For the first time, a member of DT's team has pleaded guilty -- to CONSPIRACY.

[pnwmom]

Conspiring to defraud the U.S. government, and to hide money obtained from pro-Putin Ukrainian sources, etc., etc.

Collusion, are we there yet? Maybe not, but we're close. So close!

[PJMcK]

1. X1

Turn ups the heat!

[Blaukraut]

2. I'll break out the champagne once a (criminal) connection to Trump is established

It looks like it might be headed that way, but we've had Fitzmas before.

[pnwmom]

3. We passed Fitzmas long ago. There are now 5 guilty pleas and indictments of more

than a dozen Russians.

And there is no sign that Mueller is close to being done.

[Fred Sanders]

8. Also again the L word in para. 6 of the latest legal page turner.

Reading the talking indictment I am in awe of the lawyers and investigators who unravelled Manafort's web and laid it bare.

The amount of work put in I can barely imagine.

29 corporates in half a dozen countries created by Manafucked to cover his trails of corruption, deceit, illegal lobbying and, best of all, money laundering 30 million dollars...with who's help?

[pnwmom]

11. I agree. I can't understand the people who think this is going too slowly -- there is SO MUCH THERE.

I think there will be years of indictments and convictions, though hopefully DT will be gone in 2019.

[Fred Sanders]

14. I am surprised the team has moved so rapidly. Gates and Manafort have been weaving their

web and covering their tracks for 15 years.

The part about the fake former European politicians think tank paid 2 million for favourable fake articles on pro-Russian parties in Ukraine will lead to arrests in Europe...and another door opens.

Notice no sentencing hearings, which would have to be public, either held or scheduled. Only after the top gang leaders are indicted, then they will be rapidly scheduled.

[pnwmom]

15. And, of course, it's not just Gates and Manafort.

There's the Jared thread, the Carter Page thread, the Trump-in-Russia thread, the Trump Tower thread, the social media thread, and on and on and on.

[Gabi Hayes]

19. What about the Putin in Trump thread?

Inquiring minds want to know



The subsequent beef injections added, what, another 100 lbs to the Donald, or what?

[sarcasmo]

9. Van der Zwaan having a father-in-law, who is a Russian Oligarch. I would love to chat

with one of Mueller's forensic accounts for a few hours.

[emulatorloo]

18. Yes. 5 guilty pleas and an additional 14 charged

Link to tweet

?s=20

[Blaukraut]

20. My worry is that Trump and family will weasel out of it unscathed

and there will only be indictments around the perimeter of them.

[pnwmom]

21. Not much chance of that. We know DT is as corrupt as hell, and there's no reason

to think Mueller doesn't realize that, too.

But we DO need to control at least the House in Congress, so that we can impeach him and bring the Mueller report out into the open. Then at least some Senate R's should be willing to join us to convict him, if he hasn't resigned already.

[triron]

23. Sure hope you're right!

I think everything up too this point weighs heavily toward exactly that though

[Iggo]

24. Yep...Flynn-mas turned out to be real.

[emulatorloo]

5. This is already way beyond Fitzmas, simply in number of folks indicted and detailed court docs

Plus all the guilty pleas and cooperating witnesses. Can we please retire the lousy Fitzmas analogy? Thanks in advance

[msongs]

4. conspiracy requires 2 or more people. collusion requires...2 or more people. same thing nt

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. Collusion is not a crime. But conspiracy is a real thing.

"Collusion" has no legal meaning except in antitrust law. The thing that Gates and Manafort are charged with is conspiracy, which is taking affirmative steps in furtherance of an agreement to commit a crime. Even if the underlying crime never is completed, the conspiracy is itself a crime. Conspiracy is a very dangerous thing because if you touch it, it sticks to you and you can't get it off. Mueller will be able to make conspiracy stick to Trump if he finds evidence that Trump took any affirmative steps in furtherance of the Mueller/Gates conspiracy. I wish people would stop talking about "collusion" because it's not a thing. Conspiracy is the thing and what we hope for is that Mueller can make it stick to Trump.

[pnwmom]

13. I realize that. But "collusion" is the word that has been tossed around from the beginning. n/t

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

16. I know, but it bugs me because it doesn't mean anything.

Anyhow, doesn't "conspiracy" sound a lot more sinister?

[pnwmom]

22. Yes, conspiracy sounds very sinister! I'm very happy to see it finally out there. n/t

[angrychair]

7. Gates....Gates...sounds somewhat familiar

Gates...we of the trump administration think he might have been a part-time volunteer that was briefly with campaign but left and trump has never met or interacted with this Gates person...who we have no record of at all...

[Gabi Hayes]

10. Joy, in for LOD, is leading with that very word! Should be fun

Conspiracy against the United States

Conspiring to launder money

The best part of this is watching the bottom of the barrel repug apologists try to justify their claims that there is STILL no collusion

Guess what? They’re finally RIGHT

CONSPIRACY is the word of the day

[Kaleva]

12. Rec'd

[triron]

17. knr