Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

If you tweet it in all caps, that makes it true!

We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. let’s win this.

I really should read my own blog.

Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn.

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

Republicans do not pay their debts.

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

All your base are belong to Tunch.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

A democracy can’t function when people can’t distinguish facts from lies.

I did not have this on my fuck 2022 bingo card.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

T R E 4 5 O N

Just because you believe it, that doesn’t make it true.

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

Yeah, with this crowd one never knows.

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

Americans barely caring about Afghanistan is so last month.

Consistently wrong since 2002

You are here: Home / Past Elections / 2020 Elections / The Special Counsel Has Filed The Sentencing Memo Regarding Michael Cohen

The Special Counsel Has Filed The Sentencing Memo Regarding Michael Cohen

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The Special Counsel filed his sentencing memo regarding Michael Cohen with the Federal court in the Southern District of New York. You can find it at this link and I’m uploading it as an attachment to the bottom of the post. Here’s some interesting and important excerpts (emphasis mine):

The defendant’s crime was serious. He withheld information material to the investigations of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election being conducted by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (“SSCI”), the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (“HPSCI”), and the SCO. The defendant lied to Congress about a business project (the “Moscow Project”) that he worked on during the 2016 presidential campaign, while he served as Executive Vice President at a Manhattan-based real estate company (the “Company”) and as Special Counsel to the owner of the Company (“Individual 1”). The defendant admitted he told these lies—which he made publicly and in submissions to Congress—in order to (1) minimize links between the Moscow Project and Individual 1 and (2) give the false impression that the Moscow Project had ended before the Iowa caucus and the first presidential primaries, in hopes of limiting the ongoing Russia investigations being conducted by Congress and the SCO.

In recent months, however, the defendant has taken significant steps to mitigate his criminal conduct. He chose to accept responsibility for his false statements and admit to his conduct in open court. He also has gone to significant lengths to assist the Special Counsel’s investigation. He has met with the SCO on seven occasions, voluntarily provided the SCO with information about his own conduct and that of others on core topics under investigation by the SCO, and committed to continuing to assist the SCO’s investigation. The information he has provided has been credible and consistent with other evidence obtained in the SCO’s ongoing investigation.

The defendant’s lies to Congress were deliberate and premeditated. His false statements did not spring spontaneously from a line of examination or heated colloquy during a congressional hearing. They started in a written submission that he chose to provide to both houses of Congress ahead of his appearances. These circumstances show a deliberate effort to use his lies as a way to set the tone and shape the course of the hearings in an effort to stymie the inquiries.

The defendant amplified his false statements by releasing and repeating his lies to the public, including to other potential witnesses. The defendant was scheduled to appear before both intelligence committees in closed sessions. Prior to testifying, the defendant made a public appearance at the U.S. Capitol and released his prepared opening statement, which falsely claimed that the Moscow Project “was terminated in January of 2016[,] which occurred before the Iowa caucus and months before the very first primary.” By publicly presenting this false narrative, the defendant deliberately shifted the timeline of what had occurred in the hopes of limiting the investigations into possible Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election—an issue of heightened national interest. 

The defendant’s false statements obscured the fact that the Moscow Project was a lucrative business opportunity that sought, and likely required, the assistance of the Russian government. If the project was completed, the Company could have received hundreds of millions of dollars from Russian sources in licensing fees and other revenues. The fact that Cohen continued to work on the project and discuss it with Individual 1 well into the campaign was material to the ongoing congressional and SCO investigations, particularly because it occurred at a time of sustained efforts by the Russian government to interfere with the U.S. presidential election. Similarly, it was material that Cohen, during the campaign, had a substantive telephone call about the project with an assistant to the press secretary for the President of Russia.

The defendant’s false statements to Congress began in approximately late August 2017, when he submitted his written statement about the Moscow Project to SSCI and HPSCI. His false statements continued through his oral testimony before the committees in October 2017. And when Cohen first met with the SCO in August 2018, he repeated many of his prior false statements about the circumstances of the Moscow Project.1 Only when the defendant met with the SCO a second time on September 12, 2018—after he had pled guilty in United States v. Cohen, 18-cr-602 (WHP)—did the defendant admit that his prior statements about the Moscow Project had been deliberately false and misleading.

Assistance with the SCO’s Investigation

Pursuant to the plea agreement, the Government agreed to bring to the Court’s attention at sentencing in this matter and in United States v. Cohen, 18-cr-602 (WHP), the nature and extent of the defendant’s assistance to the SCO. The defendant has provided, and has committed to continue to provide, relevant and truthful information to the SCO in an effort to assist with the investigation.

The defendant has met with the SCO for seven proffer sessions, many of them lengthy, and continues to make himself available to investigators. His statements beginning with the second meeting with the SCO have been credible, and he has taken care not to overstate his knowledge or the role of others in the conduct under investigation.

The defendant’s assistance has been useful in four significant respects. First, the defendant provided information about his own contacts with Russian interests during the campaign and discussions with others in the course of making those contacts. For example, and as described above, the defendant provided a detailed account of his involvement and the involvement of others in the Moscow Project, and also corrected the record concerning his outreach to the Russian government during the week of the United Nations General Assembly. The defendant also provided information about attempts by other Russian nationals to reach the campaign. For example, in or around November 2015, Cohen received the contact information for, and spoke with, a Russian national who claimed to be a “trusted person” in the Russian Federation who could offer the campaign “political synergy” and “synergy on a government level.” The defendant recalled that this person repeatedly proposed a meeting between Individual 1 and the President of Russia. The person told Cohen that such a meeting could have a “phenomenal” impact “not only in political but in a business dimension as well,” referring to the Moscow Project, because there is “no bigger warranty in any project than consent of [the President of Russia].” Cohen, however, did not follow up on this invitation.3

Second, Cohen provided the SCO with useful information concerning certain discrete Russia-related matters core to its investigation that he obtained by virtue of his regular contact with Company executives during the campaign.

Third, Cohen provided relevant and useful information concerning his contacts with persons connected to the White House during the 2017–2018 time period.

Fourth, Cohen described the circumstances of preparing and circulating his response to the congressional inquiries, while continuing to accept responsibility for the false statements contained within it. 

Conclusion

The defendant’s crime was serious, both in terms of the underlying conduct and its effect on multiple government investigations. The sentence imposed should reflect the fact that lying to federal investigators has real consequences, especially where the defendant lied to investigators about critical facts, in an investigation of national importance.

However, the defendant has made substantial and significant efforts to remediate his misconduct, accept responsibility for his actions, and assist the SCO’s investigation. Accordingly, the Government respectfully submits that the Court should give due consideration to the defendant’s efforts set forth above and that it would be appropriate to allow the defendant to serve any sentence imposed in this case concurrently with any sentence imposed in United States v. Cohen, 18-cr-602 (WHP).

1 This initial meeting with the SCO, on August 7, 2018, was set up at Cohen’s request. In that meeting, Cohen voluntarily provided information relevant to other aspects of the SCO’s ongoing investigation, but when asked questions about the Moscow Project, Cohen provided false answers in what he later explained was an effort not to contradict his congressional testimony.

2 The defendant, without prompting by the SCO, also corrected other false and misleading statements that he had made concerning his outreach to and contacts with Russian officials during the course of the campaign. For example, in a radio interview in September 2015, the defendant suggested that Individual 1 meet with the President of Russia in New York City during his visit for the United Nations General Assembly. When asked previously about these events, the defendant claimed his public comments had been spontaneous and had not been discussed within the campaign or the Company. During his proffer sessions, the defendant admitted that this account was false and that he had in fact conferred with Individual 1 about contacting the Russian government before reaching out to gauge Russia’s interest in such a meeting. The meeting ultimately did not take place.

3 The defendant explained that he did not pursue the proposed meeting, which did not take place, in part because he was working on the Moscow Project with a different individual who Cohen understood to have his own connections to the Russian government.

Since I’m here, I might as well post the Special Counsel’s filing regarding Paul Manafort in the Federal court in DC. This is a locked (dumb) pdf, so I can’t copy and paste. So here’s some excerpts, with commentary, from various reporters and legal subject matter experts on twitter. Its after the jump.

Rudy, Rudy, Rudy…

The White House is attempting to duck and weave.

Finally:

Reader Interactions

165Comments

  3. 3.

    Steve in the ATL

    Wow. This is serious shit. I extend a big FU to anyone and everyone who helped make this criminal president and who refuse to hold him accountable for his crimes.

  4. 4.

    Platonailedit

    Mueller's says Manafort lied about:
    * Interactions with Konstantin Kilimnik
    * Kilimnik's participation in count two of superseding information
    * A wire-transfer to a firm working for Manafort
    * Info pertaining to another DOJ investigation
    * Manafort's contact with admin officials— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) December 7, 2018

  7. 7.

    japa21

    I think you failed to underline one of the most important sentences in the Cohen memo:

    The information he has provided has been credible and consistent with other evidence obtained in the SCO’s ongoing investigation.

    That is the single most important line. Just like with the use of Gates, the individual’s (Cohen’s) testimony is more of a coup de grace after all the other conrete evidence is dumped out there.

  9. 9.

    Ruviana

    @debbie: It’s a moderately common Portuguese name. Dinesh got it b/c Portuguese missionaries were active in southern India for a long time.

  10. 10.

    eemom

    The real money quote imo is from the USA SDNY’s memo on Cohen, which directly implicates Dump in a federal crime (as some of the tweeters above noted):

    During the campaign, Cohen played a central role in two similar schemes to purchase the rights to stories – each from women who claimed to have had an affair with Individual-1 – so as to suppress the stories and thereby prevent them from influencing the election. With respect to both payments, Cohen acted with the intent to influence the 2016 presidential election. Cohen coordinated his actions with one or more members of the campaign, including through meetings and phone calls, about the fact, nature, and timing of the payments. (PSR ¶ 51). In particular, and as Cohen himself has now admitted, with respect to both payments, he acted in coordination with and at the direction of Individual-1. (PSR ¶¶ 41, 45). As a result of Cohen’s actions, neither woman spoke to the press prior to the election. (PSR ¶ 51).

    Tick fucking tock.

  13. 13.

    lamh36

    Repost: So will he resign (naw…he thinks he’s a “fighter’ so he never folds) or does he ride it out?

    I’d say if it gets closer to Ivanka…then maybe he resigns? But otherwise he rides it out. Why, cause his and the GOP voters who vote for them have already been indoctrinated to think that it’s all a witch hunt and fake news.

    The question is, if he rides it out…does more of those voters turn away or not?

    the question is what does Chump do when he’s miserable…either doubles down or flees…the question is which will he do now?

    the question too, will Congressional Republicans actually shun him? Or will they go down with the ship? Look at Lindsey Graham?

  17. 17.

    lamh36

    So Adam, what do you think this means for the new nominee for AG? Why would he want to dropped in the middle of this and have to answer the questions about this in a confirmation hearing?

  20. 20.

    The Dangerman

    It sounds like SDNY may have investigations that touch on his close circle of friends & family & he balked on cooperating on them.

    Wasn’t Hannity in this mess, too?

  25. 25.

    Chetan Murthy

    @The Dangerman: I wonder if this is related to all his Russian Mafia buddies from before he was in Shitler’s orbit. The guys who leave you with no hands, feet, or head, when they decide to whack you.

  27. 27.

    The Dangerman

    @lamh36:

    So will he resign … or does he ride it out?

    He’s a Bitter Ender. He could be Impeached and Convicted (would never happen, but roll with me here) and he’d still say he was President.

  29. 29.

    Amir Khalid

    @Adam L Silverman:
    I haz a curious. Why do the DoJ’s public statements and court filings refer to people as “Individual 1” and “Malaysian Official 1”, while mentioning uniquely identifying details about them e.g. that “Individual 1” ran for POTUS and won, and the name of Malaysian Official 1’s stepson?

  32. 32.

    Platonailedit

    Jim Comey just emerged from his grilling behind closed doors by House Republicans to say nothing discussed couldn’t have been discussed in a public hearing and they only asked about Hillary Clinton’s email.

    But Republicans say it’s Democrats who should let 2016 & Hillary go.

    — Philippe Reines (@PhilippeReines) December 7, 2018

    More confirmation the Jim Comey interview was stupid & a waste of taxpayer resources.

    Republicans got crushed in the House, losing the popular midterm vote by the most in US history. And the lesson they draw is that voters want to hear more about Hillary's emails. S T U P I D

    https://t.co/ZQs1wITheM— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) December 7, 2018

  33. 33.

    ruemara

    I wonder what level of crime he and his administration will descend to to craft an escape? Because I firmly believe enough GOP donors and office holders are incriminated in this evidence that they’d do just about anything to make it stop. And our media will help, as is their wont.

  37. 37.

    Platonailedit

    Dear @mflynnJR: Thanks for reading my tweet.

    Also, how's your dad? He ratted out @POTUS or his associates in 19 interviews to investigators for at least 3 ongoing investigations. His testimony was so good that Special Counsel Mueller recommended no prison time.

    https://t.co/ASmjTzoBpL— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) December 7, 2018

    Looks like dumb & stupid junior wants dad in the slammer.

  39. 39.

    TenguPhule

    @Steve in the ATL:

    I extend a big FU to anyone and everyone who helped make this criminal president and who refuse to hold him accountable for his crimes.

    I believe the traditional gifts for traitors this holiday season are a glass of whiskey and a revolver with a single bullet in it.

  40. 40.

    lamh36

    @lamh36: Welp…looks like Maggie H is up. I just waiting on Maddow…let’s see if Maggie has anything other than Chump-isms

  41. 41.

    The Dangerman

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:

    …the Trump Organization for crimes; that’s his only child and the only thing he cares about.

    Don’t think so. He’s riding this thing all the way down just like that Escalator. At some point he’ll break (when they come for the gold plated commode, perhaps) but he’s going the distance (especially since, once he is no longer President, his rather rotund ass is Indicted).

  42. 42.

    TenguPhule

    @ruemara:

    I wonder what level of crime he and his administration will descend to to craft an escape? Because I firmly believe enough GOP donors and office holders are incriminated in this evidence that they’d do just about anything to make it stop.

    One of my ongoing fears is that they’ll try to assassinate Ginsberg or one of Obama’s appointees on the SC. Just to show us all that they really don’t give a fuck what the rules of civilization say, they aren’t gonna play by them.

  44. 44.

    Adam L Silverman

    @The Dangerman: Why yes, yes he is! He’s been claiming for several days now that he has a terrible memory. That he can’t remember who was on his show last week.

  48. 48.

    Cheryl Rofer

    It looks like Manafort for sure and perhaps Cohen were talking to people in the administration even as they were “cooperating” with the prosecutors.

    So what do you think they were talking about? Ivanka’s new fashion line?

    They were telling the administration what they were telling the prosecutors and possibly getting told what to tell the prosecutors, it looks like.

    From what I see on Twitter, this is the kind of thing that really, really angers prosecutors. Some folks gonna do long time.

    Stepping back a little ways, I just can’t imagine why people would do stuff like this. But I can’t imagine why they’d do what they were doing before. For money and power, yes. But I guess I am just not much of a risk-taker. And now we see why Putin and company are acting annoyed. Maybe f**k with the Southern District of New York, but I would not do that with Putin. OTOH, maybe being in a supermax will be restful and safe.

  50. 50.

    Cheryl Rofer

  51. 51.

    TenguPhule

    Donald J. Trump
    ✔
    @realDonaldTrump
    It is being reported that Leakin’ James Comey was told by Department of Justice attorneys not to answer the most important questions. Total bias and corruption at the highest levels of previous Administration. Force him to answer the questions under oath!

    53.6K
    11:49 AM – Dec 7, 2018

    Everything is either projection or a confession.

  53. 53.

    TenguPhule

    @p.a.:

    Wonder what’s up in the Pence household. Corks popping,

    Mother only gives him a Christmas present on Christmas Eve.

  54. 54.

    p.a.

    @TenguPhule:

    I believe the traditional gifts for traitors this holiday season are a glass of whiskey and a revolver with a single bullet in it.

    Only works on those with honor.

  58. 58.

    TenguPhule

    “Cohen’s submission suggests that this was but a brief error in judgment. Not so. Cohen knew exactly where the line was, and he chose deliberately and repeatedly to cross it.”
    “After cheating the IRS for years, lying to banks and to Congress, and seeking to criminally influence the Presidential election, Cohen’s decision to plead guilty – rather than seek a pardon for his manifold crimes – does not make him a hero.”

    So Cohen also lied about his own taxes too?

    oh boy oh boy oh boy.

  61. 61.

    TenguPhule

    Anna Massoglia
    ✔
    @annalecta
    Wild: Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) gets a head start to the revolving door, informing the House Ethics cmte she’s starting a lobbying firm—already registered as LJ Strategies LLC—even though she’s still a member of Congress facing votes on major bills https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/congress/article222791425.html …

    182
    9:27 AM – Dec 7, 2018

    These fucking crooks aren’t even going through the motions anymore.

  63. 63.

    NotMax

    @TengPhule

    Pence is so dumb he hangs astronaut boots from the ceiling and then insists Mother (chastely, of course) kiss him under the missile toe.

  64. 64.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Cheryl Rofer: What’s even more remarkable is that no one on either side of the conversations – not Cohen’s, not Manafort’s, not Manafort’s attorneys, not the President’s attorneys – even seemed to stop and consider that Mueller had Cohen and Manafort under electronic and signals surveillance. The Special Counsel and his investigators have everything. They have the call logs, they have audio and transcripts of the calls, they have the emails and texts.

  66. 66.

    The Dangerman

    @NotMax:

    …Bigly Wiggly.

    Isn’t a Biggly Wiggly a Worm for fishing? Something that slithers along the ground? Seems to fit.

  74. 74.

    TenguPhule

    Donald Trump’s secretary of veterans affairs, Robert Wilkie, once praised Confederate president Jefferson Davis as a “martyr to ‘The Lost Cause’”.

    In a 1995 speech, uncovered by CNN, Wilkie paid tribute to Davis as an “exceptional man in an exceptional age”. He delivered his remarks in front of a statue of Davis at the US Capitol, because of course he did. The event was naturally sponsored by the United Daughters of Confederacy.

    Wait, there’s more:

    CNN also found that Wilkie attended a pro-Confederate event as recently as 2009.

    A VA spokesman said the events Wilkie attended “were strictly historical in nature” and that he “stopped participating in them once the issue became divisive”.

    Wilkie has led the department of veterans affairs since July. His affinity for Confederate events was highlighted when his nomination was before the Senate, but Wilkie was nonetheless confirmed 86-9.

    This script is terrible and the cast are awful.

  79. 79.

    Jackie

    Isn’t Trump hosting a holiday party for senior staff tonight? It should be a festive evening lol

  85. 85.

    jl

    @lamh36: @Adam L Silverman:

    ” william-barr-trump-nomination-attorney-general-jeff-sessions ”
    The words in the link pretty much sum it up: William Barr – Jeff Sessions.
    I read up on Barr on wiki earlier today. Barr seems proof that New York can produce just as good a Sessions as Alabama.
    Barr also an important part of the darker aspects of the G.H.W Bush reign that somehow wasn’t mentioned much after he passed away. And that also bring up some uncomfortable thoughts about James Madison’s views on abuse of the pardon power and impeachment and removal from office.

  87. 87.

    poleaxedbyboatwork

    @TenguPhule:

    Everything is either projection or a confession.

    Confession via projection.

    Is Duenning-Krueger applicable to reactionary emotional retardation?

    The Emperor Ain’t Go No Clothes and the cowardly courtiers who wouldn’t say shit if their mouthes was fulluvit aspect of alla this is, at times, breathtaking.

    (And infuriating.)

  88. 88.

    TenguPhule

    @Adam L Silverman:

    You were expecting him to actually properly file his taxes?

    i did not expect this Christmas Gift.

    He can commend his soul to Satan, for his ass now belongs to the IRS.

  90. 90.

    Cheryl Rofer

  92. 92.

    oldgold

    George Conway is putting the needle to Trump tonight.

    George Conway
    @gtconway3d
    Except for that little part where the US Attorney’s Office says that you directed and coordinated with Cohen to commit two felonies. Other than that, totally scot-free.
    Donald J. Trump
    ✔
    @realDonaldTrump
    Totally clears the President. Thank you

  96. 96.

    poleaxedbyboatwork

    Donald “Cornered-Rat” Trump:

    @realDonaldTrump
    Totally clears the President. Thank you

    Totally clears the “president” … for indictment and/or impeachment.

    (Thank you.)

  97. 97.

    cynthia ackerman

    @lollipopguild:

    Different movie, but I’m breaking into “For two bits she’ll do a mazurka in jazz, with a view of Niagra that nobody has, and on a clear day you can see Alcatraz …”

  99. 99.

    Jay

    @TenguPhule:

    Murder?

    Anybody checking out the Individual #1 Towers basement with a ground penetrating radar?

    It would be irresponsible not to speculate.

  102. 102.

    Platonailedit

    Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's response to Donald Trump Jr. trolling her with idiotic dog memes:

    "It’s definitely a 'very, very large brain' idea to troll a member of a body that will have subpoena power in a month."

    I can't wait! Enjoy your subpoenas little Donnie!— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) December 8, 2018

    Is this the night where all the spawns show how deeply stupid they all are?

  103. 103.

    Gozer

    @TenguPhule: I fully believe, given how involved Russian/Eastern European organized crime has been in sex trafficking and Individual-1’s…proclivities, that serious scrutiny of the money trail is gonna reveal things like slavery and multiple instances of murder.

    These people have no bottom.

  107. 107.

    jl

    @Platonailedit: Nice little flap about this. Junior Trump apparently thought individual members of Congress had power of subpoena and ACO was threatening him. Both sides! Both sides!

    I imagine there will be grave debate over the issue on CNN soon.

  108. 108.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @TenguPhule:

    “In your own line of work, Lord Peter,” [said the Warden], “such conflicts of loyalty must frequently occur.”

    “Oh, yes. I once thought I had the agreeable choice between hanging either my brother or my sister. Fortunately, it came to nothing.”

    “But supposing it had come to something?” demanded Miss Barton, pinning the argumentum ad hominem with a kind of relish.

    “Oh, well—What does the ideal detective do then, Miss Vane?”

    “Professional etiquette,” said Harriet, “would suggest an extorted confession, followed by poison for two in the library.”
    — Dorothy L. Sayers, Gaudy Night

    “You see how easy it is, when you stick to the rules,” said Wimsey. “Miss Vane feels no compunction. She wipes me out with a firm hand, rather than damage my reputation.”

  109. 109.

    J R in WV

    @p.a.:

    Wonder what’s up in the Pence household. Corks popping, or waiting on the next shoe drop?

    Oh, no!!! They don’t drink, that’s a sin!!!!!

    Fraud on the government, treason, those are OK, but a drink of alcohol, THAT’s a sin!!!

  114. 114.

    jl

    @J R in WV: Someday, maybe we’ll find out what Mother meant when she told Mr. Pence on 2016 election night “Well, you got what you wanted, I hope you enjoy it.” Or something to that effect. Such a happy crowd, these people.

    And we thought the Obamas and Bidens were a fun bunch. But we were wrong.

  115. 115.

    TriassicSands

    @eemom:

    Tick fucking tock.

    Not at all, eemon. I’m quite certain that Trump’s conviction will totally exonerate him.

    And any felonies of which he is convicted won’t even be crimes.

    These are important points of law first established at the Trump University’s School of Law.

  118. 118.

    NotMax

    @jl

    Remember how cute and clever they thought it was to have the Trump females (except wife) dressed in gold and the Pence females (except wife) dressed in silver at the inauguration gig?

  123. 123.

    jl

    I’m looking forward to GOP Senators on the news show explaining how basically everything anything Trump probably done did is really just a process crime. Graham and Gohmert will be fun.

    Responsible news organizations should make a chyron of Trumps quote that runs endlessly (paraphrasing): it’s a shame what the dirty feds did to poor Al Capone, putting him away for effing tax evasion.

  124. 124.

    jl

    @NotMax: I avoided that stuff for a while. For several months actually. I don’t think I watched a second of the inauguration. I don’t remember watching any of it. And gritted my teeth when watching excerpts in news clips. I guess I wasn’t strong enough to gut it out.

  126. 126.

    jc

    Oh, the “Moscow Project” is the building deal they were trying to conclude. At first I assumed that “Moscow Project” referred to the conspiracy to cheat their way into the Presidency.

  131. 131.

    The Dangerman

    @Cheryl Rofer:

    Lotsa folks gonna do long time.

    If we got everyone, we’d need more prisons. I’m stunned at the level of corruption. And I’m sure a few Democrats deserve hard time, too. Maybe getting as many as possible will act as a deterrent.

  133. 133.

    jl

    @Adam L Silverman: Baudernalia!

    The new solstice holiday that Baud 2020! will introduce. Get that leadership cult started early. Will work great for those who like beer smokes and lotto tickets.

  142. 142.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Dorothy A. Winsor:

    This is about as off-topic as it’s possible to get (and none of my damn business, to boot), but are you by chance any relation or connection to Kathleen Winsor, author of Forever Amber? I ask only because the surname spelling is unusual.

  143. 143.

    Frankensteinbeck

    @lamh36:

    So will he resign (naw…he thinks he’s a “fighter’ so he never folds) or does he ride it out?

    Trump is a coward, not a fighter, but it’s moot. Trump is a malignant narcissist, and a hardcore one. He has no center, and depends entirely on external validation. He cannot abandon the title of ‘President of the United States.’ It is the second biggest external validation he can imagine, and ‘dictator’ doesn’t seem to be happening. It doesn’t matter if it makes him miserable. It’s proof he can point at that he’s The Best.

    I’d say if it gets closer to Ivanka…then maybe he resigns?

    Again, he will not, cannot resign. Ever. For anything. Anyway, Ivanka is valuable property, not a loved child in the sense we here would think of one. He’ll be pissed when someone takes his favorite toy away, but he won’t ever sacrifice himself for her.

    The question is, if he rides it out…does more of those voters turn away or not?

    No. Not enough to bother with. Among other things, finding out he was sex trafficking teenage girls as ‘models’ would make them think he’s cool. Nothing there is a realistic chance he would do will make them turn on him. Those things that would make them turn away are stuff like abandoning his bigotry. They love him and they’re getting what they want from him.

    the question is what does Chump do when he’s miserable

    Whine, hide in bed, hit a woman, or some combination of the three. Typical of narcissists.

    the question too, will Congressional Republicans actually shun him?

    It doesn’t look like it. Even if they weren’t concerned about losing base voters, Cleek’s Law drives them nearly as powerfully as it does the base.

  144. 144.

    Jay

    “1. Today I did the annual story on holiday decorations at the Governor’s residence. I’ve done it every year, for years. A very light but very fun story. Every year my reporting partner was Wendi Winters. This year, it was Selene. Wendi was murdered in June.
    Quote Tweet
    Donald J. Trump
    @realDonaldTrump
    FAKE NEWS – THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!
    8:32 PM · Dec 6, 2018 · Twitter Web Client”

    https://mobile.twitter.com/joshuamckerrow/status/1070898889757212672

  147. 147.

    Ken

    @Amir Khalid: I think they missed an opportunity. If they’d tagged Trump as “Individual 3”, he’d be tweeting 24/7 to brag that he was the most important one, Cohen and Manafort didn’t do a thing without his OK, everything was his idea…

  150. 150.

    Ken

    @Adam L Silverman: I expect it’s learned behavior – they’ve all been breaking the laws for years and haven’t been punished. Which is one reason punishment is so important this time around.

  154. 154.

    Ken

    @jl: If anyone says “Cohen only committed process crimes”, be sure to correct them. He was allowed to plead to only his low-level crimes in exchange for evidence that Tr — er, “Individual 1”, committed multiple felonies.

  158. 158.

    Amir Khalid

    @Ken:
    When I was a reporter, my newspaper (and others) would occasionally report on cases of father-on-daughter rape. The practice then was to leave a rape victim’s name out of any coverage to protect her privacy, but there was no such taboo against identifying the rapist, or describing any relationship to the victim. So such a story would get printed naming the rapist AND saying he was the victim’s dad — which of course identified the victim and defeated the aim of protecting her. I brought this up with my editor, he brought it up at his level, and the practice was changed in Malaysian newspapers.
    If you want to refrain from naming a person, for whatever reason, it seems self-defeating to give uniquely identifying details about them.

  159. 159.

    Amir Khalid

    @Ken:
    Trump probably would fall for that, if Mueller were inclined to do it. But Mueller is too much of a straight arrow to roll that way.
    Oh, before I forget:
    Der Müller Gottes mahlt langsam, aber mahlt außerordentlich fein.

  161. 161.

    Ken

    @Amir Khalid: Well, as Adam said, it’s a protocol and style thing, and there are obviously some rules for it. For example, I recall seeing something like “Individual 5 (MANAFORT)” in some of these, so there must be some event – possibly opening an indictment – to trigger the addition of the name.

    One thing I’m curious about, are the numbers consistent across the investigation? For example, is Tru – er, I mean, a certain person who became President of the United States in 2017 – always “Individual 1”? That would suggest someone assigned the numbers – and also that Trump has been the prime focus from the beginning (well, duh).

  162. 162.

    Adam L Silverman

    Somebody was asking about Hannity earlier:

  164. 164.

    moops

    @Adam L Silverman: I wish we had a better handle on the Hannity-Cohen connection. Hannity’s story sort of adds up. Someone to help him exploit a government screw up in HUD and pick up property cheap, at taxpayers expense. Given that behavior, there has to be something illegal in there. People with that lack of moral compass so easily slip into illegal optimizing strategies.

  165. 165.

    moops

    Process crimes? like a private legal email server? or a Uranium One diplomacy arrangement?

    Campaign crimes are serious crimes. Election tampering is a serious crime. More serious than personal finance crimes.

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