DHS Debunks Trump Claim That Loretta Lynch Let Russian Lawyer Into U.S.

[DonViejo]

Source: The Daily Beast

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Thursday evening issued a statement contradicting President Trump’s claim that Loretta Lynch, President Obama’s attorney general, allowed the Russian lawyer who met with three Trump associates, including his son, into the United States. “In Sept. 2015, DHS paroled Natalia Veselnitskaya into the U.S. in concurrence with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York, allowing her to participate in a client’s legal proceedings,” the DHS statement to BuzzFeed News read. “Ms. Veselnitskaya was subsequently paroled into the U.S. several times between 2015 and 2016, ending in February 2016. In June 2016, she was issued a B1/B2 nonimmigrant visa by the U.S. Department of State.” These facts run counter to Trump saying Thursday that “Somebody said that her visa or her passport to come into the country was approved by Attorney General Lynch. Now, maybe that's wrong. I just heard that a little while ago, but a little surprised to hear that. So, she was here because of Lynch,” echoing a conspiracy theory that the lawyer was actually part of a Democratic Party plot.

READ IT AT BUZZFEED NEWS

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Read more: http://www.thedailybeast.com/dhs-debunks-trump-claim-that-loretta-lynch-let-russian-lawyer-into-us

[Honeycombe8]

1. I don't understand. Seems like that statement confirms that Lynch let her in or let her stay.

???

Is anything wrong with that? People regularly petition the US for temporary visas or whatever.

[marylandblue]

4. Lynch wasn't personally involved

These are routine matters usually handled by lower level officials. He's implyimg that Lynch personally intervened to let her come in June.

[Honeycombe8]

10. I didn't read it that Lynch personally did it...she did it as a function of her office.

Maybe it's just the way I read the claim, but I knew it meant her function as US AG, which is what this statement says, too.

But maybe 'cause I knew that the AG doesn't personally stamp visas and such.

[VermontKevin]

11. Lynch didn't work for the State Department.

[Honeycombe8]

13. The statement says DHS did it in conjunction with the U S Attorney's office (Lynch). nt

[VermontKevin]

14. Her September visa, yes. Not the second one.

[sharedvalues]

21. False. Tweet is disinformation

"Hey, did you see that the 9/11 attackers were let through airport security (BUSH!!)."

Holding George Bush personally responsible for letting the 9/11 attackers through airport security is similar to the claim being made by the president and believed by you. Worse, the president is using it as disinformaiton to lie to his base.

[muriel_volestrangler]

23. No, the statement does not mention Lynch. Lynch was not a US Attorney at the time.

She was Attorney General, a different position. "DHS" does not mean "Lynch". The DHS reports to the DoJ, which she headed. But it is highly misleading to say Lynch was involved in any decision to admit her, especially for June 2016, and I can't think why you keep claiming she was. Are you taking Trump's word for it?

[Honeycombe8]

26. Oh. It says "U S Attorney." I thought that meant US AG. I see. So it wasn't her office.

It was the U S Prosecutor's Office. I see.

In any case, it doesn't mean anything. It's not wrong or illegal or unethical, no matter who was involved. It was a routing visa or whatever, right?

[atreides1]

28. You forgot a part to that!

"U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York"

That would have been Preet Bharara, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York! The US attorney that Trump fired!

US attorney's have autonomy when dealing with cases in their districts and they don't always have to get permission from DoJ!

[sharedvalues]

16. Right. President lied - creating disinformation

[George II]

6. The Attorney General of the US doesn't pass judgement on visas.

[wishstar]

9. No- read it again- it says State Dept was responsible-(part of statement in OP is a Trump quote)

The Trump quote in OP makes it hard to understand. But ultimately State Dept allowed her visa entry because she was defending a Russian money-laundering operation being investigated by US Attorney for Southern District of NY. AG Lynch did not make the decision on her visa. It is only Trump making that bogus claim.

[Honeycombe8]

12. DHS approved her stay in conjunction w/the U S attorney's office (Lynch).

This does not "debunk," unless someone thought Lynch personally stamped her visa, which I didn't. Maybe others did think that, though.

In any case, I don't see anything wrong in this, unless someone is claiming that was illegal or unethical.

[muriel_volestrangler]

15. Yes, Trump claimed it. That's in the thread title, and the excerpt.

Trump did not talk about DHS, or a US attorney's office, or the Department of State. He said it was Lynch.

So, yes, this does debunk the Trump claim.

[sharedvalues]

19. Yes-Debunks the Trump disinformation tweet

Which became a right wing false talking point.

[sharedvalues]

17. No. 45 said AG PERSONALLY

To read his tweet otherwise is disingenuous

[Honeycombe8]

20. No, he didn't say that "personally." He said "Lynch." I understood that to mean her office.

I know the AG doesn't personally stamp visas or get involved in each and every visa app. Don't you? Trumpers want to think that, I'm sure.

I'm just sayin'....this is not a true "debunk." It is a confirmation of what I thought and how I took the allegations. The only thing is...it's much ado about nothing. It's not illegal, unethical, nothing was done improperly...a routine visa. Much better for her to be here legally than ILLLEGALLY and not caught. It's a non-story. There is nothing to debunk, IMO.

[sharedvalues]

22. No. His media/twitter history says he meant it personally.

If you want to keep defending the president's lies and disinformation campaign, I suppose that's your right. But please recognize what the president is trying to do by creating these false talking points by the right.

[muriel_volestrangler]

24. Then you are Trump's target audience, able to be mislead by him.

You have repeatedly claims that Lynch was involved. She wasn't. *Her office wasn't, either". Trump has got you repeating bullshit. Step back, and take a look at how he's bamboozled you.

[7962]

27. I dont like that this person just happens to have a need to be here, as well as inside hearings.

It just doesnt look good and gives an easy pass to people looking for one.

[Kingofalldems]

25. Not even a good try.

[HuskyOffset]

30. You still don't have it quite right

It wasn't the US Attorney's office, please read reply 28 in this thread, that explains it very well.

[Achilleaze]

2. republicans really need to stop lying to Americans

sounds like the repubes are honest with their evil empire russian comrades. Why aren't they ever honest with Americans?

[riversedge]

3. And I suspect the Republicans will be silent. Just let Trump get away with lying AGAIN!

[Dorn]

5. If DT said it --- IT IS A LIE

Lynch did not approve the visa: "a spokesperson for Lynch put out a statement insisting that she had no authority over whether or not the Russian lawyer was allowed to enter the country."

[George II]

7. More trump FAKE NEWS.

[Jim__]

8. It was just something Trump heard.

The press really needs to call trump out every time he claims to have "heard" something.

[muriel_volestrangler]

18. As always, Trump repeats anything someone says if it's good for him, and denounces "sources"

as being totally unreliable. He is the biggest hypocrite in the world.

[Solly Mack]

29. Bank Robbers should blame the Department of the Treasury for money being in the bank to rob.

They wouldn't rob banks otherwise.

Besides, they didn't get away with any money.

[dembotoz]

31. kicking cause the lynch thing is all over facebook today and folks may find the link useful

lets fight fake new one bucket of bullshit at a time

[thbobby]

32. I don't give a fuck

How she was let in is irrelevant. Maybe trump should claim she was let in to help his son commit treason against America.

But that would be true. The only time trump tells the truth is when he is too stupid to know he isn't lying.

[More_Cowbell]

33. "Somebody said"

Faux News uses this all the time, only they say "People are saying." Lying liars who lie.

[Grins]

34. "...she was here because of Lynch!" This is a diversion.

This is a diversion. I keep this paragraph at the ready whenever I get one of "those" emails from the Reich-wingers:


Forget all of this bullshit and remember - This is just a diversion from the facts, more and more of which are being revealed every damn day, that the president of the United States, his son, his son-in-law, his associates, his financiers, his appointees, his advisers, and the entire leadership of the Republican Party, deliberately and treasonously colluded and secretly conspired with a hostile foreign government to subvert the United States in national and world affairs and slander its relations with its allied nations, and did it for money and power. This is treason. And, for those who write diversionary shit-pieces like this, Trump - is their guy! - and they are abetting that treason. Everything else is a diversion.

[Progressive dog]

35. So the pathological liar and so called human

wants us to believe that if only Loretta Lynch had kept Russian lawyers out of the USA, Donnie Jr. (A.K.A. evil spawn #1) would never have decided to sell his country out to Putin.