Сделаем Америку снова великой! Trump - Russia megathread

[YoUDeeMan]

"Trust us. Snowden is being untruthful."

- The Government

You know, it is possible that Snowden did the right thing the wrong way, right?

If Snowden leaked military secrets about our weapons capabilities, or any other information that DIRECTLY involves our physical defense systems, then he should be hanged.

In addition, I think it is hilarious that people were embarrassed about the exposed fake diplomatic courtesies and petty back squabbling - we need more of those types of leaks. I have no patience for crap like that.

However, I think Snowden is a hero for exposing our government's abuse regarding their surveillance tactics. You don't need to go any farther than watching a nut job leak the President's telephone conversation with Australia's PM to figure out something is wrong. In fact, what surprised me most about that leak was that no one mentioned HOW that conversation was even available to be leaked.

Seriously...how did anyone in the intelligence community know about the content of Trump's conversation with Turnball? Was someone in our Intel department listening to the call...and from what end? The White house phone? Or, did we have a tap on the Australian PM's phone? Ditto the call with Mexico's President.

Do we want bureaucrats, with random loyalties, tapping into, and reporting on, Presidential conversations with world leaders?

[Skjellyfetti]

Seriously...how did anyone in the intelligence community know about the content of Trump's conversation with Turnball? Was someone in our Intel department listening to the call...and from what end? The White house phone? Or, did we have a tap on the Australian PM's phone? Ditto the call with Mexico's President.

Do we want bureaucrats, with random loyalties, tapping into, and reporting on, Presidential conversations with world leaders?

Why do you think his phone was tapped?

The New York Times story on that phone call cites "a senior Administration official in the White House."

The White House has been all around leaky (especially in the first few weeks). It hasn't just been leaks from IC - the White House themselves have been leaking crap like crazy (probably due to battling factions and allegiances, etc.).

[Ibanez]

"Trust us. Snowden is being untruthful."

- The Government

You know, it is possible that Snowden did the right thing the wrong way, right?

If Snowden leaked military secrets about our weapons capabilities, or any other information that DIRECTLY involves our physical defense systems, then he should be hanged.

In addition, I think it is hilarious that people were embarrassed about the exposed fake diplomatic courtesies and petty back squabbling - we need more of those types of leaks. I have no patience for crap like that.

However, I think Snowden is a hero for exposing our government's abuse regarding their surveillance tactics. You don't need to go any farther than watching a nut job leak the President's telephone conversation with Australia's PM to figure out something is wrong. In fact, what surprised me most about that leak was that no one mentioned HOW that conversation was even available to be leaked.

Seriously...how did anyone in the intelligence community know about the content of Trump's conversation with Turnball? Was someone in our Intel department listening to the call...and from what end? The White house phone? Or, did we have a tap on the Australian PM's phone? Ditto the call with Mexico's President.

Do we want bureaucrats, with random loyalties, tapping into, and reporting on, Presidential conversations with world leaders?

You have to be naive to think we aren't actively monitoring any calls between heads of state.

[YoUDeeMan]

Seriously...how did anyone in the intelligence community know about the content of Trump's conversation with Turnball? Was someone in our Intel department listening to the call...and from what end? The White house phone? Or, did we have a tap on the Australian PM's phone? Ditto the call with Mexico's President.

Do we want bureaucrats, with random loyalties, tapping into, and reporting on, Presidential conversations with world leaders?

Why do you think his phone was tapped?

The New York Times story on that phone call cites "a senior Administration official in the White House."

Thought I read where someone had a transcript of the conversation.

[CID1990]

It is typical and routine for staffers to listen in on official calls for various reasons.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Skjellyfetti]

To steer this thread back on course!

Слушай братаны!

Comey met with the Senate Intelligence Committee last Friday. Who knows what was said... but, there's certainly more interest in investigating Trump's Russia ties now.

FBI Director James B. Comey met with lawmakers from the Senate Intelligence Committee behind closed doors on Friday, amid an uproar over alleged contacts between members of President Trump’s campaign and Russian officials.

Committee members and Comey spent nearly three hours Friday afternoon in a secure room in the Senate basement used for classified briefings, known as a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF).

Lawmakers tersely refused to comment upon exiting the meeting, declining even to confirm that Comey met with them.

http://thehill.com/policy/national-secu ... sia-uproar

Sen. Susan Collins said she thinks the Intelligence Committee could subpoena President Donald Trump’s tax records as part of its investigation into Russian interference in last year’s election if that’s where the evidence leads.

“I don’t know whether we will need to do that,” the Maine Republican said Wednesday. “If it’s necessary to get to the answers, then I suspect that we would.”

Collins said during an appearance on Maine Public Radio that such a decision would come first from Intelligence Chairman Richard M. Burr and Vice Chairman Mark Warner.
“My hope is that we’ll have a lot of voluntary cooperation,” Collins said. “And keep in mind that in some ways, this is a counterintelligence operation — in many ways — and that’s what our committee specializes in.”

Collins said she would be asking for former national security adviser Michael Flynn to testify before the committee.

“We’re not going to exclude anyone from our review,” she said.

The four-term senator told one of the public radio callers that it was important, in the end, that the panel members “end up with a public report of our findings.” She also noted that the GOP only holds a one-seat majority on the committee.

“There are law enforcement implications, and we want to make sure that we’re doing it right,” said Collins, who made a brief reference to last Friday’s two-hour Intelligence Committee briefing that featured FBI Director James B. Comey.

“We are used to probing in-depth in this area,” she said.

http://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/s ... rns-needed

[Skjellyfetti]

Seriously...how did anyone in the intelligence community know about the content of Trump's conversation with Turnball? Was someone in our Intel department listening to the call...and from what end? The White house phone? Or, did we have a tap on the Australian PM's phone? Ditto the call with Mexico's President.

Do we want bureaucrats, with random loyalties, tapping into, and reporting on, Presidential conversations with world leaders?

Why do you think his phone was tapped?

The New York Times story on that phone call cites "a senior Administration official in the White House."

The White House has been all around leaky (especially in the first few weeks). It hasn't just been leaks from IC - the White House themselves have been leaking crap like crazy (probably due to battling factions and allegiances, etc.).

Here's an example.

Spicer goes through staff's phones to try to tamp out leaking.

This is immediately leaked to the press.

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/20 ... leaks.html

[Skjellyfetti]

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich wants a special investigator to review the Trump team's alleged contact with Russian officials during the campaign — one of the few prominent Republicans calling for such an examination.

Gingrich, when asked about the use of a special prosecutor Tuesday on Fox News, advised President Donald Trump to "take a lesson from the past" and assign a "very smart, independent person" to take on that investigatory role.

"Maybe somebody like Michael Mukasey, former attorney general [under George W. Bush] — put them in charge of the whole project, and say, you know, there are questions here, the country has questions, the media has questions, even members of Congress (have) questions," Gingrich said.

He added that it's crucial to have a point person who can work with the Trump administration and handle the mounting queries surrounding Russia, from initial allegations that Moscow meddled in the November election to reports that Trump's presidential campaign staffers had contact with the Russians to former national security adviser Mike Flynn resigning over his contact with a Russian ambassador.

"The earlier [the administration has] a central person directing their efforts, the less problem it'll be, the faster it'll go away," Gingrich said.

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politic ... be-n726686

Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday said that the American people “need answers” on whether President Donald Trump or his allies have ties to Russia but stopped short of calling for a special prosecutor to investigate.

“We need answers. We need to make sure that nothing happened that shouldn't have happened as we go forward. That's exactly what we do in our jobs [in] Congress,” Ryan said in an interview with Today’s Matt Lauer that aired Tuesday.

Republican Rep. Darrell Issa of California on Friday called for a special prosecutor to look into alleged ties between the president’s associates and Russia. But during a news conference Monday, Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), the chairman of the House intelligence committee, said there’s no evidence of inappropriate communications between Trump’s associated and Russia.

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/p ... tor-235485

[Ibanez]

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich wants a special investigator to review the Trump team's alleged contact with Russian officials during the campaign — one of the few prominent Republicans calling for such an examination.

Gingrich, when asked about the use of a special prosecutor Tuesday on Fox News, advised President Donald Trump to "take a lesson from the past" and assign a "very smart, independent person" to take on that investigatory role.

"Maybe somebody like Michael Mukasey, former attorney general [under George W. Bush] — put them in charge of the whole project, and say, you know, there are questions here, the country has questions, the media has questions, even members of Congress (have) questions," Gingrich said.

He added that it's crucial to have a point person who can work with the Trump administration and handle the mounting queries surrounding Russia, from initial allegations that Moscow meddled in the November election to reports that Trump's presidential campaign staffers had contact with the Russians to former national security adviser Mike Flynn resigning over his contact with a Russian ambassador.

"The earlier [the administration has] a central person directing their efforts, the less problem it'll be, the faster it'll go away," Gingrich said.

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politic ... be-n726686

Speaker Paul Ryan on Tuesday said that the American people “need answers” on whether President Donald Trump or his allies have ties to Russia but stopped short of calling for a special prosecutor to investigate.

“We need answers. We need to make sure that nothing happened that shouldn't have happened as we go forward. That's exactly what we do in our jobs [in] Congress,” Ryan said in an interview with Today’s Matt Lauer that aired Tuesday.

Republican Rep. Darrell Issa of California on Friday called for a special prosecutor to look into alleged ties between the president’s associates and Russia. But during a news conference Monday, Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), the chairman of the House intelligence committee, said there’s no evidence of inappropriate communications between Trump’s associated and Russia.

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/p ... tor-235485

Ryan should do everything in his power to investigate, not just give us lip service.

[Skjellyfetti]

TLDR version:

The FBI found the former Mi6 agent to be a credible source and wanted him to continue his investigation into Trump's Russia ties. It was a separate oppo research firm that had initially hired him to start the inquiry and his contract had expired near the election, but he & the FBI felt there was still more investigation to be done.
He was also previously hired by the FBI in their investigation uncovering the corruption at FIFA. So this is already someone they knew, worked with and believed to be a capable and credible investigator

The former British spy who authored a controversial dossier on behalf of Donald Trump’s political opponents alleging ties between Trump and Russia reached an agreement with the FBI a few weeks before the election for the bureau to pay him to continue his work, according to several people familiar with the arrangement.

The agreement to compensate former MI6 agent Christopher Steele came as U.S. intelligence agencies reached a consensus that the Russians had interfered in the presidential election by orchestrating hacks of Democratic Party email accounts.

While Trump has derided the dossier as “fake news” compiled by his political opponents, the FBI’s arrangement with Steele shows that bureau investigators considered him credible and found his line of inquiry to be worthy of pursuit.

Ultimately, the FBI did not pay Steele. Communications between the bureau and the former spy were interrupted as Steele’s now-famous dossier became the subject of news stories, congressional inquiries and presidential denials, according to the people familiar with the arrangement, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter.

At the time of the October agreement, FBI officials probing Russian activities, including possible contacts between Trump associates and Russian entities, were aware of the information that Steele had been gathering while working for a Washington research firm hired by supporters of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, according to the people familiar with the agreement. The firm was due to stop paying Steele as Election Day approached, but Steele felt his work was not done, these people said.

Steele was familiar to the FBI, in part because the bureau had previously hired him to help a U.S. inquiry into alleged corruption in the world soccer organization FIFA. The FBI sometimes pays informants, sources and outside investigators to assist in its work. Steele was known for the quality of his past work and for the knowledge he had developed over nearly 20 years working on Russia-related issues for British intelligence. The Washington Post was not able to determine how much the FBI intended to pay Steele had their relationship remained intact.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... 0eda13d980

[YoUDeeMan]

Again...a nothing burger.

The piss poor Mi6 clown wanted a paid gig. The FBI eventually didn't pay him. Now, why the fvck is that?

Some supposed Russians hacked the DNC. Big deal. A possible Trump appointee meets with Russians. Big deal.

How many times did Hillary and/or her people meet with foreign governments/officials when those governments wanted her to win? why isn't the FBI investigating Britain's parliament/newspapers for making public anti-Trump statements to hopefully sway the U.S. election? Why isn't the FBI investigating the Mexican President for his comments...or his willingness to allow undocumented people to flow across our border in an attempt to help Hillary and the Dems?

jellybean's posts are backed up by nothing.

[Skjellyfetti]

Well, you've certainly changed your tune from earlier when you thought the Steele dossier was a 4chan prank.

>/pol/acks mailed fanfiction to anti-trump pundit Rick Wilson about trump making people piss on a bed obama slept in
>he thought it was real and gave it to the CIA
>the central intelligence agency of the united states of america put this in their official classified intelligence report on russian involvement in the election
>donald trump and obama have both read this pol/acks fanfiction
>the cia has concluded that the russian plans to blackmail trump with this story we made up
just let that sink in what we have become."


http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-01-1 ... eport-hoax

[YoUDeeMan]

Well, you've certainly changed your tune from earlier when you thought the Steele dossier was a 4chan prank.

>/pol/acks mailed fanfiction to anti-trump pundit Rick Wilson about trump making people piss on a bed obama slept in
>he thought it was real and gave it to the CIA
>the central intelligence agency of the united states of america put this in their official classified intelligence report on russian involvement in the election
>donald trump and obama have both read this pol/acks fanfiction
>the cia has concluded that the russian plans to blackmail trump with this story we made up
just let that sink in what we have become."


http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-01-1 ... eport-hoax

WTF are you talking about? Jesus effing Christ...did you go to the Chizzy school for reading comprehension?

The fact is that the information is not credible. Nor is the source. Why did the FBI not pay the guy?

Never mind all that...answer this question:

Where did the pee information come from?




!!!!!!!!!!!!

CAPS!

[YoUDeeMan]

Answer: it depends...it was leaked.

[Skjellyfetti]

Oh. Ok. You still think it was a 4chan prank.

My bad.

[CID1990]

Actually, that's a good question-

Where did the golden shower stuff come from?

Or is that just a non-credible tidbit from an otherwise credible source? Right now the piss story is the only real detail .... so this is going nowhere until something damaging can actually be corroborated

And you can bet your ass there's a small army of people trying


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Skjellyfetti]

I think the "golden shower" part is the most attention grabbing part. But, it's the one with the least amount of evidence behind it for sure. I doubt we ever know whether that is true or not, barring Russia deciding to release it (pretty doubtful). Other than that, I don't see how it's ever confirmed. And, it may not be true at all. I don't think this dossier is 100% accurate.

But, to me - it's not the biggest part of the dossier at all. It's 1 paragraph in a ~40 page document.

The biggest part is the investigation of conspiring with a foreign government. That's what the bulk of the dossier is investigating. And, that's what most of the confirmed elements deal with.

Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, Michael Flynn, and Carter Page have all resigned from Trump's team (campaign or administration) due to shady Russian dealings. Could just be coincidence.

A lot of what is alleged about them in the dossier has been confirmed. Especially regarding meetings with Carter Page.

The smoking gun is probably going to be the Rosneft selloff.

From the dossier:

1. Speaking to a trusted compatriot in mid October 2016, a close associate of Rosneft President and PUTIN ally Igor’ SECHIN elaborated on the reported secret meeting between the latter and Carter PAGE, of US Republican presidential candidate’s foreign policy team, in Moscow in July 2016. The secret meeting had been confirmed to him by a senior member of SECHIN’s staff, in addition to by the Rosneft President himself. It took place on either 7 or 8 July, the same day or the one after Carter PAGE made a public speech to the Higher Economic School in Moscow.

2. In terms of the substance of their discussion, SECHIN’s associate said that the Rosneft President was so keen to lift personal and corporate western sanctions imposed on the company, that he offered PAGE/TRUMP’s associates the brokerage of up to a 19 per cent (privatized) stake in Rosneft in return PAGE had expressed interest and confirmed that were TRUMP elected US president, then sanctions on Russia would be lifted.

Carter Page was in Moscow July 2016 for sure.

He was also in Moscow in December 2016.
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/08/worl ... .html?_r=0

Right after he left...

Rosneft sells off a 19.5% stake...
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-russi ... SKBN1582OH

Sounds an awful lot like the 19% stake + brokerage fee in the Steele dossier.

It could just be coincidence that the dossier claimed a 19% selloff (it would have seemed ridiculous at the time) and then it ends up happening months afterwards. Right after a confirmed Carter Page visit to Moscow. There's no smoking gun yet... but, it's a pretty fucking interesting coincidence.

But, following the money on that will be far more damning than the piss video we never see, imo.

[YoUDeeMan]

Oh. Ok. You still think it was a 4chan prank.

My bad.

You realize the piss thing WAS the 4chan prank, right?

And if that got into the document, then there are serious questions about the contents of that document.

As far as the rest of your, "40 page" stuff, it is difficult to believe that you read the document, because it repeats itself again, and again, and again, and again, and...well...you get it.

Wait...you probably don't get it.

Think of it this way...the 40 page document was 40 pages of graphs with 1 small bar graph of things that might matter.

And if that one bar graph matters, then there are a LOT of politicians and private citizens that in similar circumstances, including Hillary's wonderful questionable dealings.

In other words...a big nothing burger.

[Skjellyfetti]

Drip...

Drip...

Drip...

House Intelligence Committee to start investigation
http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/27/politics/ ... stigation/

So far most Republicans in the House and Senate aren't on board for a special prosecutor, though.



So... we get this.

Sessions, under oath during confirmation hearings:

I have been called a surrogate at a time or two in that campaign and I did not have communications with the Russians.

So... new leak:

Then-Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) spoke twice last year with Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Justice Department officials said, encounters he did not disclose when asked about possible contacts between members of President Trump’s campaign and representatives of Moscow during Sessions’s confirmation hearing to become attorney general.

One of the meetings was a private conversation between Sessions and Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak that took place in September in the senator’s office, at the height of what U.S. intelligence officials say was a Russian cyber campaign to upend the U.S. presidential race.

The previously undisclosed discussions could fuel new congressional calls for the appointment of a special counsel to investigate Russia’s alleged role in the 2016 presidential election. As attorney general, Sessions oversees the Justice Department and the FBI, which have been leading investigations into Russian meddling and any links to Trump’s associates. He has so far resisted calls to recuse himself.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/na ... e32b2e90ef

[Skjellyfetti]

And, now the Wall Street Journal with their own story on the investigations into Sessions' contacts with Russian officials during the campaign.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/investigat ... 1488424871

[Skjellyfetti]

Progress. Now even Chaffetz on board with Sessions recusing himself.

House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz on Thursday morning said Attorney General Jeff Sessions should recuse himself from any investigation into ties between President Donald Trump’s campaign and Russian officials, joining a growing number of Republicans calling for such a move.

“AG Sessions should clarify his testimony and recuse himself,” Chaffetz tweeted, after a series of reports spilled out about Sessions meeting twice with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak last year, while Sessions served as a chief adviser to Trump’s campaign. Sessions, during his confirmation hearing, had testified that he did not have communications with the Russians during Trump’s campaign.

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/c ... obe-235603




Imagine if you told someone in 1990 that Senator Al Franken's questioning of the AG nominee would cause problems for President Donald Trump.

[CAA Flagship]

The girl behind Franken.

[Ivytalk]

Progress. Now even Chaffetz on board with Sessions recusing himself.

House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz on Thursday morning said Attorney General Jeff Sessions should recuse himself from any investigation into ties between President Donald Trump’s campaign and Russian officials, joining a growing number of Republicans calling for such a move.

“AG Sessions should clarify his testimony and recuse himself,” Chaffetz tweeted, after a series of reports spilled out about Sessions meeting twice with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak last year, while Sessions served as a chief adviser to Trump’s campaign. Sessions, during his confirmation hearing, had testified that he did not have communications with the Russians during Trump’s campaign.

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/c ... obe-235603




Imagine if you told someone in 1990 that Senator Al Franken's questioning of the AG nominee would cause problems for President Donald Trump.

Stay on it, Igor!

[GannonFan]

The thing is, the Dems run a real danger here of overreach. Calling for Sessions to resign (and frankly, I don't like Sessions very much anyway so if that did happen I'd be fine with that, assuming that Ted Cruz doesn't somehow slip into the job), based on what we know so far, seems to be pretty drastic. In one case Sessions gave a speech in Cleveland and a bunch of people came up to him after the speech. In the other case, he met the same guy in his office. And this isn't some unknown, sneaky Russian operative, this is the actual Russian ambassador, who, in the course of his job over the past 9 years in DC, probably has met with most everyone in the upper reaches of the US government. That's what ambassadors do of course. Sessions two answers, one verbally to Franken and the other in writing the Leahy, don't seem to be terribly perjorous either. I get the angst and I get the desire to resist Trump at all costs, but the problem is when there's so much angst and so much vitriol over everything that it is almost overload and the lack of focus on any one thing makes that angst less effective.

[Pwns]

Russia-ghazi!