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Andrew C. McCarthy: Why Trump is likely to be indicted by Manhattan US Attorney
https://www.foxnews.com ^ | December 08 2018 | By Andrew McCarthy

Posted on 12/08/2018 10:25:47 PM PST by Para-Ord.45

The major takeaway from the 40-page sentencing memorandum filed by federal prosecutors Friday for Michael Cohen, President Trump’s former personal attorney, is this: The president is very likely to be indicted on a charge of violating federal campaign finance laws.

It has been obvious for some time that President Trump is the principal subject of the investigation still being conducted by the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.

..But when Cohen pleaded guilty in August, prosecutors induced him to make an extraordinary statement in open court: the payments to the women were made “in coordination with and at the direction of” the candidate for federal office – Donald Trump.

...Moreover, campaign finance infractions are often settled by payment of an administrative fine, not turned into felony prosecutions. To be sure, federal prosecutors in New York City have charged them as felonies before – most notably in 2014 against Dinesh D’Souza, whom Trump later pardoned.

In marked contrast, though, when it was discovered that Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign was guilty of violations involving nearly $2 million – an amount that dwarfs the $280,000 in Cohen’s case – the Obama Justice Department decided not to prosecute. Instead, the matter was quietly disposed of by a $375,000 fine by the Federal Election Commission.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
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To: Para-Ord.45

I’ts a nothing burger.


101 posted on 12/09/2018 7:49:37 AM PST by Rappini (Compromise has its place. It's called second.)
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To: Para-Ord.45

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2018/08/22/mark_levin_legal_for_candidate_to_spend_money_on_something_that_occurred_not_as_a_result_of_the_campaign.html

https://www.foxnews.com/transcript/former-fec-chairman-bradley-smith-talks-campaign-finance-law


102 posted on 12/09/2018 7:59:57 AM PST by sheikdetailfeather
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To: Para-Ord.45

Former FEC Chairman To Mark Levin: Stormy Daniels Money Cannot Be In Kind Campaign Contribution 5-12-18

https://www.dailywire.com/news/29365/former-fec-chairman-mark-levin-stormy-daniels-jacob-airey


103 posted on 12/09/2018 8:19:11 AM PST by sheikdetailfeather
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To: Wayne07

Cohen, apparently, worked for Trump for years. How can you distinguish this act of paying off bimbos between the campaign and Cohen’s prior service? Seems like this is the type of work Cohen did prior to the election.


104 posted on 12/09/2018 8:26:21 AM PST by sox_the_cat
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To: M. Thatcher; sox_the_cat
Michael Cohen, who was working for the campaign

Wrong.

Unfortunately for everyone, Cohen is an idiot, and took a campaign email address, and then invoiced the Trump org for campaign related services in order to get paid back . Dumb mistake that his going to jail for. There is no credible claim that the payments aren't campaign related.

105 posted on 12/09/2018 8:49:31 AM PST by Wayne07
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To: stylin19a

Didn’t the obama campaign also deliberately disable the address verification component of credit card verification in order to be able to accept foreign contributions?


106 posted on 12/09/2018 8:51:14 AM PST by Sgt_Schultze (When your business model depends on slave labor, you're always going to need more slaves.)
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To: Wayne07

And at least Pres Trump didn’t tell Cohen to lie about them. Pres Clinton did that and still kept his Presidency and won reelection.


107 posted on 12/09/2018 8:53:00 AM PST by marajade
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To: nutmeg

https://twitter.com/Saymyname8418/status/1071145982686097408


108 posted on 12/09/2018 8:53:46 AM PST by MarMema (don't forget to stock up on dogfood)
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To: Fungi

You realize anyone attempting to discipline the ass AG of New York will be attacked for obstructing justice. They will be indicted and taken to a marxist court where they will be convicted and sent to prison. The DOJ and the federal court system is a completely rigged game. They will indict and it will be used as the cover needed for congress to impeach. Planned from the git go IMHO assuming the “blue wave” came in. Hope you are right but I think I am.


109 posted on 12/09/2018 8:53:49 AM PST by Nuc 1.1 (Nuc 1 Liberals aren't Patriots. Remember 1789!)
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To: marajade
How do you know he paid them off just because of the election? Maybe he paid them off so they wouldn’t tell Melania.

It doesn't matter what the intent was, because Cohen muddled the money trail by involving the campaign and taking a campaign email address. If Cohen was a better lawyer, he could have kept the payment clean, and there would be no issue. Cohen is such a moron that he actually invoiced the Trump org for campaign related services to get paid back for the hush money. Cohen deserves to go to jail for being such an idiot.

110 posted on 12/09/2018 8:54:09 AM PST by Wayne07
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To: Wayne07

How did Cohen involve the campaign? There were no campaign monies involved.


111 posted on 12/09/2018 8:56:53 AM PST by marajade
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To: nutmeg
Seems to be almost all about the UN migration signing next weekend in Europe.

There is an Irish Yellow Jackets movement on twitter and surprise! A group began a Canadian Yellow Vest movement on facebook and it now has 20,000 members. 15,000 of them joined in the last 24 hours.

112 posted on 12/09/2018 8:58:06 AM PST by MarMema (don't forget to stock up on dogfood)
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To: Para-Ord.45

A Trump indictment paper is the prosecutor’s death warrant


113 posted on 12/09/2018 9:00:27 AM PST by bert ( (KE. N.P. N.C. +12) Invade Honduras. Provide a military government)
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To: marajade
1: All money is campaign money if you work for the campaign

2: He billed Trump Org for campaign services to get paid back for the hush money, so he explicitly made it campaign money at that point.

There was a huge grey area to make these payments if Cohen was careful, but he wasn't and made it very black and white. He is going to jail for it.

114 posted on 12/09/2018 9:13:22 AM PST by Wayne07
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To: sheikdetailfeather

Informative and clear - no violation by Trump.

Thanks for that!


115 posted on 12/09/2018 9:25:10 AM PST by 1FreeAmerican
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To: hanamizu

Why, silly me! I guess Rob Reiner’s right, after all!


116 posted on 12/09/2018 9:45:54 AM PST by Flaming Conservative ((Pray without ceasing))
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To: Para-Ord.45

I am astounded that McCarthy gives this scenario any credence whatsoever.

He must just be looking for TV time.

Though later in the article he indicates Trump would argue it’s not even a crime if everything transpired as Mueller alleges.

And that argument would prevail in any court. If for no other reason than it’s never, ever prosecuted (payoffs to whores by candidates).

Of course the SDNY could attempt to indict over it. But there would never be a conviction, either in a Federal court and jury, or on the floor of the Senate if the Democrats are stupid enough to run with it.

Let’s hope they are.

I would love to see Democrats impeach over payoffs to whores.


117 posted on 12/09/2018 10:10:17 AM PST by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: Wayne07

Cohen was Trump’s personal attorney and had been for several years. Years before Trump even decided to run for office.

And who cares how Cohen characterizes it, Cohen is an adjudged perjurer.


118 posted on 12/09/2018 10:59:43 AM PST by marajade
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To: Mariner

I hope you’re right, but I think you’re underestimating the evil of the SDNY, AND it’s jury pool.


119 posted on 12/09/2018 11:11:27 AM PST by Flaming Conservative ((Pray without ceasing))
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To: marajade
Cohen was Trump’s personal attorney and had been for several years. Years before Trump even decided to run for office. And who cares how Cohen characterizes it, Cohen is an adjudged perjurer.

We aren't relying on how Cohen characterizes it. We now have the court docs so these are now the facts in evidence. Doesn't matter if Cohen used to be his personal attorney once he starts doing work for the campaign. Cohen left a paper trail. Cohen is going to jail and didn't get any leniency for cooperating.

120 posted on 12/09/2018 11:11:39 AM PST by Wayne07
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