emptywheel

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April 21, 2018

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Symbolic workers in the entertainment field do a great job of reproducing the class structure and cheerleading for capitalism.

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Culture, Department of Justice, Guns

National School Walkout and LEO on Alert: Coincidence?

18 Comments

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April 20, 2018

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Rayne

Memorial walkouts for Columbine mass shooting victims will take place today, part of a national school walkout. Is it coincidence LEO were on alert this week about protests?

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2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe

On the Comey Memos

181 Comments

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April 20, 2018

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emptywheel

As you read this thread, remember that whoever leaked the Comey memos is also likely to be one of the people who is calling for Andrew McCabe to be prosecuted for leaking to the media. January 6, 2017: Trump doesn't deny the golden showers,…

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2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe

The Andrew McCabe Referral Is Unsurprising -- and Probably Justified

52 Comments

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April 19, 2018

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emptywheel

I think the evidence against Andy McCabe is damning. And the criminal referral is probably necessary.

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2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe

The Fire Rosenstein Squad among Trump's Buddies

74 Comments

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April 18, 2018

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emptywheel

In an apparent attempt to pressure Trump to fire Rod Rosenstein, his buddy Jay Goldberg appears to have created new legal exposures for the president.

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2016 Presidential Election, Financial Fraud, Mueller Probe

The Trump Organization Really Doesn't Want FBI to Have the Michael Cohen Files

117 Comments

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April 17, 2018

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emptywheel

The Trump Organization seems really concerned that the FBI not access materials pertaining to the company. But thus far, they haven't made their own claim of privilege, independent of one tied to Donald Trump.

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2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe, WikiLeaks

It's Not Hannity's Pee Tape that Matters

114 Comments

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April 17, 2018

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emptywheel

I'm not so much interested in whether Michael Cohen's claim that Sean Hannity is a client means he has a pee tape. Rather, I'm interested in whether he's trying to protect conversations about pushing back on the Russia story with his claim of privilege.

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2016 Presidential Election, emptywheel, Financial Fraud, Mueller Probe

SDNY Will Be Forced to Talk about Crimes Involving the President Today

147 Comments

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April 16, 2018

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emptywheel

In both Michael Cohen and Donald Trump's demands that they get to treat the materials seized from Cohen last week as if responding to a subpoena, they ignore SDNY's insinuation that the many of materials have no attorney-client privilege because of the crime fraud exception. I expect SDNY to explain why they believe they do this afternoon.

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2016 Presidential Election, emptywheel, Financial Fraud, Mueller Probe

SDNY Doesn't Think Michael Cohen Is Much of a Lawyer

84 Comments

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April 15, 2018

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emptywheel

In their brief arguing that a taint team should be sufficient for protecting Michael Cohen's attorney client privilege, SDNY makes it clear they don't think he's much of a lawyer.

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2016 Presidential Election, Financial Fraud, Mueller Probe

Earlier in the Week, Trump May Have Looked Presidential; on Friday, He Looked Like a Criminal Suspect

48 Comments

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April 15, 2018

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emptywheel

Sarah Huckabee Sanders tweeted out this image last night, stating, Last night the President put our adversaries on notice: when he draws a red line he enforces it. (Inside the Situation Room as President is briefed on Syria - Official WH…

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2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe

Michael Cohen's Claim the Steele Dossier Is False Is Not Affirmed in His Lawyer's Declaration

41 Comments

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April 14, 2018

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emptywheel

In his effort to let his lawyers review the materials the government seized for attorney client privilege, Michael Cohen claims the Steele dossier has been debunked. But his lawyers were unwilling to swear to that.

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2016 Presidential Election, Cybersecurity, emptywheel, Mueller Probe

How Yevgeniy Nikulin Might Play into the Mueller Investigation

57 Comments

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April 14, 2018

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emptywheel

Yevgeniy Nikulin, the Russian hacker who was recently extradited and is already discussing a plea deal with the government, may provide a counter-explanation for the DNC hack-and-leak.

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CIA Leak Case

Patrick Fitzgerald Rebuts Judy Miller in Statement on Libby Pardon

83 Comments

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April 13, 2018

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emptywheel

Update: I've got an op-ed in the NYT on the pardon this morning. It starts and ends this way: “There is a cloud over the White House as to what happened. Don’t you think the F.B.I., the grand jury, the American people are entitled to…

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2016 Presidential Election, CIA Leak Case, Mueller Probe

The Libby Pardon: Trump's Object Lesson in Presidential Firewalls

184 Comments

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April 12, 2018

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emptywheel

By the time we wake up, Rod Rosenstein may be fired and Scooter Libby pardoned. Here's why I don't think that will fix Trump's problems.

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2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe

Mueller Will Label Dangling Pardons as Obstruction of Justice Just as He Drops More Conspiracy Charges

51 Comments

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April 12, 2018

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emptywheel

Around the same time Mueller will be rolling out conspiracy charges against Trump's spawn, he'll also release a report making it clear that offer of pardons to protect himself amounts to obstruction of justice.

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2016 Presidential Election, emptywheel, Mueller Probe

The Access Hollywood Search Doesn't Mean Trump Coordinated with Assange

84 Comments

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April 12, 2018

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emptywheel

It's certainly possible that SDNY's raid of Michael Cohen's office for information on Trump's discussions about the Access Hollywood video suggests the campaign coordinated with Wikileaks on the Podesta email release. But we don't yet have evidence for that and there are plenty of other more logical explanations.

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2016 Presidential Election, Culture, Mueller Probe

Open Thread: Oddments Olio

58 Comments

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April 12, 2018

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Rayne

Dog's breakfast, hodgepodge, pastiche, olio — some Cohen, some Facebook, some media bias, more — this is a catch-all post with an open thread. Bring it!

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2016 Presidential Election, Mueller Probe

Bannon Aims to Best Jared Kushner's Biggest Mistake in Modern Political History

88 Comments

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April 11, 2018

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emptywheel

In September, Steve Bannon said firing Comey was the dumbest decision in modern political history. Now, as the investigation implicates matters he was known to be involved in, Bannon wants to one-up Jared by firing Rod Rosenstein.

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