DNC, Wasserman Schultz say they were unaware of dossier payments

[DonViejo]

BY JONATHAN EASLEY - 10/25/17 09:10 PM EDT

Current and past leaders of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) say they had no knowledge that the national party was helping to fund a dossier compiled by a British spy that contained scandalous accusations about President Trump.

-snip-

DNC communications director Xochitl Hinojosa said chairman Tom Perez, who only became the Democratic leader in April, had nothing to do with the arrangement. The law firm Perkins Coie handles a range of issues for the DNC.

“Tom Perez and the new leadership of the DNC were not involved in any decision-making regarding Fusion GPS, nor were they aware that Perkins Coie was working with the organization,” Hinojosa said. “But let’s be clear, there is a serious federal investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia, and the American public deserves to know what happened.”

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), the DNC’s deputy chairman, emphasized that both he and Perez came to the DNC long after the contract with Fusion GPS had ended. “Tom and me, we weren’t even there at the time,” Ellison told The Hill. “I know as much about it as you guys who have reported it.”

more
http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/357240-dnc-wasserman-schultz-say-they-were-unaware-of-dossier-payments

[Scoopster]

1. Why would they be aware, or need to be?

It was oppo research that was given second-hand to Clinton's campaign. The DNC wouldn't have necessarily been involved.

[emulatorloo]

4. Yep, Red herring anyway. GOP's wanna falsely turn Trump/Scandal into "Democrat Scandal"

It is obvious deflection and distraction.


GOP'ers will spin this as "HILLARY COLLUDED WITH THE RUSSIANS" as some of Steele's sources were Russians. They would be lying again.

Yes some of steele's sources were Russian agents.

But those Russian agents who leaked to Steele were whistle blowers, they were against what Putin and Trump were doing. Trump campaign contacts were true blue Putinistas carrying out a Russian State effort to undermine our election.

[B2G]

11. The DNC was PAYING for it.

How would they not be aware and involved?

[DURHAM D]

2. So who at the DNC authorized payments???

Were there payments? Has anyone asked Donna Brazille about this? She seems to have gone silent for months now.

[Not Ruth]

3. Lets have a shorter list..is there a single person in any party that was aware of dossier payments?

Would go with old reliable, Putin, but that makes no sense, so I am thinking Kim Jong Un.

[emulatorloo]

5. Well it was sort of an open secret that JEB! funded the project in the first place. The rumors I

read at the time was that Dem donors picked up the funding when Jeb was out of the primary.

I have not read the recent reporting yet. As far as I am concerned this is part of Republican disinformation campaign to distract from known contacts between the Russian Government and high level personnel on the trump campaign.

I expect Mueller is closing in and the Grassleys and the Nunes and the Breitbarts are in panic mode and are going NUCLEAR with their "BUT WHAT ABOUT HILLARY" bullshit.

[Not Ruth]

6. Jeb denied it back in January and no one asked again

So it is still a short list of —

[emulatorloo]

9. Well we already have a short list of Trump folk who met with Russian operatives.

-Don Jr
-Presidental advisor Jared Kushner
-Campaign manager Paul Manafort
-NSA Mike Flynn
-Foreign Policy advisor Carter Page
-Attorney General Jeff Sessions

and more.


Eyes on the prize. In the big picture, It really doesn't matter who paid.

(Yes agreed the JEB! and Dem Donors was mostly speculation at the time.}

[Not Ruth]

8. I would ask Steele who was paying

He was/is one of the top intelligence professionals in the world. I am sure that he figured it out.

[emulatorloo]

7. The core of this story is "BUT WHAT ABOUT HILLARY!!!!!!!!!!!" on steroids

Bullshit spin and shiny object tossed out by Republicans operatives deflecting from Trump/Russia.

I really hope DU'er don't run with this nonsense.

[SweetieD]

10. Even if they paid for it why does it matter? I wish dems would stop feeding these rw crazies.

[emulatorloo]

12. Right. Doesn't matter "who paid". What matters is if the information is True.

FBI has been confirming much of it is indeed true from reporting I've seen.

Clear rightwing deflection from the facts coming out. They want to distract. So frigging obvious.

[ProfessorGAC]

16. Exactly What I Was Going To Post

I agree with you and the other poster that chimed in. Research is paid for by somebody. If the research provided valid information, the funding doesn't matter. This was investigative research into people committing election felony.

[Justice]

13. Pretty standard for law firm 2 submit bills that include amounts 4 disbursements to 3rd parties

I am sure law firm bill included disbursements for Fusion.

But it doesn't really matter. Completely normal to do oppo research.

[LakeArenal]

14. Wasserman Schultz is no paragon of virtue...

However, I do believe the Gops are deflecting and promoting fake news.

[emulatorloo]

15. see this clip from Rachel last night on Grassley and Nunes if you haven't already. They are def

trying to deflect. This "who paid" story is another spoke in the wheel.

Committee Splits As Donald Trump Warrants Scrutiny
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1017463607

[awesomerwb1]

17. Wasserman Shultz, Donna Brazille

Was never impressed by them. Both very poor imo.

And the quotes above are extremely week from both Perez and Ellison. Hinojosa's reply was the right one: "But let’s be clear, there is a serious federal investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia, and the American public deserves to know what happened." I would've added something along the lines that this is just the gop trying to create a distraction from the more important issue: Did trump collude with the russians to affect the outcome of an election".

[gratuitous]

18. What?! The opposition campaign was conducting and paying for opposition research?

Has that ever happened before in the entire history of American elections?

What? All the time? Everyone does it? Huh.

I wonder what all the kerfuffle is about, then.