Trump fires FBI Director James Comey.

[Cotton]

He'll buy this bullshit about Hillary Clinton, but everything going on about Trump is made up lies.

Did I say everything about Trump is made up lies?

 

[BipolarFuk]

 

[L.T. Fan]

This is the thing that annoys me about conservatives. When it's information they don't like, it's "fake news." Libs don't do that. When they were coming after Bill Clinton, nobody said it was "fake." Once it was reported, people pretty much accepted it. They did say it was witch hunt. Which it was. The House impeached him for lying about getting a blowjob from a fat girl with a dash of sexual harassment. Good lord.

Now you have a guy with extensive ties to the Russians and it's all fake.

It's not fake. There is a ton of information to indicate something fishy is going on. If you watch literally any news source except Hannity or Carlson, it's clear there is blood in the water. Even the Fox News anchors are saying how serious this is. Trump is literally doing everything he can to look guilty. I get some of you voted for him, but sooner or later your going to have to have a little intellectual honesty.

But here's the dilemma. If there is a ton of information why hasn't anything been officially aired. There's a ton of allegations but to date no official word has been released by the people doing the investigation. There's a good reason for that. Either the records are being held pending an official disposition or there is nothing to officially release yet.

Of all the allegations made, I cannot recall one that has been officially stated with the exception of the Flynn matter and that was conclusive that he failed to report his affiliation of business with the Russians and he failed to register as an agent for business purposes. To my knowledge the matter of whether there was collusion in the election has not been determined or stated.

 

[L.T. Fan]

There are three seperate investigations going on presently. One by the House, one by the Senate and one by the FBI.
They all are investigating the same thing and none of them have released their findings.

All the information that has been reported and published has been media originated and politically charged individuals giving their opinions about what the media reported. Their sources have been deemed by some as leaks which some accept as either truth or fiction but the reality is it all unofficial conjecture until the investigative bodies release their findings.

 

[skidadl]

This is the thing that annoys me about conservatives. When it's information they don't like, it's "fake news." Libs don't do that. When they were coming after Bill Clinton, nobody said it was "fake." Once it was reported, people pretty much accepted it. They did say it was witch hunt. Which it was. The House impeached him for lying about getting a blowjob from a fat girl with a dash of sexual harassment. Good lord.

Now you have a guy with extensive ties to the Russians and it's all fake.

It's not fake. There is a ton of information to indicate something fishy is going on. If you watch literally any news source except Hannity or Carlson, it's clear there is blood in the water. Even the Fox News anchors are saying how serious this is. Trump is literally doing everything he can to look guilty. I get some of you voted for him, but sooner or later your going to have to have a little intellectual honesty.

What is it with you and making these leaps about where people stand on issues? I don't think you have a good grasp on my opinion about all of this.

 

[Smitty]

This is the thing that annoys me about conservatives. When it's information they don't like, it's "fake news." Libs don't do that. When they were coming after Bill Clinton, nobody said it was "fake."

Liberals dismissed the Clinton impeachment by calling it other things besides "fake," but it doesn't mean they weren't equally as dismissive to protect their own.

You are basically guilty of it yourself right here.

It wasn't a witch hunt once he committed a crime by perjuring himself. He was disbarred by the state of Arkansas for fucks sake. He did something very wrong that other people who aren't protected go to jail for. Lying under oath is actually criminal; it's at least equally as serious an offense as, say, accepting money or information from Russia to help win an election (no evidence anything was ever hacked or the results in any way actually manipulated). It's at least equally as serious as say, oh, to pick a charge at completely random..... Obstruction of Justice.

Are you gonna admit that?

Then get the eff outta here saying that it's conservatives. No, it's you, too.

The entire "Libs don't do that" line of reasoning you have demonstrates that you have a pretty warped view of how fucked up your own party is.

 

[lostxn]

Liberals dismissed the Clinton impeachment by calling it other things besides "fake," but it doesn't mean they weren't equally as dismissive to protect their own.

You are basically guilty of it yourself right here.

It wasn't a witch hunt once he committed a crime by perjuring himself. He was disbarred by the state of Arkansas for fucks sake. He did something very wrong that other people who aren't protected go to jail for. Lying under oath is actually criminal; it's at least equally as serious an offense as, say, accepting money or information from Russia to help win an election (no evidence anything was ever hacked or the results in any way actually manipulated). It's at least equally as serious as say, oh, to pick a charge at completely random..... Obstruction of Justice.

Are you gonna admit that?

Then get the eff outta here saying that it's conservatives. No, it's you, too.

The entire "Libs don't do that" line of reasoning you have demonstrates that you have a pretty warped view of how fucked up your own party is.

Ah, false equivalency. You're right lying about a blowjob is just as bad as (alleged) collusion with a foreign power to influence our "sacred" election. That is so fucking retarded that I'll let you reassess that stupidity. I think your better argument is that Clinton's shit is proven but Trump's is up in the air still.

By the way, I'm more of a Republican hater than a true Democrat. There are Reps I like. But overall, they are wrong on just so many issues that I care about. Healthcare, the environment, the failed drug war, minimum wage, campaign finance. The Reps are wrong on all these issues and the facts don't support their positions - IMHO. I would agree with them on fiscal responsibility but they haven't been fiscally responsible since before Reagan. Also, the last two Rep presidents have been utter disasters. This latest one is the shit storm to end all shit storms. But there are plenty of Dems that suck too (pretty much their entire leadership).

 

[lostxn]

What is it with you and making these leaps about where people stand on issues? I don't think you have a good grasp on my opinion about all of this.

I don't know what you think but this whole "media bias" and "fake news" horse-shit gets old. The media is incredibly important to our democracy. Bush and Obama both agree with that completely even though both had their issues. Most people don't pay attention to politics so the media is the only watchdog. If you want to call them alarmists that's fair but they're all out to get Pulitzers. They all want to be the next Woodward and Bernstein. They also need clicks and eyeballs to eat. So there's that.

But do I think the media is some great left wing conspiracy? No, that's silly.

 

[lostxn]

I love that guy. The liberal redneck. LOL.

 

[boozeman]

Dan Rather wrote a scathing post on Facebook regarding the current situation. If you call him a "fake news" monger, well then wear your tin foil hat proudly.

 

[L.T. Fan]

Dan Rather wrote a scathing post on Facebook regarding the current situation. If you call him a "fake news" monger, well then wear your tin foil hat proudly.

Okay. Then I will just compare him to the sky is falling bird.

 

[boozeman]

Okay. Then I will just compare him to the sky is falling bird.

Same thing. Stick with "fake news!". Much more hip and trendy.

 

[L.T. Fan]

Same thing. Stick with "fake news!". Much more hip and trendy.

Actually I'm sticking to the official investigation disclosure. The trendy "fake news" is geared to create angst and hysteria.

 

[2233boys]

We have very different political opinions but one thing you and I always agree on is this.

We agree a lot on taxes too.

I think we'd differ on who pays what, and things like the estate tax though.

 

[Smitty]

Ah, false equivalency. You're right lying about a blowjob is just as bad as (alleged) collusion with a foreign power to influence our "sacred" election.

Neither lying about a blowjob or "collusion" with a foreign power about anything are criminal acts. You are trying to cloud the issue by making it about the things that were being investigated.

But the underlying investigations were not what brought Nixon to resignation, not what brought Clinton to impeachment, and not what may bring Trump down. The criminal acts to cover up or thwart those investigations is what brought those men down (or might bring Trump down).

But yeah, I know, it's an old favorite for Libs to say "He lied about sex, so what lolz," but it's an ignorant position.

Perjury is a crime. Obstruction of Justice is a crime.

Those are the charges that one would have to be convicted of to be removed from office. Dismissing what Clinton did when he was under investigation but then raising pitchforks against Trump for a potential Obstruction of Justice charge is the height of hypocrisy.

....

By the way, see, this is my whole point.... Conservatives say the stuff about Trump is "fake." Libs don't do that, right? No... they just do what you are doing. Making more apologies and excuses for breaking the law.

You are equal.

That is so fucking retarded that I'll let you reassess that stupidity. I think your better argument is that Clinton's shit is proven but Trump's is up in the air still.

The only thing stupid here is you, apparently. I don't care if Trump is innocent of collusion. He's able to commit obstruction of justice without it, and if he did, he's just as guilty as Clinton. Which is to say.... guilty.

 

[Smitty]

I don't know what you think but this whole "media bias" and "fake news" horse-shit gets old. The media is incredibly important to our democracy. Bush and Obama both agree with that completely even though both had their issues. Most people don't pay attention to politics so the media is the only watchdog. If you want to call them alarmists that's fair but they're all out to get Pulitzers. They all want to be the next Woodward and Bernstein. They also need clicks and eyeballs to eat. So there's that.

But do I think the media is some great left wing conspiracy? No, that's silly.

I don't think they have, in the past, been actively colluding, if that's what you want to call conspiracy (I suspect it may be reaching that point with this administration, though I say that without evidence and wouldn't continue to assert it as a fact).

But if you think that they don't all act on their agendas and are by and large left-leaning, you are out of this world insane.

 

[townsend]

I don't think they have, in the past, been actively colluding, if that's what you want to call conspiracy (I suspect it may be reaching that point with this administration, though I say that without evidence and wouldn't continue to assert it as a fact).

But if you think that they don't all act on their agendas and are by and large left-leaning, you are out of this world insane.

I genuinely thought you were making a good point about Trump and Russia until I realized you were talking about teh unfair media.

 

[townsend]

Okay. Then I will just compare him to the sky is falling bird.

Did you forget chicken little's name?

 

[BipolarFuk]

Russia probe reaches current White House official, people familiar with the case say

Russia probe reaches current White House official, people familiar with the case say

The law enforcement investigation into possible coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign has identified a current White House official as a significant person of interest, showing that the probe is reaching into the highest levels of government, according to people familiar with the matter.

The senior White House adviser under scrutiny by investigators is someone close to the president, according to these people, who would not further identify the official.

The revelation comes as the investigation also appears to be entering a more overtly active phase, with investigators shifting from work that has remained largely hidden from the public to conducting interviews and using a grand jury to issue subpoenas. The intensity of the probe is expected to accelerate in the coming weeks, the people said.

The sources emphasized that investigators remain keenly interested in people who previously wielded influence in the Trump campaign and administration but are no longer part of it, including former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

Flynn resigned in February after disclosures that he had lied to administration officials about his contacts with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Current administration officials who have acknowledged contacts with Russian officials include Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, as well as Cabinet members Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

People familiar with the investigation said the intensifying effort does not mean criminal charges are near, or that any such charges will result. Earlier this week, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed former FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III to serve as special counsel and lead the investigation into Russian meddling.

It is unclear exactly how Mueller’s leadership will affect the direction of the probe, and he is already bringing in new people to work on the team. Those familiar with the case said its significance had increased before Mueller’s appointment.

While the case began quietly last July as an effort to determine whether any Trump associates coordinated with Russian operatives to meddle in the presidential election campaign, the investigative work now being done by the FBI also includes determining whether any financial crimes were committed by people close to the president. The people familiar with the matter said the probe has sharpened into something more fraught for the White House, the FBI and the Justice Department — particularly because of the public steps investigators know they now need to take, the people said.

When subpoenas are issued or interviews are requested, it is possible the people being asked to talk or provide documents will reveal publicly what they were asked about.

A small group of lawmakers known as the Gang of Eight were notified of the change in tempo and focus in the investigation at a classified briefing on Wednesday evening, the people familiar with the matter said. FBI Director James Comey had publicly confirmed the existence of the investigation in March.

Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said, “I can’t confirm or deny the existence or non-existence of investigations or targets of investigations.” An FBI spokesman declined to comment.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said, “as the president has stated before, a thorough investigation will confirm that there was no collusion between the campaign and any foreign entity.’’

While there has been a loud public debate in recent days over the question of whether the president might have attempted to obstruct justice in his private dealings with FBI Director James Comey, who Trump fired last week, people familiar with the matter said investigators on the case are more focused on Russian influence operations and possible financial crimes.

The FBI’s investigation seeks to determine whether and to what extent Trump associates were in contact with Kremlin operatives, what business dealings they might have had in Russia, and whether they in any way facilitated the hacking and publishing of Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta’s emails during the presidential campaign. Several congressional committees are also investigating, though their probes could not produce criminal charges.

A grand jury in Alexandria, Va. recently issued a subpoena for records related to Flynn’s business, The Flynn Intel Group, which had been paid more than $500,000 by a company owned by a Turkish American businessman close to top Turkish officials, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Flynn Intel Group was paid for research on Fethullah Gulen, a cleric who Turkey’s current president believes was responsible for a coup attempt last summer. Flynn retroactively registered with the Justice Department in March as a paid foreign agent for Turkish interests.

Separately from the probe now run by Mueller, Flynn is being investigated by the Pentagon’s top watchdog for his foreign payments. Flynn also received $45,000 to appear in 2015 with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a dinner for RT, a Kremlin-controlled media organization.

Flynn discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia with Russia’s ambassador to the United States during the month before President Trump took office, and he withheld that fact from even the Vice President. That prompted then Acting Attorney General Sally Yates to warn the White House’s top lawyer he might be susceptible to blackmail. Flynn stepped down after The Washington Post reported on the contents of the call.

The president has nonetheless seemed to defend his former adviser. A memo by fired FBI Director Comey alleged Trump even asked that the probe into Flynn be shut down.

The White House also has acknowledged that Kushner met with Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the U.S., in late November. Kushner also has acknowledged that he met with the head of a Russian development bank, Vnesheconombank, which has been under U.S. sanctions since July 2014. The president’s son in law initially omitted contacts with foreign leaders from a national security questionnaire, though his lawyer has said publicly he submitted the form prematurely and informed the FBI soon after he would provide an update.

Vnesheconombank handles development for the state, and in early 2015, a man purporting to be one of its New York-based employees was arrested and accused of being an unregistered spy.

That man – Evgeny Buryakov – ultimately pleaded guilty and was eventually deported. He had been in contact with former Trump adviser Carter Page, though Page has said he shared only “basic immaterial information and publicly available research documents” with the Russian. Page was the subject of a secret warrant last year issued by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, based on suspicions he might have been acting as an agent of the Russian government, according to people familiar with the matter. Page has denied any wrongdoing, and accused the government of violating his civil rights.

 

[L.T. Fan]

The law enforcement investigation into possible coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign has identified a current White House official as a significant person of interest, showing that the probe is reaching into the highest levels of government, according to people familiar with the matter.

The senior White House adviser under scrutiny by investigators is someone close to the president, according to these people, who would not further identify the official.

The revelation comes as the investigation also appears to be entering a more overtly active phase, with investigators shifting from work that has remained largely hidden from the public to conducting interviews and using a grand jury to issue subpoenas. The intensity of the probe is expected to accelerate in the coming weeks, the people said.

The sources emphasized that investigators remain keenly interested in people who previously wielded influence in the Trump campaign and administration but are no longer part of it, including former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

Flynn resigned in February after disclosures that he had lied to administration officials about his contacts with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Current administration officials who have acknowledged contacts with Russian officials include Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, as well as Cabinet members Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

People familiar with the investigation said the intensifying effort does not mean criminal charges are near, or that any such charges will result. Earlier this week, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed former FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III to serve as special counsel and lead the investigation into Russian meddling.

It is unclear exactly how Mueller’s leadership will affect the direction of the probe, and he is already bringing in new people to work on the team. Those familiar with the case said its significance had increased before Mueller’s appointment.

While the case began quietly last July as an effort to determine whether any Trump associates coordinated with Russian operatives to meddle in the presidential election campaign, the investigative work now being done by the FBI also includes determining whether any financial crimes were committed by people close to the president. The people familiar with the matter said the probe has sharpened into something more fraught for the White House, the FBI and the Justice Department — particularly because of the public steps investigators know they now need to take, the people said.

When subpoenas are issued or interviews are requested, it is possible the people being asked to talk or provide documents will reveal publicly what they were asked about.

A small group of lawmakers known as the Gang of Eight were notified of the change in tempo and focus in the investigation at a classified briefing on Wednesday evening, the people familiar with the matter said. FBI Director James Comey had publicly confirmed the existence of the investigation in March.

Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said, “I can’t confirm or deny the existence or non-existence of investigations or targets of investigations.” An FBI spokesman declined to comment.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said, “as the president has stated before, a thorough investigation will confirm that there was no collusion between the campaign and any foreign entity.’’

While there has been a loud public debate in recent days over the question of whether the president might have attempted to obstruct justice in his private dealings with FBI Director James Comey, who Trump fired last week, people familiar with the matter said investigators on the case are more focused on Russian influence operations and possible financial crimes.

The FBI’s investigation seeks to determine whether and to what extent Trump associates were in contact with Kremlin operatives, what business dealings they might have had in Russia, and whether they in any way facilitated the hacking and publishing of Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta’s emails during the presidential campaign. Several congressional committees are also investigating, though their probes could not produce criminal charges.

A grand jury in Alexandria, Va. recently issued a subpoena for records related to Flynn’s business, The Flynn Intel Group, which had been paid more than $500,000 by a company owned by a Turkish American businessman close to top Turkish officials, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Flynn Intel Group was paid for research on Fethullah Gulen, a cleric who Turkey’s current president believes was responsible for a coup attempt last summer. Flynn retroactively registered with the Justice Department in March as a paid foreign agent for Turkish interests.

Separately from the probe now run by Mueller, Flynn is being investigated by the Pentagon’s top watchdog for his foreign payments. Flynn also received $45,000 to appear in 2015 with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a dinner for RT, a Kremlin-controlled media organization.

Flynn discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia with Russia’s ambassador to the United States during the month before President Trump took office, and he withheld that fact from even the Vice President. That prompted then Acting Attorney General Sally Yates to warn the White House’s top lawyer he might be susceptible to blackmail. Flynn stepped down after The Washington Post reported on the contents of the call.

The president has nonetheless seemed to defend his former adviser. A memo by fired FBI Director Comey alleged Trump even asked that the probe into Flynn be shut down.

The White House also has acknowledged that Kushner met with Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the U.S., in late November. Kushner also has acknowledged that he met with the head of a Russian development bank, Vnesheconombank, which has been under U.S. sanctions since July 2014. The president’s son in law initially omitted contacts with foreign leaders from a national security questionnaire, though his lawyer has said publicly he submitted the form prematurely and informed the FBI soon after he would provide an update.

Vnesheconombank handles development for the state, and in early 2015, a man purporting to be one of its New York-based employees was arrested and accused of being an unregistered spy.

That man – Evgeny Buryakov – ultimately pleaded guilty and was eventually deported. He had been in contact with former Trump adviser Carter Page, though Page has said he shared only “basic immaterial information and publicly available research documents” with the Russian. Page was the subject of a secret warrant last year issued by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, based on suspicions he might have been acting as an agent of the Russian government, according to people familiar with the matter. Page has denied any wrongdoing, and accused the government of violating his civil rights.

For all the words in this article, I really says nothing.