Mueller team zeroes in on Trump financial crimes because they're faster to prosecute: CNN

[highplainsdem]

Source: Raw Story

CNN political reporter Pamela Brown said on Saturday that new details have emerged in Special Counsel Bob Mueller’s investigation of President Donald Trump and his connections to the Russian government as well as individuals in that country’s criminal underworld.

“Investigators are delving into financial crimes including some unconnected to the election,” said Brown. “Investigators have combed through the list of shell companies and buyers of Trump-branded real estate properties. They’ve scrutinized the roster of tenants at Trump Tower in Manhattan — reaching back several years.”

Brown said that investigators are zeroing in on financial crimes because they present “a more concrete path to prosecution.”

She also said that “even investigative leads that are not connected to Russia but involve Trump associates are being referred to the special counsel to encourage subjects of the investigation to cooperate.”

-snip-

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/2017/08/mueller-grand-jury-zeroes-in-on-trump-financial-crimes-because-theyre-faster-to-prosecute-cnn/

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Video at the link.

[truthisfreedom]

1. Bring it on!

[OnDoutside]

2. That looks and sounds like the Trump red line....tick tock

[Midnight Writer]

3. Winning the Presidency was the worst thing that could have happened to Donald Trump.

If he had lost, he could be sitting in his lavish building with his double scoop of ice cream,yelling at the TV, bitching that everything is rigged, and throwing political bombs whenever he needs more attention. I am guessing that would be Nirvana to him.

[flibbitygiblets]

5. Well boo-hoo for Trump, it was the worst thing that could have happened to the USA too

Much of the damage may be irreparable. But at least we'll get to watch him get prosecuted. Hopefully safeguard laws will be put in place for future candidates, say, mandatory tax returns and research into financial dealings with foreign governments. Maybe even some anti-nepotism rules for the WH, who knows?

If it's not too much to ask, perhaps some protections against voter suppression and voting machine hacking?

[WinstonSmith4740]

9. A press with a spine would be nice, too.

Basically, they let him get away with so much bullshit during the campaign, it was flat out ridiculous. I forget which network head said it (I'm thinking NBC, but not positive), but the comment was that Donald Trump may be terrible for America, but he was great for ratings. Hillary released what? 37 years of tax returns? Was every single one of his returns going back that far under audit? Ever hear anyone ask him? Ever hear anyone tell him that according to the IRS, that was a moot point, and he could release them if he wanted? Now KellyAnne gets to say that it was hashed out during the campaign, and nobody cared.

[Ruby the Liberal]

16. Les Moonves of CBS said it

That still gets my spine in a knot. Never heard of him before that made the headlines, but sure know who he is now.

[icymist]

11. I agree. Boo Fukin' Hoo about Trump.

What he did to this country is unforgivable!

[BigmanPigman]

23. A mental stability test wouldn't be a bad idea either.

[flibbitygiblets]

30. Yes, but that could be difficult. Most pol's are narcissistic, and most psychopaths

are extremely good at pretending to be caring human beings. I do agree there should be tests for signs of Alzheimer's and dementia (and perhaps mental disorders such as schizophrenia), etc.

However, the case of electing trump is simply one of not paying attention to his track record of racism, sexism, and generally screwing people over. Although it could also be argued that his "base" of deplorables elected him precisely because of the first two, not realizing they'd be victims of the third. I guess that's just karma.

[Cosmocat]

15. Somewhat agree, and I would just caution the fait accompli mentality

You are right, he has so many skeletons in the closet that he has been rich and mean enough to evade for decades. But, had he not crossed the line of actively working with Russia to get elected, good chance it never gets dealt with.

Also, his being held accountable if FAR from a sure thing.

First, Rs are partisan assholes, they will continue to protect him, especially the House. That does not even factor in the leadership in the party that is Russia dirty.

And, make no mistake. The moment they actually get to the point to put the squeeze on anyone who could implicate him, he will dole out pardon's like a local pizza place doling out dollar off coupons.

[jrthin]

18. He can pardon them for Federal crimes, NOT State crimes. nt

[onetexan]

19. was thinking the same, the blowback of his illegitimate presidency

in the end will leave him locked up, his assets confiscated, and his kids in legal trouble as well. Bad decision to be a traitor.

[Merlot]

4. I've been saying forget about the collusion, go for the business deals

Money laundering is where they'll get him. The collusion is to hard to prove and some (and by some I mean repubs) will say "it's just politics." Let them try and explain away money laundering.

[jmowreader]

6. It worked for Al Capone

[mwooldri]

22. And that's why Trump won't release his taxes.

Capone was jailed on income tax evasion.

[jmowreader]

25. I don't think that's why he won't release them

The people working for Trump are not stupid. They know THEY will be held personally responsible for any crimes they put into his tax returns.

There's no damn way Trump could do his own taxes - even if he had the brainpower to do them, which I doubt, he doesn't have the time. So...someone else is filling out Trump's tax returns. And they're almost certainly as honest as a tax return from a rich person could be.

Trump's big problem is his tax returns will describe the true nature and amount of his annual pay, and he doesn't want it to get out that he's living on royalties from the sale of his name, residuals from his television programs, and tax loss carryforward. His selling point is that he's the greatest businessman who ever lived; his tax returns would put the lie to that statement.

[guss]

7. fraud

Before the election ...Trump Settled with people Suing him for Fraud For Trump University
He accepted he is a fraud, continues to be a fraud...

[kimbutgar]

8. Make it so...... quickly

[Tactical Peek]

10. Faster is good.

[iluvtennis]

12. Yes, please!

[Judi Lynn]

13. Stay tuned, theres more coming: Ex-FBI agent says Mueller investigation is blowing up fast

David Ferguson DAVID FERGUSON
05 AUG 2017 AT 21:44 ET

CNN national security analyst and Associate Dean of Yale Law School and former FBI agent Asha Rangappa said on Saturday that the decision by Special Counsel Bob Mueller’s team to focus on President Donald Trump’s financial deals with Russia stretching back years does not bode well for the White House.

With regards to specific papers regarding the brief tenure of National Security Adviser Mike Flynn, Rangappa said, “They probably honed in on a crime or some set of crimes that they want to get more information on. They’re probably looking for any kind of communications” about possible payments to individuals associated with Flynn and his connections to Russians.

“The new grand jury is an indication that this is expanding,” she continued. “This is probably still in the early stages. It would be normal at this point to collect more evidence, so they want possibly financial records, they want people to come in and testify under oath to get more information and they’re going to use that to proceed. So this is going to be one stage of many as I explained to some people, if this were a TV drama, this might be Episode 4. So, stay tuned. There’s more coming.”

. . .

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/08/stay-tuned-theres-more-coming-ex-fbi-agent-says-mueller-investigation-is-blowing-up-fast/

[Juliusseizure]

14. Trump's red line is encouraging

Also his looking into self pardons. That's not pee pee tape. That red line not to cross was his Russian business transactions. Trump has been sued thousands of times. He knows business law. It was almost an admission he's committed them.

[Nitram]

17. Ha, ha! "encourage subjects of the investigation to cooperate"

Like get them over a barrel, threaten to put them behind bars for life if they don't start singing.

[noneof_theabove]

20. He does not know the laws

....His Lawyers Do !

Poor Baby Trumpie....
Let his alligator mouth overload his hummingbird ass.

He will look so much better in a matching orange jumpsuit than that stupid, too long red tie.

[bucolic_frolic]

21. And who is investigating the rigged election?

Anyone? I didn't think so.

The election was a fraud and every policy since is illegitimate and un-American

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

24. Start it with this, the rest will fall into place...

... eom.

[Warpy]

26. I don't care what he zeroes in on

as long as we get the whole rancid bunch of them out of our government forever.

[AJT]

27. Does that violate the agreed upon scope of the investigation?

[haele]

33. Links to the Russians involved with the hack of the DNC computers and/or the election ...

If the same Russian groups involved with the hack are also involved with financial crimes in, say - NY, NJ, VA, FL? - and those groups used money from those financial crimes to fund the hacks and interference with the election, than Drumpf's financial dealings with those groups in the commission of those financial crimes are fair game.
So long as the RICO statutes can also be applied to political influence, contracts, and elections it's within the scope of the investigation.

Haele

[AJT]

34. Thanks

[Tiggeroshii]

28. Hmmm

Can the President be prosecuted for crimes he commuted before he was President? Like could he be frogmarched for all the money laundering he probably did before he was even elected?

[J_William_Ryan]

29. No.

But he can be impeached, convicted by the Senate, and removed from office.

Once out of office he can be subject to prosecution.

The problem isn’t whether or not Trump can be prosecuted while in office, the problem is a Republican Congress that refuses to abide by Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution, as intended to do so by the Framers.

[red dog 1]

31. K&R

Trump is toast!

[haele]

32. Not only that, if these crimes get buried on the Federal Level, the States can go after him...

I'm sure there's no jurisdictional "ownership" of evidence of crime; if the Feds can't use it - because, maybe, a corrupt GOP ownership of Congress and the investigation shut down - the various States that might want to get at this corruption in their states should be able to use the same evidence that was found by the Feds...

Haele