Is it just me or does someone else believe that...

[pink]

Trump accepted bribes for many of the pardons he has so far given. He is such a despicable character that I wouldn't put anything past him. I also cant believe that all the executions that he has been pushing for over the last few months hasn't been more publicized. How can he pardon murderers (eg Blackwater) yet have all these executions of people whose crimes weren't as bad. This guy needs to be facing a judge and jury in court.

[northoftheborder]

1. yes, I believe he received something in exchange for pardons

Could have been votes, could have been witholding information, could have been money

[DarleenMB]

12. Money.

He has those multimillion dollar loans to pay off in a few months.

[Baitball Blogger]

17. Some things are pretty obvious.

Michael Flynn jump started the attempt to establish martial law. That was the payback.

[Captain Zero]

28. Yes he is transactional

He has a power to give pardons. He expects something in return.

He did not get black votes. He will execute as many black death row inmates as he can.

Enough people did not vote for him. Screw you, no stimulus check.

[Karadeniz]

2. Oh, yeah....

[sheshe2]

3. Yes.

Trump has never done one thing out of the goodness of his heart...he has never had one.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

4. Ka-ching!

[TXPaganBanker]

5. My father (who flipped from R to D during Trump's term)

Firmly believes that Trump released the Blackwater Four in trade for facilitating Biden's assassination. Trump has made several references to Biden being taken out on his 3rd day in office.

[LudwigPastorius]

31. That's a little out there, but I would believe...

that Trump pardoned those killers to try to curry favor with the military. (They were all former military before joining Blackwater.)

He still wants the military to back him if he tries some bullshit like Michael Flynn is suggesting.

The irony of that is, I'm sure most military personnel are disgusted with the crimes of those pardoned.

[EndlessWire]

37. There is something going on in the Sahara

and remember, Blackwater got a contract for something in Africa. Nobody is discussing this yet. I think trump has his own private Army going on.

[wnylib]

47. His own private army? Who would they be?

Are you suggesting Blackwater, or whatever name they go by now?

[usaf-vet]

39. I have no doubt that that is going on but without access to the NATIONAL TREASURY how will he.....

..... continue to finance them?

[wnylib]

48. Good point, and somewhat reassuring.

Only somewhat because there might be someone with enough money who would like to support Trump. Some individual, group, or nation.

[matt819]

6. Not just you

There’s a reason trump has set up thousands of LLCs. Can’t follow the money.

I have no doubt every single pardon was paid for.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

40. Same. Trump does nothing for free.

Every pardon he gave--bought & paid for. Every contract he had a hand in awarding went to whomever agreed to the biggest kickbacks to him. Every chance he's has to sell favor and influence, he's done it. He's as guilty as they come.

[quakerboy]

7. Blackwater security perhaps?

Trumps gotta be worried about payback from the us Intel services for his betrayals and russian services for his failures

[StClone]

15. This Tweet is accurate then

It is a fake but maybe prescient.

[housecat]

42. my first thought

[Squinch]

8. No question.

[Hekate]

10. Some squid for the pro? Oh yeah, those tentacles are everywhere. Mob Boss. nt

[RKP5637]

11. No doubt whatsoever. Dirty Don the sociopathic loser will do anything ... payoffs, bribes

whatever.

[calimary]

13. It's not just you. Not by a long shot.

I wouldn't put ANYTHING past him by now. Including something like this.

He doesn't give anything away for free. There's always some sort of "value" exchanged. Some string attached. Someone's mouth remaining closed. I think that's why Paul Manafort stayed mum. I wouldn't be surprised if they'd worked that one out, early-on. He knew he'd get a pardon.

[jcgoldie]

14. no doubt

Trump does nothing that isn't transactional.

[SunSeeker]

16. What other reason could there be for the pardon for the Medicare fraud guy?

Not part of Trump’s inner circle, not involved in the Russia scandal, they don't even appear to have met before. But the guy does have a lot of money from a lifetime of grift, and a penchant for bribery.

Philip Esformes was a former Miami Beach healthcare mogul convicted last year of playing a central role in one of the nation’s biggest Medicare fraud cases and using his ill-gotten millions to pay bribes for favors, engage in money laundering and other crimes. Trump commuted his 20-year sentence.  https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article248044835.html

[dchill]

18. I would expect nothing less.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

19. "Bribes" are for the little people.

[mtnsnake]

20. "Get me out of jail or I'm gonna tell them everything I know about you that they don't know yet."

[Dem2theMax]

21. He is the quid pro quo president after all. nt.

[dawn5651]

22. think hue of skin..he is a disgusting pig who is racist

[FakeNoose]

23. Oh for certain ... we don't believe it, we KNOW it

Chump is the most corrupt president ever in our history.

Some people on DU dispute whether he's the WORST president. But nobody disputes that he's the most corrupt ever. He will sell anything and everything - or else he'll steal it now and sell it later when nobody's looking. Also - he's got other people doing this same including his own children and son-in-law.

[Mopar151]

24. Someday, I will come to you for a favor.........

His Plan C.3 may be a safe harbor in the Persian Gulf. Having Blackwater around for facilitating fuckery? Sure, it's a big swamp, what the hell.....

[mgardener]

25. I think

They were rewarded for their silence.
But since they cannot plead the fifth anymore, it should get interesting!

[marieo1]

26. agreement

Oh, my, pink, I agree with you 100%. He needs to be behind bars.

[Irish_Dem]

27. He would never deliver a pardon free of charge. Probably $1 million a pop, minimum.

Ask Jared, he probably set up a Pardon shell company.

[housecat]

43. lol

[LudwigPastorius]

30. He's not only accepting bribes for pardons,...

he's been accepting bribes for political favors from corporations and heads of state for the past four years. "I'd like you to do me a favor though."
I have no doubt that Trump was issuing Executive Orders and guiding U.S. foreign policy based on how much cash he's received under the table.

If they haven't been expunged and erased by now, every single phone call from the Oval Office needs to be assessed by an independent counsel, and every Trump bank account, domestic and off shore, needs to be gone over with a fine toothed comb.

[relayerbob]

32. How could one believe otherwise?

[Nitram]

33. Trump pardoned people who could testify against him. They didn't testify in the first place because

they expected a pardon from him. No need for a bribe in this quid pro quo.

[duforsure]

34. I'm with you 100%

And he uses many methods getting the money, one being them giving campaign PAC contributions using numerous sources to hide it. He doesn't do anything without some kind of a payoff for himself.

[Thunderbeast]

35. For his co-conspirators, it was silence, not cash

We are entering the fifth year of this conspiracy, and the pardons are part of the ongoing obstruction of justice. Pardons granted with corrupt intent as part of an on-going conspiracy do not enjoy un-restrained Presidential privilege (as some have postulated).

While the pardons apply to the underlying charges, the conspiracy to obstruct justice is alive and well. That crime is, and will continue to be chargable.

[Totally Tunsie]

36. Isn't that one of the reasons Blagojevich was impeached,

tried, and sentenced to 14 years in prison?

Remember...tRump commuted Blagojevich's prison sentence. Blagojevich was released, having served about eight years of his 14-year sentence.

[Blue Owl]

38. K&R

[BrightKnight]

41. I wonder if some unmarked enforcement were Blackwater

or whatever they call themselves now. Blackwater can send the message that they take care of their own. It would not be the first time Blackwater has worked as domestic mercenaries.

[llashram]

44. well, this loser

needs 450,000,000 that we know of. It's coming due soon. His base it seems is being continually fleeced for that money. Also, these are the known loans coming due. He probably has some kneecap(his kneecaps)loans out there that Jarad and Ivanka grifted people/organizations for while being his 'advisors' travelling all over the world 'selling' the WH brand to cover some of those trump family loans. Clothes, perfumes and only God knows what else. One report penned this amount

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jun/14/ivanka-trump-jared-kushner-revenue-income-2018

As a vet, the story of the people killed by the pardoned mercenaries of Blackwater saddened and sickened me. The child killed with his father running to see if he was safe who opened the bullet-riddled car door and his son fell out spilling his brains out on his fathers' feet.

And who can forget the 'dark prince' Stephen Miller? He set up immigration policies for trump. Cages, the kidnapping of children who were incarcerated away from their parents. Hundreds who probably are never going to be reunited with family. Yep, good old Stephen's handiwork. And I'm sure there are hundreds if not thousands of stories like this from within his administrations 'appointees' ruling the little fiefdoms. These last 4 years have truly has been been an unprecedented clusterfuck of biblical proportions

[secondwind]

45. QUID PRO QUO is Donald's middle name.......

[Chemisse]

46. I wouldn't be surprised if he had the kiddies hawking them on the street like cups of lemonade.

[Mr. Evil]

49. The AG that Biden finally decides to run the DoJ

must be a ruthless bulldog with an unwaivering lust for justice and the rule of law.

[BobTheSubgenius]

50. I think that evidence of some of that having happened becoming public is all but inevitable.

My main curiosity is how blatant it will be.