Robert Mueller’s big catch was low-level, unpaid intern

NY Post ^ | October 30, 2017 | Paul Sperry

[Oshkalaboomboom]

While the Russia-obsessed media self-combust, the biggest takeaway isn’t “Russia collusion,” but the revelation, buried in footnotes, that the FBI has had in its possession “high-level” Trump campaign ­e-mails since last year — and yet all investigators could get out of them is a false-statement guilty charge against a young, unpaid campaign aide.

From e-mail exchanges among “high-ranking campaign officials” examined by investigators — including Paul Manafort — there apparently has emerged no evidence of collusion or espionage by the campaign.

We can glean this from the just-unsealed indictment of George Papadopoulos, who volunteered to work on the Trump campaign’s foreign policy advisory council, which met just one time.

In the 14-page document, Robert Mueller’s prosecutors maintain that Papadopoulos, a twentysomething think-tank nerd who jumped ship from the Ben Carson campaign, met with individuals posing as Russian officials who promised dirt on Hillary Clinton.

There was nothing illegal about what Papadopoulos did. The only crime alleged in the indictment is that he lied to federal agents when they asked him about the contacts last January.

It is fairly plain from the indictment that the young campaign volunteer was trying to impress higher-ups in the campaign, perhaps with a White House assignment in mind, but was played for a sucker by con artists who approached him masquerading as Russian honchos tied to Vladimir Putin. (The contact portrayed as “Putin’s niece,” for example, turned out to be nothing of the kind.)

The initial Russia offer by Papadopoulos went nowhere, as other members of the foreign policy team rejected the suggestion, according to a Washington Post story published in August (yes, this is old news, new media huffing-and-puffing notwithstanding). But Papadopoulos persisted, e-mailing then-campaign manager Lewandowski in April 2016 that “Putin wants to host the Trump team when the time is right.”

[Oshkalaboomboom]

Now that the Trump-Russia story is falling apart and Mueller at least looks like a fool and at most looks like he's up to his eyeballs in the real collusion story I'm hoping he tries to salvage his reputation by going hard after the Podestas and the Clinton Foundation.

[House Atreides]

Not going to happen. Mueller is 100% Swamp-critter from head to toes.

[Defiant]

Stupid intern, alll he had to do was say he didn’t intend to violate the law. Comey says that’s not a crime.

[no-to-illegals]

mueler’s job is to provide distraction ... mueller is a democrat and clinton pawn ...

[Slyfox]

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Oshkalaboomboom.

• World-Renowned Journalist Who Exposed Clinton Foundation Found Dead

[Ciexyz]

btt

[stormhill]

You're probably right.
There are three likely scenarios here. Mueller can cut his losses and close the investigation with the prosecution of some poor schlemiel as a face-saving gesture. He can leverage a low level indictment into snatching a bigger fish perhaps all the way to Trump. The most likely outcome, he will simply drag this out through every election Trump will face including mid-terms to be used as campaign talking points for Democrats.

How Mueller is above being himself indicted is beyond my comprehension.

[exnavy]

Mew-lr is a hitlery lap kitten.

[Songcraft]

That's the kind of fish you throw back in when you catch them, isn't it?

       

[stillfree?]

So sad, but true. The Queen walks free, while this poor guy is indicted.

[.45 Long Colt]

Perhaps this low-level intern will prove far more important than some seem to think. Perhaps he will prove to be part of a criminal attempt to infect the Trump campaign. Jeffrey Toobin is excited at the prospect he wore a wire and recorded Trump associates. If I were Toobin, I’d be concerned he wore a wire and recorded Hillary/Obama associates.

Most still can’t see what’s happening.

[Vermont Lt]

I don’t disagree that this guy is a nobody. But why would they arrest a nobody? And announce it the same day?

There is a nagging, very small voice that says watch this guy.

[DAVEY CROCKETT]

George Papadopoulos is an American former campaign staffer who served in Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Wikipedia
Born: Chicago, IL
Nationality: American

Best I can tell this guy lives with another family, hasn’t had a real job

[mad_as_he$$]

You have to be weapons grade stupid to talk to the FBI without your lawyer present.

[Vlad The Inhaler]

This Time We Got Him For Sure!

[Tom Bombadil]

It looks to me like a McMaster conviction or guilty plea is the goal here.

Any obstruction of justice charge against Trump will hinge on McMaster being convicted of something. Comey is the one who made notes on a meeting about McMaster and leaked them in order to trigger a special prosecutor for obstruction of justice aimed at the president.

This is not a “Russia” special prosecutor, it is an “obstruction of justice” prosecutor.

[9YearLurker]

The presumption is that he wore a wire at the FBI’s request to try to ensnare others.