JUST IN: Senator Graham wants to probe Trump's business dealings

[DonViejo]

Last edited Tue May 9, 2017, 03:41 PM - Edit history (3)

Source: CNN

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Tue May 9, 2017 11:40am EDT

U.S. Republican Senator Graham to examine Trump's business deals: CNN

U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said he wants to examine fellow Republican President Donald Trump's business dealings for any ties to Russia, CNN reported on Tuesday, one day after the issue was raised at a Senate hearing.

Graham said it would be helpful to see Trump's tax records but that it was too soon to say whether he would be willing to subpoena them, according to CNN. Representatives for Graham could not be immediately reached to confirm the report or give more details. Representatives for the White House also could not be immediately reached.

Graham asked former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper at a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing on Monday whether he had concerns about Russian ties to Trump's business interests. Clapper said he could not comment because the issue could be a subject of an ongoing investigation.

Graham on Tuesday said he intended to look into Trump's business ties to see whether any connections exist between Russia and the Trump campaign or the president's associates and would monitor the FBI's investigation to see how it could affect a Senate probe.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-graham-idUSKBN1851TV

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Spicer: Trump ‘Welcomes’ Graham’s Scrutiny Of Any Business Ties To Russia

By MATT SHUHAM Published MAY 9, 2017 2:45 PM
White House press secretary Sean Spicer said Tuesday that President Donald Trump “welcomes” an investigation of possible ties between his businesses and Russia.

During his daily press briefing, Spicer was asked whether the President would cooperate with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who said Tuesday: “I want to know more about Trump’s business dealings.” Graham noted that former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said under oath Monday that he wasn’t personally concerned about Trump’s businesses dealings, but that “I don’t know what the FBI is looking at so I don’t want to run afoul with them.”

“The President, obviously, was aware of Sen. Graham’s suggestion after he made it today and he’s fine with that,” Spicer said Tuesday. “He has no business in Russia. He has no connections to Russia. So he welcomes that.”

“In fact, he has already charged a leading law firm in Washington, D.C. to send a certified letter to Sen. Graham to that point, that he has no connections to Russia,” Spicer added. “So that should be a really easy look.”

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http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/spicer-trump-welcomes-scrutiny-businesses

[vlyons]

1. Can he subpoena Trump's tax returns?

n/t

[DavidDvorkin]

2. I'm skeptical about his motives and his sincerity.

[Scarsdale]

5. Me, too

I wonder what his price is, to keep everything covered for tRump?? The gop does NOTHING for free, not anything that helps taxpayers that is. I heard that some of the hold-outs for the latest excuse for Trumpcare got $100,000 campaign donations.

[JudyM]

13. If that is true it should be screamed from the front pages and prosecuted.

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

24. Those thoughts immediately came to mind...

... so me 3.

[yallerdawg]

6. They got the Justice the Senate wanted, a Scalia-type appointment they would not let Obama have.

All bets are off now.

Graham was just one of a number of real Republicans Trump smeared and demeaned on his way to the nomination.

They probably know Trump's days are numbered. Trump is at a minimum corrupt. These senators have seen the evidence, and know what's coming.

If more of them bail - we'll know, too.

[Snotcicles]

18. It's easy to become skeptical of one who's principles are so fluid. nt

[DavidDvorkin]

26. Yes.

[cstanleytech]

25. Agree, anything with a Repugnants hands on or near of I am skeptical of. nt

[Perseus]

30. How cynical of you...

How can you doubt a man who began his statement during the Yates testimony trying to convince (not sure who) that there was no collusion between the Trump administration and Russia? He has all intentions to find out the truth...right?

In all seriousness, not sure who watched Greta (sorry, not sure of her last name) last night when she interviewed Whitehouse and Graham. Whitehouse said, IMO, one of the most stupid things I have ever heard from a person who is trying to find out the truth about something. He said that he and Graham agree that they are going to stay away, as much as possible, from the classified information because if they stay too close to it they will not be able to talk to the media" (talking to the media is extremely important to politicians who want to get re-elected, can't jeopardize that!)...I want to know how do they intend to get to the truth if they are planning to stay away from it? From gut? Gut-decision-making does not work, we had a president who took us to an invasion in Iraq because his "gut" told him to, and he made other stupid decisions from his "gut" as well...Now, if "gut" was a nickname for Cheney, I don't know....

That statement from Whitehouse is kind of worrisome...

[bucolic_frolic]

3. It sounds like progress but

it's a dance away from the political aspects of the needed investigation
of political penetration and election hacking

Lindsey does the two-step well

[Bernardo de La Paz]

15. Not a dance away. tRump's borrowing is central. He surely owes Russian oligarch mucho rubles.

He was laundering money in his casinos (losing money while all the others were booming) and plenty of Russian high rollers went through.

US banks won't lend him money. He's been able to borrow from somewhere. Where?

Rosneft deal. 19 % to a partnership that can parcel it out. Carter Page and his associates got 0.5 % for brokering it, over $200 million worth. Some (most?) surely went to tRump.

Tillerson's Mobil-Exxon wants to do huge ($10 billion?) deals with Russia to develop oilfields there.

Wilbur Ross, Sec Commerce, owns the Bank of Cyprus that has lots of ties to Russians one step away from Putin.

[defacto7]

19. I think that's a $500 billion deal. Half a trillion. nt

[bucolic_frolic]

23. Yes. Excellent.

I can see Basil Rathbone saying softly, "Yessss."

The picture begins to fit together nicely. Investigations are moving
faster than I expected, all the fake noise and finger-pointing meant to
divert attention, the delays helping the subterfuge planning.

Meanwhile Congress and Cabinet agencies are dismantling federal framework
to carry out the resources theft, but the attention is elsewhere.

It was all planned, perhaps over many years.

His casino deals never did make much sense, probably less to those who actually
followed them, which I did not.

[cstanleytech]

27. But do you trust Graham or any Repugnant for that matter to actually do

an honest and fair investigation after their behavior towards Obama and their stonewalling an independent investigation into what Russia was doing to our elections and whom it was working with if anyone? I know I dont trust them.

[Botany]

4. Graham is trying to get on the right side of history

He knows what is coming.

*****

BTW he still is a little shit. Benghazi, Whitewater, his walk with McCain through Baghdad, and
his work w/Lura Logan to put together a fake 60 minutes piece on Benghazi all were the acts
of a little shit.

[Scarsdale]

9. Bur, but

He got fabulous throw rugs for only $5 a piece!! He walked through the market with his good buddy McCain,, surrounded by military guards, helicopters circling, then they declared how "safe" it was there. Neither of them can be trusted.

[Botany]

14. From what I remember is the shop keeper gave Lindsey the rug because he didn't want to ...

.... be seen as a collaborator but some of the shop keepers were still killed and
a near by school was bombed too killing kids and some teachers too.

[murielm99]

7. He is just like trump.

I don't trust Graham's words any more than I trust trump's.

I will judge Graham by his actions. When he actually does this, I will believe it.

[vi5]

8. Yeah, sure he does.

[JI7]

10. his party controls congress

[tiptonic]

11. trump

Lets subpoena trump. Let him lie under oath. Then go from there.

[still_one]

12. I will believe it when I see it happen

[barbtries]

16. save the country!

this is encouraging. the worm is turning

just hurry please

[jalan48]

17. How about we demand to see Trump's business dealings? Step up to the plate Lindsey.

[MarinCoUSA]

20. Is undisclosed pre-election criminal money laundering grounds for impeachment? Hell Yes

Is undisclosed pre-election criminal money laundering grounds for impeachment?
That is the question.

[SunSeeker]

21. Saying he "wants" to probe Trump's businesses is not the same as doing it.

Looks to me like Lindsey is trying play both sides.


Sorry Lindsey, you need to choose a side.

[nevergiveup]

22. He loves him some "President Pence"....

and he knows the writing is on the wall.....just sayin.

[tenorly]

28. Another charade, I bet.

Miss Lindsey's just trying to cover his fat butt.

[MontanaMama]

29. My jury is out on Graham.

Every other day he's a fan of Dump. I wouldn't doubt for a minute that the Russians have some kind of inside info on Lindsey and they can make him back it down a notch if they want. Rethugs cannot be trusted.

[Blue Idaho]

31. I'm not holding my breath...

Graham is prone to this kind of grandstanding only to later fall in line with the rest of the flying monkeys. He is reliably GOP first, and country last.

[DefenseLawyer]

32. "After my thoroughly mavericky in-depth investigation I have found that Trump did nothing wrong"

"But I did find many connections between the Russians and Benghazi"

[dembotoz]

33. there are many kinds of probes

some investigate, some see what they are told to see

[matt819]

34. Until he decides he doesn't want to anymore

Lindsey Graham is a Republican. He may seem likable, but he's still a Republican. And, boys and girls, what do Republicans do? They lie.

The con artist in the WH has created thousands of shell companies. His grifter children and in-laws have done the same. It will take a generation to make heads or tails, and it will cost millions.

Should it be done? Sure. Should it have been done sooner? Absolutely. Will it be done now? I'll put money on the likelihood that this goes nowhere. And the assertion is probably for show only. They lie. They con. They scam.

[LiberalLovinLug]

35. Is it Tweedle Dee or Tweedle Dumber this time?

McCain and Graham. Its a tag team effort. I guess its Grahams turn to come in front of cameras and pretend there are a few good noble men left in the GOP. To give the impression that they care and something needs to be done dammit!

He will fade back into the woodwork tomorrow along with his fellow Tweedle with the hopes that if and when Trump is finally gone there remains some distant memory of each of them standing up and giving one or two mildly concerning statements.