A Dire Period Of Scandal For Donald Trump In Turmoil

[Norbert9]

Rachel Maddow reviews the latest developments in the litany of investigations into the Donald Trump campaign while Trump's political agenda continues to fail.

From Friday night I think, don't see that it's been posted yet. This piece really does a great job of bringing us up to speed on what has been a whirlwind of a week. It is a lot to take in so I took some notes.

To recap:

1. AHCA fails. But it's really just the microcosm reflecting the macrocosm.
2. FBI confirmed in open intelligence meeting that there has been a counter-intelligence investigation into the Trump team since last July as to whether they colluded with the Russians on the attacks of the DNC and Podesta.
3. Top ranking Democrat on House Intelligence Committee Schiff said last Sunday the only collusion evidence was "circumstantial." By the middle of the week he upgraded his assessment to "more than circumstantial."
4. CNN breaks story around the same time that FBI investigation is increasingly focused on whether there was collusion.
5. Next open House Intelligence Committee meeting for Tuesday March 28 cancelled by Nunes without warning. Brennan, Clapper, and Yates were due to testify.
6. Yates reportedly had brought report to White House that Flynn was in contact with the Russian government and lying about it.
7. White House had three weeks from Yates report and Washington Post story that ultimately forced Flynn's firing. The explanation of we're firing him now because we just found he lied doesn't cut it.
8. Tuesday would have been Yates first public appearance speaking on this matter before Nunes cancelled it.
9. "Whatever Adam Schiff saw this week that made him conclude that there is now more than circumstantial evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia on its attack on the United States... So whatever it is that made Adam Schiff start talking about this investigation in a different way, Devin Nunes has access to that information too. And then he cancels the next hearing. And sets no new date for it. And does so alone, unilaterally, without telling anyone else on his committee." Devin Nunes is House Intelligence Committee chairman and member of Trump transition team.
10. Andrea Mitchell reporting former transition team members in and outside of the White House are purging their personal phones in fear of coming subpoenas. By the way, TIL Mitchel is married to former Fed chair Greenspan. Who knew.
11. AP reported March 1 that White House Counsel had notified staffers they must preserve electronic records.
12. NBCNews and AP reporting this week of financial trail of Manafort to Cyprus banks and Russian money laundering.
13. Attorney General of Cyprus has given the United States government financial records of Manafort in Cyprus.
14. Senator Booker made formal requests to Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross on his role in the Bank of Cyprus where he is a major shareholder and former Vice chairman. There Ross was also on the board with the Russian oligarch who bought the now infamous 100 million dollar mold mansion from Trump in Florida. Ross did not respond to Booker by Friday's deadline.
15. Senator Van Hollen demanding Sessions recuse himself from the investigation of Deutsche Bank and the Russian money laundering.
16. Senator Van Hollen also cites Bharara's investigation into Deutsche Bank as possibly being a factor.
17. Sessions is technically in charge of all Bharara's cases since his firing and until he names a replacement.
18. "Wrapped up in this omelette is Trump's 300 million dollar loan from Deutsche Bank." Like Congresswoman Waters, I want to know about Deutsche Bank. They gave him a loan when no one in the US would, after four bankruptcies.
19. WSJ reporting this week Flynn had discussed a plan to kidnap US-based cleric Gulen suspected to be behind failed Turkish coup and send him to Erdogan.
20. Source for WSJ story is Jim Woosley, former Trump transition advisor, Clinton CIA Director, as well as serving under three other administrations.
21. Woosley, one week after joining Trump's team in September, was at a meeting in New York with Flynn, Erdogan's son-in-law, and Turkey's chief of energy discussing a plan to kidnap Gulen.
22. Woosley abruptly quit the transition team in early January, "effective immediately."
23. NYT had reported early March that Flynn had been paid $500,000 while a member of the transition team to be an agent of a foreign of government and represent Turkish interests. He went on to become National Security Advisor for just under four weeks.
24. What took Woosley four months to realize this kidnapping plan was criminal? He was invited to come on the show, didn't.
25. Administration not only fired Bharara in the midst of Deutsche Bank investigation but other US Attorneys in the midst of investigations into Cyprus and Russian money laundering.
26. Manafort announced he will come testify to Congress.
27. Flynn is MIA.
28. Teaser to later in the show, does the White House want to blame everything on Flynn?
29. The administration is essentially the Hunger Games.
30. They sure did blow the AHCA.

[stillcool]

1. Nice...

Keeping this sh*t straight is messing with my mind. Thanks!

[Dustlawyer]

2. And now we know Nunes was part of the meetings with Flynn and the Turks!

Special Prosecutor anyone?