Thursday, August 2nd
THE RUSSIAN INVESTIGATION
The Manafort Trial: Day 3
- “The Manafort Trial Is Spinning Him into a Frenzy”: Inside the White House, Trump Is Going Crazy—Threatening to Fire Rosenstein and Talking About a Timeline to End the Mueller Probe
- Do We Remember That Manafort Picked Pence?
- Manafort’s bookkeeper: ‘He approved every penny’
- Mueller’s team clears up confusion: They intend to have Rick Gates testify against Paul Manafort
- Paul Manafort = Evidence of Collusion | Just Security
- Bookkeeper says Gates asked her to falsely add 1.6M to financial statements
- Day 3
The third day of the Manafort trial started with more vendors talking about Paul Manafort’s lavish expenses and unusual methods of payment. They all also included each of them being shown a fake invoice from their company. What that’s establishing yet is unknown, but it’s building to something. My guess is that it will establish a pattern of falsified business statements to cover the source of payments and to make it look like Manafort’s money comes from somewhere other than offshore. Or, it could be part of his money laundering attempts. If he used the fake invoices to justify moving money from one account to another, that could show that he deliberately falsified business records to pay less money on taxes.
After a while, his bookkeeper Heather Washkuhn took the stand for two hours and discussed how she worked for Paul, how he was in charge of how every penny was spent, and how Rick Gates worked with him, but Paul ultimately made the decisions. She also testified that she had no knowledge of the offshore bank accounts that Paul used for purchases.
The day ended with Philip Ayliff, Manafort’s tax accountant , taking the stand. He discussed the details of their working relationship in which Gates was his right hand man, but didn’t hide anything from him as Paul made the decisions. He’ll take the stand Friday morning and go over the tax forms.
- Judge rejects latest bid to invalidate Mueller probe
- Aide to Trump-confidant Roger Stone ordered to appear before Mueller grand jury
A former aide to longtime President Trump confidant Roger Stone must testify before the special counsel’s grand jury, a federal judge in Washington ruled Thursday.
The judge rejected a challenge from Andrew Miller, a former assistant to Stone who tried to block subpoenas from special counsel Robert S. Mueller III in his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
The redacted opinion from U.S. District Chief Judge Beryl Howell affirming the legal legitimacy of the special counsel’s appointment does not identify Miller by name, but his attorney confirmed that the ruling is in response to Miller’s request.
Howell’s ruling orders Miller to “appear before the grand jury to provide testimony at the earliest date available” and to provide subpoenaed records.
“We’re disappointed with the court’s ruling,” Miller’s attorney, Paul Kamenar, said in an interview. “But the judge obviously took our challenge to Mueller’s constitutionality seriously, as evidenced by the 93-page opinion.”
- Caroline Orr: Special counsel Mueller has requested to interview Russian pop star Emin Agalarov
- Mueller wants to interview Russian pop star Emin Agalarov, lawyer says
- Tangling with Mueller, Giuliani may have to face his past words
- Top Dems: Trump tweet telling Sessions to end Mueller probe was obstruction of justice
- Trump Will Have to Speak With Special Counsel Mueller’s Team In Person, Not Only Submit Written Answers
- Suspected Russian spy found working at US embassy in Moscow
COHEN
- Dr. Dena Grayson: Franklin Haney paid Michael Cohen $10 Million to help secure $5 Billion loan for nuclear plant
- Top Trump Donor Agreed to Pay Michael Cohen $10 Million for Nuclear Project Push, Sources Say
- Top Trump Donor Paid Michael Cohen to Score Him a $5 Billion Federal Loan
I’m noticing a pattern with Michael Cohen in the news. Something happens for a few days, then he disappears for a day or two. After he disappears, he comes back with a vengeance, like a neglectful parent trying to make up for missing his little girl’s soccer game by taking her on a shopping trip to the Disney Store, or to the stables to rent a pony.
Today’s attempt at making up for not being in the news yesterday is him accepting a bribe to help get a $5 billion loan secured to build a nuclear plant in Alabama.
I should be pissed about the audacity of this move, but I’m honestly impressed. $10 million as a finders fee for a $5 billion loan is a pretty small return on investment. That’s like paying $1,000 to get a $500,000 mortgage. People would kill for that kind of closing costs.
They’re all criminal shits, but I’ve got to give credit where credit is due.
TRUMP THE RUSSIAN ASSET
- Trump slams ‘Russian hoax’ hours after administration says Russia is meddling in midterms
- US officials raise alarm about 2018, 2020 election security
I’d like to say I’m surprised by Trump bitching about the “hoax” of Russian interference just a couple hours after his OWN FUCKING STAFF SAID IT’S HAPPENING, but I can’t. Now, it’s almost like a game. How many hours after his staff does something until he counters it? Remember how he said he agreed with the Intelligence Community’s assessment on Russia only to say he didn’t less than 24 hours later? (Daily Check-In 07/17/2018Daily Check-In 07/18/2018)
This is the battle I’ve been waiting for. Who will the rank and file Republicans back? Will they side with the donors that bankroll their entire campaign, or with the demagogue who’s voting base could make or break their chances at reelection?
One advantage of Trump being as big of a narcissist as he is: he’s too self-absorbed to realize that he can’t out think the best lawyers in the world. He also thinks he’s smarter than everyone telling him it’s a bad idea, and is driven completely by ego.
Tell him that Obama didn’t have the guts to sit down with Mueller. Trump will schedule the interview right after Fox & Friends.
- Trump’s meeting with Putin is apparently a big secret even to U.S. intelligence
- This Is ‘Not Fine’: New Evidence Of Russian Interference Meets Inaction, Frustration
- The Russian mob first ‘made its move’ on Trump when he was hemorrhaging money in 2002: Documentary filmmaker
- During unhinged speech, Trump suggests he may still lock up Hillary and mimics MS-13 stabbings
TRAITOR TOTS
- U.S. senator Paul to meet Russian lawmakers in Moscow on Aug. 6: agencies
- Riotwomennn: Kentucky citizens & news reporters have you asked Rand Paul why he is reporting for Kremlin duty on Monday?
- Bribery Trial Reveals Jeff Sessions’ Role in Blocking EPA Action Targeting One of His Biggest Donors
- Hatch claims Republicans didn’t block Democratic Supreme Court nominees
Two words. Merrick Fucking Garland.
- Fresh evidence suggests Ted Cruz could lose his re-election race
- Conspiracy theories are for losers. QAnon is no exception.
- Hate spreads in Trump’s America: “We need to root out white supremacy just like the cancer it is”
- Ivanka Trump’s ‘good cop’ routine is a sham
- Pence said a Kansas county shut down its election system after malware attack. But it didn’t.
FIGHTING BACK
- Daily White House protests against Trump enter third week
- Protestor Interrupts Trump at Pennsylvania Rally
- Amazon Removes Products Featuring Nazi Symbols
- Bypassing Democratic Party, Billionaire Tom Steyer Pours $110 Million into Impeach Trump and Get-Out-the-Vote Organizing
- Tom Steyer on Impeachment: “Once you don’t speak up against lawlessness, lawlessness is permitted.”
- CREW Files Hatch Act Complaints Against 10 Trump Administration Officials – CREW
- Father dying of ALS buys $100K ad to help Democrat in Ohio midterm
- Four cities sue Trump saying ObamaCare ‘sabotage’ violates Constitution
- Trump critics aren’t deranged, they’re justifiably enraged
- Trump trolled by Vermont’s secretary of state over groceries blunder: “We’re strongly opposed to shopper ID laws”
- Trump’s undermining of Obamacare violates the Constitution, new lawsuit charges
- Women are planning to vote for Democrats in higher numbers than past midterms
- Bill Browder on Preet Bharara’s “Stay Tuned”
- Spotify takes down Alex Jones podcasts citing ‘hate content’
IMMIGRATION
- Underage Girl Allegedly Molested at Immigration Detention Facility Visited by Melania Trump | pluralist
- Pace: Director of Concentration camp in Phoenix charged with sexual abuse of minor girl.
- Worker Charged With Sexually Molesting Eight Children at Immigrant Shelter
COLD WAR 2.0
- A Federal Protective Service major general allegedly tried to embezzle money from a project to remodel one of Putin’s presidential homes — Meduza
- Kim Jong Un sent Trump a “nice letter” — so Trump is ignoring North Korea’s new ICBMS
- The European populists monitoring ‘sham’ elections – BBC News
- Piotr Zalewski: “Turkish opposition party calls on the Erdogan government to seize Trump Towers (in Istanbul) in retaliation for sanctions against two cabinet ministers”
- ‘Putin’s private army’: Murdered journalists were investigating ‘mercenaries’
- Dow drops 200 points after Trump threatens China with bigger tariffs
#NEVERAGAIN
- Teen anti-gun activism is killing the profitability of NRA TV
- In Court Papers, NRA Stresses Financial Pressures and Says It May Have to Shut Down NRATV
THE PROPAGANDA MACHINE
- Sarah Sanders refuses say press is not ‘enemy of the people’ at White House briefing
- Sarah Sanders refuses to say press is not ‘enemy of the people’
- White House Reporters Should Boycott Sarah Sanders’ Press Briefings
- Alt Scales Of Justice: Nothing but disgust for SHS
- CNN’s Jim Acosta calls Fox News’ Sean Hannity ‘propagandist
- Avenatti Gets Into It With Hannity: ‘Let’s Go Big Boy’
- Facebook Is The World’s Biggest Right-Wing Media Company | Crooked Media
- No, U.S. Steel is not opening six new mills as Donald Trump said
ENVIRONMENT
- Trump’s EPA formally launches attack on California’s fuel-economy rules; Gov. Brown vows to fight
- Bribery Trial Reveals Jeff Sessions’ Role in Blocking EPA Action Targeting One of His Biggest Donors
- Trump administration to freeze fuel efficiency requirements
WHITE HOUSE CHAOS
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
Harvey Weinstein‘s lawyer plans to ask a New York judge to toss the sprawling sex assault case against him on the grounds an accuser supposedly sent the disgraced movie mogul “exculpatory” emails, new court filings reveal.
The revelation came Wednesday in Delaware bankruptcy court filings involving Weinstein’s former movie company.
The lawyers representing Weinstein in the bankruptcy matter are asking a judge to let his criminal defense team file emails revealed in the company’s Chapter 11 case as exhibits in defense motions that are due Friday.
The emails are now under wraps because of a protective order.
- Former Department of Juvenile Justice Lieutenant Sentenced on Civil Rights Charges | USAO-SC | Department of Justice
- Fort Worth Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for His Role in Sex Trafficking of Children | USAO-NDTX | Department of Justice
- Texas Man Sentenced to 10 Months for Making Interstate Threats | USAO-ME | Department of Justice
- Gay couple denied a marriage license by local county clerk in New York
- Rose Family Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit In Federal Court
- Bribery Trial Reveals Jeff Sessions’ Role in Blocking EPA Action Targeting One of His Biggest Donors
- Pope changes Catholic Church teaching to say death penalty ‘inadmissible’
- Pope formally changes the church’s stance on death penalty, saying ‘attack’ on human dignity is always wrong
ELECTION 2018
- 411MANIA | Glen ‘Kane’ Jacobs The Favorite To Win Thursday Mayoral Race
- Fresh evidence suggests Ted Cruz could lose his re-election race
- In Violation of Texas Law, Most High Schools Aren’t Giving Students the Chance to Register to Vote
- US officials raise alarm about 2018, 2020 election security
- Washington Republicans rattled by Koch shift from Trump
- Women are planning to vote for Democrats in higher numbers than past midterms
- Trump administration stresses its focus on election security amid criticism
PROGRESS IS PROGRESS
- Millennials are sick of the BS in Harrisburg — so they’re running for office
- A sold-out house for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in San Francisco proves she’s touched a national nerve
- What You Need To Know About The Democratic Socialists Of America : NPR
WOOPSIE
- Apple becomes the first $1 trillion company in history
- Apple mistakenly labels itself first trillion-dollar company
RUMOR MILL
After having been in and around U.S. politics now for 25+ years and attended 100s of rallies, what we are seeing now is faked. Fake outrage against media. Faked attendance # + always the same level of anger towards media no matter what city. #Followthemoneyto craigslist ads.
Search “crowd fillers needed’ on Craigslist and google. Tie those ad dates to a week or so ahead of rallies… bang. There it is. Probably in plain sight. Djt rallies being propped up by paid actors being told to scream at media. Not all actors and actresses are beautiful ppl.
some examples already: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-breaking/2017/08/20/questionable-craigslist-ad-offers-pay-actors-donald-trump-supporters-phoenix-rally/584350001/ …+ https://1075theriver.iheart.com/featured/producer-zac/content/2018-05-30-president-trumps-nashville-rally-allegedly-hired-seat-fillers-for-100/ …+http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ad-actors-trump-rally-briefly-emerges-craigslist-article-1.3436041 …+this explainer: https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/07/crowd-hiring-politics-campaign-2016/399002/ …+ more explainer: https://www.cheatsheet.com/money-career/how-much-does-trump-pay-people-to-cheer-at-his-rallies.html/ …+ this points our journos sort of know:
I would add, listings for such things would be spread out through multiple terms, and places, like gigs, crowd, rally, extras needed, actors + actresses needed etc… it won’t be obvious like “Donald Trump wants to pay you to support him at a Rally.” Will be more surreptitious
Lastly on this. I am speaking as former advance aide to a President + Vice President. I personally organized dozens of rallies. We controlled image, crowd, backdrops, cutaway shots. We controlled as much as we could. Paying for crowd fillers known campaign trick, on steroids now.
PS – There are also organized companies that do this, may not use craigslist but own mailing lists. For example: https://crowdsondemand.com/ + http://www.crowdsforrent.com/services.html obvious for some investigative reporter to start asking how much these cos get from Trump/Affiliated money groups?
This doesn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone who has ever done media work or been around a campaign. Everything is planned from the tiniest detail. All of the crowd fillers, the signs, the banners, the questions, the people asking the questions, and the cute little photo ops are all screened and planned ahead of time.
This is a great thing to remember when we look back and see that Maria Butina asked Donald Trump a question about Russian sanctions at a campaign rally in July 2015. (Daily Check-In 03/09/2018)
- Spicy Mic: Follow the Money
- Lincoln’s Bible: Start asking “Why” about Paul Ryan
- Riotwomennn: Kentucky citizens & news reporters have you asked Rand Paul why he is reporting for Kremlin duty on Monday?
- Tea Pain: Brace for “rigged election” tweets on the run-up to November.
- Tea Pain: Trump and Manafort have been in communication
- Pace: In weird news, @GOP issued a memo telling people to stop working with the Koch Brothers.
That’s it for Thursday. The trial continues on Friday, as the accountant will likely talk about how he didn’t know about Manafort’s offshore accounts. Also, it looks like Maria Butina would brag about being a spy when drunk.
This is how I know this is real life. If someone were making a movie about this and said that one of the villains would get shitfaced at a party and brag about their illegal deeds, it would get thrown out for being too ridiculous.
Truth is stranger than fiction because fiction has to make sense.
Thank you, and have a good one.
“Without Journalists, it’s just propaganda.”
– Katy Tur
None of this is Normal 
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