[Trumpistas were keenly hoping that things would gradually just evaporate with time. They were busy, till the other day, screamimg mad: Sab Jhut Hai (Everything is false)! Like the mentally deranged Meher Ali in Tagore's 'Kshudhita Pashan' (The Hungry Stones).
In the event, just the opposite is happening. The changed, and harsher, reality has started dawning even on them. And, is reflected in their visibly frustrated outbursts.] I/III. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40560803 Four explosive lines in Trump Jr emails Anthony Zurcher North America reporter 11 July 2017 Donald Trump Jr and Jared KushnerImage copyrightGETTY IMAGES Image caption Donald Trump Jr and Jared Kushner at an inauguration ball The word "explosive" doesn't do justice to the details of the emails Donald Trump Jr tweeted out on Tuesday morning. Calamitous, perhaps? Seismic? Twitterdammerung? The president's eldest son probably revealed this correspondence because the New York Times was about to publish it, a fourth devastating journalistic wave that was poised to crash on the White House at any moment. If that's the case Trump Jr's act, while committed in the name of being "totally transparent", was akin to shooting oneself in the head to avoid getting shot. He certainly didn't do it to save his own skin. Here are four of the most remarkable passages of the email chain that will live in infamy - and what it all means. "This is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government's support for Mr Trump" Trump Jr originally tweeted out the first three pages, leaving out page four, which has all the juiciest bits. It was like Beethoven's Ninth Symphony without Ode to Joy or the 1812 Overture without the cannons. The above line is clearly the highlight of the page. Rob Goldstone, the music publicist turned international man of mystery, is straight-up telling the presidential son that Russia wants to help his dad. In the prior paragraph, he details exactly what he says is being offered - "official documents and information" about Democrat Hillary Clinton. Several lines later he floats the possibility of sending the incriminating material to Donald Trump the Elder, via his personal assistant, Rhona. (Rhona should probably get her own lawyer, by the way.) Trump Jr's email chain: Full text Why is this British guy emailing Donald Trump Jr? "If it's what you say I love it especially later in the summer" Setting aside the glaring lack of punctuation, this line in Trump Jr's response to Goldstone's email shows he knows exactly what he's getting himself into. He's practically drooling at the possibility of being handed documents from the Russian government that incriminate the one person standing between his father and the White House. What's more, those last few words seem to indicate that Trump Jr also is thinking about when such information could be revealed. The meeting took place in early June. "Later in the summer", the general election campaign was in full swing. It's when both parties held their national conventions. It is also, incidentally, when the most damaging emails hacked from the Democratic National Committee server - at the behest of the Russian government, according to the US intelligence community - went public via Wikileaks. "Emin asked that I schedule a meeting with you and The Russian government attorney who is flying over from Moscow for this Thursday." The lawyer in question - Natalia Veselnitskaya - has asserted that she is not connected to the Russian government, but Goldstone is presenting her to Trump Jr here as a "government attorney". There's always the possibility that Goldstone is blowing smoke Trump Jr's way, trying to make it seem like he's setting up a super-secret meeting that will upend the presidential campaign when actually he's just saying whatever he thinks is necessary to get a meeting that his client, Russian pop star Emin Agalarov, has requested. In the music business, I suppose, anything goes. That may not exonerate Trump Jr, but it would relieve the Russian government of culpability, at least in this regard. President's family facing the heat Russian cloud hangs over White House Trump-Russia scandal: How did we get here? "To: Jared Kushner; Paul Manafort" At the very top of the email chain are two names that should be of particular concern to the White House - Mr Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort. Trump Jr had told the New York Times that he had asked the two men to attend the Trump Tower meeting but had not told them what was to be discussed. This seems to undercut that, because both men probably had the full email chain, including the earlier correspondence discussing the promise of incriminating "documents and information" sitting in their in-boxes the day before they attended the meeting. II/III. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-collusion-idUSKBN19X009 JULY 12, 2017 / 5:35 AM / AN HOUR AGO Trump Jr.'s Russia emails could trigger probe under election law Jan Wolfe Donald Trump hugs his son Donald Trump Jr. at a campaign rally in St. Clairsville, Ohio June 28, 2016. Aaron Josefczyk NEW YORK (Reuters) - Donald Trump Jr.'s meeting with a woman he was told was a Russian government lawyer who had incriminating information about Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton that could help his father's presidential campaign could lead investigators to probe whether he violated U.S. election law, experts said. Trump Jr. met the woman, lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, on June 9, 2016, after an email exchange with an intermediary. The emails, tweeted by Trump Jr. on Tuesday, could provide material for Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 presidential election. In one of the emails dated June 3, 2016, Trump Jr. wrote: "If it's what you say I love it." He released the tweets after the New York Times said it planned to write about their contents and sought his comment. Trump Jr. said in his tweets that nothing came of the meeting. Veselnitskaya told NBC News early on Tuesday she was not affiliated with the Russian government and had passed no information. "In retrospect, I probably would have done things a little differently," Trump Jr. said in an interview on Fox News. "For me, this was opposition research." Collusion itself is not an actual crime under the U.S. criminal code, so prosecutors would look to see if Trump Jr.'s conduct ran afoul of a specific law, legal experts said. RELATED COVERAGE Russia's Lavrov: show me at least one fact Moscow meddled in U.S. election Russia's Lavrov: show me at least one fact Moscow meddled in U.S. election Lavrov says wild that Trump Jr. blamed for meeting Russian lawyer Lavrov says wild that Trump Jr. blamed for meeting Russian lawyer Kremlin 'has nothing to do' with Russian lawyer who contacted Trump's team Kremlin 'has nothing to do' with Russian lawyer who contacted Trump's team Moscow has denied interference in the U.S. election, and President Donald Trump has said his campaign did not collude with Russia. Alan Futerfas, Trump Jr.'s lawyer, did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for Mueller declined to comment. Federal Election Campaign Act One law that might come into play is the Federal Election Campaign Act, which makes it illegal for a foreign national to contribute to a U.S. political campaign. The campaign is also prohibited from soliciting such contributions. A contribution does not have to be monetary in nature, according to Paul S. Ryan, an attorney with watchdog group Common Cause. He said incriminating information about Clinton could be considered a contribution under the act. Ryan said Trump Jr.'s "enthusiastic response" to the offer for information and particularly his proposal in his email to have a follow-up call the next week constituted "solicitation." "That to me is an indication, a concession by Donald Trump Jr. that he wants and is requesting this information," Ryan said. Joshua Douglas, a professor at the University of Kentucky College of Law, said Trump Jr.'s emails made it "more plausible" that there could be a criminal case against him. James Gardner, an election law expert at the University of Buffalo Law School, said the election law was intended to target donations of cash or goods and services. He said he did not believe Trump Jr. would have violated the law if he solicited damaging information about Clinton. A federal law known as the general conspiracy statute that makes it illegal to conspire to commit a crime against or defraud the United States could also come into play if, for example, Trump Jr. tried to help Russians hack into U.S. computer networks. There was no indication that Trump Jr. did such a thing. Andrew Wright, a professor at Savannah Law School who was associate counsel in the White House Counsel’s Office under former Democratic President Barack Obama, said he thought Trump Jr.’s agreeing to meet with someone to discuss an illegal act would be enough to trigger a conspiracy charge. “It’s a very powerful tool,” he said. III. http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/article160809179.html (Note: No audio in video) Donald Trump Jr. released an email chain on Tuesday that shows him discussing plans to hear damaging information on Hillary Clinton. In a statement, he said was posting the emails "in order to be totally transparent." The emails AP POLITICS & GOVERNMENT JULY 11, 2017 6:08 PM Outraged Republicans want answers from Trump Jr. BY WILLIAM DOUGLAS AND BRIAN MURPHY McClatchy Washington Bureau WASHINGTON Evidence that President Donald Trump’s eldest son welcomed the Russian government’s help in his father’s campaign outraged Republicans in Congress on Tuesday, driving senators to demand more answers, and fast, as a new lane of inquiry opened in congressional probes of potential collusion with the Kremlin. "Other shoes will drop before this thing is over,” said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. "The emails are very problematic, very disturbing," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said of the email chain that Donald Trump Jr. released Tuesday. "If you’re ever approached about getting help from a foreign government, the answer is no,” said Graham, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Trump Jr.'s emails, released as the New York Times was prepared to publish, sparked calls even from some conservatives for the president to step down as Democrats began to utter the word "treason.” At the Capitol, committees pressed for more information and possibly an appearance by Trump Jr. And the president’s legislative agenda, already in deep trouble, was now on even shakier ground. Follow Lee Zeldin ✔ @leezeldin I voted for @POTUS last Nov. & want him & USA to succeed, but that meeting, given that email chain just released, is a big no-no. 10:54 PM - 11 Jul 2017 1,359 1,359 Retweets 4,124 4,124 likes Twitter Ads info and privacy Republicans control both chambers of Congress, and are feeling new, intense pressure for a signature victory. As Trump Jr.’s email dominated Capitol Hill hallway chatter, it became clear that the GOP will have to proceed without the help of a friendly, let alone influential, White House. “That’s the very thing we need to not be distracted by,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., of the latest campaign controversy. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced the extraordinary step of shortening the Senate’s five-plus-week summer recess to try to move an agenda that was bogged down even before Trump Jr. took to Twitter Tuesday. McConnell deflected questions about the emails and whether he has confidence in the president’s dealings with Russia. "The investigation in the Senate's being handled by the intelligence committee, and I'm sure they'll get to the bottom of whatever may have happened," McConnell tersely told reporters. Trump Jr.’s emails were the most specific evidence yet that Trump campaign officials and family members were eagerly taking help from the Russian government during the 2016 campaign against Democrat Hillary Clinton. In the email exchange between Trump Jr. and publicist Rob Goldstone, the pair set up a meeting between Trump Jr. and Russian attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya. Goldstone told Trump Jr. that there are "official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary and her dealings with Russia and would be very useful to your father." "This is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its governments support for Mr. Trump," Goldstone wrote on June 3, 2016. "If it's what you say I love it especially later in the summer," Trump Jr. replied in part, less than 90 minutes later. The meeting took place several days later and was attended by Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. Veselnitskaya has denied she works for the Russian government. Trump Jr. said she did not provide any information about the Clinton campaign. Graham wanted to know more. "I find it odd they would refer the Trump campaign to a lady who knew nothing about the Clinton campaign. But on its face it’s problematic,” he said. Congressional committees and federal investigators are actively probing possible links between Trump campaign advisers and Russia during the campaign. U.S. intelligence officials have found that Russian President Vladimir Putin directed a campaign to aid Trump while hurting Clinton. Trump has contended the investigations are a “witch hunt.” The next step in Congress is likely to be an appearance by Trump Jr. before either the Senate intelligence or judiciary committees. The intelligence panel, chaired by Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., has taken the lead in the Russia investigation. He wouldn’t get specific about what’s coming next. “We’re interested in talking to anybody that brings any degree of clarity to the investigation,” he said. Burr said the Trump Jr. email chain "looks interesting.” But, he added, "I don’t know, I’ve seen three different exchanges. There seems to be more to it The important thing is the context that it happened in. Nobody knows that." Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., top Democrat on the judiciary committee, wants Trump before that panel. "There are still many questions that must be answered," Feinstein said. "That’s why I’ve urged (Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Charles) Grassley to move quickly – this issue is squarely within the jurisdiction of the judiciary committee and I believe we need to have Donald Trump Jr., and other individuals come before the committee, in open session, as soon as possible." Grassley, R-Iowa, credited Trump Jr., for his transparency in putting out the emails. “I think that he’s showing that he wants everybody to know what the situation is,” the senator said. But other Republican lawmakers shared Feinstein’s concern and in some cases, her outrage. McCain and Graham said they don’t know whether Trump Jr., violated any laws by meeting with the Russian attorney but agreed that he exercised questionable judgment, knowing that a representative of a foreign country was allegedly offering information that could influence the U.S. election. "I don’t know if any law broken here, but the willingness to receive help was a mistake," Graham said. McCain recalled that he was in a similar situation to Trump Jr.’s earlier this year he was in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and was approached by someone who said he had information concerning Trump’s activities while he was in Moscow. "I said ‘fine.’ I sent a guy over. Guy got it. Guy brought to me, I looked at it, I said ‘This belongs with the FBI,’" McCain said. "That’s what you do. That’s what I did." Sen. Mark Warner, top intelligence committee Democrat, said the emails are simply the latest example in a "pattern" of Trump campaign officials or associates admitting to meetings with Russians after first denying them. "This excuse of naivete or rookie attitudes," Warner said, "you know, lying is not a rookie mistake." William Douglas: 202-383-6026, @williamgdouglas -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
