On Friday, federal prosecutors in Manhattan and the special counsel, Robert Mueller, delivered a potentially devastating one-two punch against President Trump. Coming late in the day, they made for bracing end-of-the-week reading.
Calling on the court to impose a sentence of substantial imprisonment against Michael Cohen, the president’s former personal attorney, prosecutors in the Southern District of New York stated that Mr. Trump, the Trump Organization and the campaign were all directly involved in an illegal scheme to silence two women who claimed they had affairs with Mr. Trump. Prosecutors wrote that payments made by Mr. Cohen and other actions were taken “with the intent to influence the 2016 presidential election” and pursued “in coordination with and at the direction of Individual 1” — that is, Mr. Trump.
The Trump Organization’s reimbursements to Mr. Cohen for payments were fraudulently disguised as legal fees — and, according to the memo, were approved by senior executives at the organization. The New York prosecutors also disclosed that they are investigating.
Takeaways from a frenetic week of Mueller filings
The special counsel left a series of public hints that prosecutors are closing in on President Donald Trump and his inner circle.
Here are eight takeaways from a frenetic week of Mueller filings:
1.
Prosecutors say Trump was linked to serious campaign finance crimes, but they don’t accuse him of illegal activity.
2.
But there’s a potential wrinkle in any legal case against Trump over the payments.
3.
Others at the White House could be in trouble.
4.
So could others in Trump’s wider circle.
5.
Mueller is chipping away at Trump’s “no collusion” mantra.
6.
Mueller is lenient with those who cooperate - and he’ll excoriate those who don’t.
7.
Mueller’s filings could provide a road map for Democrats intent on impeachment.
8.
Mueller has plenty more work to do.
There’s more on Mueller’s to-do list.
Manafort’s two sentencings are scheduled for February and March. And Mueller’s office said in mid-November that Gates, who remained in Trump’s orbit long after Manafort’s ouster in 2016, was still providing information in “several ongoing investigations” and told the court it wasn’t ready to put his sentencing date on the calendar.
Longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone and his associate Jerome Corsi have both said they expect to be indicted by Mueller’s team.
And Mueller remains locked in at least two legal battles over subpoenas for witnesses. One case, involving Stone associate Andrew Miller, awaits a decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, with Miller’s lawyers vowing to try for a Supreme Court hearing next year if they lose. Another challenge, involving a mystery appellant, is scheduled for oral arguments Friday.
From a historical perspective, Mueller’s investigation appears far more complex than the two other major independent counsel probes since Watergate: the Reagan-era investigation into secret U.S. arms sales to Iran and one into scandals surrounding Bill Clinton.
Both of those sprawling probes - from the investigator’s initial appointment to the release of a final report - took more than seven years to complete
Sit back and enjoy the ride, folks
In reply to Casper
What a load of crap!
All you have stated is a bucket of wish lists for haters of Trump.
Nothing in any of those filings prove The President is in legal or political jeopardy.
In reply to Casper
Please see ADDENDUM 1
