Rand Paul defends Trump by questioning whether financial crimes actually count as crimes.

[DetlefK]

https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meet-press-december-9-2018-n945771

SEN. RAND PAUL:

You know, I think what's interesting about this is people forget history. The Federal Elections Commission actually ruled on this with John Edwards. They actually came up with a ruling and said that, "You know what? The paying of his mistress was not a -- was not a campaign finance violation." But I think it's bigger than this. And I think we have to decide in our society if -- there are thousands and thousands of rules. It's incredibly complicated, campaign finance. We have to decide whether or not really criminal penalties are the way we should approach criminal finance. I personally think that if someone makes an error in filing paperwork or in not categorizing a campaign contribution correctly, it shouldn't be jail time. It ought to be a fine. And so it's just like a lot of other things that we've done in Washington. We've over criminalized campaign finance.

Oopsie-doodle.

Don't you hate it when you are all innocently structuring the payoff of your mistress through a shell corporation to make her shut up in time for your electoral campaign, and then all of a sudden people start pointing fingers at you?

Or when the US has sanctions that say "Don't do business with Russia" but you really, really want to do business with Russia?

Or when you are all innocently selling US real-estate to the shell-corporation of a foreigner, for triple the price, for cash, and without a contract that documents who actually bought that real-estate and where the money came from?

[dameatball]

1. That sounds like a statement from a man that is worried about his own money trail, not Trump's.

[dem4decades]

3. Does his or his father's money trail go through Russia?

[dameatball]

6. I don't know, but his recent trip to Russia raises some questions. I think maybe Mueller knows.

Crimes are crimes, financial or otherwise. Rand Paul's reasoning makes no sense and to me indicates a motive. What that motive is I do not know..

[DetlefK]

9. Ron Paul is a regular contributor for Russia Today.

Regular interviews as well as Op-eds.

[dem4decades]

13. 20committee made some allegations a while ago.

About the old man's foundation i believe.

Will Mueller investigate Russian money or is that out of his area of investigation?

[dsc]

2. I live in NC and Edwards was prosecuted for that very behavior

yes he got 1 acquittal and the rest of the charges hung but he was indeed prosecuted and the man who prosecuted him is still in Congress having just won his latest race.

[RKP5637]

4. Hmmm ... Ask Bernie Madoff! n/t

[dalton99a]

5. Al Capone should be given a posthumous pardon for his paperwork errors

[benld74]

7. One can counter with if Rand

Can be considered to be a Senator

Because the word is in front of his name

[bluestarone]

8. Rand Paul must

Looking for a pardon!!!!!!!!!!!

[LuckyLib]

10. Funny about that -- sticking up a 7-11 is a crime.

Stealing from American taxpayers should be exempt!

[Hermit-The-Prog]

11. yeah, hate when that happens

Ha!

Shuffle those shell companies in a global 3 card monte scam.

[JDC]

12. Where is his neighbor when we need him...?

[TheFarseer]

14. I've seen a libertarian argue that

A bank should be able to bury a clause in a thousand pages of disclaimer that they can just take the money in your savings account for any reason and the only recourse you would have is to write a bad online review. “If they get enough bad reviews, they’ll be out of business. That’s capitalism!” Don’t be surprised. Libertarians basically don’t believe in laws.

[LiberalFighter]

15. He makes shit up.