Wednesday
Oct022019
The Commentariat -- October 3, 2019
Jeff Stein, et al., of the Washington Post: "An Internal Revenue Service official has filed a whistleblower complaint reporting that he was told at least one Treasury Department political appointee attempted to improperly interfere with the annual audit of the president or vice president's tax returns, according to multiple people familiar with the document. Trump administration officials dismissed the whistleblower's complaint as flimsy because it is based on conversations with other government officials. But congressional Democrats were alarmed by the complaint, now circulating on Capitol Hill, and flagged it to a federal judge. They are also discussing whether to make it public.... The whistleblower is a career IRS official.... Key parts of the complaint remain under wraps in part because of strict privacy laws that prevent the disclosure of any details related to the filing of tax returns."
John Hudson, et al., of the Washington Post: "The former U.S. special envoy for Ukraine told House investigators on Thursday that he warned ... Rudolph W. Giuliani, that Giuliani was receiving untrustworthy information from Ukrainian political figures about former vice president Joe Biden and his son, according to two people familiar with his testimony.... [Kurt] Volker's testimony offers the first inside account of the Trump administration's efforts to press for a Ukrainian investigation into Trump's political rival.... Volker also said that he and other State Department officials cautioned the Ukrainians to steer clear of U.S. politics. Getting involved, he said he told them, would open the nation up to allegations that they were interfering in an election and could be detrimental to Ukraine long-term, according to these two individuals.... Volker faced hours of questioning Thursday from members of the House committees leading an impeachment inquiry into Trump, the first of five former and current State Department officials to testify as part of the probe." ~~~
~~~ Katherine Faulders & Conor Finnegan of ABC News: "In newly disclosed text messages shared with Congress, the top U.S. diplomat to Ukraine writes to a group of other American diplomats that 'I think it's crazy to withhold security assistance for help with a political campaign.' The exchange, provided by former U.S Special Envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker as part of his closed-door deposition before multiple House committees Thursday, shows what appears to be encrypted text messages he exchanged with two other American diplomats in September ... just days before the White House released the military assistance to Ukraine.... In the exchange..., the concerns are expressed by Bill Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat to Ukraine. Gordon Sondland, the United States Ambassador to the European Union, responds to Taylor..., 'Bill, I believe you are incorrect about President Trump's intentions. The President has been crystal clear: no quid pro quo's of any kind...,' Sondland says.... In a separate thread between Sondland and Volker directly, the two diplomats discussed contacts with Ukrainian officials and requests for them to open an investigation. They appear to be drafting language for Ukrainian officials to announce an investigation into 'the problem of interference in the political processes of the United States, especially with the alleged involvement of some Ukrainian politicians.'"
Eileen Sullivan of the New York Times: "President Trump on Thursday publicly called on China to investigate a political rival, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., in an extraordinary presidential request to a foreign country for help that could benefit him in the 2020 election. 'China should start an investigation into the Bidens,' Mr. Trump said Thursday as he left the White House to travel to Florida where he was expected to announce an executive order on Medicare.... Mr. Trump made the comments about China ahead of the latest round of trade talks, which are set to take place next week. 'We're going to have a meeting with them, we'll see,' Mr. Trump said of the talks. 'I have a lot of options on China. But if they don't do what we want, we have tremendous power.'... Mr. Trump on Thursday said he had not personally asked President Xi for assistance. 'But it's certainly something we can start thinking about because I'm sure that President Xi does not like being under that kind of scrutiny.'" Sullivan includes background on the right-wing theory that Joe Biden helped his son in an investment involving the state-owned Bank of China. The AP story is here. ~~~
~~~ Adam Edelman of NBC News: "When asked ... whether he had asked China to investigate the Bidens, Trump replied, 'I haven't. But it's certainly something we could start thinking about,' he said. 'The guy got kicked out of the Navy and all of the sudden he's getting billions of dollars. You know what they call that? A pay-off,' he added.... Trump, seeking to expand his corruption accusations against the Bidens beyond Ukraine, has in recent days repeatedly accused Hunter Biden of using a 2013 trip on Air Force Two with his father, then the vice president, to procure $1.5 billion from China for a private equity fund he had started. Prior to Thursday, Trump had not called for investigation of the matter. Despite Trump's accusations, there has been no evidence of corruption on the part of the former vice president or his son.... Hunter Biden's spokesman, George Mesires, told NBC News previously that Hunter Biden wasn't initially an 'owner' of the company and has never gotten paid for serving on the board. He said Hunter Biden didn't acquire an equity interest in the fund until 2017, after his father had left office. And when he did, he put in only about $420,000 -- a 10 percent interest. That puts the total capitalization of the fund at the time at about $4.2 million -- a far cry from the $1.5 billion that Trump has alleged. Trump also said Thursday that he still wants Ukraine to conduct 'a major investigation' into Joe and Hunter Biden." ~~~
~~~ Jonathan Chait: "Donald Trump is being impeached for using his office to pressure foreign countries to investigate his political rivals. It is not clear Trump understands that, because he simply continues committing this offense in broad daylight.... Of course, Trump has started a trade war with China, and has personal control over the tariffs he imposes, which gives China a strong financial incentive to placate him. Trump was not shy about reminding the Chinese of this juxtaposition[.]" ~~~
~~~ The Threat to China Proves the Threat to Ukraine. Aaron Blake of the Washington Post: "This might be Trump's most problematic request of this sort, for a number of reasons.... This one has the potential for a really corrupt appearance. The chief reason for that: Trump is currently engaged in a trade war with China.... China could very logically now believe that further escalations [of Trump's trade war] might be tied to whether it takes the actions Trump wants. Any future decisions could be colored accordingly.... Even if you set aside the trade war, this is still a U.S. president suggesting that a foreign country do something that is transparently geared toward his own reelection bid.... Trump has intermittently argued -- however implausibly -- that his effort to get Ukraine to launch investigations is about rooting out corruption in that country; his now-public request of another investigation involving the Bidens makes clear what this is really about."
Dumbest Senator Forgot He Agreed with Joe Biden in 2016. Andrew Kaczynski & Em Steck of CNN: "A newly unearthed letter from 2016 shows that Republican senators pushed for reforms to Ukraine's prosecutor general's office and judiciary, echoing calls then-Vice President Joe Biden made at the time. CNN's KFile found a February 2016 bipartisan letter signed by several Republican senators that urged then-Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to 'press ahead with urgent reforms to the Prosecutor General's office and judiciary.' The letter ... further undercuts a baseless attack made by ... Donald Trump and his allies that Biden pressured the Ukrainian government to fire then Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin to stop investigations into a Ukrainian natural gas company that his son, Hunter Biden, sat on the board of.... The 2016 letter ... was signed by Republican Sens. Rob Portman, Mark Kirk and Ron Johnson, as well as Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin, Jeanne Shaheen, Chris Murphy, Sherrod Brown, and Richard Blumenthal and focused on longstanding issues of corruption in Ukraine and urged reforms of the government.... Johnson signed onto a letter with Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley last week to Attorney General Bill Barr asking him to investigate, in part, allegations surrounding Biden and Ukraine."
Most normal, well adjusted people, even under great stress are able to hold it together in public for something important, even if they go into their office and start throwing stuff afterward. Not Trump. He can't even walk down the hall without screaming at the walls. -- Akhilleus, in today's Comments
MEANWHILE, in Finland. Rick Noack of the Washington Post: "Wednesday's roller coaster news conference with President Trump and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto elicited ridicule and some concern in Finland, where many celebrated their leader on Thursday for enduring with dignity what they largely described as a Trump monologue. Coming from a nation that ranks second on the World Press Freedom Index -- compared with the United States, which ranks 48th -- stunned Finnish reporters described to their readers back home a 'circus' and parallel reality in the White House. Finnish newspaper Hufvudstadsbladet offered a blunt summary of the meeting: 'Niinistö's visit was overshadowed by Circus Trump - President Niinisto asked Trump to safeguard US democracy.'... [At the press events], Niinisto largely looked on in silence. Photos of his bewildered face quickly circulated online. But when Trump began responding to a question addressed to Niinisto, he interrupted: 'I think the question is for me.' In what Finnish commentators suggested was a subtle dig at Trump, Niinisto at one point also said: 'Mr. President, you have here a great democracy. Keep it going on.' (Trump appeared to interpret that remark as praise.)" ~~~
~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: I'm surprised the Finns had time to focus on the bilateral meetings. It's autumn, the leaves are falling, and they should all be out raking & vacuuming the forest floors.
George Conway in the Atlantic: "... you don't need to be a mental-health professional to see that something's very seriously off with Trump -- particularly after nearly three years of watching his erratic and abnormal behavior in the White House.... He's also incapable of consistently telling the truth.... Simply put, Trump's ingrained and extreme behavioral characteristics make it impossible for him to carry out the duties of the presidency in the way the Constitution requires.... [The Framers intended that], while carrying out his official duties, a president has to put the country, not himself, first; he must faithfully follow and enforce the law; and he must act with the utmost care in doing all that." Conway goes into a long riff on Trump's narcissism, sociopathy and more briefly, cognitive decline. "When you line up what the Framers expected of a president with all that we know about Donald Trump, his unfitness becomes obvious.... Now that the House of Representatives has embarked on an impeachment inquiry, one of the most important judgments it must make is whether any identified breaches of duty are likely to be repeated. And if a Senate trial comes to pass, that issue would become central as well to the decision to remove the president from office. That's when Trump's behavioral and psychological characteristics should -- must -- come into play. From the evidence, it appears that he simply can't stop himself from putting his own interests above the nation's." Thanks to Anonymous for the link. This is quite a long piece and worth reading.
... Mrs. McCrabbie: You can bet Conway knows more about Trump's "erratic & abnormal behavior" than the rest of us do: his wife Kellyanne must have told him a basketful of doozies. However, he sticks to the public record. And there is a massive amount of there there to back up Conway's assertions.
David Shepardson & David Lawder of Reuters: "The Trump administration slapped 25% tariffs on French wine, Italian cheese and single-malt Scotch whisky -- but spared Italian wine, pasta and olive oil -- in retaliation for European Union subsidies on large aircraft. The U.S. Trade Representative's Office released a list of hundreds of European products that will get new tariffs, including cookies, salami, butter and yogurt - but in many cases applied to only some EU countries, including German camera parts and blankets produced in the United Kingdom. The list includes UK-made sweaters, pullovers, cashmere items and wool clothing, as well as olives from France and Spain, EU-produced pork sausage and other pork products other than ham, and German coffee. The new tariffs are to take effect as early as Oct. 18.... The main target of the U.S. tariffs is Airbus aircraft made in the EU, which face 10% levy that could hurt U.S. airlines such as Delta ... that have billions of dollars of Airbus orders waiting to be filled." ~~~
~~~ Reuters doesn't say so, but Jen Kirby of Vox explains why: "The United States is imposing $7.5 billion in tariffs on imports from the European Union starting October 18 basically because the World Trade Organization said it could. These taxes against the EU stem from a 15-year battle over aviation subsidies that long predates the tariff-happy Trump."
Richard Oppel of the New York Times: "MGM Resorts International has agreed to pay up to $800 million to settle lawsuits from victims of the October 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas that left 58 people dead and hundreds of others injured. The killer, Stephen Paddock, holed up inside his room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay hotel, which MGM owns, and then fired into the crowd at a country music festival below. It was the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history. One of the lawyers for the victims, Robert Eglet, said on Thursday the settlement would be in the range of $735 million to $800 million and would resolve 'substantially all' of the lawsuits and claims against MGM related to the massacre." The CNN story is here.
Michael Birnbaum of the Washington Post: "European policymakers said Thursday that a new Brexit proposa from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was unworkable, heightening the prospects of a chaotic British departure from the European Union within weeks. Although leaders, politicians and negotiators did not dismiss Johnson's plan out of hand, they made clear the current offer would not win support from the 27 countries that need to sign off on any withdrawal deal, and they were downbeat about it serving as the basis for serious negotiations. British negotiators plan to visit Brussels again Friday. The Guardian's liveblog, which covers this development, is here.
~~~~~~~~~~
Tangled Web, Ctd.
The active members of the Trump, Inc. Ukraine conspiracy now include -- among others -- the President*, the Vice President, the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the President*'s personal lawyer, and a convicted felon currently residing in a federal pen.
Hillary Clinton appeared on Rachel Maddow's show Wednesday. She spoke with deep knowledge & clarity about the nature of Trump's wrongdoing & about the impeachment process. She spoke in long, complex sentences, employing a sophisticated vocabulary, about foundational principles and drew apt comparisons between disparate topics & events. Everything she said was based in fact. The President* of the United States said he had a "perfect" conversation, that impeachment was "BULLSHIT," that Adam Schiff couldn't carry Mike Pompeo's jock-strap. He spoke in short or run-on sentences, evaded straightforward questions and lied repeatedly. This stark rhetorical contrast -- among more significant related American tragedies -- is the result of what happened November 8, 2016:
Caitlin Oprysko of Politico: "... Donald Trump went into battle mode on Wednesday, lobbing insults at his Democratic investigators, tussling with reporters, and dismissing the impeachment probe and other oversight efforts as 'bullshit.' Barely a week into formal impeachment proceedings, the president spent hours airing his frustrations and sharpening his attack lines.... The newly combative tack [Mrs. McC: "newly combative"???] overshadowed Wednesday's visit to the White House from Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, during which Trump accused Schiff, without evidence, of helping author the whistleblower complaint at the heart of Democrats' impeachment inquiry, belittled Schiff with locker room rhetoric, and denounced as 'rude' an American reporter for asking follow-up questions at a news conference." ~~~
~~~ Trump Plans to Bring a "Major Lawsuit" against Article I Duties. Michael Crowley of the New York Times (in part of a NYT account of developments in the impeachment matter): "During a meeting at the White House with President Sauli Niinisto of Finland, President Trump raged at his Democratic inquisitors. With his guest sitting a few feet away, Mr. Trump angrily called Representative Adam B. Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, 'a lowlife,' and said he 'should resign from office in disgrace, and frankly they should look at him for treason.'... 'That guy couldn't carry his blank strap,' Mr. Trump said, unfavorably comparing Mr. Schiff to Mr. Pompeo. Mr. Trump seemed to be avoiding the words 'jock strap' and using a common insult about masculinity.... At a second appearance with Mr. Niinisto not much later, Mr. Trump became increasingly angry while responding to questions about the impeachment investigation, complaining that it was part of a 'hoax' that has been perpetrated against him since he took office, and threatening vaguely to bring 'a major lawsuit' in retaliation." ~~~
~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: Trump's concept of "international diplomacy" is bowdlerizing "jock-strap" when in the presence of a foreign leader. As he's told us, he "can be so presidential." ~~~
~~~ Rafi Schwartz of Splinter has a rundown of the "highlights" of Trump's performance during his joint "news" conference with the hapless Finnish president. (Chris Hayes described Niinistö as a "hostage.") Title: "Trump Brain Status: Lingonberry Jam." Schwartz also embeds a video of the full presser (starts about 8:40 min. in). ~~~
~~~ Zachary Basu of Axios: "President Trump refused to answer a question from Reuters' Jeff Mason about what he was asking Ukraine's president to do about Joe Biden and his son during a now-infamous July 25 phone call. Instead, Trump criticized European countries for not providing aid to Ukraine, attacked the impeachment investigation as a 'hoax' and berated Mason for being 'rude.'" Basu provides a full transcript of the contentious exchange between Trump & Mason. Mrs. McC: Weirdest line: "Are you talking to me?" -- Donald Trump, imitating Robert Mueller impersonator Robert DeNiro. ~~~
~~~ Andrea Germanos of Common Dreams: "... Donald Trump claimed Wednesday afternoon that the White House last month released an 'exact transcript' of his July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, raising more questions about the still-unfolding scandal.... Trump ... said the transcription was done 'by very, very talented people, word for word, comma for comma.'" ~~~
~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: But it isn't. The telcon itself includes right on the front page what looks like a standard disclaimer that reads, in part, "A Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation (TELCON) is not a verbatim transcript of a discussion. The text in this document records the notes and recollections of Situation Room Duty Officers and-NSC policy staff assigned to listen and memorialize the conversation in written form as the conversation takes place." Emphasis added. The very fact that Trump is falsely claiming the telcon is word-for-word, comma-for-comma, almost guarantees that Trump made more damaging remarks in his chat with Zelensky. Remember that the White House gets the last draft of a telcon. As Germanos notes, Neal Katyal tweeted that Trump claimed there were "stenographers" on the call; now he suggests Congress subpoena those stenographers to get their as-yet-unpubished "word-for-word" transcript. ~~~
~~~ Dennis Hoey of the Portland (Maine) Press Herald: "Sen. Angus King [I-Maine] questioned Tuesday night whether the transcript of a phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reflected the entire contents of their 30-minute conservation in July. King told CNN’s Anderson Cooper..., 'I had two staff members from my office the other day read it aloud. And we timed it. They read it in normal speaking pace. It took them 10 minutes and 40 seconds. The phone call was 30 minutes.... We don't know what is missing. It may be there was a translator involved and that made it go much longer. But the president of the Ukraine speaks English. That raises a question of what's in the other 20 minutes of that discussion.'" Thanks to MAG for the link. As MAG remarked, the length of the conversation recounted in the telcon contra the reported length of the actual conversation is a question I raised in a comment last week. ~~~
~~~ Update. More Evidence the White House Doctored the Telcon. Carol Leonnig, et al., of the Washington Post: "... the whistleblower complaint that spurred the investigation described an 'official word-for-word transcript' of the call -- words closely matching the ones used by Trump on Wednesday -- creating uncertainty about what was included in the document the White House released last week and what may have been left out. Current and former U.S. officials studying the document pointed to several elements that, they say, indicate that the document may have been handled in an unusual way. Those include the use of ellipses ... that traditionally have not appeared in summaries of presidential calls with foreign leaders, according to the current and former officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.... [All three ellipses appear where Trump is discussing his conspiracy theories.] Others [-- including Sen. Angus King --] have noted the brevity of a document purporting to represent a call that lasted 30 minutes.... The memorandum of Trump's call with Zelensky appears remarkably different in speed and content from the full transcripts of calls between President Trump and foreign leaders The Washington Post obtained in 2017.... [The WashPo's analysis] suggests that the rough transcript of the Zelensky call includes about half the number of words that would be expected if the call had proceeded at the same or similar pace as the previous calls." Thanks to unwashed for the link.
Andrew Desiderio & Heather Caygle of Politico: "Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff on Wednesday vowed to move aggressively on House Democrats' impeachment inquiry, even as ... Donald Trump lashed out at the pair in the middle of their news conference. Despite the Democrats' insistence that Trump would be treated fairly and that the fast-moving investigation would not interfere with bipartisan legislative priorities, Trump accused them on Twitter of 'wasting everyone's time and energy on BULLSHIT.' He called Schiff a 'lowlife' and said Pelosi was 'incapable' of working with him on other issues including prescription drug costs and a new trade agreement." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Brett Samuels of the Hill: "President Trump on Wednesday blasted Democrats for wasting time on 'bullshit' as the House moves forward with its impeachment inquiry. The president on Wednesday morning unleashed a torrent of tweets slamming Democrats as Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) stood alongside House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) to lay out their agenda and progress on the impeachment inquiry. 'The Do Nothing Democrats should be focused on building up our Country, not wasting everyone's time and energy on BULLSHIT, which is what they have been doing ever since I got overwhelmingly elected in 2016, 223-306,' Trump tweeted shortly after the conclusion of the press conference [Pelosi/Schiff], misstating the 232 electoral votes his opponent got in 2016.... His latest diatribe was sparked by the press conference, which Trump responded to in real time." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~
~~~ Oma Seddiq of Politico: Trump live-tweeted the Pelosi-Schiff presser. Mrs. McC: Should that be lie-tweeted? (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
I think you should ask for Vice President Pence's conversation, because he had a couple of conversations also. -- Donald Trump, to reporters, September 25 ...
... Calling President Pelosi. Greg Miller, et al., of the Washington Post: "President Trump repeatedly involved Vice President Pence in efforts to exert pressure on the leader of Ukraine at a time when the president was using other channels to solicit information that he hoped would be damaging to a Democratic rival, current and former U.S. officials said. Trump instructed Pence not to attend the inauguration of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in May -- an event White House officials had pushed to put on the vice president's calendar -- when Ukraine's new leader was seeking recognition and support from Washington, the officials said. Months later, the president used Pence to tell Zelensky that U.S. aid was still being withheld while demanding more aggressive action on corruption, officials said. At that time -- following Trump's July 25 phone call with Zelenksy -- the Ukrainians probably understood action on corruption to include the investigation of former vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden. ...
... Officials close to Pence insist that he was unaware of Trump's efforts to press Zelensky for damaging information about Biden and his son.... Pence's activities occurred amid several indications of the president's hidden agenda. Among them were the abrupt removal of the U.S. ambassador to Kiev; the visible efforts by ... Rudolph W. Giuliani, to insert himself in the U.S.-Ukraine relationship; as well as alarms being raised inside the White House even before the emergence of an extraordinary whistleblower complaint about Trump's conduct. Perhaps most significantly, one of Pence's top advisers ... his national security adviser, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg ... was on the July 25 call and the vice president should have had access to the transcript within hours, officials said.... White House officials said that Pence likely would have received the detailed notes of the president's call in his briefing book on July 26 ... [and] should have been part of the briefing materials he took with him ... for the meeting [with Zelensky on Sept. 1].... Officials close to Pence contend that he traveled to [the meeting] ... probably without having read -- or at least fully registered -- the transcript of Trump's July 25 call with the leader of Ukraine." Emphasis added. ~~~
~~~ Mrs. Bea McCrabbie: Right. Because this is hard to grasp, even when you've read it several times:
I would like you to do us a favor, though.... I would like to have the [U.S.] Attorney General call you ... [about] ... that whole nonsense by a man named Robert Mueller.... Whatever you can do; it's very important.... The other thing: there's a lot of talk about Biden's son, that Biden stopped the prosecution.... I will ask [Rudy Giuliani] to call you. (Word-for-word from the telcon; no "parody" or paraphrasing: "perfect.")
Maybe the telcon fell out of pence's briefcase. Or maybe Trump's "ask" of Zelensky was too obscure for a good Christian boy like mike to comprehend. Or maybe Trump's solicitation was just one more commonplace corruption transaction too routine to notice. (pence has a history of conveniently pretending he has no idea WTF is going on. That doesn't sound very president-y, does it?) Rachel Maddow calls pence the "pro" between the "quid" & the "quo," as it was he who directly told Zelensky that Ukraine wouldn't get the military aid without cracking down on "corruption"/Biden. Maddow points out the aides' dueling interpretations of pence's state of mind demonstrate the break between the Trump & pence camps. BTW, mike, how's the view from under the bus? ~~~
~~~ Jonathan Chait: “Pence, by [his aides'] accounting, is like a man who delivers a ransom note to a bank teller, failing to place any significance in the fact that the tellers have their hands in the air, the bank patrons are lying on the floor, and the guy who asked him to bring the note to the bank had a mask and a gun.... If Pence is so ignorant that he could be pulled into an extortion plot without having any idea what he was doing, while missing numerous public and private signs that would have spelled it out, he is too dumb to serve as vice-president or even to be allowed to use metal cutlery. There is no way Pence is quite that stupid. The Post does not mention that Pence cracked the code himself the day after his meeting with Zelensky.... Pence was asked whether the aid was being held up over the Biden probes, and he answered by reciting the 'corruption' party line. Pence knew exactly what he was doing." ~~~
~~~ Mrs. McCrabbie: Chait keeps making these outrageous analogies about various members of the Trump Mob (pence & the ransom note messenger here). The thing is, the Trump Gang is so ridiculous, their excuses so clownish, the analogies fit.
Jeremy Herb, et al., of CNN: "The State Department inspector general provided Congress on Wednesday a packet of dozens of pages of documents that make many of the same unproven claims about Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, that Rudy Giuliani and his allies have been making, according to a copy of the documents obtained by CNN. The documents include claims against the Bidens that formed the basis of ... Donald Trump's accusations in his July call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as well as accusations against former US Ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, who was recalled earlier this year and whom Trump also criticized in the call. In addition, the packet contains internal State Department emails from officials discussing articles critical of Yovanovitch, calling some of it a 'fake narrative.' There is no evidence of wrongdoing by either Joe or Hunter Biden. State Department inspector general Steve Linnick [Linick] told Congress that the State Department's office of legal counsel provided the documents to the inspector general in May.... The inspector general provided them to the FBI, and the FBI did not object to the documents being released to Congress, which could suggest the FBI is not actively investigating the matter.... Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, was the lone lawmaker who attended Wednesday's briefing. He told reporters afterward that it felt like a 'completely irrelevant distraction.... It's essentially a packet of propaganda and disinformation spreading conspiracy theories,' Raskin said.... The bizarre briefing from the State Department inspector general came after he caused a stir on Capitol Hill by requesting an urgent meeting one day earlier to share the documents." This story has been updated. See relevant new passages in Update 3 below. ~~~
~~~ Update: Chris Hayes interviewed Rep. Raskin Wednesday night. Raskin said the packet Linick presented was curiously packaged: It was in manila envelope, with a return address of "The White House," addressed to Secretary Pompeo, with a note directing it to Pompeo's administrative aide "Ruth," so the packet came presumably from someone familiar with Pompeo's office. Inside the envelope were folders printed with the name of the Trump Hotel. Raskin said the packet surfaced in May 2019, shortly before Pompeo recalled U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch. Rankin opined that would be consistent with the theory that Pompeo removed her to get her out of the way so the embassy could get to work supporting Trump's political purposes. Rankin noted that the contents of the envelope were "congruent with what Giuliani has been saying." Mrs. McC Note: I've done some considerable paraphrasing here inasmuch as I can't type as fast as Jamie Raskin can talk. ~~~
~~~ Update 2. Jonathan Landay & Mark Hosenball of Reuters: "Photographs of some of the documents, seen by Reuters, promoted unsubstantiated conspiracy theories about Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. envoy to Ukraine, who was removed from her post in May, months before she was due to leave, after Trump allies accused her of disloyalty.... One document, whose source was not disclosed, described a discredited theory promoted by Trump allies that Yovanovitch was installed in her post by billionaire George Soros, a Democratic donor frequently attacked by far-right activists. 'Until she is removed Soros has as much, or more, power over Yovanovitch as the President and the Secretary of State,' said the document.... The documents 'reinforce concern that the president and his allies sought to use the machinery of the State Department to further the president's personal political interests,' [chairmen of the House of Representatives intelligence, oversight and foreign relations committees] said.... Bob Menendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee..., demanded an explanation of Pompeo's role. Before the meeting [among Linick, Rankin & staffers], congressional sources had told Reuters the session with Linick would focus on potential political retaliation against career State Department diplomats by the department's leadership." ~~~
~~~ ** Update 3. Oh, Snap! Rudy Confesses He's the "Mystery" Source of Linick's Conspiracy Packet. Then He Fingers Pompeo. The CNN story by Jeremy Herb & others has been updated. New Lede: "The State Department inspector general provided Congress on Wednesday with documents that included materials ... Rudy Giuliani had given to the department earlier this year containing unproven claims about Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter.... Giuliani told CNN on Wednesday evening that some of the documents provided to Congress by the State Department's inspector general had originated with him. Giuliani said that in late March, he had 'routed' what he called an 'outline' of allegations against Biden, as well as Yovanovitch, to the office of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.... Giuliani said he received a phone call shortly thereafter from Pompeo, who told Giuliani he would be referring the documents for investigation. 'They told me they were going to investigate it,' Giuliani told CNN." Emphasis added. Mrs. McC: Who could have guessed? ~~~
~~~ BUT It Gets Worse. (You Knew It Would.) Josh Dawsey, et al., of the Washington Post: "In his quest to rewrite the history of the 2016 election, President Trump's personal attorney has turned to ... Trump's imprisoned former campaign chairman Paul Manafort. Rudolph W. Giuliani in recent months has consulted several times with Manafort through the federal prisoner's lawyer in pursuit of information about a disputed ledger that would bolster his theory that the real story of 2016 is not Russian interference to elect Trump, but Ukrainian efforts to support Hillary Clinton. The alliance, which Giuliani acknowledged in an interview this week with The Washington Post, stems from a shared interest in a narrative that undermines the rationale for the special counsel investigation. Giuliani's effort is gaining traction on Capitol Hill. Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, have announced their renewal of an inquiry into any coordination between Ukraine and Democratic Party officials. Manafort, who is serving a 7½ -year term in a federal prison in Pennsylvania, has continued to express support for Trump, and Trump has never ruled out giving him a pardon." ~~~
~~~ Josh Marshall of TPM: "According to a statement released this evening from Chairs Engel, Schiff and Cummings ..., 'The Inspector General stated that his office interviewed Secretary Pompeo's Counselor, Thomas Ulrich Brechbuhl, who informed the Inspector General that Secretary Pompeo told him the packet 'came over,' and that Brechbuhl presumed it was from the White House. Earlier this week, Pompeo attempted to block Brechbuhl, Ambassador Yovanovitch, and other State Department employees from testifying before Congress.' Needless to say, it's quite clear that Pompeo is deeply implicated in these abuses of power. Meanwhile Rudy Giuliani is happy to provide more evidence of Pompeo's involvement. Once Pompeo received them, they were circulated within the State Department. It doesn't say specifically that Pompeo circulated them. But that seems consistent with all the other information we've learned. It seems pretty clear why Inspector General Linick thought this was an urgent matter."
Julian Barnes, et al., of the New York Times: "The Democratic head of the House Intelligence Committee, Representative Adam B. Schiff of California, learned about the outlines of a C.I.A. officer's concerns that President Trump had abused his power days before the officer filed a whistle-blower complaint, according to a spokesman and current and former American officials. The early account by the future whistle-blower shows how determined he was to make known his allegations that Mr. Trump asked Ukraine's government to interfere on his behalf in the 2020 election. It also explains how Mr. Schiff knew to press for the complaint when the Trump administration initially blocked lawmakers from seeing it.... Concerned about how that initial avenue for airing his allegations through the C.I.A. was unfolding, the [C.I.A. officer] then approached the House aide.... The House staff member, following the committee's procedures, suggested the officer find a lawyer to advise him and meet with an inspector general, with whom he could file a whistle-blower complaint. The aide shared some of what the officer conveyed to Mr. Schiff. The aide did not share the whistle-blower's identity with Mr. Schiff, an official said.... In a news conference in the East Room of the White House after this article was published, Mr. Trump called it a scandal that Mr. Schiff knew the outlines of the whistle-blower's accusations before he filed his complaint. 'Big stuff. That's a big story,' Mr. Trump said, waving a copy of the article in the air. 'He knew long before and helped write it, too. It's a scam,' the president added.... There is no evidence that Mr. Schiff did, and his spokesman said he saw no part of the complaint before it was filed." The Washington Post story is here. ~~~
~~~ Annals of "Journalism," Ha Ha Ha. Adam Silverman of Balloon Juice: "There's nothing actually shocking here." The guidelines for bringing a whistleblower's complaint specify that the complaint may be brought to "congressional intelligence committees," which is what the whistleblower did in going to the Intelligence Committee staffer. That is, the whistleblower was following his own agency's guidelines. "Enter Fox News' John Roberts. Roberts ... teed the President up by framing this new reporting as a conspiracy between Congressman Schiff and the whistleblower, intimating that Congressman Schiff actually directed the complaint, fabricated the key accusations, and basically created his own need for oversight to drive impeachment. The President, as I'm sure you're shocked to learn, took Roberts' line of bullshit and ran with it." Here's the exchange (the video in Silverman's post [as of 8 pm ET Wednesday] was of a different exchange):
Katelyn Polantz of CNN: "The Justice Department told White House personnel on Wednesday that they must preserve all notes regarding ... Donald Trump's meetings and phone calls with foreign leaders. 'Defendants today instructed relevant personnel to preserve the information, Justice Department lawyers told a federal judge in a court filing. The question of whether the White House was preserving the information arose in federal court Tuesday, following government transparency and historical archivist groups' emergency request to maintain the notes from the Trump-Volodymyr Zelensky July 25 call and other Trump discussions with world leaders. The groups had sued Trump and his executive office in May for failing to document at least five meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and one with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.... A Justice Department lawyer on Tuesday had told the judge, Amy Berman Jackson of the DC District Court, that there was no risk to the White House's record-keeping of Trump's foreign calls. But the attorney wouldn't go as far as pledging the White House would preserve all documents, saying she hadn't received authorization from the White House to say they would. Jackson was satisfied with the Department's response Wednesday and took no further action." Related story linked here yesterday.
Nicholas Fandos of the New York Times: "The House threatened on Wednesday to subpoena the White House if it did not comply by Friday with broad requests for documents related President Trump's efforts to pressure Ukraine into investigating Joseph R. Biden Jr. and his son and any attempt by the administration to conceal his actions. Representative Elijah E. Cummings of Maryland, the chairman of the Oversight and Reform Committee, notified his committee of the impending subpoena on Wednesday. He said the White House had thus far ignored Congress's voluntary requests." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
John Bowden of the Hill: "Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday backed away from statements made previously by Kremlin officials about his calls with President Trump, telling reporters that he would not object to transcripts being made public. Multiple news outlets reported that Putin made the remarks after meeting with Iran's Hassan Rouhani, telling journalists that there was nothing on his calls with Trump that could compromise the U.S. president." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Benjamin Weiser of the New York Times: "The Justice Department on Wednesday asked a federal judge to temporarily block a subpoena from the Manhattan district attorney that would require President Trump to turn over eight years of his personal and corporate tax returns.... In its filing, Mr. Trump's own Justice Department did not say whether it agreed with his position that presidents cannot be investigated. But citing 'significant constitutional issues' raised by the president's lawyers, the department said the court should stop enforcement of the subpoena while it takes time to consider the case." Reuters has the story here.
Aaron Lorenzo of Politico: "The IRS needs to examine whether the National Rifle Association should lose its tax-exempt status, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said today. A recent report by Wyden's committee investigators raised questions about some NRA activities and social welfare requirements for its tax exemption, the senators wrote in a letter to IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. The report alleged some NRA members used a 2015 NRA trip to Moscow for their own personal business reasons rather than for tax-exempt purposes. Misuse of tax-exempt funding for private gain would violate tax laws." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Presidential Race 2020
Max Greenwood of the Hill: "Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) underwent heart surgery after he experienced chest discomfort during a campaign event on Tuesday, his campaign said. Jeff Weaver, a senior adviser to Sanders's campaign, said a medical evaluation of the Vermont senator discovered blockage in one of his arteries, and two stents were successfully inserted." Update: The New York Times story is here. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)
Beyond the Beltway
Texas. Juan Garnham & Jolie McCullough of the Texas Tribune: "The murder conviction of a white woman who was a police officer when she killed an unarmed black man in his own home -- and the 10-year prison sentence a jury gave her Wednesday -- each drew different reactions in a city whose history is rife with tensions between law enforcement and communities of color. Amber Guyger's murder conviction brought many people relief. But her sentence for killing 26-year-old Botham Jean was derided by some as being too short, even though Jean's brother offered Guyger forgiveness and a hug at the end of the trial."
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Reader Comments (17)
The WaPo has this piece about the mysterious ellipses in the Ukraine "transcript." It states the Angus King did the same thing Bea did a couple of days ago, read it out loud and time how long it takes.
"Others have noted the brevity of a document purporting to represent a call that lasted 30 minutes. Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) had two of his office’s interns read the call summary aloud, measuring its length with a stopwatch app. The time: 10 minutes 40 seconds, or roughly 20 minutes shorter than the White House’s assertion about the call’s length."
I recall that Bea's time was about the same.
Trump is on his way to Florida today on an official taxpayer paid trip to sign an executive order on "Protecting Medicare from Socialist Destruction". This will be signed at "The Villages", probably the largest concentration of GOP support in the central part of the state.
Following the ceremony I"m certain that he'll manage a rally style event that will last far longer than it takes to prove he can sign his name with a Sharpie .
Well, the papers Linick carried weren't the Pentagon papers. They were only the White House papers, but in their own way maybe as explosive. They certainly provided more clear evidence that while there remains little question that its occupant should be in a loony bin,* he has already turned the White House itself into one.
They should be exhibits under yesterday's article II.
And, boy, isn't the list of loonies that inhabit or circle around the nation's Bedlam getting long? Reminds more and more of the bench of losers I encountered fifty five years ago when I read Shirer's "Rise and Fall...." I rememember being amazed then that so many obviously defective people managed to achieve such power, and of course I had no idea until recently it could ever happen here (tho' the Bush II regime offered many hints).
*for the more delicate, "in need of treatment." But I see blunt speech is in vogue at the highest levels.
Regarding the cast of characters at the top of the page, don't forget Attorney General Bill Barr. You know, the chief law enforcement officer to protect the Constitution of the United States.
@unwashed: Thanks for the link to the WashPo story. The paper's ability to compare the words-per-minute of two Trump-leaders earlier calls, particularly the one between Trump & Enrique Peña Nieto where both spoke thru translators, and the call with Zelensky is a red flag. So too the locations of the ellipses -- all three where Trump was discussing his conspiracy theories.
So, trump is wondering why people are all upset over the Memcon because he knows the really bad stuff didn’t make it into the document?
@Nisky Guy: Thanks for the correction. I certainly meant to include Barr & thought I had. I've updated the note.
Unwashed,
As I speculated the other day (and I'm most definitely not the only one), we are not seeing anything nearly close to the real conversation. I'm betting there's a lot of alarming stuff in there. Many people are astounded that Trump allowed even this bowdlerized version of a "transcript" to be released, especially given its evidentiary nature. A couple of things about that.
First, Fatty figured that after the thing was edited and cleaned up, he'd throw it to the plebes and be done with it. There'd be nothing to worry about. Second, the fact that his goons dry cleaned the thing must have given everyone the sense that it had been wrung out enough for public viewing, both of which suggests two conclusions. First (not a surprise), Trump believes himself to be above the law.
He's always thought this, but now and then some nice judge told him to fuck off. But now he has the imprimatur of the presidency which he believes should automatically insulate him from any and all charges of wrongdoing. If the president does it, it's not illegal, that sort of thing.
But then again, Trump is mentally unstable.
A more alarming conclusion is that he has literally no one around him who knows their ass from their elbow. Mike Pompeo? Puh-leeze. The guy is nothing but a pushed up, glorified 'bagger, with a head full of Fox memes.
The one guy you'd expect to have raised a big stink about this would be Barr. But here's the thing. The fact that this is his second time on the AG merry go round doesn't guarantee that the guy was ever all that smart in the first place. He clearly isn't now. He's a Kool-Aid guzzling zombie of the first order, begging, rolling over, fetching, and sitting up for Fatty's pleasure. The half pence? I think the half pence is a cagey, clutching, highly ambitious theocrat. He's certainly not stupid enough to think that call was all hunky-dory, but he's also in so deep it's too late for him to get out, so he goes along with whatever the Orange Menace decides.
And here's how else you can tell that Trump is surrounded by imbecilic and terrified sycophants. That CIA guy (and maybe a dozen other people), heard this call and, even in the midst of the most lawless presidency in history, said "Whoa, Nellie. What the hell is this crap?"
So the people with experience, savvy, and a sense that it's at least somewhat important to, ya know, obey the law and stick to at least the outline of the Constitution, had their hair on fire over this call.
Trump's people? Meh. And even if they did think it beyond the pale, they figured Fatty would brazen it out like he always does.
So we're not just dealing with an unstable, prepubescent, non-genius, but his staff of moral midgets and ethical pencil necks who don't know jack about the government they're supposedly helping to run.
The real call must've been a beaut. But we'll never hear it. Nonetheless, Fatty--genius that he is--has handed us more than enough to boot his fat ass out of office (that is, if we had a law abiding Republican Party, which we don't). At least Nixon went to the mattresses before handing over the tapes.
And it's sounding like there were plenty more calls just like this one.
Nisky Guy,
Exactly. He figured, "Well, we took out all those parts about me talking shit about Hillary's ass and asking Yolo if he'd seen the pee-pee tape yet, and the part where I promised him a condo in Trump Tower if he can invent some good shit about the Bidens" so he thought he was in the clear.
A really stable genius. At least that's what people are saying. So he says.
Listen...can you hear it? Crrrrraaaccckkkkk.....
Fatty is cracking like a rotten egg. A few questions from a reporter yesterday sent him over the edge. He figures he can pull his usual tricks, bully, scream, yell, kick, threaten, make stupid faces, and call people names, and they'll leave him alone.
Ladies and gentlemen of the press: don't fall for it. In fact, you guys need to keep the heat on. Pepper this guy at every opportunity. And when idiots like John Roberts stand up to toss him a softball question, pull out your corked Louisville Sluggers and bat it right back to him.
This isn't harassment. The public has a right to know what this asshole is doing in our name and with our money. He is not a king.
I'm still astounded at all the inside information we get from White House denizens. If people are willing to talk out of school about some things, imagine how bad it must really be. If those faces he was making at that press avail with the president of Finland are any indication of his psychological state, he's waaaay out on a limb, and fat things don't do well on shaky limbs.
Most normal, well adjusted people, even under great stress are able to hold it together in public for something important, even if they go into their office and start throwing stuff afterward. Not Trump. He can't even walk down the hall without screaming at the walls.
There's been much written about Trump, NPD and sociopathy. George Conway, in the Atlantic has written a richly detailed, lengthy and well supported article covering Trump's personality disorder(s) but expanding his analysis far beyond. His argues against the "Goldwater Rule" by pointing out that observations of behavior in a natural setting are much more instructive than short sessions in a clinical setting. That's been my contention for a long time. Secondly, he tackles the fiduciary duty of a president and makes a convincing case for Trump's abject failure. This is the 1st time I've seen such a comprehensive analysis of Trump's failure at his fiduciary duty, which is a core function of the presidency. In the process, he gives historical antecedents for fiduciary duty.
"The question is whether he can possibly act as a public fiduciary for the nation’s highest public trust."
Before Conway became a voracious anti-Trumper, I knew him as a very conservative DC lawyer and little else. I'm sure he hasn't given up his core beliefs. However, he's masterful at argument and a fine writer. After Trump is gone, he will be a conservative powerhouse to reckon with.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/10/george-conway-trump-unfit-office/599128/
Newsweek reports on a Breitbart Impeachment Poll where the
president* comes out smelling like a rose with a 97.83% approval
rating. Someone commented that they were surprised that many
people took their hoods off to vote in a poll.
newsweek.com/breitbart-trends-after-donald-trump-tweets-poll-
almost-98-support-im-surprised-that-many-1462256
Bobby Lee brings up that Villages visit, where the Pretender will save Medicare from socialism by signing an executive order expanding the Medicare Advantage program which costs the government more than standard Medicare, a giveaway to capitalist insurance companies and more "free stuff" for consumers, both paid for by taxpayers like themselves.
Think those Villagers will notice?
Whadda system and whadda guy. A perfect match, made in hell.
https://www.advisory.com/daily-briefing/2017/08/09/ma-costs
One last observation for today. The HRC interview was, indeed, a breath of fresh air that gave me a heartbreaking moment of "what could/should have been. In the interview, Rachel Maddow teed up the ball and let HRC run with it.
I also saw Maddow on the Colbert show, crutches and all, and was blown away by her absolute command of both the subject matter and the English language. She and Colbert may have set out a road map for the conversation, but it was an impressive conversation that was clearly not scripted. Watching the two of them talk was inspirational. In two parts:
https://youtu.be/6-9-XzvVnL4
https://youtu.be/au3Y60ty6Ik
Local news, which I suspect is being repeated in many other localities across the country.
https://kgmi.com/news/007700-hardwood-mill-closing-in-mount-vernon-owner-blames-trade-war/
Wonder who those 70 workers voted for in 2106...and who will get their vote next year.
While not all politics is local, much of it is.
Thanks to Anonymous for the lead to the Atlantic article
written by George Conway. While reading it came across this paragraph:
"And that’s where the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders comes into play. The DSM, now in its fifth edition, “contains descriptions, symptoms, and other criteria for diagnosing mental disorders,” and serves as the country’s “authoritative guide to the diagnosis of mental disorders.” What’s useful for nonprofessionals is that, for the most part, it’s written in plain English, and its criteria consist largely of observable behaviors—words and actions."
Believe most of us here on RC learned about DSM from the late Marvin Schwalb who frequently reminded us about when he wrote about Trump's erratic behaviors. Spot on!
It doesn't make any difference what the DSM diagnosis is. Until there is a prerequisite for all high federal office holders to pass a psych-evaluation before they declare their candidacy, and until the 25th amendment is redrafted with specific qualifications of psychological fitness and disease, we have the FREEDOM to elect morons with IQs lower than their age, and deeply disturbed whack-jobs - just because they have the ability hand out empty promises with inspirational patriotic language...and have cool haircuts, symmetrical faces, extroverted personality, charisma, celebrity status … you know, all the shit you thought was important in high school when you picked the student body president. I think 42% of the voters never advance beyond that process. What does the DSM say about the ability of those voters to make rational choices? The consequences are obvious.
The constitutional requirements for eligibility and removal from office needs to be more idiot-proof, IMHO.