Thursday Reads: All Hell Is Breaking Loose!
Posted: March 23, 2017 Filed under: Foreign Affairs, morning reads, U.S. Politics 59 Comments
Good Morning!!
Following politics these days is a full-time job. Yesterday I went out for a few hours and, as often happens, all hell had broken loose by the time I got back to my computer.
- Devin Nunes, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee that is investigating ties between the Trump campaign and Russia held two press conferences to claim that Trump transition members–and maybe Trump himself–were incidentally picked up by surveillance in Trump Tower. Then, instead of sharing this information with members of his committee, he went running to the White House to brief Trump. What Nunes said didn’t make a lot of sense, so here’s an explanatory piece at Lawfare.
- The Supreme Court reversed a decision by Trump’s SCOTUS pick Neil Gorsuch shortly after Gorsuch defended the decision during his confirmation hearing.
- The Associated Press breaks the news that Paul Manafort “secretly worked for a Russian billionaire with a plan to ‘greatly benefit the Putin Government…'”
- AP also reported that Michael Flynn never signed the ethics pledge required for people working in the White House. Has anyone signed it?
- There was a horrible attack in London–JJ covered it well yesterday.
When I got home, Devin Nunes was all over the TV, soon followed by a press conference by Adam Schiff, the Democratic ranking member of Nunes committee.
Democrat Adam Schiff, the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, held a hastily-planned press conference to respond to committee chairman Devin Nunes‘ decision to give President Donald Trump updates on the Russia investigation and wiretapping without showing the evidence to Schiff. He said that Nunes’ actions mean that there is reason to create an independent commission to investigate Russia’s involvement.
Schiff, who is also from California, said that Nunes’ actions created “enormous doubt” that Congress can handle an independent investigation into Russia’s meddling in the 2016 presidential election. He said he will ask House Speaker Paul Ryan about creating an independent commission….
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif. (right), holds a press conference with ranking committee member Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., about their investigation of Russian influence on the American presidential election.
Schiff also said that he hopes these press conferences weren’t part of a “broader campaign” by the White House to distract attention away from FBI Director James CButomey‘s testimony that there is no evidence that President Barack Obama ordered Trump Tower to be wiretapped during the campaign. Comey also confirmed that the FBI is running an investigation into possible ties between members of the Trump campaign and Russia.
Schiff also told Chuck Todd yesterday that there is now more than circumstantial evidence of collusion between the Trump gang and Russia. But that’s all yesterday’s news.
The AP has a new exclusive out about Manafort: U.S. Probes Banking of Ex-Trump Campaign Chief.
U.S. Treasury Department agents have recently obtained information about offshore financial transactions involving President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, as part of a federal anti-corruption probe into his work in Eastern Europe, The Associated Press has learned.
Information about Manafort’s transactions was turned over earlier this year to U.S. agents working in the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network by investigators in Cyprus at the U.S. agency’s request, a person familiar with the case said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to publicly discuss a criminal investigation.
The Cyprus attorney general, one of the country’s top law enforcement officers, was made aware of the American request….
Manafort, who was Trump’s unpaid campaign chairman from March until August last year, has been a leading focus of the U.S. government’s investigation into whether Trump associates coordinated with Moscow to meddle in the 2016 campaign. This week, the AP revealed his secret work for a Russian billionaire to advance the interests of Russian President Vladimir Putin a decade ago.
Rick Gates
The Washington Post has a story on Manafort’s business partner, who is still a very important member of the Trump administration: Manafort is gone, but his business associate remains a key part of Trump’s operation.
…even as Trump officials downplay Manafort’s role, his decade-long business associate Rick Gates remains entrenched in the president’s operation. Gates is one of four people leading a Trump-blessed group that defends the president’s agenda. As recently as last week, he was at the White House to meet with officials as part of that work.
Through Manafort, Gates is tied to many of the same business titans from Ukraine and Russia, including Oleg Deripaska, a Russian oligarch with strong ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. On Wednesday, the Associated Press reported that Manafort had a multimillion-dollar contract with Deripaska between at least 2005 and 2009 that was aimed at helping the political interests of Putin.
Manafort has acknowledged the contract with Deripaska but denied that it, or any other of their dealings, had anything to do with the Russian government. In a brief interview, Gates described his work as being focused on “supporting the private equity fund started by the firm and democracy building and party building in Ukraine.”
Gates also acknowledged a role in at least two recent, controversial deals involving separate Putin-connected oligarchs, including one other with Deripaska. Both led to lawsuits in which Gates was listed as a partner to Manafort, though Gates said he holds no equity interest in the firm.
Read the rest at the WaPo.
Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov
Then there this story from Haaretz: The Russian Crime Organization That Operated in Trump Tower.
The FBI did wiretap Trump Tower, but its target was not the future president of the United States and the operation was over well before Donald Trump even declared his candidacy. Instead, the bureau was listening in on a Russian crime organization that worked out of offices on the building’s 63rd floor, just three stories below Trump’s penthouse. As reported by ABC News on Tuesday, the FBI had the building under surveillance, including electronic monitoring, from 2011 to 2013. The investigation led to the indictment of Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov, who is wanted by Interpol and on the lam in Russia, and 33 individuals suspected of working for him.
“He is a major player,” Mike Gaeta, who ran the FBI’s Eurasian organized crime unit in New York and led the 2013 FBI investigation, told ABC News about Tokhtakhounov, who holds both Russian and Israeli citizenship.
“He is prominent. He has extremely good connections in the business world as well as the criminal world, overseas, in Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, other countries.
Again, read more details at the link.
Another prominent Russian was assassinated on a street in Ukraine. The Independent: Former Russian MP shot dead in Kiev, Ukraine.
Denis Voronenkov was killed around noon and his bodyguard was injured in the attack, Kiev police chief Andriy Kryschenko said.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said the killing was an act of Russian “state terrorism.”
The Kremlin called allegations Moscow was behind the murder “absurd.”
Denis Voronenkov shot dead on Kiev street.
Mr Voronenkov, 45, a former member of the communist faction in the lower house of Russian parliament, had moved to Ukraine last autumn and had been granted Ukrainian citizenship.
The former MP had criticised Moscow’s illegal annexation of Crimea and had been due to testify against ex-President Viktor Yanukovych, a firm ally of President Vladimir Putin.
His bodyguard reportedly returned fire and wounded the attacker, who is being treated in hospital.
Another former MP and Kremlin critic living in Kiev said Mr Voronenkov was killed while heading to meet with him.
Mr Voronenkov was “an investigator who was deadly dangerous for the [Russian] security agencies,” Mr Ponomaryov wrote on Facebook, according to a translation from The Moscow Times.
They’re dropping like flies. I’d say Paul Manafort’s should be watching his back.
Then there’s the lawyer who was thrown out of his window in Moscow. It’s a complicated story that Michael Weiss explains at The Daily Beast: Russian Lawyer Thrown From Window Was a Witness for the U.S. Government. I won’t try to excerpt it; it’s not long though.
Nikolai Gorokhov
This morning, Rep. Elijah Cummings called for an investigation of Rep. Devin Nunes. The Hill reports:
Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) on Thursday called for an investigation into House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), who bypassed the panel to brief President Trump on information related to U.S. surveillance of his transition team.
During an interview on CNN’s “New Day,” Cummings, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, called the Intelligence panel a “very special committee.”
“They are privileged to information that most members of Congress may never see and so you expect them to be extremely confidential,” he added.
“What he did was basically to go to the president, who’s being investigated, by the FBI and others and by the intelligence committee, to give them information.”
Late last night, CNN broke this story: US officials: Info suggests Trump associates may have coordinated with Russians.
The FBI has information that indicates associates of President Donald Trump communicated with suspected Russian operatives to possibly coordinate the release of information damaging to Hillary Clinton’s campaign, US officials told CNN.
This is partly what FBI Director James Comey was referring to when he made a bombshell announcement Monday before Congress that the FBI is investigating the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia, according to one source.
The FBI is now reviewing that information, which includes human intelligence, travel, business and phone records and accounts of in-person meetings, according to those U.S. officials. The information is raising the suspicions of FBI counterintelligence investigators that the coordination may have taken place, though officials cautioned that the information was not conclusive and that the investigation is ongoing.
This is out of control. What more wild news will today bring? And I haven’t even mentioned the GOP “health care” bill which is in deep trouble.
What stories are you following today?
peej
Carissa
ecocatwoman
mablue2
peggysue22
quixote
skydancingguestblogger
Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
This is treason, plain and simple.
The GOP needs to step up to the plate as a patriotic gesture regardless of party. This cannot continue as our democracy is at stake.
Until an independent investigation takes place everything else should be placed on hold. There was collusion here and it must be exposed.
Trump is illegitmate. He needs to be removed now.
Check out that CNN link. It’s been continually updated and it’s shocking!
Yep, and we certainly need to spread this wide, and far. We have too many who are denying the facts.
And all of this happened…YESTERDAY! One day out of a totally illegitimate presidency. Future generations will wonder what it was like to be an ordinary citizen during all of this and all I can say is for me, it’s created a stress level comparable to my divorce 30 years ago and my daughter’s health crisis and resulting hospitalization 7 years ago. I’m witnessing my country teetering on the brink of annihilation and I feel powerless. If America survives, we will look back upon this the same way we look back upon the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Okay, it felt good to get all of that off my chest. Here’s a bit a good news. Someone is finally calling for a halt to this insanity. Ted Lieu says we need to halt everything on the Trump agenda because of evidence that his presidency is illegitimate. Finally, someone said it.
Well, apparently People Remain Calm As the World Ends, Video Game Study Suggests.
Of course there’s always the chance that the behavior of a bunch of shut-in gamers is better than that of other people.
/*big wry face here*/
I feel as if I’ve been shouting for so long … Finally, the clues are picked up by a critical mass of people and more is coming out. I imagine others feel similarly.
I wanted to highlight this story, which seems to be getting lost in the shuffle.
NY Dailly News:
Racist Maryland man who fatally stabbed black New Yorker admits his intent to kill African-American men
Timothy Caughman, the victim of this outrageous attack, tweeted this on election day:
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Thank you for sharing this. This patriot was murdered in cold blood by a right wing terrorist and the story is getting lost in the chaos.
A white terrorist, too. Another reason this isn’t labeled for the terrorism it is.
Did you see the headline where it highlights the killer was nicely dressed.
I did. Disgusting. WTF is wrong with these people?!
That made me gag!
That is utterly heartbreaking.
tRump tweets condolences for the American killed in the LON attack yesterday, but fails to mention this attack (in his own home town of NYC):
http://www.shakesville.com/2017/03/we-resist-day-63.html
This article also lists a deplorable tweet by Donnie Jr to the mayor of LON.
I was so disgusted, I had posted that the veteran klansman should be in leg irons for the rest of his life.
And wondered if the Black caucus meeting up with Trump today brought this up to him!
Nunes apologized to the committee, according to CNN. Too little, too late. He should be removed and replaced.
Yeah, but I read it was a pretty half assed apology. He said he got his info from “a source” he refuses to reveal. What the hell is that? He’s the Chairman of the House Intel Committee and he goes off half cocked with info from “a source”? This all feels like reading Lewis Carroll while tripping on LSD.
Wrong. Totally wrong. Reading Lewis Carroll while tripping would be fun.
/*another big wry face*/
and it would be a lot less surreal
Right. Here’s a link. I had only seen it on TV when I posted that.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/jackie-speier-nunes-apologized-trump-incidental-collection
He should be tar and feathered and driven to the border.
What he is saying to the committee, so what, you have no recourse!
Schumer announced they’re going to fillibuster Judge Hobby Lobby!!!!!
https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/gorsuch-confirmation-hearing-to-focus-today-on-testimony-from-friends-foes/2017/03/23/14d21116-0fc7-11e7-9d5a-a83e627dc120_story.html?utm_term=.3d64f7ad48f8
This would make me SO happy!
Me too. So glad the supreme court told him he was wrong in Luke P case!
If any Dem votes for Gorsuch, they should go on a list to be primaried.
I wasn’t kidding when I said last week that I have become obsessed with the news.
Like bb I went out for a few hours yesterday and when I came home Nunes was all over the tv “announcing” a supposed breakthrough clearing Presidunce Trump.
If this keeps up I will have to start buying Depends because I fear I will miss out on the latest revelations surrounding this treason!
As I said to Janice yesterday, I’m afraid to go to sleep for fear something will happen!
I experienced the same, went out for birthday lunch, came home and Nunez was all over the wall. Thanks to you BB, and JJ, and Dak………..we appreciate all that you do to expose the truth.
Am glad that there is a movement to shut down this illegal government, and the confirmation hearing for Neil Gorsuch. BB you were the first to share that, and it’s idea we need to act on now.
Also, I wanted to say reading that article on Rick Gates, and Russian Bank………should also lead and connect Wilbur Ross to the Cyprus Bank.
I am listening to Slicer, and he can’t dice it.
Was yesterday your birthday Fannie?
Yeah, I’m pushing forward BB! Had a good day, beautiful walk in sunshine, lunch, new end table, flowers, and calls from the kids, and my favorite dinner with Bill.
and this asshole is our new senator
http://www.mediaite.com/online/gorsuch-hearing-ends-with-senator-jokingly-asking-if-hes-ever-been-to-russia/
That’s gross.
Shaking my head……………..
Just as I heard Slicer: the bill is going to pass tonight, because there is no plan b.
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The so-called health care bill sounds like it’s going to be written permission for insurance companies to rip people off and cover nothing at all.
Exactly. I looked over the list of excluded conditions and thought “There’s nothing left!” Which, of course, is the whole damned idea.
I didn’t watch anything yesterday but TCM. Doing the same thing today. All this stuff is making me physically ill. I keep thinking tRump will force some horrible attack or war to keep the investigation from going forward. He will do anything to hang on to his control.
and we know who that is …
That stupid ass Rick Perry, and to think he’s got his hands on oil production and nuclear missiles. He ought to spend some time Russian involvement with the republicans in 2016 general election!
Selling off America:
https://www.aclu.org/news/aclu-comment-senate-vote-allow-internet-providers-sell-consumer-data
We can probably say bye-bye to net neutrality as well.
Mental-health self care:
Yeah. I’m hugging mine a lot these days too.
More puppies! More puppies!
Republican mean make Neanderthals look like philosophers.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/roberts-mammograms
I’m picking my jaw up off the floor.
So he’s perfectly fine losing his mother, sisters, wife (Imma guess probably that should be plural too) and daughters to breast cancer?
Men get breast cancer, too. Much lower percentage than women do, but they do get it.
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer-in-men/about/key-statistics.html
The nut from Kansas?
“Most ridiculed man in history” – ayup. What did I say before – modern communications technology shines a very yuge bright light on things…
Kleptocracy:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/digger/wp/2017/03/23/federal-agency-rules-trumps-d-c-hotel-lease-in-full-compliance/?tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.e82a24d2e50e
WTF?!
Ludicrous, isn’t it? Apparently it’s OK because he won’t get the profits until after he leaves office. Or someone’s toadying/getting blackmailed. I’ll bet it’s the latter.
https://twitter.com/ALT_USCIS/status/845008001387892736
https://twitter.com/SallyAlbright/status/845058419459547137
So Devin Nunes just had another press conference and Adam Schiff will soon have a response. Nunes is focused on uncovering leaks. He also announced that Paul Manafort wants to testify before the committee.
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I remember a song about “what goes on behind closed doors”………..Devin Nunes needs to go.
Oh hell yeah………..Ryan is telling the Trump “no can do – no votes to do it”……………back to plan A, B…..wait no B…………Watch Trump get his wrecking ball out.