GOP Blocking Merrick Garland May Be Tied to Trump/Russia Scandal

[Justice]

65. It is not implausible. Here is timeline. McConnell behaved strangely from February thru Election

Summer of 2015 and spring of 2016 - Russia had gained entry to DNC systems, but breaches did not become public until they were disclosed in a June 2016 report WP. But Trump campaign officials knew as early as April 2016

February 13, 2016 - Scalia dies. McConnell immediately announces no action on SCOTUS replacement until after election. Why would McConnell take such a gamble, when everyone thought Clinton would win, and nominate a candidate more liberal than Garland? He was so confident when it seemed unreasonable to be so. Could McConnell have known about Russian theft of DNC and Dem emails? GOP was getting money from millions with strong Russians connections as far back as 2015.

2015-2017 - millions from individuals with strong Russian connections given to GOP. https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2017/12/15/putins-proxies-helped-funnel-millions-gop-campaigns. Could money have been laundered? Was money McConnell's price to go along (either initially or was money paid and demands made later).

April 2016 - Papadopoulos told Russians had embarrassing emails on Clinton in April 2016. Did he know emails stolen? from DNC? Why would Papadopoulos alert US law enforcement that Russians had stolen information? What is Papadopoulos' tie to professor? Did he know him or meet with him previously? What else did professor tell him? How do we know others in GOP didn't know earlier?

May 2016 - drunk Papadopoulos in a London bar spilled to the Australian High Commissioner to Britain, Alexander Downer, that the Russians had dirt on Hillary Clinton.

July 18 to 21 GOP Convention Trump staffers alter GOP platform on Ukraine

July 22 - nearly 20,000 emails stolen from DNC dumped online by WikiLeaks

early August 2016 - CIA Director John Brennan first alerts the White House that Russia ordered an operation to defeat or at least damage Clinton and help elect Trump. Trump was GOP nominee but Clinton comfortably ahead in polls.

Aug. 15, - Homeland Security Johnson arranged a conference call with dozens of state officials, reaction “ranged from neutral to negative”

August 2016 Brennan briefed McConnell and Reid that (a) Russia’s hackings appeared aimed at helping Mr. Trump win election, and (b) unnamed advisers to Mr. Trump might be working with Russians to interfere in the election.

August 2016 until after Labor Day - Brennan had hard time getting appointments with certain Republicans, officials said, and it was not until after Labor Day that Brennan had reached all members of the “Gang of Eight” — the majority and minority leaders of both houses and the chairmen and ranking Democrats on the Senate and House intelligence committees. Obama asked for bipartisan condemnation of Russia’s meddling. The effort was stymied by several Republicans who weren’t willing to cooperate, including, reportedly, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Mitch was skeptical that the underlying intelligence truly supported the White House’s claims.

See timeline -
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/world/national-security/obama-putin-election-hacking/?utm_term=.9936497463ce