General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSen. Graham Blames FBI For Trump Campaign's 'Improper' Russian Contacts
Eric Boehlert
August 18, 2018 5:17 am
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is troubled that staffers on Trumps 2016 campaign had inappropriate ties with Russia, and he knows just whose fault that is: the FBI.
In a strange and clumsy attempt to cover for the White House, Graham sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, wanting to know why the FBI didnt try to protect the Trump campaign from possibly colluding with Russia.
Upon developing concerns that Trump campaign staffers George Papadopoulos, Carter Page, Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort had improper ties to the Russian government, what defensive briefings did the FBI provide to then-candidate Trump or the Trump campaign of the potential threat? Graham wrote.
Given the continuing efforts by Russia and other bad actors to infiltrate American elections, what policies does the FBI have in place to warn current and future candidates of foreign efforts and attempts to infiltrate their campaigns?
more
http://www.nationalmemo.com/sen-graham-blames-fbi-for-trump-campaigns-improper-russian-contacts/
shraby
(21,946 posts)admonishments they have give all campaigns since WWII.
beachbum bob
(10,437 posts)blame law enforcement for crooks performing criminal acts
spanone
(135,632 posts)he could shoot Jesus on fifth avenue and lindsey fucking graham would cover his ass
GoCubsGo
(32,061 posts)It appears Graham may have been sucked into the whole Russian web, as well, either by choice, or by happenstance.
CatMor
(6,212 posts)wonder what it could be. He has become one of trumps staunchest supporters and golf buddies.
GoCubsGo
(32,061 posts)It's becoming apparent that Graham has ties to Russia. They may or may not be inadvertent.
njhoneybadger
(3,910 posts)There is nothing He wouldn't say or do to avoid it.
Putin must have Grahams emails, maybe even records of his financial transactions.
Iliyah
(25,111 posts)But alas, blame others. Look at me, I'm the victim.
PearliePoo2
(7,768 posts)politicaljunkie41910
(3,335 posts)If you see something, say something. The Trumps just thought they were smarter than everyone else. But than you can't blame them when you had Jeff Sessions, who has been a member of Congress for what seems like FOREVER, and who has always wanted to be the Attorney General meeting with the Russians at hotels and in his office and then lying about it. Their candidate and his staffers were corrupt from the beginning.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)by our intelligence services and was noted to not just ignore the warnings but continue its very concerning activities. I don't remember specifically that the FBI warned, but I imagine so.
After all, even though the DNC had no idea Russian intelligence was hacking their files until Russia leaked them, the FBI's own records say they were watching Russia's hacking and did notify the DNC long before. A little dissonance there (!), but that Comey kept documentation saying they notified indicates clearly his belief that the FBI had a duty to inform, whether they did not not.
Of course, Trump was the Republican candidate and was handled very differently by the FBI.
salin
(48,954 posts)for one president - swearing it wasn't about partisanship. And now - where the allegations are SO much more central to the actions of the presidency - you go all smelling salts and fainting couch?
Your partisanship hackiness was clear as a bell back with Pres Clinton - and it is clear as a bell now. But this time - people whisper with the question per your turn around in you attitude/demeanor toward this president: Is it that Trump (and team) has something on you, or is it that Putin has something on you.
What a way to tatter up you own reputation/legacy.
GoCubsGo
(32,061 posts)I'm ashamed that this shitbag is my Senator.
Claritie Pixie
(2,199 posts)This is his traitor face.
Doodley
(8,976 posts)still_one
(91,937 posts)wishstar
(5,267 posts)You can't claim innocence that they didn't know it was illegal to solicit or receive help from Russians when ALL of the people in Trump campaign and Trump staff lied about anyone in his campaign having Russian meetings and contacts. They had to have known it was improper or they would not have so consistently all lied. Hope Hicks, the direct conduit to Trump was in the email loop to all of the conspirators.
yardwork
(61,408 posts)I can guess what some of it is.
C_U_L8R
(44,889 posts)someone's trying to rob the bank that they're robbing?
MiniMe
(21,676 posts)They sought those contacts out. They were told that Russia was trying to infiltrate their campaign. Treason!!
Achilleaze
(15,543 posts)How absolutely cowardly to distort reality and try to obscure truth, a massive betrayal of American democracy. Shameful. Graham is showing that he is totally pwned.
* aka republican Draft-Dodger-in-Chief
tblue37
(64,979 posts)Angry Dragon
(36,693 posts)2naSalit
(86,039 posts)Greybnk48
(10,147 posts)still_one
(91,937 posts)GeorgeGist
(25,294 posts)Gibberish.
JonLP24
(29,322 posts)Power 2 the People
(2,437 posts)1. He knows his partner in crime and protector John McCain will not be around much longer. McCain had a lot of pull in Republican and military circles that allowed Graham to occasionally go off the right-wing reservation. Lindsey needs an ally to back up his grandstanding.
2. Trump is a cruel man. He probably told Graham that he will out him as a gay man. In South Carolina,being anti-Trump and gay would surely be the end of his lucrative political career.
gratuitous
(82,849 posts)Another precedent is broken!
SWBTATTReg
(21,856 posts)the Russians and so forth. They alone did it, and lied about it repeatedly.
democratisphere
(17,235 posts)to see him do it! Wonder what the russians have on LG?!
JHan
(10,173 posts)When you live in a world where Graham is your "moderate" , you know your world is fucked up.
Solly Mack
(90,740 posts)In the weeks after he became the Republican nominee on July 19, 2016, Donald Trump was warned that foreign adversaries, including Russia, would probably try to spy on and infiltrate his campaign, according to multiple government officials familiar with the matter.
The warning came in the form of a high-level counterintelligence briefing by senior FBI officials, the officials said. A similar briefing was given to Hillary Clinton, they added. They said the briefings, which are commonly provided to presidential nominees, were designed to educate the candidates and their top aides about potential threats from foreign spies.
The candidates were urged to alert the FBI about any suspicious overtures to their campaigns, the officials said.
The briefings were led by counterintelligence specialists from the FBI, the sources said. They were timed to occur around the period when the candidates began receiving classified intelligence, the officials said, which put them at greater risk for being targeted by foreign spies. Trump's first intelligence briefing as Republican nominee was Aug. 17, 2016, sources told NBC News at the time.