Breaking - NYT says Mannafort to be indicted

[mnmoderatedem]

Tweety just said on Hardball

no surprise really

[triron]

1. Still big big news

[pnwmom]

2. YES IT IS!!!!!

[Orrex]

3. Has Herr Trump pardoned him yet?

This is what concerns me about the Mueller investigation. Unless he scoops up Trump and Pence, one or the other will simply pardon everyone, declare victory, and enjoy a bulletproof presidency for the rest of the term--potentially an 11-year Pence presidency.

If he doesn't nab Trump, I'd almost prefer that he hadn't bothered in the first place.

[jmowreader]

13. An 11-year Pence presidency is not constitutionally possible

The rules of succession are solidly encased in the Constitution:

Trump began the Reign of Terror on January 20, 2017.

If he is removed AFTER January 21, 2019, Pence can run for two terms of his own.

If he is removed on January 20, 2019, or before, Pence can only run for one term of his own.

What I think is happening is very simple: Pence ideally wants to be a two-term president. He does not want to go down in history as the first president to be restricted to one term. And so, Congress is going to do everything it can to minimize the damage Trump can cause in two years, largely by bringing in bills that have no possibility of getting through Congress. Once January 21, 2019, passes, Pence can safely 25th Amendment Trump into the gentle caresses of one Eric Schneiderman, Two Scoops' favorite state attorney general.

This doesn't mean we're not going to lose Obamacare. But I think they won't do it UNLESS they can figure out a way to make sure the Democratic Party takes the blame for it.

[Orrex]

17. Nice--thank you for the detail.

In all the discussions of impeachment and the 25th, I haven't seen a summation as clean or clear as yours.

[greeny2323]

4. I don't see that

I just see an article that says his prosecutors threatened to indict him. That's different.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/18/us/politics/mueller-russia-investigation.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur

[mnmoderatedem]

7. Tweety says prosecutors informed Mannafort they plan in indicting him.

no details yet. For whatever that's worth.

[deminks]

5. link here

With a Picked Lock and a Threatened Indictment, Mueller’s Inquiry Sets a Tone

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/18/us/politics/mueller-russia-investigation.html

WASHINGTON — Paul J. Manafort was in bed early one morning in July when federal agents bearing a search warrant picked the lock on his front door and raided his Virginia home. They took binders stuffed with documents and copied his computer files, looking for evidence that Mr. Manafort, President Trump’s former campaign chairman, set up secret offshore bank accounts. They even photographed the expensive suits in his closet.

The special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, then followed the house search with a warning: His prosecutors told Mr. Manafort they planned to indict him, said two people close to the investigation.

The moves against Mr. Manafort are just a glimpse of the aggressive tactics used by Mr. Mueller and his team of prosecutors in the four months since taking over the Justice Department’s investigation into Russia’s attempts to disrupt last year’s election, according to lawyers, witnesses and American officials who have described the approach. Dispensing with the plodding pace typical of many white-collar investigations, Mr. Mueller’s team has used what some describe as shock-and-awe tactics to intimidate witnesses and potential targets of the inquiry.

(end snip)

[malaise]

6. Get thee to the greatest page

Oh Yes!!

[greeny2323]

8. The thread title is not justified by the NYT article n/t

[Ms. Toad]

9. That's not exactly what it says.

WASHINGTON — Paul J. Manafort was in bed early one morning in July when federal agents bearing a search warrant picked the lock on his front door and raided his Virginia home. They took binders stuffed with documents and copied his computer files, looking for evidence that Mr. Manafort, President Trump’s former campaign chairman, set up secret offshore bank accounts. They even photographed the expensive suits in his closet.

The special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, then followed the house search with a warning: His prosecutors told Mr. Manafort they planned to indict him, said two people close to the investigation.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/18/us/politics/mueller-russia-investigation.html?_r=0

In July (in the past), prosecutors told him they planned to indict him.

That doesn't mean it won't happen - but it isn't a statement that they currently (present tense) plan to indict him in the future. Even if something was planned in July, it may no longer be planned. It could also just as easily be a threat in connection with execution of the subpoenas to coerce cooperation (which the article pretty much implies).

[Dawson Leery]

10. Manafort has been given notice.

Is this standard procedure?

[trof]

11. Why would you 'warn' someone that they were going to be indicted?

Doesn't make sense to me.
Don't you just show up with the warrant and they do the perp walk?

[DonaldsRump]

14. To try to get them to turn

Who really gives a sh*t about Paul Manafort when there are much, much bigger fish out there?

[trof]

18. Thanks. You can see that I'm new at this.

[R B Garr]

12. WHOA! Karma, wow, a man devoted primetime air time to maligning a woman's

character, and he is the real POS.

Wow,

[Tiggeroshii]

15. Fake mews!!!

[procon]

16. The Hill reports also - "Mueller warned Manafort to expect an indictment"

Prosecutors on special counsel Robert Mueller's team reportedly told former Trump campaign manager Paul that they planned to indict him while they raided his Virginia home in July.

The warning, allegedly a shock-and-awe tactic, came as federal agents combed through his computer files, documents and any other potential pieces of evidence that could help them in their federal investigation, The New York Times reported Monday, citing two people close to the investigation.

The jarring comment is part of the approach Mueller and his team have embraced since May when the Justice Department named them to lead the high-profile investigation earlier, which aims to intimidate witnesses and possible targets of the probe, the newspaper reported.

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/351268-nyt-mueller-warned-manafort-to-expect-an-indictment

Welcome to MacMuellers Burger Palace, we're open all night!