General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWatchdogs Sue Trump Administration Over Missing (translator) Notes From Putin (Helsinki) Meeting
BY VERA BERGENGRUEN
JUNE 18, 2019
A new lawsuit filed on Tuesday alleges that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo broke the law by allowing President Donald Trump to seize the notes from a key meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and failing to take any steps to preserve records of their other face-to-face meetings.
The lawsuit filed by American Oversight and Democracy Forward, two progressive non-profit government watchdog organizations, says that the Federal Records Act requires Pompeo to preserve the meeting notes prepared by State Department employees.
President Trump has taken unusual, and in some cases extreme, measures to conceal the details of these meetings, not only from the public at large, but also from key members of his administration, the filing says. As a result, there is a total absence of a detailed record of Trumps five in-person interactions with Putin over the last two years, even in classified files, the filing says.
Tuesdays lawsuit comes a week before the next G20 summit, which will take place in Osaka, Japan, on June 28 and 29. Although there is no official meeting planned, the Kremlin has said the two leaders could meet informally.
On the eve of another meeting between Presidents Trump and Putin, Secretary Pompeos actions ensure that our relationship with Russia remains shrouded in secrecy, with the American government left in the dark, said Anne Harkavy, the executive director of Democracy Forward.
While the lawsuit alleges that Pompeo repeatedly failed to document the presidents meetings with Putin, it focuses on Trumps actions at the G20 in Hamburg in July 2017, where he met with the Russian president for two hours with no aides present. Trump took possession of written notes documenting the meeting from the official who created them and instructed them not to discuss what was said at the meeting with other members of his administration, the filing says, citing details first reported by the Washington Post.
</snip>
Again, like everything else, what is he trying to hide???
safeinOhio
(32,680 posts)Da truth.
Scarsdale
(9,426 posts)Plus, he is getting away with it. I wonder WHEN Putin is going to realize that he backed the biggest loser in US politics? I would venture to say that even some gop members are looking for a way off this train to HELL with tRump.
maddiemom
(5,106 posts)panfluteman
(2,065 posts)Was all a part of Putin's master plan for destroying the United States. When the USA is in ruins, Benedict Donald will have served his purpose, and it will all be over - literally.
Farmer-Rick
(10,170 posts)spanone
(135,832 posts)duforsure
(11,885 posts)And its a huge National Security issue, that should be considered a high crime against our country hiding or destroying notes, and the person who took them should be called before Congress to testify what was said. It is a National Security threat , which is greater than his executive privilege claim he'll try to use.
FakeNoose
(32,639 posts)Aren't we entitled to the information under the FOIA? The American people need to know. Why weren't the Secret Service agents present in the same room? We're supposed to believe that nobody else was in the room accept Chump, Putin and the Russian translator?
I actually don't believe it, I just think they're lying about it.
Achilleaze
(15,543 posts)KGOP republican lies and secrets are dangerous for America.
panfluteman
(2,065 posts)Led by Moscow Mitch McConnel.
cutroot
(875 posts)Hermit-The-Prog
(33,346 posts)Laws mean nothing to the traitor.
machoneman
(4,007 posts)Never thought I'd say this but.....