Eli Lake, Bloomberg: The Shady Dirt Diggers at the Heart of the Trump-Russia Scandal
The Kremlin's drive to repeal sanctions against oligarchs is bigger than helping one U.S. presidential candidate.
As the Trump-Russia scandal reaches a tipping point, it's worth going back to the first big break in the story: the dossier. Back in January, when Buzzfeed first published an opposition research document on President Donald Trump's ties to Russia, it wasn't clear what to make of it.
Compiled by a former British spy, Christopher Steele, the research was unverified. But it was significant enough that the intelligence community included it in briefings held with both President Barack Obama and then-candidate Trump himself. Some of it seemed crazy, like the detail that Russians had video of Trump in a lewd sex party. Some of it seemed all-too-believable, such as the account of how the Kremlin assessed its election-influence operation over time.
Read more ....
WNU editor: Eli Lake is correct in his analysis that repealing the Magnitsky Act is infinitely more important to the Kremlin than who gets elected as US President .... a point that seems lost for many in Washington.
https://www.google.ca/amp/foreignpolicy.com/2017/07/12/doj-settled-massive-russian-fraud-case-involving-lawyer-who-met-with-trump-jr/amp/
ReplyDeleteSome Democrats care,
No Republicans seem to,
The Putin/Mob/siloviki $1.91 trillion dollar tax looting of the Russian Economy and State can't easily continue under the Mataginsky Act and the EU programs to adopt similar sanctions and reporting structures.
I have to admit WNU, you had this one pegged before the ink even dried.
ReplyDeletePerhaps
ReplyDeleteI wait conclusion of Mueller work rather than jumping to early conclusion
"The Obama administration made public a list of 18 individuals affected by the Act in April 2013"
ReplyDeleteSo if this is all about the Magintsky Act and the Maginstky act bans 18 individuals or a little more, it seems that the Russian power structure is weak or cannot take the slightest criticism.
Or both.
This really says a lot about Russia.
I have no illusion about the corruptness of American politicians. Many a congressmen goes to Washington with not much, but is worth 3 million or more at the end of it. If Russia passed its version of the Magintsky act would we notice? Would we care?
It was updated to increase the number to 24, and it effect's an illegal cash flow out of Russia of $240 million a year.
DeleteWorse yet, the EU is in the process of adopting similar sanctions and blocks, which puts the $3.26 trillion looted out of Russia and "stashed" abroad at risk.
https://newrepublic.com/article/143586/trumps-russian-laundromat-trump-tower-luxury-high-rises-dirty-money-international-crime-syndicate?utm_content=buffer976d1&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/07/russian-crown-prosecutor/533295/
Wow Fred,
ReplyDeleteThat Rapa Nui story you linked was very bad. VERY BAD!
Where's da boats!
That was her fall back story because she did not deliver on the damaging info on HR. It was part of the Putin disinformation campaign to tie Trump to Putin/Russia.
ReplyDeleteLMFAO,
Deletehttp://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/HeadlineHere.jpg
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ReplyDeleteDamn Jay,
ReplyDeleteYour side is a dollar short and a day late as usual.
Have you figured out there is only so much bandwidth (or oxygen)?
I have not seen Trump mess with the Maginstsky act.
He has taken step to extend the wall and that has the Left all in a lather and put away .
https://www.google.ca/amp/thehill.com/homenews/administration/338266-trump-administration-pushing-to-weaken-russia-sanctions-bill-report%3Famp
ReplyDeletehttps://45thpresidentoftheus.com
https://www.google.ca/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/27/vladimir-putin-to-speak-to-donald-trump-by-telephone-on-saturday
I think Vladimir likes the sanctions. Before the Ukrainian coup happened there was a nascent and growing opposition to Vladimir and his government. The twin stupidity on the part of the American government of supporting the coup and imposing sanctions on Russia drove the Russian people further into the arms of Vladimir and effectively cut the legs out from under the opposition. Perhaps Vladimir whispered in someone's ear "Sanctions."
ReplyDeletehttp://m.dw.com/en/economic-pain-bites-into-putins-popularity/a-19015842
DeleteYup, lots of Democrats are going to prison starting with Loretta Lynch. She is connected to the Russian lawyer.
ReplyDeleteSo keep pushing it, it is working out for the Republicans
Laughing my OSSOF!
LMFAO,
DeletePlease promise us that you'll go on a hunger strike until that happens,
LMFAO,
Bill Clinton, not under investigation,
Hillary Clinton, not under investigation,
Loretta Lynch, not under investigation,
Abedin, not under investigation
Pelosi, not under investigation,
Perez, not under investigation,
Podesta, not under investigation,
30,000 Russian/Trump/Assange/Wikileaks hacked Hillary e-mails, nothingburger found,
1 Donald Trump Jr. email,...........
LMFAO,
http://www.chicagonow.com/politics-now/2017/07/44-years-a-republican-1-year-an-independent-today-im-joining-the-democratic-party/
Jay,
ReplyDeleteEconomic pain may well hurt Putin's popularity. We should hope not to much as, if he does not gain reelection, his successor is likely to be even more anti-American than he is. Putin has held back in his responses to American/"western" stupidity.
His successor is much less likely to be so accomadating. I'd suggest lifting the sanctions YESTERDAY. When one is in a hole and America is in a pretty deep one, the best thing one can do is STOP DIGGING!!
LMFAO,
DeletePutin's still polling in the '80's, mostly because there isn't really anybody else, Putin has very effectively made, through a process of consolidation of power, and a FSB/ Russian Mob/ Ogliarch/ siloviki, a single party state.
Viable political opposition figures get arrested, show trialed, smeared, or conveniently fall out of windows.
Chamberlain signed the Munich Agreement to try to buy time for France and Britain to ramp up their Military ReArming programs to try to match the German Military power, Hitler had built in secret,
( also, because although Stalin had been begging for an alliance against Hitler and the Nazi's, Britain wasn't interested until they were alone and defeated)
Gotta love the American Putin Fanboy advocating pre-emptive surrender to tiny Russia, when it rank's 7th in PPP GDP and 2nd by a long shot in Military power, 11th if nukes are taken off the table.
LMFAO
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ReplyDeleteHillary Clinton was under investigation and the Rose Law firm records were requested. They were not found. After the investigation was over. They magically appeared.
ReplyDeleteHillary was under investigation for the email server. Then Comey magically cleared her. He was an investigator not a prosecutor. He was either confused or doing someone's bidding. It would be Loretta Lynch's job to clear Hillary.
All you are talking about is legalities. They have laws in Hell. So you talking about legality and who is under investigation and who is not means nothing. You certainly are not moral. Nor has the application of law in regards to the people you mention.
Laughing my OSSOF!
LMFAO,
DeleteUnder Rule of Law, all that matters is "legalities", not the fevered imaginations of Wingnut's, Faux News, Alex Jones,
30,000 nothingburger Clinton Email's,
1 DJT Jr. Email and the shit hit's the fan,
Gonna be hilarious when the rest of Team Trump's e-mails get looked at,
and the best part, is despite being told, time and time again that you were selling your Country out to Russia/Putin/The Russian Mob/FSB by voting for Trump, you gleefully did it.
LMFAO,
And the absolute best part of it, aside from stupid 'Murkin's doing to themselves,
Is they deliberately did it,
http://www.chicagonow.com/politics-now/2017/07/44-years-a-republican-1-year-an-independent-today-im-joining-the-democratic-party/
because they hate their fellow American's, more than they hate anybody or anything else in the world,
LMFAO
YUP, Russia IS SO POWERLESS.
ReplyDeleteThat is why Europe always says nixnay to any anti ballistic defense, since they are afraid of the Russians.
Dispatch International wrote about all the dossier the Danish secret intelligence they have on fellow travelers.
Those travelers are powerful enough to get those dossiers squelched. You really do not know how to measure power Jay.
LMFAO,
DeleteDid B. Poster hack Anzino Smith's account,
Or was it a 400lb guy in his momma's basement?
Or are all three, one and the same?
It would be irresponsible not to speculate!
LMFAO
Who's the Democratic party donor who payed the dossier... just asking because I can't figure this crap out..?
ReplyDeleteThe Steele Dossier was comissioned by the Mike Pence for President Campaign, they guy who's now Trump's Vice President.
Delete"Lost in the Democrats’ endorsements are the people who say Mr. Steele’s supposed chronicle of meetings and misdeeds is untrue. McClatchy News reported that the man Mr. Steele identified as spearheading part of the hacking operation was (and still is) in a Russia prison at the time with no access to the internet or a cellphone."
ReplyDelete"He defends himself by saying he was betrayed by his client and that he followed proper internal channels by giving the dossier to Sen. John McCain, Arizona Republican, to alert the U.S. government."
Mike Pence is not wealthy. He did not provide the funding.
Jay,
ReplyDeleteNukes cannot be "taken off the table." If Russia is second, then whose number one? China I suppose. With that said America might just "win" a war with Russia even with its worn down and broken conventional forces that could barely defend the American mainland much less trifle with a major world power.
As John Adams one of America's founding fathers pointed out long, long ago America should support liberty but ultimately can only be the guarantor of its own and she does NOT go through the earth looking for monsters to slay. (Paraphrase.)
He further elaborated in doing so that America should set a good example. America can't even get this part right now. The actions to undermine the current POTUS whether one likes him or not being undertaken by the democrats, the news media, and being assisted by a number of republicans are little different than an attempted coup against a duly elected president. The United States government has sanctioned and destroyed people and countries for doing much less than are currently doing. By this logic the United States government needs to depose itself and/or sanction itself!!
Maybe you need war with Russia for some reason. Americans don't and when the situation is properly explained Americans are even more opposed. Perpetual war against smaller countries has gotten us nothing but pain and suffering. War with Russia would be many magnitudes worse. Suggesting that perhaps we try a different approach does not make one a "Putin fanboy." Such things are basic commonsense nor does cooperation equal surrender.
Furthermore as a Canadian who will not bear the brunt of any Russian reprisals as America and Americans will, to be blunt, it is going to be much easier for you talk tough and strut around. YOU AND YOURS ARE NOT ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK!! AMERICANS ARE!!
If you need this war, go strap it on!! Ukraine and Poland are no doubt looking for some cannon fodder. Go join them and on you go to glory.