Michael Cohen’s offices raided by FBI

Oh ha ha ha this story just gets richer and richer. Extraordinary circumstances required to get approval for a search warrant on a lawyer’s office. Particularly extraordinary to search the president’s lawyer.

We have a civil war between the executive branch and law enforcement.

Reports that the FBI seized records going back DECADES. Financial improprieties in the Trump organization since well before he ran for office, all now fodder for the Mueller investigation.

Our first president to serve from behind bars.

I haven't seen the remark about records going back decades in the articles I've read about the FBI raid. Cohen has only worked for Agent Orange since about 2006. I wonder what the old records are.

I guess you're right, since 2006... but that should be enough.

In the decade since 2006 Trump has laundered a lot of Russian drug money through his real estate deals.

He's dodged a lot of taxes.

He's filed a lot of lawsuits and entered into an unknown number of NDAs with sexual partners.

He's had financial dealings with several foreign nationals on the US list of prohibited individuals.

And that's just what I know about.

Lots of open speculation that tomorrow the Trumpster will lob a couple of cruise missiles into Syria to divert attention from his legal problems.  Many references being made to Barry Levinson’s “Wag The Dog.”

Some are even speculating that during the uproar over an illegal and frankly stupid incursion Trump will try to quietly fire Rosenstein and Chris Wray.

It’ll be interesting to see if a newly-freed Paul Ryan will draw up papers of impeachment.  I think he has his eyes on the job.

Ahem.

Wait, Did Stormy Daniels’ Lawyer Just Hint That a $1.6 Million Abortion Payout May Have Been for Trump and Not That GOP Donor?

For a guy who demands loyalty from his syncophants, he sure is quick to throw everybody under the bus to try to save his own skin.

Cohen and Manafort are screwed. Today’s filings are devastating.

And they spell out, in black & white, how “Individual 1” (“who ran a successful campaign for President of the United States”) directed these crimes, and is thus also guilty of federal crimes.

Astonishing.

Cohen was just sentenced to three years in federal prison.

The man who said he would take a bullet for Trump is now wearing an orange jumpsuit. Next up: everybody else.

Michael Cohen to Accuse Trump of Criminal Activity

Cohen's open-session testimony tomorrow could prove the first step in turning the 89% of Republicans who say they still support him. Including Senators who have to vote on the state of emergency.

You can plan on Trump doing something OUTRAGEOUS in Hanoi to try to capture the news cycle.  I'm betting he'll announce an end to the Korean War, even without consulting the South.

Cohen: Trump's a liar.

Republicans: Cohen is a liar.

Yeah, we knew all that. Republicans would like this whole thing to go away, but the weight of evidence is overwhelming. No amount of grandstanding is going to change public opinion -- pro OR con.

Zing!  (After establishing that Cohen's lawyer is not being paid by Democratic operatives)

Rep. Jordan: Are you saying your lawyer will wait three years to get paid?

Cohen (consults with lawyer): Yes.

Jordan: wow, I've never heard of a lawyer ...

Cohen: I guess he thinks it's important.

Zing! (After Mr. Jordan establishes that Cohen has lied before)

Cohen: I find it very interesting that you and your colleagues haven't asked a single question about Mr. Trump. I thought that's why I was here, to discuss what I know about Mr. Trump. I have already confessed my crimes. But all you seem to be interested in is rehashing my crimes.

Wow. Rep. Krishnamoorti asked Cohen if he'd had any discussions with Trump. Cohen said his last interaction was 2 months after his offices and house were raided.

Krishnamoorti: Can you describe what was said in those meetings?

Cohen: this matter is currently under investigation by SDNy and I have been told not to discuss it.

Cohen actually defended the president a couple of times. Stories he was asked to track down and "catch & kill" were that Trump had a love child from one of his affairs, and that there was a videotape of him hitting his wife in an elevator. Cohen said neither story was paid off because they weren't true.

He also said Trump never told him to lie before congress. Trump just repeated the story he wanted told, which just happens not to be true. A subtle difference.

Everyone is focused--and by "everyone" I mean CNN, MSNBC, Fox, others--on the payments to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal.  Personally i don't see these as the president's largest legal liabilities.  Campaign finance violations are small potatoes.  Federal charges, but minor ones, rarely prosecuted, and with minimal penalties.

He has much worse skeletons in his closet.

Elijah Cummings summation after the hearing actually brought me to tears. His plea that “we’re better than this” and for a return to normalcy was powerful.

Will it be heeded?  Will it make any difference?  Time will tell.

Casting out a thuggish witness intimidator would be a good start.

NoCoPilot wrote:

Cohen's open-session testimony tomorrow could prove the first step in turning the 89% of Republicans who say they still support him.  Including Senators who have to vote on the state of emergency.

Meh. I didn't see enough bombshells to change anyone's mind. Everything Cohen stated, we knew already. Some Representatives, particularly AOC, led the witness to "name names" for future congressional hearings, but it appears the bad behavior is still of the non-explosive type and will simply dribble out month-after-month until Mueller pulls the trigger.

Cohen was rounded up and brought back to jail today, after "violating the terms" of his at-home confinement due to coronavirus.

On the same day Trump loses his Supreme Court case over Cohen's revelations.

Coincidence?

Or are we about to see another jailhouse "suicide"?

Ah. Rachel just explained what Cohen did to initiate his return to prison.

It was an expected violation of his gag order, his scheduled press conference to make a public statement today. So William Barr revoked his probation and yanked him back to prison and away from any microphones.

Wow. That’s seriously corrupt. That’s seriously fucked up.

NoCoPilot wrote:

Wow. That’s seriously corrupt.  That’s seriously fucked up.

And it might be seriously illegal.  At 11:00am EST tomorrow a New York Federal Appeals court will hear Michael Cohen's lawsuit that his reapprehension was specifically to prevent him speaking to the press, and to prevent him from writing a book, both of which would have been critical of president Drumpf.

And both are federally-protected First Amendment rights.

He might be set free again, on this judge's say-so -- pitting the NYFDC against Bill Barr's DOJ once again.  Interesting times, interesting times.

The judge just released Cohen from confinement.

Trump & Barr just can’t get the law on their side.