AP Sources: Manafort tied to undisclosed foreign lobbying [Podesta link]

Associated Press ^ | 17 August 2016 3:13pm EDT | JEFF HORWITZ and DESMOND BUTLER

[blueplum]

....The intent of using the two lobbying firms was unclear, but ironically, one of firms Manafort and Gates worked with has strong Democratic and Clinton ties.

The founder and chairman of the Podesta Group, Tony Podesta, is the brother of longtime Democratic strategist John Podesta, who now is campaign chairman for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. The head of Mercury, Vin Weber, is an influential Republican, former congressman and former special policy adviser to Mitt Romney. Weber announced earlier this month that he will not support Trump. [snip]

In separate interviews, three current and former Podesta employees said disagreements broke out within the firm over the arrangement, which at least one former employee considered obviously illegal. Podesta, who said the project was vetted by his firm's counsel, said he was unaware of any such disagreements.

[blueplum]

We know most of the info about Manafort so that isn't exerpted. What I haven't seen reported is the prominent role of Podesta Group and Mercury LLC. Will John Podesta resign from Hillary's campaign ??

[SubMareener]

So now we know why Donald Trump announced the Conway and Bannon appointments today. He knew this crap was coming against Manafort and moved to totally defuse it. Brilliant!

[SteveH]

If this is true then it might be prudent for Trump to replace Manafort in his campaign org leadership, at least until the dust clears.

Since there are still ~80 days in the campaign until election day, this is not a threat to a Trump victory (unless Trump continues his association with Manafort through the “Scandal”).

i...mho...

[blueplum]

It was perfect timing on Trump’s part. And, it has caught Hillary flapping in the wind with her own campaign manager’s involvement. How long will she ignore it? And who were the congresscritters that were influenced and in what way ($$$) by the Podesta lobbyists? Putting Manafort under the microscope opened a whole #5 can of worms on the Dems.

[Catsrus]

Did you read the article? This is a nothing burger. Everyone knows that Manafort worked as a lobbyist in the Ukraine. That isn’t a secret. This is just more of the MSM trying to bring down Trump, while ignoring all the crooks who have surrounded the Clintons.

[ScaniaBoy]

Hillary’s Campaign Manager Lobbies for a Bank That Transfers Money to Pro-Russia Terrorists

Bipartisanship Reigns. Hillary Clinton Fixer And Bag Man, John Podesta, Took Paul Manafort’s Russian Cash

http://www.russia-direct.org/opinion/strange-link-between-panama-papers-kremlin-and-hillary-clinton

Left-Wing Media Ignores Hillary Clinton’s Campaign Chairman Bagging $35 Million from Putin

Just a very quick search yielded these and many more hits.

Interesting that the "bumbling amateur" Trump seems to have reacted preemptively, not least by attaching Steve Bannon to his campaign (see threads from Breitbart News), whereas the "consummate politician" Hillary Clinton seems to be at slee behind the wheel. Or maybe she is just counting on the fact that CNN and other MSM outlets will refuse to touch the Podesta part of the story.

[ScaniaBoy]

The third link should be:

The strange link between the Panama Papers, the Kremlin and Hillary Clinton

[867V309]

Podesta. Just let that name roll out of your mouth. Podesta.

[jazminerose]

Weren’t Podesta and Soros running buddies on a crime spree raping the dying Soviet Union in the 1990s on the taxpayers’ dime?

I could be wrong, but I thought Podesta was his partner in that spree.

[ScaniaBoy]

Some more background info on the Podesta brother’s lobby venture:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/feb/13/tony-podesta-group-iraq-lobbying

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/saudi-efforts-to-modernise-their-economy-away-from-oil-are-just-pr-tactics-and-the-west-is-lapping-a7004691.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-3745630/Trump-campaign-chairman-helped-pro-Russians-Ukraine-money-U-S-firms—AP.html

[ScaniaBoy]

Bit further afield, but not much:

Soros - Center for American Progress (CAP)-Podesta-Hillary Clinton

Hillary Emails: Lovefest with Soros-Backed Left Wing Think Tank

CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS (CAP) - discover the networks

[Candor7]

Weber announced earlier this month that he will not support Trump>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Hey, this is righteous. Trump is passing every test as to whether he will clean up Washington.

Trumps move concerning Manafort is brilliant.

[sakic]

Is there any doubt that someday this guy will play Paul Manafort in a film?

[Candor7]

Your photo is not visible on my end.

[pieceofthepuzzle]

“It was perfect timing on Trump’s part. And, it has caught Hillary flapping in the wind with her own campaign manager’s involvement.”

Exactly.

[DoughtyOne]

But believe us..., not Hillary. She would never do that!

Isn’t it a crack-up what the media will and won’t cover.

[blueplum]

thanks for the links, SB; I’ve added them to my reading list for tonite!

bkmk