I have almost no doubt that information that would destroy Trump exists.

[MineralMan]

The trouble is that it exists in the files of agencies that consider anything that is not already in the public domain to be too sensitive to be released into that domain. The very means by which such information has been obtained are state secrets, and making them public is not even being considered.

It's not just U.S. agencies that have such information. Intelligence gatherers worldwide have accumulated information that would be instantly destructive to Trump and his cronies, I'm sure. However, even the fact that such information is being collected is classified at the highest possible levels.

We are going to need an individual or individuals who are not afraid of the consequences of releasing such information to act before we will have the entire story, if we ever actually do. The information exists, but cannot be made public without compromising other information and methods that are closely guarded and extraordinarily sensitive.

For example, consider Donald Trump's tax filings. Some number of people at the IRS have seen them, handled them and even analyzed them. Not many, but several people. At the NSA, some people, again not many, have had access to intercepted information that is pertinent to the situation. Similarly, the CIA has information, as does the FBI. There is no question about that. However, all of those people have taken oaths not to reveal what they know, nor how what they know was obtained.

There are people who know exactly what is going on, but they remain silent. There are enormous consequences for breaking the oaths they have taken. Those consequences are known and understood by people who have the information we all want to know. It is rare for such people to break their oaths and make such information public. It's also complicated, because such information is not easily removed from the compartmentalized storage where it exists, both on paper (rare these days) and as data.

So, we wait. We wait for decisions to be made by people who have the authority to make such decision. All too often, those decisions are simply deferred and never made. All too often, it requires someone with the ability and will to release such information, even though doing so can be a life-changing and frightening thing.

I'm frustrated by these realities, as are most of us. But, they are the realities. Much is known, but little is disclosed. And there's the rub in all of this. We may learn the truth eventually, but we may not. It's a crap shoot, really.

[Madam45for2923]

1. But there are also "Deep Throats"

[MineralMan]

3. They are very, very rare, though.

Will one emerge in this situation? Perhaps, but things have changed a great deal since Nixon's day. They have changed in ways that anticipate future "Deep Throats." Access to such information is more difficult now, and converting it into portable forms is far more difficult today than it once was.

One thing our intelligence gatherers do is to learn from the past. When information is compromised, remaining information is made even more difficult to compromise. Such has occurred with accelerating frequency in the past couple of decades. Still, it is possible for someone to gather data together and release it, but it is not easy and even the act of accessing it is logged and flagged.

Things are better protected than they once were. Compartmentalization is more closely controlled than it once was. The ability to move information from its current location to other locations has been made far more difficult. It's not like the data on our little PCs, and has not been for a long time.

While it's appealing and romantic to imagine someone gathering the information together, putting in in portable form and delivering it to someone who is not bound by those oaths, that has become more and more difficult and, thus, less likely as time has passed. Chelsea Manning and Snowden managed to gather up some stuff and transfer it to others, but most of that information was not as sensitive as people often think it was.

Donald Trump's tax forms, for example, most likely cannot be copied or transferred in any format by anyone who is able to look at them. Such protections are easy to implement and are, no doubt, in place. Few people at the IRS can even access them even just to view them.

There are people, of course, who could do all of those things at each agency and organization. However, there are not many, and they sit in spacious offices and are appointed by Presidents, typically.

We may still learn, but we won't learn that information from ordinary sources we might read on the Internet. They will not be who gets that information if it is ever made available.

[pnwmom]

11. You are overlooking the existence of intelligence agencies outside of the US,

and DT's extensive travel and business interests outside of the US that have no doubt brought him attention from allied intelligence agencies.

And those countries can see what is happening here, what Putin is doing, and know they are targets, too.

So we are not dependent only on the bravery and skill -- and the growing outrage -- of US intelligences agencies producing a US deep throat. Our allies have our backs, too.

[MineralMan]

12. I'm not overlooking them, but they have deep ties to our own

agencies. The agreements between them include agreements to maintain security of classified information. I don't think it's any more likely we'll hear from those agencies than from our own.

[pnwmom]

13. If they think we're undergoing a Russian-directed coup, they'll find a way. n/t

[Thinkingabout]

2. Hopefully this information will soon be known, I am sure lots of people liked his pep

rallies and liked the things he said but there was not any reality in his words. As Dr Phil says the only thing worse than staying in a bad relationship for ten years is staying in a relationship for ten years and one day. We have a great nation, we need to protect the freedoms we have lived in our lives.

[MedusaX]

4. Admittedly, I am prone to pessimism... but I have a feeling that you may have underestimated the

Quantity & value
of the information which has already been disseminated to the state AG's & SCOTUS

but not yet shared with the public...

FWIW....
I suggest that we all
Step away from the HeeHaw
blues despair & agony on me
Mindset

And continue to actively resist ....

Continue to apply pressure on House/Senate/Press
to do what is right

And increase the volume of our voices
as we repeatedly Demand action ...

[MineralMan]

7. That's an excellent plan. We have elections coming up.

We can do something about those, at least in our local areas and congressional districts. That's what I recommend.

[C_U_L8R]

5. I think all sides are wrangling and positioning

to either get as much as they can....
or get away with as much as they can.
And in that sense, neither wants this
kerfuffle to end soon. We may have
to bed down for the long nap.

[duncang]

6. Personally I think

Most likely most information made public will be about money laundering. And I think this is one of his and his families main concerns. Like you said because they may want to conceal identities, ways and means. We may never find out the whole story about collusion, but the money trails will come out.

There are a few things associated with that I believe is a concern for the dipshit clan related to the possible money laundering. First the possible seizure of assets they may occur themselves. Next any asset seizure of "investor" money launderers. The people who do buy properties to park or launder money through may not want to be associated with them any more. They could consider it a high risk to have dealings with dipshit. Due to the high profile, chance of public exposure and seizure of assets if they buy more properties or enter in to deals with the drumphs.

The largest chance of finding out the full story would likely be from independent news investigation or information coming from overseas intelligence.

[MineralMan]

9. You could be right. I don't know.

I do know that I can have no influence on any of that. I can, however, work in my own area and districts and try to get people elected who will assist us in all of it. That's my plan. If stuff gets leaked or investigations lead to bad news for the Trumps of this world, that will be wonderful, but I'm forever out of that loop.

So, I'll read about it, but do other things that I actually can do, in the meantime.

[WinkyDink]

8. I like to think that I would put country above my own freedom, being raised on Nathan Hale et alii.

[MineralMan]

10. We'd all like to think that, I'm sure.

Many, many years ago, in 1969, when I was just 24 years old, I had an opportunity to switch from being a USAF E-4 assigned to work in the NSA building to a GS-16 doing the same work for much more money. Based on what I had learned in my time there, I decided to decline that offer. I did not want to ever find myself in a situation where what I had learned might cause an ethical conflict for me.

I was also involved, at the time, in organizing and participating in anti-war protests in the DC area. Had I stayed at the NSA, my particular and somewhat unusual skills and talents probably would have led to advancement in that agency. At some point, I realized that I would face ethical challenges if I stayed there, though.

So, I said, "No, thanks," and went on with my life in completely different ways. I'll forever be glad that I made that decision. What I do not know cannot corrupt me.

[WinkyDink]

16. A most tumultuous year and era. As you know, ROTC was dicey, never mind the NSA! You must have

already possessed strong principles even to consider a career path that required quitting the, let's face it, pretty secure one you were on.

See? That's the Democrat in you. You are a patriot who never wanted to work for an entity that might demand fealty to organization over loyalty to country.

[LeftInTX]

14. I take with a grain of salt stuff that gets my hopes high.

But everyone is different. Being a former mathematician, I prefer more reality based and not speculation. Others are different and if things don't turn out as predicted they are able to deal with it better than me.

I just don't like to get my hopes up.

However, kudos to those who are more optimistic than me.

I'm naturally a bit of a pessimist and fall into the "concern troll" group.

[cwydro]

15. But what could destroy him?

It seems not to matter no matter how egregious his actions.