Former Trump adviser (Caputo) says he does not plan to cooperate with House Judiciary inquiry

[UpInArms]

Source: Washington Post

A former campaign aide for President Trump, one of 81 people to receive a request for documents this week from the House Judiciary Committee, has already informed the committee that he has no records responsive to their inquiries and he does not plan to testify in front of the panel.

The letter from an attorney for Michael Caputo, who worked for Trump during part of the 2016 campaign, represents the first skirmish in what is likely to be broad resistance from Trump aides and associates to new inquiries issued this week by the Judiciary Committee.

Caputo told The Washington Post that he has already begun coordinating with four other Trump associates who received requests from the committee this week to begin a joint strategy of resisting requests for testimony.

“All four are reluctant to appear because they believe it’s a perjury trap designed to move toward impeachment of the president,” he said.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/politics/former-trump-adviser-says-he-does-not-plan-to-cooperate-with-house-judiciary-inquiry/2019/03/05/27ffd1e6-3f96-11e9-9361-301ffb5bd5e6_story.html

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No trap if no one lies ...

[pnwmom]

1. I read somewhere that only records that had already been produced for Mueller were requested,

so they couldn't argue they didn't have them.

[onetexan]

8. Yep, good luck to those fools to try not complying

Dems can issue subpoenas for the documents. If they defy they will be held in contempt of Congress, a federal misdeneanor which carries potential for fines and jail time

[msongs]

2. amazing how people who lie think investigations are perjury traps just to get THEM lol nt

[SergeStorms]

17. They're playing 'follow the leader'.

Trump complained about "perjury traps" so they think that's a viable defense against the prying eyes of the investigators. Apparently they don't realize that they're not afforded the same "executive privilege" as the orange madman who's squatting in our Oval Office.

[emulatorloo]

26. It is easy to avoid a 'perjury trap'. Just tell the truth. That never occurs to them

Honestly I am shocked that Manafort Flynn et al thought they could lie to the FBI and outsmart them. How stupid do you have to be.

[SergeStorms]

29. As stupid as Trump I guess.

Intelligence never was, and never will be, an imperative for a position in the Trump mal-administration.

[enough]

3. Coordinating with four other Trump associates? Isn't there a word for that? nt

[The Wielding Truth]

5. Obstruction of Justice and coordination to obstruct seems like RICO offense to me!

[onenote]

12. I'm guessing you're not a lawyer

Absent a court order, witnesses in criminal case are not barred from talking to each other. And this isn't a criminal trial, its a Congressional investigation. Nothing prevents those receiving subpoenas from fighting the subpoena and/or discussing strategy with respect to the subpoenas with others.

[watoos]

13. Then they all can pay a fine and go to jail together.

[The Wielding Truth]

14. What about being coached or pressured to misslead or lie during a testimony?

[onenote]

20. Of course one can't encourage or coach a witness to lie or mislead

But its very hard to prove and cannot be presumed simply by the fact witnesses and/or their lawyers have discussed a case.

[The Wielding Truth]

24. Did you mean to say this? "can't"

[onenote]

25. Yes. It is unethical to coach a witness to lie or mislead.

[The Wielding Truth]

28. Using the word, unethical, is like placing a kitten in a swamp of hungry alligators when speaking

of Trump and his cohorts.

So, I would say that this group can coach and lie and mislead and has most probably done so.

My question now is," How does someone who knows the law stop this unethical behavior?"

[DonaldsRump]

4. Good, you fool. You'll be going to prison n/t

If you're compelled testify before Congress, you testify or take the Fifth (which your people equated with guilt).

Otherwise, as Monopoly notes, "Go to Jail...Go Directly to Jail..."

[FiveGoodMen]

23. Let's HOPE they go to jail

Nothing's happened to Stone yet.

There may never be any justice.

[TwilightZone]

6. It's not a perjury trap if you don't commit perjury.

This isn't complicated.

[PatSeg]

11. Yeah, but those mean old Democrats

are going to force him to lie using their evil liberal powers.

[Eliot Rosewater]

7. If someone working for HIllary or Barack refused, America would come to a screeching halt

[Renew Deal]

9. Sounds like they think Trump will get impeached if they tell the truth

[Shrike47]

10. Subpoena him. If he takes the 5th, investigate him for the crime he is hiding.

[Linda Ed]

15. Caputo said.

Caputo said. “It was an awful experience...once you get into that room, it’s fraught with peril.”

Dear Mr. caputo:
It is only fraught with peril if you or others you are involved with have done something wrong and then you lie about it.

Caputo lived in Russia for two decades but says he has no knowledge of any connections or contacts between the Trump campaign and agents of Moscow. He has launched a legal defense fund, collecting more than $10,000 from the public so far.

Caputo amends testimony to say a Russian offered dirt on Clinton
Caputo now wants the committee to know that in May 2016 he helped connect a Russian who was offering "dirt" on Hillary Clinton with Roger Stone, a friend who, like Caputo, was helping Donald Trump's campaign.
https://buffalonews.com/2018/06/17/caputo-amends-testimony-to-say-a-russian-offered-dirt-on-clinton/

Caputo is right up there with Roger Stone...Bet he will have to testify at his trial..The various ships and the rats that are leaving - burn it all down! Russia is corrupt. Trump is corrupt. You choose the company you keep.

[Judi Lynn]

16. All the best people, right. Is there no end to these slugs?

Michael Caputo, looks as if he has the world by the ass, doesn't he? Hoping he has a big surprise ahead.

[SergeStorms]

18. The Trump administration...

is going to set a record for indicted and convicted personnel that will never be broken. No other future administration will ever come close to the lawlessness of the Trump Crime Family. For that matter, no organized crime family will probably come close either, past, present, or future. These crooked bastards are in a league of their own.

[Vinca]

19. Subpoenas will soon be flying out the door.

Caputo's a jerk who doesn't want to pay the price (lawyer fees) for loving the Criminal-In-Chief.

[Power 2 the People]

21. Typical Republican bully. Big talker tough guy until he's confronted. Now cowers in a corner.

[Danascot]

22. The committees need to come down especially hard on these initial refuseniks

Earlier in my career I acted as an owner's rep overseeing contractors in building projects. Early on I would go out of my way to look for something to make an issue of and make a total asshole of myself over it. That would get settled and from then on the job usually went smoothly and the contractors would be less likely to try to pull anything.

I think grade school teachers sometimes do something similar at the beginning of the term.

I think the same principle could be applied to the committees and their subpoenas. If the subpoena targets resist, the committee needs to initiate contempt of congress proceedings and threaten significant fines or jail time, and follow through quickly. If there are no consequences for ignoring subpoenas, many more will be encouraged to resist.

[Midnightwalk]

27. Pertinent questions aren't a perjury trap

I’m not a lawyer but my understanding is that a perjury trap is a question that is asked only in the hope that the answer will be a lie.

Questions that are relevant don’t qualify.

Either way you can avoid perjury by not lying. This crowd is probably not capable if that.