Manafort Indicted. Is ‘The Donald’ Next?

DJ October 31, 2017

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The first shoe in the Trump-Russia collusion investigation has fallen, claiming former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Is it time for Donald Trump to close the curtains at The White House and start packing his bags?

Top News Today
On Monday, US Special Counsel Robert Mueller announced charges against 3 senior members of the Trump campaign team: Campaign Chairman Paul Manafort, campaign adviser Rick Gates, and former foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos. The indictments presented perhaps the most damning evidence to date that the Trump campaign coordinated with the Russian government in order to damage Hillary Clinton.

Manafort

With an arrest warrant out against him, Manafort surrendered to the FBI early Monday and pleaded not guilty to charges that he laundered millions of dollars through overseas shell companies, so that he could buy luxury cars, real estate, and more. Soon after, Rick Gates, Manafort’s longtime associate and campaign adviser was also charged and turned himself in. An hour later, Mueller announced that adviser George Papadopoulos had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and was already cooperating with authorities.

According to court documents published on Monday, federal investigators now know that Russian intelligence services used intermediaries to contact Papadopoulos in order to gain influence within the Trump campaign, and offered “thousands of emails” of dirt on Hillary Clinton.

However, according to Donald Trump, this is all a witch hunt and FAKE NEWS! (Big Surprise)

“Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren’t Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????” Trump tweeted in his all-too-predictable “deflect and change the subject” manner.

Manafort

Could this really be the beginning of the end for Donald Trump? You bet your derriere it is! Here’s why:

Top News Today
Special Counsel Robert Mueller is a very smart man. He would not have set Monday’s wheels in motion if he didn’t have all of his dominos already lined up and in place. So, what’s his likely game plan?

Going after Manafort first is the clever and strategic first step. The money laundering charges against him are totally unrelated to Russia and (as Trump so “eloquently” put) happened long before the campaign. However, they are serious enough to land Manafort in jail for perhaps a decade — something he almost assuredly won’t want to do. So, in steps Mueller and his team to offer Manafort a plea deal: tell all he knows about Trump-Russia and they’ll let him off no questions asked on the other charges.

It’s a win-win situation for both Mueller and Manafort and a deal the former Trump man will find hard to turn down.

Similar deals will likely be (or have already been) offered to Gates as well as Papadopoulos, who is reportedly already singing like a canary to federal authorities against Trump. Needless to say, the Trump presidency is all but over. With this triple indictment hanging over his head, “The Donald” nor congressional Republicans will be able to focus on anything else but this scandal for the foreseeable future.

Everyone knows that the best way to demolish a building is to knock out the bottom bricks first so that the top bricks will easily come crumbling down. By first knocking out Manafort, Gates, and Papadopoulos, getting Trump to fall should be a walk in the park.

Who could be next in Mueller’s web? Stay tuned…

“In truth and in fact, however, and as set forth above, defendant PAPADOPOULOS met the Professor for the first time on or about March 14, 2016, after defendant PAPADOPOULOS had already learned he would be a foreign policy advisor for the Campaign; the Professor showed interest in defendant PAPADOPOULOS only after learning of his role on the Campaign; and the Professor told defendant PAPADOPOULOS about the Russians possessing” dirt” on then-candidate Clinton in late April 2016, more than a month after defendant PAPADOPOULOS had joined the Campaign.” – FBI Guilty Plea Agreement

OK WASSUP! discusses the Top News Today:
With Manafort down, could Trump be next?

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DJ October 31, 2017

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Truthiz1

Sr. Member

October 31, 2017 7:44 AM

Top of the morning to you DJ..! Yes indeed, now THIS is Trump-related news well worth covering. Before I comment on what I think this all means for Trump I want to share this information: “Under Mueller Scrutiny, Democratic Donor Tony Podesta Resigns From Lobbying Firm” Excerpt: WASHINGTON — Tony Podesta, a prominent lobbyist and Democratic donor who has come under scrutiny from the escalating special counsel investigation, stepped down on Monday from the firm he co-founded, according to people familiar with the firm. The firm, the Podesta Group, has lost clients as it has been increasingly drawn into the investigation by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III. On Monday, the Podesta Group and another company with which it had worked, Mercury Public Affairs, were referenced — though not by name — in an indictment of two former Trump campaign officials, Paul Manafort and Rick Gates. No charges have… Read more »

October 31, 2017 9:30 AM

Okay so based on the FACTUAL timeline and other related info presented thus far We now know: 1. The Trump campaign had knowledge of the hacked emails about 3 months PRIOR to the breach being made public. They knew Russia had those emails. 2. And as DJ noted – “The indictments presented perhaps the most damning evidence to date that the Trump campaign coordinated with the Russian government in order to damage Hillary Clinton.” In fact, the evidence clearly shows that members of the Trump campaign had numerous contacts with Russian operatives in efforts to aggressively bolster support for Trump while damaging Hillary politically. And we now know that members of Trump’s inner circle, including Donny Jr. have repeatedly LIED about said contacts and efforts. 3. We now know that Russian operatives used every means available to them including (but not limited to) their use of American social-media giants FACEBOOK… Read more »

October 31, 2017 9:36 AM

Let me also add………..

Of the indictments made public yesterday (they are all significant), I think the indictment, and “guilty” plea, of Papadopoulos may prove to be the most significant because of the role he actually played within the Trump administration and the fact that he plead “guilt”y months ago (in July I believe) and has been a “proactive cooperator” since that time. Meaning what, exactly? Did Papadopoulos agree to wear a wire? And if so, who in Trump’s inner circle may have ran off at the mouth to him?

We don’t know all the evidence Mueller’s team has gathered so far. But you can bet it’s far more than what’s been disclosed to Us (the public) thus far.

In the meantime, I commend Robert Mueller on running a tight ship. So far he’s living up to his stellar professional reputation. And I patiently await his next move.

October 31, 2017 9:43 AM

On a related note…… “Under Mueller Scrutiny, Democratic Donor Tony Podesta Resigns From Lobbying Firm” Excerpts: WASHINGTON — Tony Podesta, a prominent lobbyist and Democratic donor who has come under scrutiny from the escalating special counsel investigation, stepped down on Monday from the firm he co-founded, according to people familiar with the firm. The firm, the Podesta Group, has lost clients as it has been increasingly drawn into the investigation by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III. On Monday, the Podesta Group and another company with which it had worked, Mercury Public Affairs, were referenced — though not by name — in an indictment of two former Trump campaign officials, Paul Manafort and Rick Gates. No charges have been brought against Mr. Podesta or officials from the Podesta Group or Mercury. But both firms have been subpoenaed for records and testimony about their work on behalf of a client… Read more »

Mr.BD

October 31, 2017 11:11 AM

Whoa I’ve been waiting all day to chime in on this. But I knew Truth was going to hold it down for me until I could get in. First let me say we have been talking about this at work all morning. And a lot of my ‘fairer skinned’ co-workers are steaming mad. Some of them Trump voters are already making up excuses and starting to run away from their boy Trump. The real story is they are embarrassed they voted for the man but I told them so. Anyway DJ you are right on all points. This is the real beginning of the end for Trump hands down. Muller has been playing this thing like a fiddle so for him to come out now means he has Plan B, Plan C, Plan Z all ready to go. Popadoupolis pled guilty in the summer and has been cooperating. Like Truth… Read more »

Reply to Mr.BD

October 31, 2017 12:13 PM

Hey BD, I too have noticed a very visible change in attitude among quite a few of my colleagues who had voted for Trump and were drunk with glee when he was elected. But I began noticing it (some doubt creeping in) several months ago. Suffice it to say, as of yesterday, their collective mood has become more somber, as REALITY really begins to sink in. Today they are mostly quiet. Not saying much at all…and speaking just above a whisper when they do talk. Trump voters know that Trump didn’t play them. They know they played themselves…and they must live with that Truth.

October 31, 2017 11:43 AM

And looks like two more of Trump’s chumps, Corey Lewandowski and Sam Clovis, are up to their necks in the Russian “connection” too. But first, I must make a Correction to one of my previous comments: Papadopoulos was actually arrested in July and pleaded guilty in October to lying to the FBI. Okay so….back to Lewandowski and Clovis Report: “Lewandowski Was Trump Official Papadopoulos Emailed About Russia Trip” Former Donald Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski was the “high-ranking campaign official” former campaign adviser George Papadopoulos emailed about arranging a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Washington Post reported late Monday. “Have been receiving a lot of calls over the last month about Putin wanting to host him and the team when the time is right,” Papadopoulos wrote in April 2016 to a person identified only as “a high-ranking official of the Campaign” in court documents unsealed Monday.… Read more »

Sara

Guest

October 31, 2017 1:55 PM

Donald Trump has become a national embarrassment. With all the lies he’s told no one believes anything he says anymore. I don’t see a way for him to tweet his way out of this one. His people are going down and they may very well take him down with them.

October 31, 2017 2:15 PM

My apologies for posting the news twice about Tony Podesta. My initial post didn’t show up on my computer at work until just now?! And unfortunately, the site won’t allow me to delete the 2nd Podesta post now.