ago saying no charges likely. Came for the creek thread ended up here. But think as you may it's still a free country for now...

Ill bite on a few of the others from Ken though. Your probably correct on the Edward's Clinton timeline as I was a bit busy being a kid traveling round back then so I'll give ya that but how did Trumpy accept an illegal campaign contribution if it was his own cash? Ive always been puzzled on that one.

And ya I'm with ya on the timing although I do disagree that it's open and shut especially with the past history. Not to sure about the Mcdugal lady but I think Stormy was looking for cash since 2011ish? So they could have a good out there. Additionally I dont think impeachment will fly for paying off a porn star. Sure they may try but god if they do imagine the shitshow like you said. We went through this before with Clinton the public doesn't really care or so it seems. Another issue is all the folks who voted for him will see it as bullshit as they sure knew he was a playa but voted anyways it will just look like a witch hunt and further the resolve that it's a which hunt and I am sure the DOJ will take that into account. There gonna need collusion to get him out and this is not it. Even Comey feared the outcome of that and said it should be done at the ballot box.

Had to look up the Clinton dates and ya it was 96 however Jones and Whitewater or at least the first media reports preceeded that no? So everyone had a pretty good idea he was a perv at that point. Granted we didnt yet know of his personal humididor:)

Date's maybe a bit screwy but the point remains I just don't think this gonna be it. Way to many out's here they are gonna need him holding the russian money bag so to speak.

Another thing that I have been trying to figure out is ok let's just say Muller knows hes a russian plant and beholden to Putin like the left screams everyday. Wouldn't the DOJ have a responsibility to inform us of that? Thats a very very serious charge and to allow him to appoint SC Justices, do trade deals etc etc would seem a dereliction of duty. I mean I don't think he is but if its true and they have allowed this to go on this long I would think thats completely insane. We should have the right to know right away if thats the case no? I voted for the guy but if thats what is going on I would be demanding his head too!

>I voted for the guy<

wow? really? are you rich?

because...?

a reality show con man crook is better than a black pseudo liberal., or a white corporate ho?

a reality show con man crook is better than a black pseudo liberal., or a white corporate ho?

Who was the black pseudo liberal running? Must have missed that.

Why did you vote for Trump

>>Nope sorry no fox news for me. But I did glance over a WSJ article

Just FYI. WSJ used to be an independent source of information, with a bias toward corporate interests, but they got bought by the same people who own FOX and they have traded in their bias for an agenda. Just like FOX

>Who was the black pseudo liberal running?<

he was the incumbent....which many people seemed to have issues with. more due to his race and name than the actual policies he tried implementing...

Nugs the Southern District of New York is the feds. 

Here is an op-ed piece from CNN that generally jives with the Fox op-ed referenced above:

https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/22/politics/donald-trump-impeachment-indictm...

Both pieces come to the same conclusion that while Cohen's allegations that Trump orchestrated the payouts to the women do not present any serious risk of a criminal indictment for the President, they could nevertheless provide ammunition for the House to draw up articles of impeachment (assuming, or course, the House flips in November) which can be politically damaging as it devolves into a partisan shit show like what we saw with the Clinton impeachment.  But I don't know if the public has the stomach for another impeachment trial based on cover ups of extra-martial affairs.

On the other hand, if Mueller is able to marshal up solid evidence of obstruction of justice, that might have more resonance with the American public.  After all, that is exactly what took Nixon down and would avoid the inevitable moral equivalence problems of trying to impeach Trump for essentially what Clinton did (i.e. technical violations of the law to conceal an extra-marital affair).    

BTW - It now appears that Trump will be arguing that it was his money all along and you can't make an illegal campaign "contribution" to yourself.   That is what separates this from the Edwards deal where donor cash was allegedly used to hide the affair.

Keith, I think that Dan was referring to this idea:

https://www.vox.com/2018/4/18/17252554/trump-cohen-new-york-state-laws

I am very suspect of most white men over the age of 50. Guess it took until now to realize that most likely 4 out of 10 are racist misogynistics. 

Johnny could be but not what he said. With what Cohen said in court yesterday and what his lawyer said last night in interviews,  I dont see a pardon in his future anyway.  The campaign violations seem to be the least of Trump's problems  

Lanny Davis, on Rachel Maddow, suggests strongly that his client Michael Cohen has information for Mueller on Trump campaign collusion with Russia and Trump’s knowledge of plans for Russian hacking before the hacking occurred

Another thing that I have been trying to figure out is ok let's just say Muller knows hes a russian plant and beholden to Putin like the left screams everyday. Wouldn't the DOJ have a responsibility to inform us of that? Thats a very very serious charge and to allow him to appoint SC Justices, do trade deals etc etc would seem a dereliction of duty. I mean I don't think he is but if its true and they have allowed this to go on this long I would think thats completely insane. We should have the right to know right away if thats the case no? I voted for the guy but if thats what is going on I would be demanding his head too!<<<<

Why does Mueller have a responsibility to divulge the contents of the investigation?   Why do the American people have a right to know this immediately?

Your questions are certainly valid and I have found myself asking similar questions.   However, when the ONLY mechanism for contending with a compromised POTUS is impeachment; and in light of the current highly partisan nature of Congress:  if Mueller does not have rock solid evidence of the POTUS having been compromised, yet a mountain of circumstantial evidence indicates it may very well be the case, then Mueller might simply be adhering to the adage "if one goes after the king, one better not miss".

Ken,

as the complaint/indictment or whatever makes clear, whether or not it was NOT "his own money"....

... he (or "The Company") claimed that the payoff reimbursements to Cohen were a business expense.

That's tax fraud, is it not?

Or are you not that kind of lawyer? 

I can only guess how the thought of collateral damage is always on Mueller's mind.   It's troubling to say the least, when you actually consider the possibility of Trump having been compromised to be real.   Even the most ardent of conspiracy theorists among us likely puts this out of their minds while going about daily life.  It's just too big and scary a concept to fully process & be kept in the forefront of one's mind.

Even if it's false, it exemplifies a dire need for Constitutional reform ... there's simply too much power in the hands on one individual.

It's troubling to say the least, when you actually consider the possibility of Trump having been compromised to be real>>>>

He's a puppet and a tool for Eastern European Organized Crime Bosses, one of the many is named Putin.

any talk of the democrats impeaching trump if they take the house is a dog whistle to get republicans to vote.  it still requires 67 votes from the senate to convict.  it's never going to happen.  

>>>he (or "The Company") claimed that the payoff reimbursements to Cohen were a business expense. . . That's tax fraud, is it not?

If you are referring to the allegations set forth in paragraphs 37 - 40 of the indictment, those are allegations against "the Company," which the indictment identifies in paragraph one as a "Manhattan-based real estate company."   Those allegations also refer to "Executive 1" and "Executive 2."  Elsewhere in the document, Trump is referred to as "Individual 1."   The allegations set forth in paragraphs 37 - 40 refer to payments made in 2017, after Trump assumed office and was presumably less involved in the day to day affairs of his various businesses.  I would suspect there would enough insulation at that point between Trump and "the Company," "Executive 1," and "Executive 2" to shield him personally from any of the "Company's" wrongdoings, even assuming the alleged misidentification of the expenses somehow constitute a violation of the tax code.

That being said, I sure hope Mueller is taking a close look at Trump's personal financial dealings and wouldn't be surprised if tax fraud and money laundering come up at some point.

 >>>   even assuming the alleged misidentification of the expenses somehow constitute a violation of the tax code.

I'm not a lawyer.  But to a layman, it seems like a pretty blatant violation of the tax code. 

e.g.:  https://www.irs.gov/faqs/small-business-self-employed-other-business/inc...

I guess the Special Counsel might have to look into the Trump organization's tax returns now.

:)

https://www.wsj.com/articles/allen-weisselberg-longtime-trump-organizati...