Archive 2017-2019 Political Thread

[WesL]

There is no crime there. He can have a private citizen negotiate with whom ever he wants. Is Ukraine automatically supposed to get U.S. aid and a WH visit ?

Ummmm the Logan Act would disagree with that.

§ 953. Private correspondence with foreign governments.

Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.

This section shall not abridge the right of a citizen to apply himself, or his agent, to any foreign government, or the agents thereof, for redress of any injury which he may have sustained from such government or any of its agents or subjects.

 

[Matt]

Would you expect somebody to say that out loud? Come on.

Trump could communicate through Rudy. This gave him the deniability he needs.

He said not one person alive. Rudy is a person and alive.

 

[gangstonc]

He said not one person alive. Rudy is a person and alive.

And why would Rudy tell Sondland when he didn't need to?

 

[Matt]

Ummmm the Logan Act would disagree with that.

How many people have been prosecuted under the Logan Act ?

 

[gangstonc]

How many people have been prosecuted under the Logan Act ?

0. This further shows how unusual and stupid it was to have Rudy doing this task. Nobody else had ever been so corrupt or stupid to try it.

 

[Kory]

How many people have been prosecuted under the Logan Act ?

Last prosecution was pre Civil War.

 

[WesL]

How many people have been prosecuted under the Logan Act ?

2 indictments, 0 convictions. In 1994 they updated the wording to remove a fine and make violation a felony. Just because there is little or no prosecution under the act, doesn't make it any less legal. Most people are just smart enough not to tempt fate. And then there is Rudy.

 

[Matt]

2 indictments, 0 convictions. In 1994 they updated the wording to remove a fine and make violation a felony. Just because there is little or no prosecution under the act, doesn't make it any less legal. Most people are just smart enough not to tempt fate. And then there is Rudy.

John Kerry shuold be tried under this Act don't you agree ?

 

[WesL]

John Kerry shuold be tried under this Act don't you agree ?

Assuming you mean his trip to Iran in 2018 to convince Iran to keep the nuclear deal after Trump pulled out? Yeah that would be actually pretty debatable in my mind. But if you consider that you have to consider Michael Flynn should be looked at for negotiating with Russia before Trump took office.

 

[gangstonc]

John Kerry shuold be tried under this Act don't you agree ?

Just to be clear, naming crimes other people committed doesn't absolve trump or his cronies of those crimes. It just tells us the world isn't fair.

 

[gangstonc]

I don't really know who this Maloney guy is, but I liked how he handled the situation. Everybody involved needs to be honest from the start. That's what our gov't needs more than anything.

 

[Matt]

Is Sondland telling a fib ?

<Admin Edit / WesL : Since @Matt did not include a description I will add one for him. This clip shows Ambassador Sondland discussing what President Trump told him in regards to his discussions with the President of Ukraine.>

 

[gangstonc]

Is Sondland telling a fib ?

I think that is all trump told him. I think he told Rudy something entirely different.

 

[Matt]

From the testimony so far, to get Rudy to tell the ambassadors to negotiate an investigation in exchange for aid and/or a WH visit.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/white-house-budget-official-with-knowledge-of-delay-in-military-aid-to-ukraine-to-testify/2019/11/15/f84b809e-07ef-11ea-924a-28d87132c7ec_story.html

WH budget official lays out unusual process in freeze of Ukraine aid for impeachment investigators

A senior career official at the Office of Management and Budget testified on Saturday about a budget process that went off the rails when nearly $400 million in US military aid to Ukraine was withheld earlier this year, and that he did not know for sure the reasoning behind the freeze in funds...

www.cnn.com

From these articleS, don’t think you want to see public testimony from Sandy. He noticed this was a fishy deal as well and approached counsel about it. So far, even those witnesses the Republicans thought would be on their side have either changed their story to be more damaging to trump, of been outright damaging to trump, like today.

even ken Starr says the president must be removed.

Also, sondland told us today that Pence knew.

If he is so damaging to the president, why isn't Schiff calling him to testify ?

 

[gangstonc]

If he is so damaging to the president, why isn't Schiff calling him to testify ?

Because all he seems to know is that it was unusual. We already know that. Why do you think he should testify? What exculpatory evidence will he provide?

 

[WesL]

At this point I think Megan McCain has nailed where we are with impeachment testimony. Feels like we are in the Hangover and it just gets worse and worse.

 

[gangstonc]

At this point I think Megan McCain has nailed where we are with impeachment testimony.

Ken Starr on Gordon Sondland's impeachment hearing testimony: 'One of those bombshell days'

Former Whitewater Independent Counsel Ken Starr said Wednesday that the testimony of Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland all but guarantees articles of impeachment will be drawn up by House Democrats, and laid out what he believed to be House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam...

www.foxnews.com

I think Ken Starr has it better, just not as funny. I like how he kind of lays it out in a day-by-day kind of evaluation.

 

[WesL]

Ken Starr on Gordon Sondland's impeachment hearing testimony: 'One of those bombshell days'

Former Whitewater Independent Counsel Ken Starr said Wednesday that the testimony of Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland all but guarantees articles of impeachment will be drawn up by House Democrats, and laid out what he believed to be House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam...

www.foxnews.com

I think Ken Starr has it better, just not as funny. I like how he kind of lays it out in a day-by-day kind of evaluation.

Wow that is a great article. Thanks for sharing! I'm curious what the evening spin shows will say just because it will be interesting to see if there are any GOP supporters that start to break the ranks of support.

 

[gangstonc]

Wow that is a great article. Thanks for sharing! I'm curious what the evening spin shows will say just because it will be interesting to see if there are any GOP supporters that start to break the ranks of support.

I really don't think you will see any break in ranks prior to a trial in the Senate. In a Senate trial, I think they will stand together as long as there isn't a smoking gun.

 

[Kory]

Okay, I'm laughing way too hard at this.