DOJ has launched a criminal investigation involving potential pardons from Trump

[Fakenews 1,113]

Just crossing the wire. It apparently involves bribery.

Grab your popcorn.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/01/politics/doj-pardon-investigation-court-filing/index.html

[roundthebuoys 556]

Only in Trump world does Bill fucking Barr have a day like today after being underground for a few weeks.  He's pissed about something.  YCMTU.

[badlatitude 2,665]

I guess Trump told Barr no pardon for you.

[Ishmael 5,747]

Quote

The Department of Justice is investigating a potentially criminal scheme to lobby and bribe unnamed officials in exchange for a presidential pardon, according to a newly unsealed court document.

The heavily redacted filing relates to a search of various digital devices that uncovered potential evidence of both a “secret lobbying scheme” and a “related bribery conspiracy scheme” by individuals whose names are redacted.

Under the lobbying scheme, the individuals “acted as lobbyists to senior White House officials” without complying with disclosure rules “to secure ‘a pardon or reprieve of sentence for’” an individual whose name is redacted.

Under the bribery scheme, an individual whose name is redacted “would offer a substantial political contribution in exchange for a presidential pardon or reprieve of sentence for [redacted].”

The court filing relates to the government’s ability to access the communications, and dates back to August. It appears that one of the arguments being made to oppose the government’s access to the documents involves a claim of attorney-client privilege, which the government rejects.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2020/dec/01/us-election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-scott-atlas-coronavirus-covid-live-updates

[Raz'r 3,237]

Damn deep state DoJ

[badlatitude 2,665]

Here is a link to all pardons to date. It has to be one of these. https://www.justice.gov/pardon/pardons-granted-president-donald-trump my guess is Michael Milken.

[roundthebuoys 556]

With the lengths of the names redacted, I'm going with Stone's commutation.

 

Edit: Or Flynn, I suppose.

[Steam Flyer 4,739]

I'd be more surprised if President Trump was NOT soliciting bribes for pardons.

- DSK

[Olsonist 1,837]

@Dog "Exchanging anything of value for an official act, such as granting a pardon, is a federal crime."

This is political corruption. It revolves around private gain and is apparently a federal no no. Who knew? So if that walking piece of shit Flynn promised your boy Shitstain anything of value for his pardon, that would qualify.

[Ishmael 5,747]

4 minutes ago, roundthebuoys said:

With the lengths of the names redacted, I'm going with Stone's commutation.

 

Edit: Or Flynn, I suppose.

Conrad Black.

[Raz'r 3,237]

Just now, Olsonist said:

@Dog "Exchanging anything of value for an official act, such as granting a pardon, is a federal crime."

This is political corruption. It revolves around private gain and is apparently a federal no no. Who knew? So if that walking piece of shit Flynn promised your boy Shitstain anything of value for his pardon, that would qualify.

If it's Flynn, won't it be funny as shit if Trump is prosecuted, but Flynn cannot be, because of the pardon!

[Olsonist 1,837]

2 minutes ago, Raz'r said:

If it's Flynn, won't it be funny as shit if Trump is prosecuted, but Flynn cannot be, because of the pardon!

... while seeing Flynn's son walk into prison.

[Fakenews 1,113]

Doesn’t have to have been issued yet.  Could be Ghislaine Maxwell

[Mike G 1,223]

It's weird that there's SO MANY criminals he surrounds himself with that the answer isn't obvious.

[kent_island_sailor 3,388]

9 minutes ago, Steam Flyer said:

I'd be more surprised if President Trump was NOT soliciting bribes for pardons.

- DSK

[Chris in Santa Cruz, CA 372]

I knew this was going to happen. This guy makes deals with anything at hand. Want a pardon? Here's where to send the bitcoin.

[benwynn 2,617]

The job of President was not a good fit for him.  You can't as easily get away with shit in that position.

[Sol Rosenberg 6,018]

I could easily see this happening with an unscrupulous President in power, who is highly motivated by money...

 

but not with Trump.

 

Art of the Veal. Try it.

[kent_island_sailor 3,388]

1 minute ago, benwynn said:

The job of President was not a good fit for him.  You can't as easily get away with shit in that position.

I know that was supposed to be funny, but it is actually 100% spot-on. His *whole entire life* he got away with criming his ass off because he could bury a private citizen under a mountain of expensive lawsuits and the government didn't seem to give two shits about him. I see no evidence he wouldn't have kept getting away with it had he stayed out of public office.

[mathystuff 287]

2 minutes ago, benwynn said:

The job of President was not a good fit for him.  You can't as easily get away with shit in that position.

Maybe he should try a career in scat porn.

[Steam Flyer 4,739]

5 minutes ago, Sol Rosenberg said:

I could easily see this happening with an unscrupulous President in power, who is highly motivated by money...

 

but not with Trump.

 

Art of the Veal. Try it.

You forgot to tip your waitperson!

- DSK

[benwynn 2,617]

4 minutes ago, benwynn said:

The job of President was not a good fit for him.  You can't as easily get away with shit in that position.

 

Just now, kent_island_sailor said:

I know that was supposed to be funny, but it is actually 100% spot-on. His *whole entire life* he got away with criming his ass off because he could bury a private citizen under a mountain of expensive lawsuits and the government didn't seem to give two shits about him. I see no evidence he wouldn't have kept getting away with it had he stayed out of public office.

It actually was not meant to be funny.   As you say, he's been doing this shit his entire life and is very good at it in the public sector.  Then he took a job that includes oversight and a balance of power.   I've always taken issue with the claim that the US President is the most powerful man on Earth.  He isn't.  And it's by design. 

[Ishmael 5,747]

17 minutes ago, Fakenews said:

Doesn’t have to have been issued yet.  Could be Ghislaine Maxwell

It may have never happened. The blackout is too short for Maxwell.

[Ishmael 5,747]

I think we can exclude Susan B. Anthony.

[Ishmael 5,747]

A Clue:

 

So it did happen, and the timeline is recent.

[Mike G 1,223]

Broidy maybe?

 

[Jules 1,868]

16 minutes ago, benwynn said:

I've always taken issue with the claim that the US President is the most powerful man on Earth.  He isn't.  And it's by design. 

Not that there weren't people in power trying to make it so.

[Raz'r 3,237]

9 minutes ago, Ishmael said:

A Clue:

 

So it did happen, and the timeline is recent.

BOP custody?

[Raz'r 3,237]

ok, Bureau of Prisons. 

What attorney recently went into the prison system?

[Jules 1,868]

6 minutes ago, Ishmael said:

A Clue:

 

Figure out the number of letters in the redacted, figure out the possibilities and...  Who is going to jail?

[Ishmael 5,747]

9 minutes ago, Mike G said:

Broidy maybe?

 

Maybe.

[SloopJonB 7,927]

49 minutes ago, Ishmael said:

Conrad Black.

Apparently Black is too broke to be able to bribe the shitstain.

[Ishmael 5,747]

3 minutes ago, SloopJonB said:

Apparently Black is too broke to be able to bribe the shitstain.

Good. He doesn't really fit the current scenario anyways.

[Ease the sheet. 1,281]

Surely there's exculpatory evidence?

Surely?

[Steam Flyer 4,739]

1 minute ago, Jules said:

18 minutes ago, benwynn said:

I've always taken issue with the claim that the US President is the most powerful man on Earth.  He isn't.  And it's by design. 

Not that there weren't people in power trying to make it so.

In the past, the President had to operate under checks and balances. There were always people... even within his own party, even within his own wing of his party.... holding his feet to the fire. They would do this sometimes out of principle, sometimes out of self-interest, sometimes out of their own political ambition, or a mix of these and dozens of other reasons.

President Trump is in a unique position. He's come along at a time when the Republican Party has increasingly become anti-democracy (I think there may be a literacy issue, they confuse those goddam faggot Democrats whom they hate-hate-HATE with the principle of democracy), and he is not a threat to anybody else's power because he doesn't want to do anything but get cheered by crowds and have money shoved in his pocket. Other national Republican leaders are fine with this. He gives them tremendous latitude to do almost anything except publicly disagree with him. So they let him do anything he wants.

For example- firing auditors is a big no-no. In the corporate world, it's the kiss of death, an open admission you're embezzling. Trump has fired -how- many Inspectors-General now, including the one in supervising disbursement of Covid-19 relief funds to businesses? I can only recall one prior incident like this, V.P. Cheney wanted to fire some auditors in Iraq that were giving his Halliburton peeps a hard time, only to be told in no uncertain terms "You can't touch them. Fuck off!"

There is a hell of a lot of iceberg that we're barely seeing the tip of, in this swamp

- DSK

[Mike G 1,223]

 

 

[Swimsailor 1,242]

13 minutes ago, Ease the sheet. said:

Surely there's exculpatory evidence?

Surely?

Drip, drip or something like that.  I'm sure charges are being prepared for Hunter Biden somewhere.  

[roundthebuoys 556]

36 minutes ago, Jules said:

Figure out the number of letters in the redacted, figure out the possibilities and...  Who is going to jail?

Stone was days away from surrendering 

[Ishmael 5,747]

17 minutes ago, roundthebuoys said:

Stone was days away from surrendering 

But he has no money.

[roundthebuoys 556]

9 minutes ago, Ishmael said:

But he has no money.

He has friends.  Could have been Cohen too.  It's funny how long the list is of dudes with 5 letter last names.  What a crime ridden shit show this is.

[Burning Man 716]

2 hours ago, benwynn said:

Then he took a job that includes oversight and a balance of power.   I've always taken issue with the claim that the US President is the most powerful man on Earth.  He isn't.  And it's by design. 

I've been saying this Nov 9th, 2016 to  everyone who claims he will be our first dicktator.  

[roundthebuoys 556]

15 minutes ago, Burning Man said:

I've been saying this Nov 9th, 2016 to  everyone who claims he will be our first dicktator.  

Here's your participation trophy.

[badlatitude 2,665]

HA Ha this is getting delicious

 

 

 

[Jules 1,868]

It seems the court filing linked above is focusing on the lack of attorney-client privilege, and therefore the right to investigate and obtain information that had been previously claimed to be sacred under A-C privilege is valid.

[badlatitude 2,665]

Emptywheel's reporting

BILL BARR HID EVIDENCE OF A BRIBERY FOR PARDON INVESTIGATION DURING THE ELECTION 

December 1, 2020/16 Comments/in 2020 Presidential Election /by emptywheel

Beryl Howell just partially unsealed an opinion she wrote on August 28, permitting DOJ to access some attorney’s communications in a bribery-for-pardon scheme. It’s unclear who the targets of the investigation are — though their names are too short to be Rudy Giuliani.

But one thing is clear: Judge Howell asked DOJ to tell her whether the opinion could be unsealed.

The order associated with that opinion directed the government to submit a “report advising whether any portions of the accompanying Memorandum Opinion may be unsealed to the public in whole or in part and, if so, proposing any redactions.”

DOJ did not respond until November 25, and in their response, they asked her to keep the entire thing under seal.

On November 25, 2020, the government submitted a status report requesting that the Court “maintain the Memorandum Opinion under seal” because it “identifies both individuals and conduct that have not been charged by the grand jury” and declining to suggest any redactions for a publicly available version.

She made them go line by line to get the redactions issued with this opinion.

So basically Barr hid that someone tried to bribe Trump for a pardon through the entire election.

Update: Howell gave them 90 days so Barr didn’t intentionally hold it.

[Mirror16 18]

2 hours ago, kent_island_sailor said:

I know that was supposed to be funny, but it is actually 100% spot-on. His *whole entire life* he got away with criming his ass off because he could bury a private citizen under a mountain of expensive lawsuits and the government didn't seem to give two shits about him. I see no evidence he wouldn't have kept getting away with it had he stayed out of public office.

Nothing has changed. He's still getting away with it. 

[aA 199]

 

[Dog 667]

How do we know that this action is wrt a Trump pardon?

[Swimsailor 1,242]

26 minutes ago, Dog said:

How do we know that this action is wrt a Trump pardon?

Do you read anything?

[Dog 667]

1 minute ago, Swimsailor said:

Do you read anything?

What did I miss?

[Steam Flyer 4,739]

1 hour ago, Dog said:

What did I miss?

Facts

- DSK

[Bus Driver 3,870]

1 hour ago, Swimsailor said:

2 hours ago, Dog said:

How do we know that this action is wrt a Trump pardon?

Do you read anything?

Dog's right.  How do we know it is in regard to the current President?  

YJCMTSU.

[Dog 667]

27 minutes ago, Steam Flyer said:

Facts

- DSK

Such as?

[Grrr... 1,420]

Don't play dog's asshole game.  He knows it's most likely Trump.  We know it's most likely Trump.  Just move on and stop dancing for the dishonest shit.

[Ease the sheet. 1,281]

Now he's asking for an example of facts.

Obviously because he has no fucking clue.

[Dog 667]

Just now, Ease the sheet. said:

Now he's asking for an example of facts.

Obviously because he has no fucking clue.

SF said I missed the facts so I'm simply asking which ones I missed.

[Dog 667]

8 minutes ago, Grrr... said:

Don't play dog's asshole game.  He knows it's most likely Trump.  We know it's most likely Trump.  Just move on and stop dancing for the dishonest shit.

So you agree we don't know which president is being investigated.

[phillysailor 2,373]

2 minutes ago, Dog said:

12 minutes ago, Grrr... said:

Don't play dog's asshole game.  He knows it's most likely Trump.  We know it's most likely Trump.  Just move on and stop dancing for the dishonest shit.

So you agree we don't know which president is being investigated.

No, but I'll agree we aren't sure whose asshole you're licking. It's probably your own, but there are alternative theories. What's yours?

[Dog 667]

1 minute ago, phillysailor said:

No, but I'll agree we aren't sure whose asshole you're licking. It's probably your own, but there are alternative theories. What's yours?

More nothing

[Fakenews 1,113]

5 minutes ago, Dog said:

SF said I missed the facts so I'm simply asking which ones I missed.

All of them

[Bus Driver 3,870]

4 minutes ago, Dog said:

So you agree we don't know which president is being investigated.

Are you seriously trying to suggest this isn't about the current President?

[Dog 667]

Just now, Bus Driver said:

Are you seriously trying to suggest this isn't about the current President?

We don't know do we?

[Ease the sheet. 1,281]

1 minute ago, Bus Driver said:

Are you seriously trying to suggest this isn't about the current President?

Thought provoking.

[Lark 1,434]

11 minutes ago, Dog said:

We don't know do we?

Barr opposed the investigation,   
The investigation was feared capable of affecting the election.
Barr believes a sitting Republican President is above the law.

Barr probably didn’t need to protect President Bush the Lessor.  (Statute of limitations)

President Bush the Deader is still dead.   
 

 

[Bus Driver 3,870]

19 minutes ago, Dog said:

19 minutes ago, Bus Driver said:

Are you seriously trying to suggest this isn't about the current President?

We don't know do we?

 

[phillysailor 2,373]

31 minutes ago, Dog said:

More nothing

 

[Dog 667]

11 minutes ago, Bus Driver said:

 

Do you know which president is involved?

[phillysailor 2,373]

2 minutes ago, Dog said:

Do you know which president is involved?

Which president is involved with your ass-licking? We have theories... what’s yours?

[Grrr... 1,420]

So moving on from dog's game of pedantic assholery and desperate redirection away from actual discussion - who else do we suspect it might possibly be?  Who needs a pardon, was retained by Bop, etc.  What we know:

1.  except that communications between people including at least one lawyer were seized from an office that was raided sometime before the end of this summer.

2.  A Justice Department official told CNN that "no government official was or is currently a subject or target of the investigation disclosed in this filing."

So at this point in time, it's not about Trump or what he might have done.

3. a filter team, used to make sure prosecutors don't receive tainted evidence that should have been kept from them because it was privileged, had more than 50 digital devices including iPhones, iPads, laptops, thumb drives and computer drives after investigators raided the unidentified offices.

4. "secret lobbying scheme" and a bribery conspiracy that offered "a substantial political contribution in exchange for a presidential pardon or reprieve of sentence" for a convicted defendant whose name is redacted, according to the redacted documents.

5. "The political strategy to obtain a presidential pardon was 'parallel' to and distinct from [redacted]'s role as an attorney-advocate for [redacted name],"

It's a lawyer.

6. The grand jury investigation also appears to relate to unnamed people acting as unregistered "lobbyists to senior White House officials" as they sought to secure a pardon and use an intermediary to send a bribe, the unsealed court records say.

 

Thoughts:

Michael Esposito?  Probably not because the timing doesn't it.

https://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/476670-report-fbi-searched-home-and-office-of-lobbyist-trump-denied-knowing

Perhaps something to do with the ComEd mess in Illinois?  There were a bunch of high profile raids there last year and it surrounded lobbying.

Elliot Broidy?

This couldn't possibly be about Michael Cohen, could it?

https://www.courthousenews.com/fourth-circuit-takes-up-secretive-raid-on-law-firm/

[Not for nothing 224]

So trump wants pardons his family and friends, 

How can you pardon some one who has not been convicted of a crime?

Does that mean all these people have quilt  of a crime and should be put on trial ? 

Does that include future crimes ? or convictions?

[Bus Driver 3,870]

4 minutes ago, Dog said:

Do you know which president is involved?

Trump dismisses DOJ's probe of bribery-for-pardon allegation: 'Fake News!'

If this involved any other person, President Trump would make that clear.

[Clove Hitch 833]

3 minutes ago, Not for nothing said:

So trump wants pardons his family and friends, 

How can you pardon some one who has not been convicted of a crime?

Does that mean all these people have quilt  of a crime and should be put on trial ? 

Does that include future crimes ? or convictions?

Apparently you don't have to specify.  

 

Now, THEREFORE, I, GERALD R. FORD, President of the United States, pursuant to the pardon power conferred upon me by Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, have granted and by these presents do grant a full, free, and absolute pardon unto Richard Nixon for all offenses against the United States which he, Richard Nixon, has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 20, 1969 through August 9, 1974.

[Dog 667]

3 minutes ago, Bus Driver said:

Trump dismisses DOJ's probe of bribery-for-pardon allegation: 'Fake News!'

If this involved any other person, President Trump would make that clear.

"It's not clear if Trump was connected to the investigation". Sounds like it may not involve any president at all.

[Mrleft8 2,074]

3 minutes ago, Dog said:

"It's not clear if Trump was connected to the investigation". Sounds like it may not involve any president at all.

Which Federal employee has the ability to pardon people?

[Bus Driver 3,870]

1 minute ago, Dog said:

"It's not clear if Trump was connected to the investigation". Sounds like it may not involve any president at all.

I am impressed with your flexibility.  Very few people are able to bend and twist like you.

I look forward to more coming out about this.  You know damned well this involves the current President.  But, you are in too deep to admit it.

No doubt you will find a way to twist it so it doesn't reflect poorly on President Trump.

Because, that's what you do. 

Good doggie.  Wanna treat?

[Bus Driver 3,870]

Just now, Mrleft8 said:

Which Federal employee has the ability to pardon people?

Frankly, I'm surprised Dog hasn't suggested this involves President-Elect Biden.

[Mrleft8 2,074]

4 minutes ago, Bus Driver said:

Frankly, I'm surprised Dog hasn't suggested this involves President-Elect Biden.

I was going to suggest Hillary, but that's a bridge too far... Even for Dog. Obama maybe...

[Bus Driver 3,870]

What do we know about the accuracy of a report President Trump labels "Fake News"?

[Dog 667]

1 minute ago, Bus Driver said:

I am impressed with your flexibility.  Very few people are able to bend and twist like you.

I look forward to more coming out about this.  You know damned well this involves the current President.  But, you are in too deep to admit it.

No doubt you will find a way to twist it so it doesn't reflect poorly on President Trump.

Because, that's what you do. 

Good doggie.  Wanna treat?

How do you know it involves the current president. Your own cite calls it “an alleged “secret lobbying scheme” in which unidentified individuals purportedly offered political campaign contributions to White House figures in exchange for a pardon”. Further that "It's not clear if Trump was connected to the investigation".

 

[roundthebuoys 556]

Only alt-Dog could have his only contribution to this thread be that maybe it's not about Trump.

[roundthebuoys 556]

1 minute ago, Dog said:

How do you know it involves the current president. Your own cite calls it “an alleged “secret lobbying scheme” in which unidentified individuals purportedly offered political campaign contributions to White House figures in exchange for a pardon”. Further that "It's not clear if Trump was connected to the investigation".

 

Ahhh.. The old mob boss technique of blaming the minions.  Why would Trump call it fake news if it had nothing to do with him?  Who is the ONLY person who can hand out pardons?

[Saorsa 4]

Marc Reich

[Dog 667]

1 minute ago, roundthebuoys said:

Ahhh.. The old mob boss technique of blaming the minions.  Why would Trump call it fake news if it had nothing to do with him?  Who is the ONLY person who can hand out pardons?

Because if all that transpired is that some unidentified lobbyists attempted to bribe administration officials his staff did nothing wrong.