8chan/8kun QResearch Posts (6)
#12844137 at 2021-02-06 23:31:35 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #16395: The General also said WE have to stand up Edition
>>12844116
>Hawley Responds To Running For President...
>https://populist.press/hawley-responds-to-running-for-president/
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/04/josh-hawley-2024-465756
'He's clearly laying groundwork': Hawley paves 2024 path
The face of the Biden resistance is taking shape in the Senate: Josh Hawley.
In a prelude to a widely expected 2024 presidential bid, the Missouri Republican is the only senator to oppose every one of President Joe Biden's Cabinet nominees - a distinction sealed Tuesday when he voted against confirming new Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Hawley briefly held up the confirmation of another Cabinet official, for the Department of Homeland Security.
Even before Biden became president, Hawley initiated his bid for the Trump wing of the party by becoming the first senator to announce he would vote against the Electoral College results certifying the new president's win, thrilling the outgoing president and his followers.
Hawley, whose Senate seat is up for election in 2024, has said repeatedly that he isn't running for president.
"All I can say is no," Hawley said in an interview on Wednesday, denying he has an overarching plan to oppose Biden's nominees. "What can I say? That's clearly not my focus."
But aside from Hawley's allies, no one familiar with presidential politics or the U.S. Senate is taking the 41-year-old at his word - especially after several Democratic senators used their opposition to early Trump appointees as a springboard to 2020.
"Hawley's always been a young man in a hurry. He ran for attorney general on a plank he would serve all four years and [almost] immediately ran for U.S. Senate once he got in office," said Scott Reed, a veteran Republican strategist who last worked for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's political arm. He noted that Hawley established himself "by taking early shots at Big Tech and he really developed a taste for the wine, meaning he really liked all the attention. And he's built on that."
Reed said that "Hawley is becoming an exotic for Republican primary voters" because the Yale-educated lawyer has established a niche for himself as an early critic of social media companies while trying to appeal to working-class voters.
While the Missouri senator is "an asterisk in early Republican surveys I've seen," Reed said, "he's clearly laying groundwork for running for president in 2024. There's no way else to explain this behavior."
But it's come at a cost.
His eagerness to ingratiate himself with Trump supporters led to a now infamous Jan. 6 photo of Hawley, outside the Capitol, pumping his fist in support of a throng of demonstrators who later went on to storm the building, vandalize it and temporarily delay the vote.
Hawley's role in opposing the Electoral College vote resulted in a Senate ethics complaint, and led Simon & Schuster to cancel his book deal, The Tyranny of Big Tech, last month. And former Missouri Sen. John Danforth - who helped propel Hawley to the seat Danforth held decades ago - withdrew his support of the senator, saying his endorsement was "the worst mistake I ever made."
Hawley has decried both the invasion of the Capitol and the president's remarks on Jan. 6, but at the same time said Trump's impeachment trial is unconstitutional. And he made clear in an interview that Biden is unpopular in his state and that part of his job is to be the "loyal opposition, as our U.K. friends like to say."
cont
#10858290 at 2020-09-30 19:21:16 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #13897: SAG Lifetime Nom Edition
Chaos at U.S. Chamber of Commerce Over Group's Shift to the Left
The long-time political strategist of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has resigned following a lurch to the left by the group's leadership. Scott Reed told Politico he could "no longer be part of this institution as it moves left."
The Chamber leadership endorsed about two dozen Democratic House candidates, leading to dissension among donors and fear from Republicans on the Hill who worry the organization's formerly solid backing of conservatives was slipping.
But the Chamber of Commerce says that Reed did not resign, he was fired "for cause."
"An internal review has revealed that Reed repeatedly breached confidentiality, distorted facts for his own benefit, withheld information from Chamber leadership and leaked internal information to the press," a Chamber spokesperson said in a statement. "We have the documentation of his actions and it is irrefutable. Our decision is not based on a disagreement over political strategy but rather it is the result of Reed's actions."
The Chamber's endorsements have come with a price. House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy said he would no longer accept support from the Chamber and several high-profile donors to the group have severed ties.
But it appears that the Chamber leadership, including CEO Tom Donohue, would rather switch than fight. Are they hoping that liberal Democrats eat them last?
But with Senate Democrats challenging for the majority in 2020, the Chamber has adjusted its approach. In a staff meeting last week, Jack Howard, one of the organization's senior vice presidents and top lobbyists, outlined plans to reach out to Senate Democrats and "normalize our relationships" with the party.
No doubt AOC and Bernie Sanders are smiling now.
Republicans are pretending it doesn't matter, which is about all they can do at this point.
"Honestly at this point, I think they're so confused about what they're about that they probably don't make much difference," McConnell said.
Kevin McLaughlin, the executive director of Senate Republicans' campaign committee, called the Chamber's recent changes "difficult to watch."
"It's been difficult to watch what was once the gold standard for influence and advocacy slowly decline over the past few years, and now it appears the last vestige of relevance has just walked out the door," McLaughlin said.
In 2014, the Chamber put tens of millions of dollars behind Republican Senate candidates and helped endangered members like Maine's Susan Collins. They have invested far less so far this year, reflecting the change in policy at the Chamber.
Most corporations "hedge their bets" and contribute to both parties. But the Chamber has been such a strong Republican organization with many politicians, lobbyists, and party loyalists coming from their ranks that it's a shock to the system when they abandon a long-standing policy.
https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/rick-moran/2020/09/30/chaos-at-u-s-chamber-of-commerce-over-groups-shift-to-the-left-n988368
#10845245 at 2020-09-30 01:26:35 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #13780: PDJT is debating Moderator Edition
Chamber of Commerce's Political Chief Resigns After Democrat Endorsements
The United States Chamber of Commerce's chief political strategist has resigned from the business group after its endorsement of 23 House Democrats in swing districts across the country.
Scott Reed, the Chamber's longtime senior political strategist, has resigned, according to the New York Times' Maggie Haberman.
"Scott Reed, who's been the top political strategist at the US Chamber for years, tells me he has resigned, amid a perceived drift to the left at the Chamber on heels of nearly two dozen endorsements of House Dems," Haberman posted online.
Sources familiar with the matter told Breitbart News that Reed's decision to resign came after he was not allowed by executives to spend money helping vulnerable Senate Republicans in their races, such as Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA), Martha McSally (R-AZ), and Thom Tillis (R-NC).
The Chamber, a source described, has become a McCarthy-esque environment where Republicans supportive of President Trump are purged.
"It's been difficult to watch what was once the gold standard for influence and advocacy slowly decline over the last few years and now it appears the last vestige of relevance has just walked out the door," National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Executive Director Kevin McLaughlin told Breitbart News of Reed's resignation.
Reed had been at the Chamber for roughly 20 years but seemingly grew frustrated with the group's recent endorsement of 23 House Democrats against Republicans in swing districts that are vital to the GOP winning back the House.
"Scott Reed is the Michael Jordan of Republican operatives - the greatest of all time," former Republican leadership staffer and lobbyist Sammy Geduldig said.
Since the endorsement, the Chamber is already fighting off the Democrat agenda of candidates they endorsed.
The Chamber recently sent out an alert to its members urging opposition to Rep. Abby Finkenauer's (D-IA) amendment to the "Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act." Finkenauer was endorsed by the Chamber.
In an exclusive report, Breitbart News noted the Chamber's recent political turmoil.
One insider called the Chamber "an elitist organization," while another said their Democrat endorsements were "what happens when the Washington swamp and Wall Street get together in Nancy Pelosi's conference room and make a deal."
The number of small businesses paying dues to the Chamber stands at less than 7,000 today, according to sources with knowledge. In its heyday, the Chamber had about 130,000 small businesses paying dues.
In response, Trump and Vice President Mike Pence reportedly criticized the Chamber in a phone call. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has publicly said he does not want the Chamber's endorsement, characterizing the group as sell-outs.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/09/29/chamber-of-commerces-political-chief-resigns-after-democrat-endorsements/
#10515852 at 2020-09-03 17:09:27 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #13458: SuperSonic AF1 Edition
Fort Benning soldier jailed on 2 child sex abuse charges
A Fort Benning soldier has been arrested on child sex abuse charges.
Just Scott Reed, 30, was arrested Aug. 27, according to an announcement this week by the Tallapoosa County Sheriff's Office and the Central Intelligence Division at Fort Benning. He is charged with two counts of second-degree sexual abuse of two victims.
One of the victims is under the age of 16 and the other is under the age of 12, said Sheriff Jimmy Abbett. The investigation began in April when the alleged crimes were reported to sheriff's officials.
Additional details have not been released, and Abbett said the investigation is ongoing. Reed is being held in the Tallapoosa County Jail with bond set at $30,000. He is set to have his first court appearance later this month.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/fort-benning-soldier-jailed-on-2-child-sex-abuse-charges/ar-BB18GkwD
#10196343 at 2020-08-06 03:54:26 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #13048: Beirut: Trump Doubles Down On Possible ATTACK Claims Edition
Republicans dodge Kansas nightmare as Marshall defeats Kobach
Reps. Steve Watkins and Lacy Clay lost their primaries as well.
Rep. Roger Marshall won the GOP primary for an open Senate seat in Kansas on Tuesday, turning aside the controversial Kris Kobach - to the relief of Republicans concerned that Kobach could put not just the state but the party's Senate majority at risk this fall. With nearly all the votes tallied, Marshall had 40 percent of the vote, to only 26 percent for Kobach. The result was a more decisive victory for Marshall than expected by many Republicans, who had predicted with deep concern that the race was a tossup going into Tuesday. GOP leaders had been outspoken in their opposition to Kobach since he entered the race last summer, but failed in their efforts to steer the race away from him, leaving it up in the air on primary night. Party officials couldn't convince Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to run, and some eventually consolidated behind Rep. Roger Marshall in the closing weeks of the race. But President Donald Trump did not endorse or oppose anyone, frustrating some Republicans who thought he could have ended the concern by weighing in.
Republicans got another piece of good news in Kansas on Tuesday, when Rep. Steve Watkins was ousted in his primary by state Treasurer Jake LaTurner, who has seized on Watkins' litany of ethical and legal transgressions, including felony charges of voter fraud in the closing weeks of the primary. Some Republicans feared Watkins' renomination could have jeopardized the party's hold on an otherwise GOP-leaning House seat. Both the House and Senate primaries have been expensive, with a flurry of late spending and a crowded field of candidates leaving the threshold for victory lower and the outcome less certain. It's also possible that the massive increase in absentee ballots could delay results for several days as all votes are counted; ballots postmarked on Tuesday can still be counted as long as they are received by the end of the week.
In the Senate race, nearly $5 million in spending from a super PAC with Democratic ties upended the contest's final month. The group's ads bashed Marshall, hurting his image while lifting Kobach up as a pro-Trump conservative. The group, which will not reveal the source of its funding until later this month, was by far the biggest spender in the Republican primary, outspending all GOP outside groups and campaigns. Republicans repeatedly tied the super PAC to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, though it will not have to reveal the source of its funding until later this month. "Chuck Schumer spent over $5 [million] trying to impact GOP primary voters, which is another chapter in this cycle's edition of 'Schumer's follies,'" said Scott Reed, the chief political strategist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which backed Marshall. Marshall's victory leaves Republicans confident in their ability to retain the seat this fall. A Kobach win would have forced Senate Republicans to face a difficult choice between supporting a candidate whom they have publicly bashed as unelectable, or leaving the state to chance with their already tenuous majority in peril.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/04/primary-results-kansas-senate-michigan-missouri-washington-arizona-391547
#3200968 at 2018-09-27 02:02:30 (UTC+1)
Q Research General #4052: Shut Up Mazie Edition
Resignations in the news today:
Schenectady County jail guard turns self into police after resigning
https://dailygazette.com/article/2018/09/25/schenectady-county-jail-guard-turns-self-into-police-after-resigning
After guilty plea, Chester town supervisor resigns
http://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/hudson-valley/news/2018/09/26/chester-town-supervisor-resigns
Retiring Veterans Services director honored by Board of Supervisors
https://www.kget.com/news/local-news/retiring-veterans-services-director-honored-by-board-of-supervisors/1476109816
Town of Lockport Judge resigns after allegations of vulgarity, posting racially offensive material
http://news.wbfo.org/post/town-lockport-judge-resigns-after-allegations-vulgarity-posting-racially-offensive-material
Judge Frances Hill, 'an advocate for children,' retiring this year
https://www.idsnews.com/article/2018/09/judge-frances-hill-an-advocate-for-children-retiring-this-year
ACUMA President Bob Dorsa to Retire
https://nationalmortgageprofessional.com/news/68628/acuma-president-dorsa-retire
Creeth will resign from finance board
https://www.wiltonbulletin.com/130249/creeth-will-resign-from-finance-board/
Somerset-based optometrist William Langfield retires
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/special/20180926/somerset-based-optometrist-william-langfield-retires
Surrey County Council chairman Peter Martin resigns
https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/live-updates-after-surrey-county-15203918
Maryland Film Festival Founder Retires After 20 Years
https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2018/09/26/maryland-film-festival-founder-retires-after-20-years/
Trailcon Announces Branch Manager to Retire
http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/3954388
Longtime Birmingham nonprofit leader retiring, new leader named
https://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/news/2018/09/26/longtime-birmingham-nonprofit-leader-retiring-new.html
Paul Retiring After 37 Years With Health Dept.
http://www.clevelandcountyherald.com/2018/09/26/paul-retiring-after-37-years-with-health-dept/
Massachusetts Gaming Commission head resigns amid Wynn investigation
https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/casinos-gaming/massachusetts-gaming-commission-head-resigns-amid-wynn-investigation/
Pos Malaysia group CEO to resign effective Sept 30
https://www.thestar.com.my/business/business-news/2018/09/27/pos-malaysia-group-ceo-to-resign-effective-sept-30/
Olathe Health CEO Retires
http://www.kcur.org/post/olathe-health-names-ceo-succeed-retiring-devocelle-who-spent-43-years-helm#stream/0
RTD Spokesman Scott Reed is Retiring After 27 Years
https://www.masstransitmag.com/press_release/12431419/rtd-spokesman-Scott-Reed-is-retiring-after-27-years
The man who translates climate change data for Alaskans is retiring.
https://www.ktoo.org/2018/09/26/the-man-who-translates-climate-change-data-for-alaskans-is-retiring-heres-a-qa/
Plateau SSG, Commissioner Resign
https://theeagleonline.com.ng/plateau-ssg-commissioner-resign/
Retiring Saugeen Shores Mayor Mike Smith honoured
https://www.shorelinebeacon.com/news/local-news/retiring-saugeen-shores-mayor-mike-smith-honoured
Western ND Republican lawmaker to resign, citing lack of 'zeal'
http://www.grandforksherald.com/news/government-and-politics/4504960-western-nd-republican-lawmaker-resign-citing-lack-zeal
Sprague Resources LP Announces Resignation of Director Robert B. Evans
https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/sprague-resources-lp-announces-resignation-of-director-robert-b-evans-20180926-01230
SCHOOLS – Anita Christian retires at WES
https://www.wilsonpost.com/news/schools—-anita-christian-retires-at-wes/article_0447bcd8-c1cd-11e8-9a73-bf901cce31b3.html
Waterloo postmaster retiring
http://www.republictimes.net/waterloo-postmaster-retiring/
Westchester Assistant Business Superintendent Retiring Soon
https://tarrytown.dailyvoice.com/schools/westchester-assistant-business-superintendent-retiring-soon/742499/
WI Chief Retiring amid Contract Dispute
https://www.firehouse.com/leadership/news/21024327/janesville-wi-fire-chief-randy-banker-announces-retirement-firefighters
Thorndale police chief to retire in October
http://www.kxxv.com/story/39177377/thorndale-police-chief-to-retire-in-october
Wagner retiring from Northwest Bank board in October
https://buffalonews.com/2018/09/26/wagner-retiring-from-northwest-bank-board-in-october/
Baptist Health CEO Hugh Greene Announces He Will Retire Next Year
http://news.wjct.org/post/baptist-health-ceo-hugh-greene-announces-he-will-retire-next-year
8kun Midnight Riders Posts (2)
#178996 at 2024-01-03 14:32:52 (UTC+1)
QR Midnight Riders #955: OH how the "MIGHTY" have FALLEN Edition
>>178994
(10/30/2017) first Muh Russia Indictments came down..
https://www.npr.org/2017/10/30/560786546/grand-jury-approves-first-charges-in-muellers-russia-investigation
Russia Tried To Infiltrate Trump Campaign, Mueller Documents Confirm (NPR.com)
Domenico MontanaroOctober 30, 20178:41 AM ET
Special counsel Robert Mueller's high-powered team of investigators and lawyers has expertise in everything from white-collar crime and fraud to national security.
Andrew Harnik/AP
Updated at 4:20 p.m. ET
Apparent Russian agents began reaching out to Donald Trump's presidential campaign as early as March 2016, the Justice Department established in documents released Monday, with appeals for partnership and offers of help including "dirt" on Trump's opponent, Hillary Clinton.
That case is made in charging documents in the case of then-Trump foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.
The court documents got a little less focus early in the day than other indictments involving Trump's onetime campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and a top aide, Rick Gates, who was Manafort's deputy and a business partner. Manafort and Gates pleaded not guilty in federal court Monday to all the charges announced earlier Monday, NPR's Barbara Sprunt reports. The two men were deemed a flight risk and put under house arrest.
Sponsor Message
But the Papadopoulos matter speaks to the heart of the mandate for Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller - to examine potential connections between people in the Trump campaign and Russian influencemongers.
What is now known is that Russia tried to infiltrate the Trump campaign - and did so successfully, at least at some level. Put in context of other reporting around the Russia story, it is a remarkable establishment.
The court documents also establish that Russia promised "thousands of emails" that would have "dirt" on Clinton to Papadopoulos in April 2016. A trove of hacked Democratic emails was released by WikiLeaks three months later - in the midst of the Democratic National Convention.
"I will tell you this, Russia: If you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing," Trump said, appearing to encourage Russia to continue digging. His campaign denied he was doing that. "I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press."
Papadopoulos tried to set up additional meetings or contacts between people in the Trump campaign and Russians. There were many contacts, according to the court documents, which describe meetings or messages between Papadopoulos and at least two Russians, a "professor" in London and a woman.
Sponsor Message
But what remains unknown is: Who are the high-ranking campaign officials Papadopoulos contacted and what did those other officials do, if anything, with information Papadopoulos shared?
It is known, however, that Donald Trump Jr., the son of the billionaire, organized and took a meeting with Russian nationals, who also promised dirt on Clinton.
"If it's what you say," Trump Jr. wrote to the associate who set up the meeting, "I love it."
Manafort and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and a key adviser, also attended the meeting at Trump Tower in June 2016.
This is the first time a connection between the Trump campaign and Russia's attempt to interfere in the 2016 election has been established by an ironclad official government source. Reporting that has linked the Trump campaign and Russia's effort has been dismissed by the White House and the president as "fake news."
Shortly after the charges against Manafort and Gates were announced, President Trump dismissed their significance.
Papadopoulos' guilty plea is going to be more difficult for him to downplay, although the White House tried to do so on Monday.
"Today's announcement has nothing to do with the president or the campaign or campaign activity," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said at a White House press briefing.
Of course, that is not true. Trump named Papadopoulos as a foreign-policy adviser to the campaign. Sanders, however, dismissed him as merely a "volunteer member of an advisory council that met one time."
Sanders tried to turn attention to the Clinton campaign instead, alleging it "colluded" with Russian intelligence to craft the so-called Steele Dossier. The dossier, which collected opposition research on Trump that eventually focused on his ties to Russia, was initially paid for by the conservative Washington Free Beacon website. The site is funded in large part by conservative donor Paul Singer, who was a Trump skeptic and backed Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio for president.
Research for the dossier was conducted by a firm called Fusion GPS, run by two former investigative reporters. They hired Chris Steele, a former British spy turned private investigator. Steele has ties to U.S. intelligence and is known as a Russia expert; he was hired to find more information about Trump's ties in Russia that they couldn't get.
When the primaries were over, the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee picked up the tab to keep the research going.
Sanders called the dossier "false information." Some of it has been confirmed by news outlets. Some of it is incendiary and has not been independently confirmed. Sanders dismissed the meeting at Trump Tower between Trump Jr. and Russian nationals as simply "a meeting that took place" and "routine."
It was not routine. Opposition research is, but not seeking it from foreign governments.
Sanders, though, contended the Clinton campaign's and DNC's "millions of dollars" paid for the oppo-research file (that it never used) was far worse that Trump Jr.'s meeting - or anything coming out of Monday's court documents.
"They took one meeting, and nothing came of it," she said.
Sanders also said the president had "no reaction," because "it doesn't have anything to do with us."
Not the end of the Mueller investigation
There could be more details to come either from Mueller or the congressional committees that are investigating the Russia imbroglio. Court documents indicate that Papadopoulos has met with the government "on numerous occasions to provide information and answer questions."
Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is also investigating Russia-Trump ties, in a statement called Monday's developments "a significant and sobering step in what will be a complex and likely lengthy investigation by the Special Counsel. That is why it is imperative that Congress take action now to protect the independence of the Special Counsel, wherever or however high his investigation may lead."
His office also said he wants bipartisan members of Congress to "make clear" to President Trump "that issuing pardons to any of his associates or to himself would be unacceptable, and result in immediate, bipartisan action by Congress."
The president has the unfettered ability to pardon anyone for federal crimes. But that applies only to federal crimes. Some officials, including Manafort, could also face charges at the state level - in New York, for example.
Warner also put the guilty plea and indictments in the context of broader developments on the Trump-Russia investigation over the past several months.
"This is just the latest in a series of undisclosed contacts, misleading public statements, potentially compromising information, and highly questionable actions from the time of the Trump campaign that together, remain a cause for deep concern and continued investigation," he said.
And there are indications that Papadopoulos is cooperating with federal agents.
"It is in the best interest of our client, George Papadopoulos, that we refrain from commenting on George's case," his lawyers, Thomas M. Breen and Robert W. Stanley, said in a short statement obtained by NPR's Carrie Johnson.
They then added: "We will have the opportunity to comment on George's involvement when called upon by the Court at a later date. We look forward to telling all of the details of George's story at that time."
Trump and other conservatives have tried to sully Mueller's name, hoping to delegitimize his findings as politically motivated. One Mueller ally, fired former FBI Director James Comey, took to his newly revealed Twitter account to seemingly - and cryptically - back up the special counsel:
The charges
Manafort and Gates were charged with "conspiracy against the United States," "conspiracy to launder money" and other offenses. The two were expected in court in Washington by the afternoon.
The Justice Department indictment on Manafort and Gates contains 12 counts: "conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading FARA statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts."
Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI.
The Manafort and Gates indictment unsealed on Monday morning does not make any reference to Russia's influence campaign against the presidential election, but it does allege extensive financial ties between Manafort and Gates and powerful Ukrainians.
The Papadopoulos materials, on the other hand, detail the many contacts investigators say he had with Russian-linked operatives. He met at least two people, a man and a woman, who the FBI says were working for the Russian government and had boasted to him about the help it could offer the Trump campaign against Clinton.
Manafort and Gates turned themselves in to the FBI on Monday morning. Papadopoulos' status was unclear.
Manafort appeared at the FBI's Washington field office just after 8 a.m. with his lawyer, Kevin Downing. Manafort was escorted into the building by an FBI agent.
Appearing after his client's plea, however, Downing sounded like his client and the Trump campaign were one and the same.
"Well, I think you all saw today that President Donald Trump was correct - there is no evidence that Mr. Manafort or the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government," Downing said outside federal court, per NPR's Miles Parks.
He contended that Manafort was merely representing "pro-European Union campaigns for the Ukrainian …" He added that "he was seeking to further democracy and to help the Ukraine come closer to the United States and the EU." He then pointed out that his client's work in Ukraine ended in 2014, "over two years before Mr. Manafort served in the Trump campaign."
He said the indictment was being brought "using a very novel theory," regarding a federal filing under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. He noted that FARA has been used only half a dozen times in the last 50 years and with only one conviction. He's right that the act is seldom used.
Downing then thundered, "The second thing about this indictment that I myself find most ridiculous is the claim that maintaining offshore accounts to bring all your funds into the United States as a scheme to conceal from the United States government is ridiculous."
A spokesman for the special counsel declined to comment to NPR.
The materials are online here.
The Papadopoulos court documents are available here.
The Ukraine connection
Manafort headed Trump's campaign from June to August 2016. He stepped down after reports emerged about his business relationship with pro-Russian leaders in Ukraine, allegedly replete with millions of dollars in cash payments and undisclosed lobbying efforts.
The indictment released on Monday charges Manafort and Gates with the extensive use of offshore bank accounts, through which flowed more than $75 million. The document alleges that Manafort laundered more than $18 million of that to conceal it from U.S. authorities and that Gates transferred more than $3 million.
Manafort grew wealthy over a colorful career in his four decades as a Republican operative and lobbyist.
He worked for Republican campaigns in the late 1970s and early 1980s before moving into the lucrative world of international lobbying, where he teamed up with Roger Stone to found the firm Black, Manafort, Stone & Kelly.
Manafort represented a host of unsavory characters over the years, including Angolan rebel leader Jonas Savimbi, Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos and Zaire's leader Mobutu Sese Seko.
In the early 2000s, Manafort headed to Ukraine to work as an adviser to the pro-Russian politician Viktor Yanukovych, helping him win the presidency in 2010. Yanukovych was overthrown by a wave of popular protests four years later. He fled to Russia.
Manafort later became an early backer of Trump, eventually assuming the role of chairman of his insurgent presidential campaign. Trump and the White House have lately downplayed Manafort's role in the 2016 operation. But at the time, their relationship was said to be close.
Manafort is "the one person in the room that calls him 'Donald,' " as Republican operative Scott Reed told NPR last year. "It's not 'Mr. Trump.' It's 'Donald.' 'Come on, Donald; we've got to do the right thing here."
A spokesman for Manafort did not respond to a request for comment.
Read the full Manafort indictment here.
Read the court documents related to Papadopoulos here.
#53722 at 2021-02-06 23:41:21 (UTC+1)
QR Midnight Riders #249: Anti-Marjorie Greene Staffer Arrested on Pedo Charge Edition
Hawley Responds To Running For President...
https://populist.press/hawley-responds-to-running-for-president/
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/04/josh-hawley-2024-465756
'He's clearly laying groundwork': Hawley paves 2024 path
The face of the Biden resistance is taking shape in the Senate: Josh Hawley.
In a prelude to a widely expected 2024 presidential bid, the Missouri Republican is the only senator to oppose every one of President Joe Biden's Cabinet nominees - a distinction sealed Tuesday when he voted against confirming new Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Hawley briefly held up the confirmation of another Cabinet official, for the Department of Homeland Security.
Even before Biden became president, Hawley initiated his bid for the Trump wing of the party by becoming the first senator to announce he would vote against the Electoral College results certifying the new president's win, thrilling the outgoing president and his followers.
Hawley, whose Senate seat is up for election in 2024, has said repeatedly that he isn't running for president.
"All I can say is no," Hawley said in an interview on Wednesday, denying he has an overarching plan to oppose Biden's nominees. "What can I say? That's clearly not my focus."
But aside from Hawley's allies, no one familiar with presidential politics or the U.S. Senate is taking the 41-year-old at his word - especially after several Democratic senators used their opposition to early Trump appointees as a springboard to 2020.
"Hawley's always been a young man in a hurry. He ran for attorney general on a plank he would serve all four years and [almost] immediately ran for U.S. Senate once he got in office," said Scott Reed, a veteran Republican strategist who last worked for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's political arm. He noted that Hawley established himself "by taking early shots at Big Tech and he really developed a taste for the wine, meaning he really liked all the attention. And he's built on that."
Reed said that "Hawley is becoming an exotic for Republican primary voters" because the Yale-educated lawyer has established a niche for himself as an early critic of social media companies while trying to appeal to working-class voters.
While the Missouri senator is "an asterisk in early Republican surveys I've seen," Reed said, "he's clearly laying groundwork for running for president in 2024. There's no way else to explain this behavior."
But it's come at a cost.
His eagerness to ingratiate himself with Trump supporters led to a now infamous Jan. 6 photo of Hawley, outside the Capitol, pumping his fist in support of a throng of demonstrators who later went on to storm the building, vandalize it and temporarily delay the vote.
Hawley's role in opposing the Electoral College vote resulted in a Senate ethics complaint, and led Simon & Schuster to cancel his book deal, The Tyranny of Big Tech, last month. And former Missouri Sen. John Danforth - who helped propel Hawley to the seat Danforth held decades ago - withdrew his support of the senator, saying his endorsement was "the worst mistake I ever made."
Hawley has decried both the invasion of the Capitol and the president's remarks on Jan. 6, but at the same time said Trump's impeachment trial is unconstitutional. And he made clear in an interview that Biden is unpopular in his state and that part of his job is to be the "loyal opposition, as our U.K. friends like to say."
cont
8chan/8kun QRB Posts (1)
#19205 at 2019-07-19 00:09:39 (UTC+1)
QRB General #25: WWG1WGA WRWY @ /qresearch Edition
Business NewsJuly 18, 2019 / 12:37 PM / Updated 12 minutes ago
Trump meets with airline CEOs over Qatar subsidy accusations
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump met on Thursday with the chief executives of major American airlines to discuss their accusations that subsidies by Qatar and United Arab Emirates are costing jobs in the United States.
The meeting between Trump and the CEOs of American Airlines (AAL.O), United Airlines (UAL.O), JetBlue Airways Corp (JBLU.O), FedEx Corp (FDX.N) and Atlas Air (AAWW.O) included Vice President Mike Pence, the White House said.
The meeting also included the CEO of state-owned Qatar Airways, Akbar al-Baker, who was also at the White House last week to tout its decision in June to buy five new Boeing 777 freighters.
The White House did not immediately provide details of the meeting.
Since 2015 the largest U.S. carriers - Delta Air Lines (DAL.N), American and United Airlines - have argued their Gulf rivals are being unfairly subsidized by their governments, distorting competition and costing U.S. jobs - something the Gulf carriers deny.
The Partnership for Open & Fair Skies, a group representing Delta, American, United and aviation unions, said it had a "productive meeting" with Trump.
"The president shares our concerns and instructed us to keep working with the U.S. Department of Transportation, which we plan to do," Scott Reed, the group's managing partner, said in a statement.
The CEOs of JetBlue, FedEx and Atlas Air have warned that restricting the rights of Qatar Airways could lead to retaliation against U.S. carriers and added, in an April letter, it could lead to "a rapid unraveling of hard-fought aviation rights around the world when other governments take similar action to shield their state-owned airlines from competition."
Last week, the CEOs of Delta, United and American wrote a joint USA Today op-ed urging the White House to act "decisively to hold Qatar and the UAE accountable." They suggested that failing to respond would "signal to other countries that they too are free to exploit American workers."
Rhttps://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-qatar-airlines-gulf/trump-meets-with-airline-ceos-over-qatar-subsidy-accusations-idUSKCN1UD2G2?EAD MORE:
endchan qrbunker Posts (1)
#69202 at 2022-10-26 12:37:00 (UTC+1)
QR Bunker General #198: Late Night End Bend Edition
>>69194
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3:20 PM EDT
General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Awards Ceremony
United States Army - The General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Awards Ceremony recognizes company grade officers who demonstrate the ideals for which General MacArthur stood - duty, honor, country. The award promotes and sustains effective junior officer leadership in the Army. Twenty-eight company grade Active, Reserve and National Guard Officers are selected through a boarding process for this honor (14 Active Duty Officers/Warrant Officers, 7 Army National Guard Officers/Warrant Officers and 7 Army Reserve Officers/Warrant Officers. Hosted by VCSA GEN Randy A. George.
https://www.dvidshub.net/webcast/30247
3:30 PM EDT
Pre-Application Webinar for Cannabis and Cannabinoid Use in Adult Cancer Patients During Treatment: Assessing Benefits and Harms
The National Cancer Institute's Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS)
https://calendar.nih.gov/event/view/41547
4:00 PM EDT
A Conversation with Purdue University President Mitch Daniels on Leadership in Higher Education
American Enterprise Institute
https://www.aei.org/events/a-conversation-with-purdue-university-president-mitch-daniels-on-leadership-in-higher-education/
https://www.c-span.org/video/?523833-1/purdue-university-president-mitch-daniels-higher-education
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqo7_0WDcMI
4:00 PM EDT
Gender and Health: Impacts of Structural Sexism, Gender Norms, Relational Power Dynamics, and Gender Inequities - Closing Session
National Institutes of Health
https://orwh.od.nih.gov/about/newsroom/events/gender-and-health-impacts-of-structural-sexism-gender-norms-relational-power-dynamics-and-gender
https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=46317
4:30 PM EDT
CFTC Commissioner Kristin N. Johnson will deliver the Distinguished Jurist Lecture - Regulating Digital Assets: Law, Policy, and Economic Implications
University of Pennsylvania Law School Institute for Law & Economics
https://pennlaw.cvent.com/c/express/f762777b-6921-42e9-b525-288a71102071
5:00 PM EDT
Discussion Group Series, "Big Stakes, Big Consequences:" Key Senate Races With Scott Reed, Republican Analyst, Former Presidential Campaign Manager and Longtime Director of Political Activity for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
The Dole Institute of Politics and Newman's Own Foundation
https://doleinstitute.org/event/key-senate-races/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll2HEs8tJd0
5:45 PM EDT
Secretary Antony J. Blinken hosts and delivers remarks at a Diwali reception
Department of State
https://www.state.gov
https://www.youtube.com/c/StateDept
6:00 PM EDT
2022 James Q. Wilson Lecture: America's Housing Crisis And How To Fix It - Edward L. Glaeser
Manhattan Institute
https://www.manhattan-institute.org/2022-james-q-wilson-lecture
6:00 PM EDT
New Hampshire Governor Debate in Henniker
New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu (R) and Tom Sherman, his Democratic challenger in the state's 2022 gubernatorial race, participate in a debate hosted by New England College in Henniker, New Hampshire.
https://www.c-span.org/video/?523651-1/hampshire-governor-debate-henniker
6:30 PM EDT
George P. Shultz Lecture Series: Ambassador Roundtable with Ambassadors Richard Burt, Eric Edelman, and Paul Wolfowitz
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
https://www.reaganfoundation.org/reagan-institute/events/george-p-shultz-lecture-series-ambassador-roundtable/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43AKTen5wqM
7:00 PM EDT
How White Christian Nationalism Threatens Our Democracy
Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown's Center on Faith and Justice, and the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty
https://www.georgetown.edu/event/how-white-christian-nationalism-threatens-our-democracy/
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