Posted on 07/22/2017 8:01:24 AM PDT by Rusty0604
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. investigators examining money laundering accusations against President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort hope to push him to cooperate with their probe into possible collusion between Trump's campaign and Russia, two sources with direct knowledge of the investigation said.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team is examining Manafort's financial and real estate records in New York as well as his involvement in Ukrainian politics, the officials said.
Between 2006 and 2013, Manafort bought three New York properties, including one in Trump Tower in Manhattan. He paid for them in full and later took out mortgages against them. A former senior U.S. law enforcement official said that tactic is often used as a means to hide the origin of funds gained illegally. Reuters has no independent evidence that Manafort did this.
The sources also did not say whether Mueller has uncovered any evidence to charge Manafort with money laundering, but they said doing so is seen by investigators as critical in getting his full cooperation in their investigation.
"If Mueller's team can threaten criminal charges against Manafort, they could use that as leverage to convince him to cooperate," said one of the sources.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Right. It's also a way to take cash out of a property and transfer the risk of a real estate collapse to a mortgage lender. Anyone who has even a basic understanding of commercial real estate investing is shaking their heads and laughing a the idiocy of this Reuters story line.
No. I think there are plenty of threads to Investigate. I am not privy to Investigatory materials so I have no way to judge if someone committed a chargeable offense. Certainly the jody kriss racketeering lawsuit is opening up info.
For example..just step back and look at manafort strange dealings. There is absolutely a reason to Investigate. Doesnt mean they will find a chargeable offense.
Money laundering investigations can take years
The liberal inquisition continues if you have no facts just make some up media winks.
He could practically sit there in a grand jury and tell them: "Yeah -- I embezzled $5 million from a bank in 2006 to pay for the first property I purchased." ... and there would be nothing a Federal prosecutor could do about it.
Based on what we've seen from the media over the last six months, I'd say there's no better than a 50% chance that what you're reading is accurate anyway. And this isn't because the media is deliberately lying, either ... it's because whoever is providing the information to the media -- and it may very well be Trump people doing this -- is deliberately lying to them.
Mueller is WAY OUT OF LINE if he is looking for crimes not associated with the Trump campaign, which didn't even exist before 2015.
DOJ Order 3915-2017 has a clear scope, and it does not include money laundering that predates the Trump campaign.
(b) The Special Counsel is authorized to conduct the investigation confirmed by then-FBI Director James B. Comey in testimony before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on March 20, 2017, including:(i) any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump; and
(ii) any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation; and
(iii) any other matters within the scope of 28 C.F.R. 600.4(a).
Operating outside of this authorization would be grounds for removal, or at least grounds to REJECT any recommendation for prosecution outside of the authorized scope.
Mueller and Rosenstein should be called on to make a public statement regarding reports that Mueller is investigating crimes that happened before the campaign came into existence. Rosenstein is responsible, himself, for the jurisdiction that Mueller takes. Yes, he can defer, but the ultimate decision for limiting the jurisdiction is Rosenstein's, and he exercised that power in DOJ Order 3915-2017.
With the team Mueller has assembled it is dangerous. Like “Legal Insurrection” article, “ They found the man, now they will find the crime”.
Manafort and DJT, Jr. are free to disclose 100% of the contents of those hearings afterwards.
Don’t be silly - he’s a Democrat!
They should all plead the 5th until this is over..unless they cut a deal.
If you dig into anyone’s finances at that level, you may find some things you could re-frame as criminal if you wanted to.
If you limit your investigations to people you want to get, and refuse to investigate people on your side, you accomplish two things. You punish or frighten your enemies into submission, and you make your friends entirely dependent upon your good graces.
I have a feeling there are few people at the top levels of government who aren’t already bribed and blackmailed into conformity. The ones who aren’t, who become a threat, you’re on the list. They’ll be getting to you presently.
Good question. I would also ask two additional questions:
1. Does the MSM actually know what Mueller and his team are doing or is this disinformation?
2. If this information is accurate, what would motivate a person to violate their ethical and legal responsibility to keep it confidential?
Trump needs to understand what he is facing. This is war to the finish. He needs to launch his own investigation of Mueller and company and prepare to have him removed in the most humiliating way possible. This is a slow-motion coup d'état, and he has to understand it in those terms.
Day dreamers
I once took out a mortgage on some property that I originally paid cash for. I also voted for Trump. Does this mean that Mueller will be after me?
That’s what I think. Investigation into Trump’s personal finances, or anybody’s that was connected to him, that has nothing to do with the campaign time period or Russia is outside the scope.
Financial dealing are within the scope as is anything he finds while Investigating.
Trump can point out conflicts..but if he fires mueller it will blow up in his face at this point. As I believe Jim N. said early on..he needed to do the firing right away.
Trump clearly doesnt want his taxes or business dealings Investigated. Doesnt mean he did anything wrong in them..might just fear leaks..and rightly so.
What assurance do we have that Reuters verified that these two sources actually do have direct knowledge of the investigation?
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