Current Affairs Donald Trump POS: Judgement cometh and that right soon
- Thread starter kithnou
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Exbibit 100 that Trump is overpaying by getting Guiliani’s legal services for free.
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/arti...s-on-thin-ice-with-paul-manafort-pardon-quote
It’s bad enough that President Donald Trump is flirting with obstruction of justice by suggesting that he’s thinking of pardoning Paul Manafort as a reward for Manafort’s refusal so far to cooperate with the special counsel. But Rudy Giuliani, a former U.S. attorney, is part of the effort — and his latest comments are so close to the line of obstruction that they may actually have crossed it.
Giuliani, now one of Trump’s personal lawyers, told the Washington Post on Thursday that Trump had asked him about pardoning Manafort, who had been Trump’s presidential campaign manager. According to Giuliani — speaking to the newspaper, and thus to Manafort — Giuliani told Trump to wait until the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller was completed. This sounds like a direct message to Manafort: Wait out Mueller, and Trump will pardon you. Giuliani’s message goes beyond what Trump has said thus far, because it adds the component of specific timing to Trump’s generalities.
Timing is all-important to Manafort, who must constantly be asking himself whether Trump is bluffing. If Manafort, who was convicted this week on eight counts of tax fraud, wants to trade information with Mueller’s team, in exchange for a recommendation of a shorter prison term, he does not have much time. Once he is sentenced, his chance is gone, and he has to rely on a pardon to reduce his sentence. So Giuliani’s comments are highly material to the question of whether Manafort is being offered an inducement not to cooperate with officials.
Of course, it’s hard to prove definitively that Giuliani or Trump is making a direct offer to Manafort. But follow this thought experiment: Suppose Giuliani had said, “If Paul Manafort is listening, he should know that Donald Trump won’t pardon him until after the Mueller investigation is over. Then, he will — provided Manafort keeps his mouth shut.” That statement would certainly qualify as obstruction of justice. It could be prosecuted as a crime, even without further evidence. Giuliani would be corruptly inducing Manafort not to cooperate with an ongoing criminal investigation in exchange for the promise of a pardon. And Giuliani, unlike Trump, cannot try to claim that the pardon power itself gives him the right to make the offer. He’s not the president.
Now ask yourself: How could Giuliani get any closer to making the imaginary statement without actually saying the words? Manafort has been convicted and is awaiting sentencing. He’s listening to anything Trump might be communicating to him. All that’s missing is the form of words directly offering the quid pro quo. But that offer is implicit — and understood by everyone.
If you want further proof of Giuliani’s intent, consider the genuinely outrageous fact that Trump asked the opinion of his own criminal lawyer about when to pardon Manafort. That fact alone should be a scandal — or would be if we weren’t living in such a topsy-turvy world. The president is not supposed to be asking his personal attorney about how to exercise a presidential power that he is not supposed to use to protect himself. The White House counsel is the right person to ask for a question about pardon. He works for the president in his official capacity. Giuliani only works for Trump in so far as his job is to get Trump to avoid criminal liability. The fact that Trump is discussing the Manafort pardon with him is strong evidence that Trump is thinking of the pardon as a tool for protecting himself. That’s corrupt intent. That’s obstruction of justice.
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/arti...s-on-thin-ice-with-paul-manafort-pardon-quote
It’s bad enough that President Donald Trump is flirting with obstruction of justice by suggesting that he’s thinking of pardoning Paul Manafort as a reward for Manafort’s refusal so far to cooperate with the special counsel. But Rudy Giuliani, a former U.S. attorney, is part of the effort — and his latest comments are so close to the line of obstruction that they may actually have crossed it.
Giuliani, now one of Trump’s personal lawyers, told the Washington Post on Thursday that Trump had asked him about pardoning Manafort, who had been Trump’s presidential campaign manager. According to Giuliani — speaking to the newspaper, and thus to Manafort — Giuliani told Trump to wait until the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller was completed. This sounds like a direct message to Manafort: Wait out Mueller, and Trump will pardon you. Giuliani’s message goes beyond what Trump has said thus far, because it adds the component of specific timing to Trump’s generalities.
Timing is all-important to Manafort, who must constantly be asking himself whether Trump is bluffing. If Manafort, who was convicted this week on eight counts of tax fraud, wants to trade information with Mueller’s team, in exchange for a recommendation of a shorter prison term, he does not have much time. Once he is sentenced, his chance is gone, and he has to rely on a pardon to reduce his sentence. So Giuliani’s comments are highly material to the question of whether Manafort is being offered an inducement not to cooperate with officials.
Of course, it’s hard to prove definitively that Giuliani or Trump is making a direct offer to Manafort. But follow this thought experiment: Suppose Giuliani had said, “If Paul Manafort is listening, he should know that Donald Trump won’t pardon him until after the Mueller investigation is over. Then, he will — provided Manafort keeps his mouth shut.” That statement would certainly qualify as obstruction of justice. It could be prosecuted as a crime, even without further evidence. Giuliani would be corruptly inducing Manafort not to cooperate with an ongoing criminal investigation in exchange for the promise of a pardon. And Giuliani, unlike Trump, cannot try to claim that the pardon power itself gives him the right to make the offer. He’s not the president.
Now ask yourself: How could Giuliani get any closer to making the imaginary statement without actually saying the words? Manafort has been convicted and is awaiting sentencing. He’s listening to anything Trump might be communicating to him. All that’s missing is the form of words directly offering the quid pro quo. But that offer is implicit — and understood by everyone.
If you want further proof of Giuliani’s intent, consider the genuinely outrageous fact that Trump asked the opinion of his own criminal lawyer about when to pardon Manafort. That fact alone should be a scandal — or would be if we weren’t living in such a topsy-turvy world. The president is not supposed to be asking his personal attorney about how to exercise a presidential power that he is not supposed to use to protect himself. The White House counsel is the right person to ask for a question about pardon. He works for the president in his official capacity. Giuliani only works for Trump in so far as his job is to get Trump to avoid criminal liability. The fact that Trump is discussing the Manafort pardon with him is strong evidence that Trump is thinking of the pardon as a tool for protecting himself. That’s corrupt intent. That’s obstruction of justice.
Will depend on the crimes and polls
BirkenheadBlue
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So is Rudy Giuliani actually the worst lawyer in the world?
He’s gotta be top 3 at least?
He’s gotta be top 3 at least?
Never forget Murica, we came to your house and took it down.
Odd how members of the Trump family just happen to be close business associate with tax cheats
Reminds me of RAWK desperately closing threads
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