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suprcali

(108 posts)
Wed Jul 18, 2018, 12:12 PM Jul 2018

Prayer, Guns Paved Path to GOP Influence for Accused Russian

Bloomberg report

Cling to their guns or religion

I'm old enough to remember when then candidate Obama made this analysis of struggling, mostly white voters who later started supporting Trump. So 10 years later and it looks like he was right.

We now know russians had their agent infiltrate the NRA and organizers of the national prayer breakfast. Places where republican politicians like to attend.

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Sophia4

(3,515 posts)
3. When Republicans claim there is nothing wrong with the Trumps' and Republicans having solicited
Wed Jul 18, 2018, 12:25 PM
Jul 2018

and accepted donations and other help from Russians, remind them of this story from the past:

WASHINGTON — James T. Riady, a longtime Indonesian friend of President Clinton who heads the worldwide Lippo banking group, pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiracy related to illegal campaign contributions in the 1996 Democratic fund-raising scandal and during the previous eight years.

Riady's felony plea agreement, combined with LippoBank California's plea to 86 misdemeanor charges, caps one of the longest-running investigations of the Justice Department's campaign finance task force.

Under terms of the agreement, filed in federal court in Los Angeles and made public at Justice Department headquarters here, Riady will be sentenced to two years' probation and will be prevented from entering the United States during that time--unless he is asked to testify before U.S. agencies. He also will be required to perform 400 hours of community service.

LippoBank California, one of the largest entities of the Lippo Group, which is owned by the Indonesia-based Riady family, will pay a fine of $8.6 million. That is the largest fine ever assessed in a campaign finance case, and Riady agreed to personally ensure the fine is paid.

http://articles.latimes.com/2001/jan/12/news/mn-11506

American politicians are not allowed to accept this kind of "help" from foreign interests, whether they be Russian or Indonesian or Canadian or even British.

It is against the law.

 

Sophia4

(3,515 posts)
5. Not overtly. It isn't exactly "legal." But it is less discoverable, less obvious when it happens.
Wed Jul 18, 2018, 02:02 PM
Jul 2018
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