BREAKING: IT'S ON! Trump's Lawyer Refuses to Cooperate with Congress w.r.t. Russia Investigation

[berni_mccoy]

From CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/30/politics/michael-cohen-wont-cooperate-with-congress/index.html

One of President Donald Trump's personal attorneys, Michael Cohen, has received an "invitation to provide information and testimony" that pertains to the Russia investigation to House and Senate intelligence committees, Cohen has confirmed.

"I respectfully declined to cooperate," Cohen said.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. He can certainly claim attorney-client privilege for a lot of info,

so why doesn't he just say that instead of just refusing to cooperate?

[leftstreet]

9. Yeah, I don't get that

There's a crime fraud exception to privilege, but I think that's if the attorney knows the client intended to cover up something

bizarre

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

14. Considering some of the stuff Trump probably has been (and still is) up to,

the crime-fraud exception might apply. I wouldn't be surprised if the possible crimes Cohen knows about and/or abetted might include, e.g., suborning perjury, spoliation of evidence, witness tampering, and concealing income and assets, especially if these acts are ongoing.

[C_U_L8R]

30. I've been wondering about this

Client confidentiality isn't a license to be complicit, no?
How far can an investigator go?

[yurbud]

24. wouldn't this phrasing be an admission that his client committed fraud then?

[unblock]

28. only if asked about things relating to a client. not if it's about himself.

if he himself has had personal investments, or personally signed documents involved in money-laundering, etc., then he can't claim attorney-client privilege.

his outright refusal to cooperate strongly points to the obvious conclusion that his lawyers have (probably easily) negotiated themselves a guaranteed pardon.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

35. Yup. Did he, personally and not as Trump's lawyer, get up to some dodgy stuff?

Since he could claim attorney-client privilege only as to his communications with Trump (subject to the crime-fraud exception, which could also come into play), the fact that he refuses to cooperate suggests his own activities are being questioned.

[awesomerwb1]

2. Seeing a trend here....

I can see them refusing to cooperate until (if?) a rep with a backbone steps up. Meanwhile they will say they decline to cooperate because this is not a serious investigation and just about dems being sore losers.

[niyad]

12. welcome to du

[awesomerwb1]

52. Thank you! I was almost up to 90 posts before DU got hit

recently and I lost access to my old account. So here I am starting over.

[tparrett62]

3. Not to be dense, but what are the implications?

N/T

[berni_mccoy]

4. Congress (that is the Senate) can subpoena

Failing to comply with that is contempt of Congress.

[Orrex]

7. If only we had a Senate

Instead of Fuckhead McConnell flapping his withered reptilian scrotum all over the place.

[Arkansas Granny]

8. Oh, please. I'll have that image in my mind for the rest of the day.

[Lochloosa]

21. ....

?imgmax=800

[diva77]

34. Wow! never expected such corrupt admin. to lead to enhancing my knowledge of biology

[PJMcK]

10. Great description of the Senate Majority Leader (n/t)

[berni_mccoy]

11. Intelligence Committee doesn't need McConnell's permission to issue a subpoena.

[Orrex]

16. Really? That's excellent!

I was not aware of that--thanks for the good news!

(I realize that this sounds like sarcasm, but I'm being serious. Thanks!)

[berni_mccoy]

18. On the downside, once the committee reports Contempt of Congress

It becomes a privileged motion, which must pass a floor vote to mean anything. However, given there are already enough Repubs on the intel committee, it could happen that the resolution passes to find this asshat in contempt.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

13. I don't think a turtle has a scrotum, even a withered one.

and

[Orrex]

22. Well...

Maybe I meant that his scrotum is, itself, reptile-like?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

36. Please don't make me think about McTurtle's scrotum.

[berni_mccoy]

43. LOL

[lastlib]

41. Yes it's true....

[3catwoman3]

15. Is it possible to laugh and puke...

...simultaneously? I think I am about to find out -

[GallopingGhost]

17. Yeah, thanks for that.

Actually, snapper turtles do. Andrew Zimmern ate some on an episode of Bizarre Foods. Fried them up; said they were soft and mushy.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

37. Technically, a reptile doesn't have a scrotum. He does have testicles

but they are internal. If he did have external balls he'd be dragging them on the ground most of the time, since reptiles are pretty low-slung. Isn't Mother Nature clever?

[GallopingGhost]

50. It is.

Out of curiosity, I did a little research and just finished an article called "Terrifying sex organs of male turtles" on Scientific American, and I think Trump would be jealous.

[malaise]

20. Don't forget wifey got transportation

Neat package that

[pbmus]

39. And we all will be paying to get to the grocery store if she has her way...

[lindysalsagal]

46. I second that: It's bad enough he talks like he's got a squirrel stuck in his throat-

Let's not actually refer to the gop geezer reproductive anatomy, if at all possible, especially during the dinner hour....

[Sanity Claws]

5. That was an invitation

Now time for a subpoena.

As for attorney-client privilege, it can't be a blanket refusal to appear. It must be asserted for each question that seems to require privileged information.

[nikibatts]

6. Yeah, deal behind the scenes is that GOP in Congress told him not to cooperate with Congress

The GOP in Congress do not want the truth to be known. Some of them are compromised as well.

[lindysalsagal]

47. Many of them have taken the filthy russian mobster money, and think they can avoid publicity.

NOT!

[C Moon]

19. Maybe they'll keep dragging this out until Trump and his band of traitors can do more damage.

[lark]

31. Obviously that's what most Repugs want to do,

especially Ryan, McTurtle, Nunes, etc. Wouldn't be surprised if it's also Burr's goal and he's just better at lying and obscuring the truth than the others

[rocktivity]

23. Isn't this how Watergate started

Last edited Tue May 30, 2017, 03:15 PM - Edit history (1)

I'm too young to remember...






rocktivity

[MiniMe]

45. There was an honest congress back then

[lindysalsagal]

48. And Watergate wasn't about money, and half the gop wasn't dipping into russian mobster money

[Cryptoad]

25. I wouldnt take 100x Comrade Trump's $Money

for his troubles........

[workinclasszero]

26. Damn Trump's whole maladministration will take the 5th

before its over.

WTH are all those "righteous" republicans that were outraged over Hillary's emails and BJ's in the white house now hmm???

Fucking hypocrites!

[flibbitygiblets]

27. Oh, well if you "respectfully" decline, then never mind.

Is that what he hopes the senate will say?

[NBachers]

29. Time to execute a search warrant on the White House and all other relevant locations.

[world wide wally]

32. Sez who?

[kentuck]

33. Holy Shit!

They have thrown down the gauntlet. Bring it on, you chicken shits!

[calimary]

38. Oh THAT jerk. Michael "Says WHO?" Cohen.

Like some goon who "takes care of" the troublesome underling in the "Godfather" movies.

I watched him spend an entire interview segment "responding" to each question with an arrogant, bullying, in-yer-face "Says WHO?"

"Says WHO?"

"Says WHO?"

"Says WHO?"

The takeaway from that was - "Dear God what an ASS!!!!" And "who the hell does he think he is? Some small-time goon from the South Bronx forcibly collecting protection money around the neighborhood?"

I hope they throw the book at him.

What an ICKY guy.

[elmac]

40. Which is a automatic admission of guilt nt

[berni_mccoy]

42. Akin to "Prove it or you got nothin'".

[lindysalsagal]

49. More like, "oh, yeah? Make me!"

Standard abberant playground behavior.

[Sunlei]

44. personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, has been subpoenaed by the House of Representatives Intelligence Com

"personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, has been subpoenaed by the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee"

breaking news

[JHan]

51. "Says who?" lol