Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) given explicit instructions by the Kremlin for how to attack sanctions

[Miles Archer]

A bombshell report claims that Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), who has long been described as “Putin’s favorite congressman,” was given explicit instructions by the Kremlin for how to attack sanctions against Russia last year.

The Daily Beast reports that “after being given a secret document by officials in Moscow, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher sought to alter sanctions legislation and tried to set up a virtual show trial on Capitol Hill” last June, right at around the time that Donald Trump Jr. and key members of the Trump campaign met with Russian nationals who claimed to be representatives of the Russian government’s efforts to undermine the candidacy of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Rohrabacher’s original plan was to have a show trial in Congress of anti-Putin campaigner Bill Browder in which he would “confront Browder with a feature-length pro-Kremlin propaganda movie that viciously attacks him—as well as at least two witnesses linked to the Russian authorities, including lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya.”

The purpose of this “show trial,” according to an email reviewed by the Daily Beast, was to undermine a set of sanctions placed on Russia that were named after Sergei Magnitsky, who served as Browder’s tax attorney before being imprisoned after exposing a Russian corruption scandal.

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/07/bombshell-report-kremlin-directed-gop-congressman-to-stage-pro-putin-show-trial-on-the-house-floor/

[uponit7771]

1. Isn't this the guy Ryan joked about being paid by the Kremlin ?!!? R stands for Russia

[malaise]

9. Ding ding we have a winner

This guy and Groper Don the Con...he made ReTHUG leaders swear to secrecy.

http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/05/ryan-mccarthy-both-deny-nasty-remark-about-trump-it-turns-out-theres-recording/

[raven mad]

43. So, I am NOT the only one who worships at the MoJo altar!

Absolutely the best muckrakers EVER!!!

Who is this Mother Jones lady?

We are named after Mary Harris "Mother" Jones, an early-20th-century labor organizer. She was a badass who fought for the underdog, battled child labor, and was sometimes referred to as "the most dangerous woman in America."

http://www.motherjones.com/

(Loyal reader since 1976 reporting in!)

[malaise]

44. I love Mother Jones

That's a long time.

[raven mad]

47. I got lucky, malaise. A UAF friend had a friend of a friend -

who worked with MoJo on getting it off the ground.

[WhiteTara]

26. McCarthy and he wasn't joking. He even said "seriously" when

they laughed. Ryan told him to shut it and that they should all keep that under wraps.

[uponit7771]

33. They all know, they're buncha fuckin traitors known as the Russian party

[certainot]

38. how long has limbaugh been working for putin?

he created 'climategate' in 2009, saving the kochs and putin billions in oil revenues by sabotaging the copenhagen climate conference. that started with a russian hack.

then in 2011 he was instrumental encouraging the debt default which ended in military cuts.

and he's basically been selling trump all along, and now he's making all the excuses.

[uponit7771]

42. Right, all this illogical thinking by the Reich becomes more logical if someone is payin them

[triron]

39. Agree 110%

Hope a bunch of them get some jumpsuits.

[Fatemah2774]

52. Purple with pink stripes

Is what I would love them to wear so they can be identified in general population!

[malaise]

48. This needs way more discussion on cable and network TV

I don't get why it's not part of investigtions

[Amaryllis]

55. Maybe Rachel tonight? Or soon? She is most likely to cover, or Lawrence.

[malaise]

56. Yes it will be one of those two

Tonight she'll be busy with Manafort

[Amaryllis]

57. I just got online ...what happened with Manafort? Geez- offline for less than 24 hours and a

whole bunch of new stuff. That's a good thing , though. Means it's unraveling fast.

[malaise]

58. This

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029346356

[Botany]

30. Yup!

And as noted above Ryan told the people not to talk about the Russia/Trump/Republican connections.

When Ryan's people were asked about his actions they said it never happened, then when told of a
transcript of Ryan's speech they said the transcript was wrong, and when told that people had
tape of Ryan telling people not to talk Trump/Republican connections his people said that Ryan was
only "joking."

[tblue37]

49. Kevin McCarthy made the comment. Ryan swore everyone to secrecy about it.

And it wasn't a joke. It was a comment that people in the room laughed uncomfortably about.

[obamanut2012]

2. How is this not treason?

I am not being snarky, I mean it. How is this not treason?

[progressoid]

13. Well...

http://www.nytimes.com/1861/01/25/news/treason-against-the-united-states.html?pagewanted=all

In delivering the opinion of the Court, Chief-Justice MARSHALL said: "To constitute that specific crime for which the prisoners now before the Court have been commuted, war must be actually levied against the United States.


...and...

In the case of the United States vs. AARON BURR, Chief-Justice MARSHALL said:

"There is no difficulty in affirming that there must be a war, or the crime of levying it cannot exist; but there would often be considerable difficulty in affirming that a particular act did or did not involve the person committing it in the guilt and in the fact of levying war. If, for example, an army should be actually raised for the avowed purpose of carrying on open war against the United States and subverting their Government, the point must be weighed very deliberately before a Judge would venture to decide that an overt act of levying war had not been committed by a Commissary of purchases who never saw the army, but who, knowing its object, and leaguing himself with the rebels supplied that army with provisions; or by a Recruiting-officer, holding a commission in the rebel service, who, though never in camp, executed the particular duty assigned to him."

[WinstonSmith4740]

17. So help me out here.

Does this mean raising an actual army and openly declaring war before treason charges can be brought? Because I'm thinking even with those restrictions, an army doesn't necessarily have to be a "boots on the ground" operation. Because, after all, an army is a group of people trained for a particular purpose. In this case, hack computers. And the Russians have certainly declared war on the West. They're just not doing it with bullets and bombs. So yeah, I think the entire Trump cabal, and their minions in Congress are treasonous bastards who are willing to sell out the greatest democracy the world has ever seen (even with our warts) for power. They all need to hang.

[progressoid]

27. Article III, section 3 of the Constitution reads:

Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.

The Congress shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.

Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.

[obamanut2012]

35. Yup, which is exactly what he did -- it is treason

"Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere..."

[triron]

40. yep

[Marcuse]

51. The US has not declared war since 1942...

Technically Romania was our last enemy.

[WinstonSmith4740]

53. Yep.

Sounds exactly like what they're doing. Hang 'em. Or, alternatively (and this might be an even better idea) pull a "Trading Places" on them and make them all poor. Seize every building, business, and everything else they "own", and put them on the streets with the clothes on their backs.

[gordianot]

24. Russia is a hostile nation capable of attacking the United States on short notice.

They deploy forces specifically designed to incinerate the United States. The President is authorized to respond immediately to an attack and has maybe as little as 4 minutes to counter a massive attack. Our forefathers never dreamed of such circumstances. All of this will occur without a declaration of war

[dchill]

28. IMO, and IANAL, war IS being levied on the US.

By both Russian digital manipulate and Republican treason. This should become a legal case. We have been invaded, from without, with collusion (or collaboration) from within.

[obamanut2012]

36. This

[malaise]

45. +1,000

LOCK THEM UP

[obamanut2012]

34. What he did literally is what is considered treason

So, how is it not treason?

[onetexan]

23. if this isn't treason i dont know what would constitute treason

[obamanut2012]

37. Yup

[MineralMan]

3. That SOB is going to lose in 2018.

Good riddance to him, too.

[SunSeeker]

16. From your lips to God's ears.

That asshole has been my Congressman for years. He uses our tax money to rent an expensive district office steps from the beach in Huntington Beach. But he's never there. And there's nowhere for his constituents to park. Still, you will often see a small, hardy crew with protest signs in front of the building. I've joined them on occasion.

My husband and I also send him letters voicing our outrage at Trump's Russia collusion and demanding he do something about it. He would send a "Russia is our friend" themed form letter back. Although recently his Russia form letters have changed to just mentioning all the ongoing investigations. I guess he's feeling the heat.

[WinstonSmith4740]

54. The main SOB was supposed to lose LAST year!

Between gerry mandering, voter purges, and voting machines designed by and produced by Republican owned businesses, the fix is in. Those of us on this side of the aisle need to quit wringing our hands and wondering what hit us after the fact. We need to get pro-active and beat those bastards at their own game. For instance, RIGHT NOW democrats need to start pushing for paper ballots for the next few elections as well as UN oversight. There's absolutely NO reason to need to know the winner 2 minutes after the polls close. We need to start enlisting the wealthy on our side to set up funding & transportation so people that are getting hit with this ID bullshit can get the proper ID. There are ways to do this. Bottom line? We've got to stop trusting these bastards to do the right thing.

My late husband was a Republican, and was one of the only two people I knew who admitted to voting for Nixon. Twice. But when we were watching the 1992 Republican Convention, after watching Patrick Buchanan spewing hatred from the podium, he turned to me and asked me to please pick up a voter registration form for him the next day because "I don't want to be associated with these people anymore." He was out registering Democrats with me that year, and he just grew more and more disgusted with Republicans as the years passed. He saw it then. I don't know how people can't see the evil in them now.

[awesomerwb1]

4. Same guy mentioned in that Ryan tape.

And apparently same lawyer in the meeting with Donnie Jr.

Funny isn't it?

[Achilleaze]

5. republican traitors against America

deserve a full measure of justice.

[dchill]

29. +1000!

[Sunlei]

61. republican traitors against America! + 10,000

[flamingdem]

6. Send him to Mars!

He could research the ancient inhabitants he claims once lived there.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

20. I tweeted for him to go there and take Putin and trump with him.

Link to tweet

[flamingdem]

22. hahaha yes he'll need company

please take them Dana

[gademocrat7]

7. Treasonous bastard

[Mrs. Overall]

8. This needs to become a huge story.

[usedtobedemgurl]

10. Is there anybody in the Repulican party....

who is NOT working with Russia? I am sickened by this.

[Grins]

11. "...get by with a little help from my friends..."

"Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA)...was given explicit instructions by the Kremlin for how to attack sanctions.."

Rohrabacher needs the Russians to tell him how Congress works...?

[malaise]

12. Remember

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029326422

[Solly Mack]

14. K&R

[Shell_Seas]

15. Is this illegal?

Will he be charged with a crime?

[SunSeeker]

18. Follow the money, Mueller!

Natalia isn't pursuasive because of her English skills!

[SleeplessinSoCal]

19. I think he has to register as a foreign agent. Even if he wasn't paid.

He has about 9 challengers next year. Some are put up by the OC GOP and disguised as Democrats. So if he can be accused of being a foreign agent, it would make our job in his district much easier.

[calimary]

21. As we say here in SoCal, FLIP THE 48TH!!!!!

Code Blue and other "sister districts" are ON this. I just shared this on an Indivisible page.


FLIP THAT DISTRICT!!! From red to BLUE!!!

[onetexan]

25. Here's the Daily Beast article

http://www.thedailybeast.com/gop-lawmaker-got-direction-from-moscow-took-it-back-to-dc

[janx]

41. Thanks.

I was just about to post it. It's important to go to the sources of these Raw Story articles.

[procon]

31. 'Is it possible that there was a civilization on Mars thousands of years ago?'

Let that sink in a minute... this old fool, Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher asked NASA scientists that question. Seriously, I don't know which conspiracy theory website he follows, but he's a member of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology's subcommittee on space. The scientist ate his lunch.


[link:

|



Is there any wonder that the Russians could enlist this idiot to do their bidding?

[Pachamama]

59. Looks like Congressman Rohrbacher is getting ready for his insanity defense when he is accused of

...treason and collaborating with the Russians to undermine the United States as a Congressman...

Martians....yep, he actually was asking about ancient Martians...

[workinclasszero]

32. The whole republican party and the right wing apparatus in this country

Are treasonous scum to a man/woman!

[jpak]

46. Scum

yup

[bucolic_frolic]

50. Being a government official while being paid by a foreign government

is serious stuff!

[pbmus]

60. You mean adoptions....sanctions...

[not fooled]

62. Oh, and don't forget this additional evidence

of his sterling character:

[link:http://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/rep-rohrabacher-left-california-home-a-grimy-mess-photos|]

[link:http://www.ocweekly.com/news/dana-rohrabacher-is-dirty-6428829|]

[link:|