Tag: Trump’s Russian ties
Trump’s Lawyer Has Russian Ties
“The hard-charging New York lawyer President Trump chose to represent him in the Russia investigation has prominent clients with ties to the Kremlin, a striking pick for a president trying to escape the persistent cloud that has trailed his administration. … Marc Kasowitz’s clients include Oleg Deripaska, a Russian oligarch who is close to President Vladimir Putin and has done business with Trump’s former campaign manager. Kasowitz also represents Sberbank, Russia’s largest state-owned bank, U.S. court records show.”
— Washington Post
White House Provided Oversight, Distractions for Trump During Comey Testimony
45
New York Times: “In all, Mr. Trump watched only about 45 minutes of Mr. Comey’s testimony, the people close to the president said. Much of that time was spent under the eye of his take-charge personal lawyer, Marc E. Kasowitz, and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, one of the cabinet members he trusts most. This was by design, with the president’s tacit consent. His aides packed the day with meetings and speechwriting session.”
Comey Thought Trump Might Lie
“I was honestly concerned that he might lie.”
— Former FBI Director James Comey, quoted by the AP, testifying on why he created a memo on his January meeting with President Trump.
Warner Highly Critical of Trump’s Behavior at Comey Hearing
“This is not how a President of the United States behaves.”
— Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), quoted by Axios, in his opening statement before former FBI Director James Comey testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Clapper: Watergate Pales by Comparison
“I think if you compare the two, that Watergate pales, really, in my view, compared to what we’re confronting now.”
— Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, quoted by Reuters.2>
Majority Thinks Trump Fired Comey to Protect Himself
61%
A new ABC News-Washington Post poll finds 61% of Americans think President Trump fired FBI Director James Comey in order to protect himself rather than for the good of the country, and 56% think Trump is trying to interfere with official investigations of possible Russian influence in the 2016 election. “A broad seven in 10 also doubt Trump’s word on the Russia issue.”
Trump Might Live-Tweet During Comey’s Testimony
“The President is expected to be tweeting on Thursday in response to Comey — not to stay quiet during the testimony — because he himself wants to be the one driving the process.”
— Roberta Costa of the Washington Post, telling MSNBC that President Donald Trump might take to Twitter on Thursday in reaction to the planned congressional testimony of former FBI Director James Comey.
Top Law Firms Refused to Represent Trump in Russia Investigations
4
“Top lawyers with at least four major law firms rebuffed White House overtures to represent President Trump in the Russia investigations, in part over concerns that the president would be unwilling to listen to their advice,” Yahoo News reports.
What’s in a Meeting?
Kushner says the meeting was about making America great.
Gorkov says the meeting was about making money in real estate.
Who should we believe,
The princeling or the KGB?
Doesn’t matter — either the meeting or the lie could seal Jared’s fate.