Donald Trump Jr. has agreed to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee for a second round of questions, complying with a subpoena from chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.), who came under fire from fellow Republicans for demanding the testimony.
Trump Jr. struck the deal Tuesday to interview with the panel next month for between two and four hours. The committee had originally a set a 5 p.m. deadline on Monday for him to respond.
Questions about the Trump Tower project in Moscow and the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Trump campaign officials and Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya are fair game, according to a source who was briefed on the deal.
Another source said the agreement is for the interview to cover five or six topics, and that it is to be Trump Jr’s last appearance before the committee.
Trump Jr has already testified for 25 hours
His lawyers questioned the committee’s motives for calling Trump Jr. back for testimony, arguing that there was no reason for him to respond to claims made by Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty to lying to Congress and is serving a prison sentence.
Mitch McConnell defended Burr on Tuesday.
Asked if he agreed with Trump’s charge that Burr was treating Trump Jr. unfairly, McConnell, who is close to Burr, declined to criticize his colleague.
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I wish he had said "pound sand"
The DEMs and neverTrumpers will never give up
The DEMs will do everything they can to execute a perjury trap
May 14, 2019, 07:20 PM
sjtill
John Durham has been on the case investigating leaks for at least 7 months; "underreported" transcript from House hearing shows James Baker was under criminal investigation with Durham as prosecutor:
quote:
John Durham, the prosecutor tapped by Attorney General William Barr to investigate how Trump-Russia allegations emerged and spread within federal law enforcement, has already been looking into whether the FBI’s former top lawyer, James Baker, illegally leaked to reporters.
In fact, the U.S. attorney from Connecticut appears to have begun that work more than seven months ago, to judge from an underreported transcript of an October congressional interview with Baker. The Baker interview, at which Durham was not present, suggests that the prosecutor nevertheless has some people very worried.
Baker testified about the Trump-Russia affair on Oct. 3 before the House Judiciary Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. . . .
Suddenly, Baker’s lawyer, Dan Levin, jumped in: “One second,” he said before he and his client had a conversation off the record.
When the microphones were back on, Levin declared he would “not let [Baker] answer these questions right now. You may or may not know, he’s been the subject of a leak investigation which is still – a criminal leak investigation that’s still active at the Justice Department.” And so Levin concluded, “I’m sorry. I’m cutting off any discussion about conversations with reporters.”
North Carolina Rep. Mark Meadows wanted to make clear what Baker’s lawyer was claiming: “You’re saying he’s under criminal investigation? That’s why you’re not letting him answer?”
“Yes.”
Levin and the lawmakers sparred a bit over whether Baker was invoking his Fifth Amendment rights, and the congressmen finally got around to asking who was leading this criminal probe:
“There is an ongoing investigation by whom?” Jordan said.
“The Justice Department,” Levin responded.
“I mean, is the inspector general looking at this or is this—”
“No,” said Levin, “it’s Mr. John Durham, a prosecutor.”
The specter of Durham haunts the rest of the interview. Baker can’t talk about what he told his old friend David Corn in their conversations about the dossier because it would put Baker in legal jeopardy.
Time and again, when Baker was asked questions about reporters – even hypothetical questions about FBI policy regarding contacts with the press, Levin said, “I’m not going to allow him to answer that question” or “I am not going let him answer any questions about leaks.”
_________________________ “ What all the wise men promised has not happened, and what all the damned fools said would happen has come to pass.”— Lord Melbourne
May 15, 2019, 09:13 AM
justjoe
A good article about whether the Durham investigation will really lock up the Deep State. This article comes out in the affirmative. But at the same time recognizes all the "bombshells" of the past couple of years that turned out to be duds, all the "Breaking news!" false alarms. Only time will tell.
Sources familiar with the records told Fox News that a late-2016 email chain indicated then-FBI Director James Comey told bureau subordinates that then-CIA Director John Brennan insisted the dossier be included in the intelligence community assessment on Russian interference, known as the ICA.
*********************** * Diligentia Vis Celeritis * *********************** "Thus those skilled in war subdue the enemy's army without battle .... They conquer by strategy." - Sun Tsu - The Art of War
"Fast is Fine, but Accuracy is Everything" - Wyatt Earp
May 15, 2019, 07:17 PM
HighZonie
Mnuchin on Trump's Tax Return Subpoena:
"“We haven’t made a decision, but I think you can guess which way we’re leaning on our subpoena,” Mnuchin said at a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing.
*********************** * Diligentia Vis Celeritis * *********************** "Thus those skilled in war subdue the enemy's army without battle .... They conquer by strategy." - Sun Tsu - The Art of War
"Fast is Fine, but Accuracy is Everything" - Wyatt Earp
Donald Trump Jr. has agreed to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee for a second round of questions, complying with a subpoena from chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.), who came under fire from fellow Republicans for demanding the testimony.
Trump Jr. struck the deal Tuesday to interview with the panel next month for between two and four hours. The committee had originally a set a 5 p.m. deadline on Monday for him to respond.
Questions about the Trump Tower project in Moscow and the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Trump campaign officials and Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya are fair game, according to a source who was briefed on the deal.
Another source said the agreement is for the interview to cover five or six topics, and that it is to be Trump Jr’s last appearance before the committee.
Trump Jr has already testified for 25 hours
His lawyers questioned the committee’s motives for calling Trump Jr. back for testimony, arguing that there was no reason for him to respond to claims made by Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty to lying to Congress and is serving a prison sentence.
Mitch McConnell defended Burr on Tuesday.
Asked if he agreed with Trump’s charge that Burr was treating Trump Jr. unfairly, McConnell, who is close to Burr, declined to criticize his colleague.
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I wish he had said "pound sand"
The DEMs and neverTrumpers will never give up
The DEMs will do everything they can to execute a perjury trap
Don Jr needs to pull a Chappelle
May 15, 2019, 10:12 PM
Strambo
Yup, video didn't work, but I know he needs to say "F. I. F. ...FIF!!!"
Or; just tell them once again how that dumb Rooski biatch just wanted him to adopt a bunch of chillrens.
“People have to really suffer before they can risk doing what they love.” –Chuck Palahnuik
“A prominent attorney believes former CIA Director John Brennan is at the center of a conspiracy to frame President Trump.
During an interview Wednesday, Joe Digenova said Brennan is the mastermind behind a scheme to remove the president from office with the Russian collusion hoax. He accused the former CIA director of working with James Clapper and James Comey to illegally exonerate Hillary Clinton of her email scandal in 2016.
Digenova said when Clinton still lost, Brennan used the Russian hoax as an “insurance policy” to undermine President Trump’s Election Day victory.
“Make no mistake about it, John Brennan is the mastermind of this conspiracy to frame Donald Trump, and to steal his presidency from him after he was elected,” he stated. “John Brennan is at the core of this conspiracy — his handymen and acolytes were Clapper and Comey, and the senior FBI officials who worked with Comey, but lets not forget that all the people at the senior levels of the U.S. Department of Justice under Obama were involved in this plot.”
Digenova said President Trump’s decision to revoke Brennan’s security clearance proved to be in the best interest of the American people.
“Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.” — Plato
May 16, 2019, 02:52 PM
flashguy
quote:
Originally posted by sigfreund:
quote:
Originally posted by flashguy: FiF?
flashguy
Eubonics/ebonics for “Fifth” (Amendment).
Oh. I expected something more involved.
flashguy
Texan by choice, not accident of birth
May 16, 2019, 03:05 PM
Pipe Smoker
^^^^^^^^ Me too. I thought it was a new acronym.
Serious about crackers
May 16, 2019, 07:20 PM
olfuzzy
The Trump administration is withdrawing nearly $1 billion in federal money for California's high-speed rail project.
The Federal Railroad Administration announced Thursday it will not give California the $928,620,000 it was originally promised, saying the state “repeatedly failed to comply with the terms” of its grant, “failed to make reasonable progress on the Project,” and “abandoned its original vision” for a train connecting Los Angeles to San Francisco.
The administration will also be seeking to recover an additional $2.5 billion in funds from the state that were allocated to the project through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a move that the California Rail Authority pleaded against in March, stating that it will “gravely harm” a shorter project.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in February that the line from San Francisco to Los Angeles would “cost too much” and “take too long” to complete, and that instead, the state would be going forward with another, shorter train line between Bakersfield and Merced, with plans to continue the intended project at a later date.
The original train line would have been 520 miles long, connecting San Francisco to Los Angeles, with the ability to transport 120,000 passengers per day, at speeds of up to 200 mph in the year 2023. Instead, it was cut down to 150 miles, connecting Bakersfield, Fresno, and Merced.
“As described further below, CHSRA [California High-Speed Rail Authority] is chronically behind in project construction activities and has not been able to correct or mitigate its deficiencies. Overall, such critical failures completely undermine FRA's confidence in CHSRA's ability to manage the project effectively,” FRA chief Ronald Batory wrote in his statement on Thursday.
Originally posted by Pipe Smoker: The US economy is booming while the Chinese economy is slumping.
“Donald Trump predicted Tuesday that the U.S. will notch a trade victory in what he described as 'a little squabble with China.'
Speaking to reporters as he left the White House, the president grinned as he asked: 'You want to know something? You want to know something? We always win.'
And Trump warned that he might stack even more tariffs on a growing pile of anti-China duties in order to put additional pressure on Beijing.
'We're looking at it very strongly,' Trump said.
'This has never happened to China before,' he said of the already painful tariff regime that shows no sign of letting up…”
Trump mentioned that numerous factories in China will probably move to non-tariff countries. This would greatly increase China's economic slump, probably push it into a nose dive. Most likely there is much economic speculation going on in China, and this would take a huge hit.
All wins, and no downside to what Trump is doing.
-c1steve
May 17, 2019, 05:45 AM
pbslinger
Considering the 2020 election and DT’s potential opponents, I’m struck by the lack of charisma of the democrat contenders. DT has always been a larger than life figure, greatly magnified since becoming president. Few command a room like and are the center of attention like DT currently does. On a debate stage it’ll look like Apollo Creed vs Peewee Herman. None have half the swagger of DT. DT is as flashy as a Mexican wrestling character.
Of course none of them have near the swagger of DT, nobody does, and they look foolish when they attempt it. They really are in trouble and the charisma gap is part of it .
May 17, 2019, 08:41 AM
HighZonie
John Solomon writing for THE HILL has a new story out today: .....
Ukrainian who meddled against Trump in 2016 is now under Russia-corruption cloud
-------------------------------------------- Apparently, Leshchenko's "black ledger" which led to the creation of the GPS Steele dossier may have been funded by Russia.
"Leshchenko also was “a source” of Russian dirt on Trump that was fed to Hillary Clinton’s opposition research firm, Fusion GPS, the firm that created the so-called Steele dossier that led to a two-year Russia probe that recently cleared Donald Trump of colluding with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
So, a Ukrainian parliamentarian fed dirt to Clinton’s team and leaked to the media information that harmed the Republican candidate’s campaign? That seems like more collusion than was uncovered by special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation."
....
"“Absolutely that is one of the things they are going to be investigating,” Kholodnytskyy told me when asked whether any of the Russian money could have been paid as an inducement or a reward for Leshchenko’s meddling in the U.S. election.
The special prosecutor said “credible” information obtained from news media reports, as well as classified information the government possesses, suggest Leshchenko was receiving money from a Russian businessman ..." .... "Ukrainian officials told me Thursday that the U.S. embassy during Barack Obama’s presidency applied pressure in recent years to steer investigations away from Leshchenko. A source with direct knowledge said Leshchenko was one of the people the U.S. ambassador in Kiev asked Ukrainian prosecutors not to pursue in 2016." .... "Whatever happens next in Ukraine, there’s growing evidence that Leshchenko and his activities during the 2016 election in America may deserve scrutiny on this side of the ocean, too. .......... And that alarm will sound all the more loudly if Ukrainian authorities find any evidence substantiating that Leshchenko received bribes or influence money from Russia in 2016." ...... "Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko told me he was reopening parts of an investigation involving a Ukrainian natural gas company, Burisma Holdings, where then-Vice President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, worked as a board member. Lutsenko said he did not believe some $3 million in payments that Burisma made to Hunter Biden’s U.S. company violated Ukraine law but might be of interest to U.S. authorities.
Lutsenko told Bloomberg on Thursday that he’d like to offer evidence to U.S. Attorney General William Barr, so that American authorities can check whether Hunter Biden paid U.S. taxes."
*********************** * Diligentia Vis Celeritis * *********************** "Thus those skilled in war subdue the enemy's army without battle .... They conquer by strategy." - Sun Tsu - The Art of War
"Fast is Fine, but Accuracy is Everything" - Wyatt Earp
Senate Confirms Trump’s Appointee for Deputy Attorney General
Jeffrey Rosen to succeed Rod Rosenstein as No. 2 official at Justice Department
The Senate confirmed President Trump’s pick to be deputy attorney general over the concerns of Democrats that the Justice Department outsider lacks the experience needed to manage the sprawling institution.
Jeffrey Rosen, who had been the No. 2 official at the Transportation Department, was confirmed by a 52-45 party-line vote Thursday.
A longtime litigator, Mr. Rosen, 61 years old, has never served in the Justice Department, making his appointment a test of whether managerial skills honed elsewhere are sufficient to lead the agency. While the U.S. attorney general sets the agenda as the public face of the agency, the deputy is charged with supervising roughly 115,000 employees scattered nationwide, overseeing criminal cases and representing the department’s interests at White House meetings.
Mr Rosen is a trusted friend of Attorney General William Barr, who has known him professionally for decades.
Mr. Rosen’s selection marks the first time in more than 20 years that someone without prior Justice Department experience has been tapped to be its second-in-command. Veterans of the department say he will have a steep learning curve.
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AG Barr knows he is in a snake pit of Obama DoJ holdovers. He picked someone he knows he can trust.
May 17, 2019, 10:25 AM
HighZonie
THE HILL: "Appeals court rules Trump end of DACA was unlawful"
Question for SF attorneys - Does this mean it now goes to a higher court, or is this final?
*********************** * Diligentia Vis Celeritis * *********************** "Thus those skilled in war subdue the enemy's army without battle .... They conquer by strategy." - Sun Tsu - The Art of War
"Fast is Fine, but Accuracy is Everything" - Wyatt Earp
