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58 National Security Officials Debunk Trump's fake border crisis.
58 Former National Security Officials Debunk Trump’s National Emergency Claim
Ryan Bort
Rolling Stone February 25, 2019
Earlier this month, President Trump declared a national emergency under the guise that undocumented immigrants represent a security threat to the United States. On Monday, a bipartisan group of 58 former national security officials released a statement explaining why the action is unwarranted. “Under no plausible assessment of the evidence is there a national emergency today that entitles the president to tap into funds appropriated for other purposes to build a wall at the southern border,” the group wrote
the 11-page statement claims there is “no factual basis” to justify Trump’s national emergency declaration. In doing so, it notes that illegal border crossings are at their lowest point in decades, that the majority of drugs coming across the border are brought through legal points of entry and that siphoning funding from military programs in order to build a border wall “will undermine U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.” The officials also write that there is no crisis relating to violent crime at the border, and that Trump’s proclamation will only “exacerbate the humanitarian concerns that do exist at the southern border.”
Among those who signed the letter are former secretary of state Madeleine Albright, former CIA director John Brennan, former national intelligence director James Clapper, former defense secretary Chuck Hagel and several officials from the Bush and Obama administrations.
According to the Washington Post, the letter is intended to support litigation “and other actions” challenging Trump’s declaration. Several lawsuits have already been filed in an effort to stop the president from circumventing Congress to build a border wall, including one brought by 16 states. On Tuesday, the House of Representatives will vote on a resolution brought to the floor by Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) that seeks to “terminate” the declaration. Even if the resolution passes the House and the Senate, however, it is likely to be subject to a veto from the president.
On Monday morning, Trump warned Republicans about getting “led down the path of weak and ineffective Border Security.”
I hope our great Republican Senators don’t get led down the path of weak and ineffective Border Security. Without strong Borders, we don’t have a Country – and the voters are on board with us. Be strong and smart, don’t fall into the Democrats “trap” of Open Borders and Crime!
The former national security officials who signed the letter released Monday aren’t the first officials to dismiss the idea that undocumented immigrants constitute a threat. In January, current intelligence officials, led by National Intelligence Director Dan Coats, briefed Congress on the most imminent threats to the nation’s safety. Mentioned at length were Russia, ISIS and North Korea, but not the southern border. Shortly after the briefing, the president rebuked the officials for failing to align with his personal views regarding the threats.
Trump, himself, has claimed there’s no need to panic about the situation at the border. While announcing the national emergency declaration earlier this month, he essentially admitted that there is no real emergency. “I want to do it faster,” he said. “I could do the wall over a long period of time. I didn’t need to do this.”
While presidents are near the end of their second term, they are referred to as a 'lame duck'. However, Trump will always be known as a lame fu...... (rhymes with duck).
Ryan Bort
Rolling Stone February 25, 2019
Earlier this month, President Trump declared a national emergency under the guise that undocumented immigrants represent a security threat to the United States. On Monday, a bipartisan group of 58 former national security officials released a statement explaining why the action is unwarranted. “Under no plausible assessment of the evidence is there a national emergency today that entitles the president to tap into funds appropriated for other purposes to build a wall at the southern border,” the group wrote
the 11-page statement claims there is “no factual basis” to justify Trump’s national emergency declaration. In doing so, it notes that illegal border crossings are at their lowest point in decades, that the majority of drugs coming across the border are brought through legal points of entry and that siphoning funding from military programs in order to build a border wall “will undermine U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.” The officials also write that there is no crisis relating to violent crime at the border, and that Trump’s proclamation will only “exacerbate the humanitarian concerns that do exist at the southern border.”
Among those who signed the letter are former secretary of state Madeleine Albright, former CIA director John Brennan, former national intelligence director James Clapper, former defense secretary Chuck Hagel and several officials from the Bush and Obama administrations.
According to the Washington Post, the letter is intended to support litigation “and other actions” challenging Trump’s declaration. Several lawsuits have already been filed in an effort to stop the president from circumventing Congress to build a border wall, including one brought by 16 states. On Tuesday, the House of Representatives will vote on a resolution brought to the floor by Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) that seeks to “terminate” the declaration. Even if the resolution passes the House and the Senate, however, it is likely to be subject to a veto from the president.
On Monday morning, Trump warned Republicans about getting “led down the path of weak and ineffective Border Security.”
I hope our great Republican Senators don’t get led down the path of weak and ineffective Border Security. Without strong Borders, we don’t have a Country – and the voters are on board with us. Be strong and smart, don’t fall into the Democrats “trap” of Open Borders and Crime!
The former national security officials who signed the letter released Monday aren’t the first officials to dismiss the idea that undocumented immigrants constitute a threat. In January, current intelligence officials, led by National Intelligence Director Dan Coats, briefed Congress on the most imminent threats to the nation’s safety. Mentioned at length were Russia, ISIS and North Korea, but not the southern border. Shortly after the briefing, the president rebuked the officials for failing to align with his personal views regarding the threats.
Trump, himself, has claimed there’s no need to panic about the situation at the border. While announcing the national emergency declaration earlier this month, he essentially admitted that there is no real emergency. “I want to do it faster,” he said. “I could do the wall over a long period of time. I didn’t need to do this.”
While presidents are near the end of their second term, they are referred to as a 'lame duck'. However, Trump will always be known as a lame fu...... (rhymes with duck).
The Trump campaign team - Russia connection plot thickens
In response to:
Manafort bombshell deepens mystery in Russia probe
Analysis by Stephen Collinson, CNN
Updated 7:24 AM ET, Thu February 14, 2019
Jeffrey Toobin: It's doom for Paul Manafort
Washington (CNN)Paul Manafort's latest legal debacle deepened the core intrigue underlying special counsel Robert Mueller's probe: Why have so many of President Donald Trump's associates been caught lying about contacts with Russians?
In a significant new twist in the 2016 election saga, a judge ruled Wednesday that Trump's ex-campaign chairman "intentionally" lied to investigators, breaking a deal he had reached as a cooperating witness.
The lies, including about meetings with a suspected Russian intelligence asset, were about issues intimately linked to Mueller's wider inquiry, which includes a look into whether there were any links or coordination between the Trump campaign and the Russian election interference effort.
Taken in isolation, the new Manafort bombshell would have rocked any presidency, given his senior role in the Trump campaign. But for a White House as cloaked in suspicion as this one, after two years of stunning revelations about Moscow's election interference, it is yet more bad news that will fuel a feverish atmosphere and further crank up pressure on Trump's inner circle.
Like many of the stunning reveals from Mueller, the latest Manafort drama also offered tantalizing glimpses into the special counsel's web of investigation but provided no resolution to the long-running Russia puzzle.
Mueller has yet to provide any proof of a conspiracy or cooperation between the Trump campaign and Russians, despite obtaining convictions and guilty pleas from a string of the President's former associates.
But Wednesday's developments will be seen in an even more foreboding light given the multiple lies, changes of story and obfuscations offered by other Trump confidants about contacts with Russian officials or private citizens.
These include former national security adviser Michael Flynn's calls with then-Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak, Donald Trump Jr.'s shifting story about a meeting with Russians promising "dirt" on Hillary Clinton and the President's own misrepresentations about a proposed construction project in Moscow.
None of these activities are necessarily illegal, making it even more difficult to understand why there was an apparent need to cover them up.
"This is the million-dollar question in the entire investigation," Rep. Mike Rogers, a Michigan Republican who's a former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said on CNN's "Cuomo Prime Time." "You just have to start asking yourself, why did all of them lie about their connections to the Russians?"
The judge's ruling represents a personal tragedy for Manafort, 69, once a high-flying uber lobbyist in an ostrich skin jacket who racked up millions in consulting fees and huge debts before joining Trump's team.
"It's doom for Paul Manafort," said CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, referring to the likelihood that the increasingly frail former political operative's existing jail term for tax and bank fraud will now likely be extended. The end result could mean he dies behind bars.
But the wider legal and political ramifications of the ruling are also staggering and are likely to revive speculation about the reckoning that may eventually await Trump from Mueller's final report.
According to Judge Amy Berman Jackson, Manafort lied to the FBI, the special counsel and the grand jury about his contacts with Konstantin Kilimnik, a political operative who is believed to have ties to Russian intelligence.
Manafort bombshell deepens mystery in Russia probe
Analysis by Stephen Collinson, CNN
Updated 7:24 AM ET, Thu February 14, 2019
Jeffrey Toobin: It's doom for Paul Manafort
Washington (CNN)Paul Manafort's latest legal debacle deepened the core intrigue underlying special counsel Robert Mueller's probe: Why have so many of President Donald Trump's associates been caught lying about contacts with Russians?
In a significant new twist in the 2016 election saga, a judge ruled Wednesday that Trump's ex-campaign chairman "intentionally" lied to investigators, breaking a deal he had reached as a cooperating witness.
The lies, including about meetings with a suspected Russian intelligence asset, were about issues intimately linked to Mueller's wider inquiry, which includes a look into whether there were any links or coordination between the Trump campaign and the Russian election interference effort.
Taken in isolation, the new Manafort bombshell would have rocked any presidency, given his senior role in the Trump campaign. But for a White House as cloaked in suspicion as this one, after two years of stunning revelations about Moscow's election interference, it is yet more bad news that will fuel a feverish atmosphere and further crank up pressure on Trump's inner circle.
Like many of the stunning reveals from Mueller, the latest Manafort drama also offered tantalizing glimpses into the special counsel's web of investigation but provided no resolution to the long-running Russia puzzle.
Mueller has yet to provide any proof of a conspiracy or cooperation between the Trump campaign and Russians, despite obtaining convictions and guilty pleas from a string of the President's former associates.
But Wednesday's developments will be seen in an even more foreboding light given the multiple lies, changes of story and obfuscations offered by other Trump confidants about contacts with Russian officials or private citizens.
These include former national security adviser Michael Flynn's calls with then-Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak, Donald Trump Jr.'s shifting story about a meeting with Russians promising "dirt" on Hillary Clinton and the President's own misrepresentations about a proposed construction project in Moscow.
None of these activities are necessarily illegal, making it even more difficult to understand why there was an apparent need to cover them up.
"This is the million-dollar question in the entire investigation," Rep. Mike Rogers, a Michigan Republican who's a former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said on CNN's "Cuomo Prime Time." "You just have to start asking yourself, why did all of them lie about their connections to the Russians?"
The judge's ruling represents a personal tragedy for Manafort, 69, once a high-flying uber lobbyist in an ostrich skin jacket who racked up millions in consulting fees and huge debts before joining Trump's team.
"It's doom for Paul Manafort," said CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, referring to the likelihood that the increasingly frail former political operative's existing jail term for tax and bank fraud will now likely be extended. The end result could mean he dies behind bars.
But the wider legal and political ramifications of the ruling are also staggering and are likely to revive speculation about the reckoning that may eventually await Trump from Mueller's final report.
According to Judge Amy Berman Jackson, Manafort lied to the FBI, the special counsel and the grand jury about his contacts with Konstantin Kilimnik, a political operative who is believed to have ties to Russian intelligence.
(Continued in my first comment below)
16 US States (so far) sue the Trump Administration for misapproriation of funds
Today in Reuters;
In response to:
U.S. states sue Trump administration in showdown over border wall funds
Reuters
February 18, 2019
By Sarah N. Lynch and Jeff Mason
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A coalition of 16 U.S. states led by California sued President Donald Trump's administration on Monday over his decision to declare a national emergency to obtain funds for building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California came just days after Trump invoked emergency powers on Friday after Congress declined to fulfill his request for $5.7 billion to help build the wall that was his signature 2016 campaign promise. His move aims to let him spend money appropriated by Congress for other purposes..
"Today, on Presidents Day, we take President Trump to court to block his misuse of presidential power," California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement.
"We’re suing President Trump to stop him from unilaterally robbing taxpayer funds lawfully set aside by Congress for the people of our states. For most of us, the Office of the Presidency is not a place for theater,” added Becerra, a Democrat.
Three Texas landowners and an environmental group filed the first lawsuit against Trump's move on Friday, saying it violates the Constitution and would infringe on their property rights.
The legal challenges could slow down Trump's efforts to build the wall, which he says is needed to check illegal immigration and drug trafficking, but will likely end up at the conservative-leaning U.S. Supreme Court.
In a budget deal passed by Congress to avert a second government shutdown, nearly $1.4 billion was allocated toward border fencing. Trump's emergency order would give him an additional $6.7 billion beyond what lawmakers authorized.
In television interviews on Sunday and Monday, Becerra said the lawsuit would use Trump's own words against him as evidence there is no national emergency to declare.
Earlier, Trump had said he knew that he did not need to declare an emergency to build the wall, a comment that could now undercut the government's legal argument.
"Presidents don't go in and claim declarations of emergency for the purposes of raiding accounts because they weren't able to get Congress to fund items," Becerra said on MSNBC.
U.S. states sue Trump administration in showdown over border wall funds
Reuters
February 18, 2019
By Sarah N. Lynch and Jeff Mason
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A coalition of 16 U.S. states led by California sued President Donald Trump's administration on Monday over his decision to declare a national emergency to obtain funds for building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California came just days after Trump invoked emergency powers on Friday after Congress declined to fulfill his request for $5.7 billion to help build the wall that was his signature 2016 campaign promise. His move aims to let him spend money appropriated by Congress for other purposes..
"Today, on Presidents Day, we take President Trump to court to block his misuse of presidential power," California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement.
"We’re suing President Trump to stop him from unilaterally robbing taxpayer funds lawfully set aside by Congress for the people of our states. For most of us, the Office of the Presidency is not a place for theater,” added Becerra, a Democrat.
Three Texas landowners and an environmental group filed the first lawsuit against Trump's move on Friday, saying it violates the Constitution and would infringe on their property rights.
The legal challenges could slow down Trump's efforts to build the wall, which he says is needed to check illegal immigration and drug trafficking, but will likely end up at the conservative-leaning U.S. Supreme Court.
In a budget deal passed by Congress to avert a second government shutdown, nearly $1.4 billion was allocated toward border fencing. Trump's emergency order would give him an additional $6.7 billion beyond what lawmakers authorized.
In television interviews on Sunday and Monday, Becerra said the lawsuit would use Trump's own words against him as evidence there is no national emergency to declare.
Earlier, Trump had said he knew that he did not need to declare an emergency to build the wall, a comment that could now undercut the government's legal argument.
"Presidents don't go in and claim declarations of emergency for the purposes of raiding accounts because they weren't able to get Congress to fund items," Becerra said on MSNBC.
What is Trump TRYING to hide ?
Trump has replaced Jeff Sessions, because he appropriately recused himself from being involved with the
Mueller investigation of Trump.
He also last year tried to have the acting attorney general, Whitaker, replace the judge, Berman in charge of the
investigation in the Southern District of NY, where Trump is also being investigated, because Berman appropriately recused himself.
Barr, Whitaker, and Kavanaugh all wrote articles, that the President of the USA should not be investigated.
I wonder why they each got appointments.
In addition former AG Andrew McCabe recently wrote a book about the Trump situation entitled, "The Threat"
Yesterday he was interviewed on a plethora of TV shows. I watched several.
Perhaps the best of these interviews was actually done by Colbert, which I will add in my first comment below
in the comments section.
In that interview McCabe stated not only that Trump may be a Russian operative, but that he has seen nothing
at all while in the position of AG, nor after, that decreases that suspicion.
Mueller investigation of Trump.
He also last year tried to have the acting attorney general, Whitaker, replace the judge, Berman in charge of the
investigation in the Southern District of NY, where Trump is also being investigated, because Berman appropriately recused himself.
Barr, Whitaker, and Kavanaugh all wrote articles, that the President of the USA should not be investigated.
I wonder why they each got appointments.
In addition former AG Andrew McCabe recently wrote a book about the Trump situation entitled, "The Threat"
Yesterday he was interviewed on a plethora of TV shows. I watched several.
Perhaps the best of these interviews was actually done by Colbert, which I will add in my first comment below
in the comments section.
In that interview McCabe stated not only that Trump may be a Russian operative, but that he has seen nothing
at all while in the position of AG, nor after, that decreases that suspicion.
The days of Congress protecting the president at all costs are over !
Get ready for a full investigation of Trump's obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and corruption. Over 80 subpoenas issued ! Let the impeachment proceedings begin ! 
(Continued in my first comment below)
In response to:
Trump's sons and scores of others receive document requests from House committee
David Knowles Editor
,Yahoo News•March 4, 2019
Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee investigating President Trump over allegations of obstruction of justice, corruption and abuse of power issued document requests Monday to his two eldest sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, as well as to his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
The document requests sent to Trump’s kin are among 81 subpoenas issued by the House panel. Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., chairman of the Judiciary Committee, announced the request for documents Monday and gave the recipients two weeks to comply with the request.
Today, @HouseJudiciary unveiled the first steps of an investigation into the alleged corruption, obstruction, and other abuses of power by President Trump, his associates, and members of his Administration.
— (((Rep. Nadler))) (@RepJerryNadler) March 4, 2019
“Over the last several years, President Trump has evaded accountability for his near-daily attacks on our basic legal, ethical and constitutional rules and norms,” Nadler said in a statement. “Investigating these threats to the rule of law is an obligation of Congress and a a core function of the House Judiciary Committee.”
Some of the other recipients are well-known names, including American Media Inc., the owner of the National Enquirer, and its CEO, David Pecker; former White House counsel Don McGahn; Trump’s 2020 campaign chief Brad Parscale; former Attorney General Jeff Sessions; and Trump advisers and former associates including Hope Hicks, Corey Lewandowski and Sam Nunberg. Julian Assange of Wikileaks is on the list, as well as Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg, convicted former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and the recently indicted Roger Stone.
Others are relatively unknown to the public. Here is the full list of who received a document request on Monday:
1. Alan Garten – general counsel for the Trump Organization
2. Alexander Nix — former chief of Cambridge Analytica
3. Allen Weisselberg — chief financial officer for the Trump Organization
4. American Media Inc
5. Anatoli Samochornov — translator who attended June 2016 Trump Tower meeting
6. Andrew Intrater — head of investment company Columbus Nova
7. Annie Donaldson — former deputy White House counsel
8. Brad Parscale
9. Brittany Kaiser — former Cambridge Analytica executive
10. Cambridge Analytica
11. Carter Page
12. Columbus Nova
13. Concord Management and Consulting
14. Corey Lewandowski
15. David Pecker
16. Department of Justice
17. Don McGahn
18. Donald J Trump Revocable Trust
19. Donald Trump Jr.
20. Dylan Howard — vice president American Media Inc.
21. Eric Trump
22. Erik Prince
23. Federal Bureau of Investigation
24. Felix Sater
25. Flynn Intel Group
26. General Services Administration
27. George Nader — Lebanese-American businessman
28. George Papadopoulos
29. Hope Hicks
30. Irakly Kaveladze — Attended 2016 Trump Tower meeting
31. Jared Kushner
32. Jason Maloni — former Paul Manafort spokesman
33. Jay Sekulow
34. Jeff Sessions
35. Jerome Corsi
Trump's sons and scores of others receive document requests from House committee
David Knowles Editor
,Yahoo News•March 4, 2019
Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee investigating President Trump over allegations of obstruction of justice, corruption and abuse of power issued document requests Monday to his two eldest sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, as well as to his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
The document requests sent to Trump’s kin are among 81 subpoenas issued by the House panel. Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., chairman of the Judiciary Committee, announced the request for documents Monday and gave the recipients two weeks to comply with the request.
Today, @HouseJudiciary unveiled the first steps of an investigation into the alleged corruption, obstruction, and other abuses of power by President Trump, his associates, and members of his Administration.
— (((Rep. Nadler))) (@RepJerryNadler) March 4, 2019
“Over the last several years, President Trump has evaded accountability for his near-daily attacks on our basic legal, ethical and constitutional rules and norms,” Nadler said in a statement. “Investigating these threats to the rule of law is an obligation of Congress and a a core function of the House Judiciary Committee.”
Some of the other recipients are well-known names, including American Media Inc., the owner of the National Enquirer, and its CEO, David Pecker; former White House counsel Don McGahn; Trump’s 2020 campaign chief Brad Parscale; former Attorney General Jeff Sessions; and Trump advisers and former associates including Hope Hicks, Corey Lewandowski and Sam Nunberg. Julian Assange of Wikileaks is on the list, as well as Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg, convicted former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and the recently indicted Roger Stone.
Others are relatively unknown to the public. Here is the full list of who received a document request on Monday:
1. Alan Garten – general counsel for the Trump Organization
2. Alexander Nix — former chief of Cambridge Analytica
3. Allen Weisselberg — chief financial officer for the Trump Organization
4. American Media Inc
5. Anatoli Samochornov — translator who attended June 2016 Trump Tower meeting
6. Andrew Intrater — head of investment company Columbus Nova
7. Annie Donaldson — former deputy White House counsel
8. Brad Parscale
9. Brittany Kaiser — former Cambridge Analytica executive
10. Cambridge Analytica
11. Carter Page
12. Columbus Nova
13. Concord Management and Consulting
14. Corey Lewandowski
15. David Pecker
16. Department of Justice
17. Don McGahn
18. Donald J Trump Revocable Trust
19. Donald Trump Jr.
20. Dylan Howard — vice president American Media Inc.
21. Eric Trump
22. Erik Prince
23. Federal Bureau of Investigation
24. Felix Sater
25. Flynn Intel Group
26. General Services Administration
27. George Nader — Lebanese-American businessman
28. George Papadopoulos
29. Hope Hicks
30. Irakly Kaveladze — Attended 2016 Trump Tower meeting
31. Jared Kushner
32. Jason Maloni — former Paul Manafort spokesman
33. Jay Sekulow
34. Jeff Sessions
35. Jerome Corsi
(Continued in my first comment below)
Paul Paul Paul...
It looks like Paul Manafort got off easy with only 47 months of prison for tax and bank fraud.
That's only one hurdle as he awaits sentencing in DC where he pleaded guilty to illegal lobbying.
That's only one hurdle as he awaits sentencing in DC where he pleaded guilty to illegal lobbying.
Despite Trump's denials, new witness states that hush money was paid for political gain
Originally Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal had the same lawyer, who negotiated with Michael Cohen. But Cohen did not make a timely payment, which negated the contracts with the women.
However, this was renegotiated quickly after the infamous Access Hollywood "grab them by the puss.." bus video had been broadcast. The Trump campaign likely saw that if the alleged affairs came to light, it would be "the straw that broke the camel's back". The camel, being Trump's presidential campaign.
This verifies what the owner of The National Enquirer and Michael Cohen have already testified.
This alone should be sufficient evidence to impeach Trump.
Moreover, there are many other investigations exploring other alleged crimes by Trump ongoing.
Recently ABC News interviewed that attorney.
Thus, today;
TOM LLAMAS and KAITLYN FOLMER
Good Morning America March 11, 2019
Keith Davidson, the former attorney for adult-film star Stormy Daniels and Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal, detailed his role in negotiating hush-money deals to keep both women quiet about alleged affairs with Donald Trump, claiming a $130,000 payment to Daniels was "done for political reasons."
In an exclusive interview with ABC News, Davidson provided new details about his discussions with Trump's longtime personal attorney and fixer Michael Cohen in the months preceding the 2016 election that led to agreements in which Daniels and McDougal received hefty payments in exchange for their silence. He also described Cohen's anger when the nomination he expected for a key position within Trump's administration, such as chief of staff, never materialized.
Last year, Cohen pleaded guilty to federal campaign finance violations, telling the court that he made the arrangements for those hush-money deals "in coordination with and at the direction of a candidate for federal office," referring to then-candidate Trump, "for the principal purpose of influencing the election."
Although Trump has insisted "there were no violations of the campaign finance laws by me," Davidson told ABC News the motivation was clearly political.
"You cannot talk about Stormy Daniels and the settlement without talking about 'Access Hollywood,'" Davidson said. "They come hand in hand. It was clear to me that the 'Access Hollywood' tape was the motivating factor in this case resolving."
According to Davidson, Cohen initially missed the deadline to make a payment to Daniels, effectively cancelling their contract, but after The Washington Post published behind-the-scenes video from the reality show in which Trump can be heard bragging about groping women, the deal took on new urgency.
"It defeats the argument that this was done purely for personal reasons," Davidson said. "It was done for political reasons. The natural conclusion is that after the 'Access Hollywood' tape, that something like this could be the straw that broke the camel's back."
Federal prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York implicated Trump in the scheme in a December court filing in which they asserted that Cohen "deceived the voting public by hiding alleged facts that he believed would have had a substantial effect on the election."
Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison for his crimes following his guilty plea, while American Media Inc., the publisher of the National Enquirer, admitted to paying McDougal $150,000 to "suppress the woman's story so as to prevent it from influencing the election" as part of a non-prosecution agreement.................
However, this was renegotiated quickly after the infamous Access Hollywood "grab them by the puss.." bus video had been broadcast. The Trump campaign likely saw that if the alleged affairs came to light, it would be "the straw that broke the camel's back". The camel, being Trump's presidential campaign.
This verifies what the owner of The National Enquirer and Michael Cohen have already testified.
This alone should be sufficient evidence to impeach Trump.
Moreover, there are many other investigations exploring other alleged crimes by Trump ongoing.
Recently ABC News interviewed that attorney.
Thus, today;
TOM LLAMAS and KAITLYN FOLMER
Good Morning America March 11, 2019
Keith Davidson, the former attorney for adult-film star Stormy Daniels and Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal, detailed his role in negotiating hush-money deals to keep both women quiet about alleged affairs with Donald Trump, claiming a $130,000 payment to Daniels was "done for political reasons."
In an exclusive interview with ABC News, Davidson provided new details about his discussions with Trump's longtime personal attorney and fixer Michael Cohen in the months preceding the 2016 election that led to agreements in which Daniels and McDougal received hefty payments in exchange for their silence. He also described Cohen's anger when the nomination he expected for a key position within Trump's administration, such as chief of staff, never materialized.
Last year, Cohen pleaded guilty to federal campaign finance violations, telling the court that he made the arrangements for those hush-money deals "in coordination with and at the direction of a candidate for federal office," referring to then-candidate Trump, "for the principal purpose of influencing the election."
Although Trump has insisted "there were no violations of the campaign finance laws by me," Davidson told ABC News the motivation was clearly political.
"You cannot talk about Stormy Daniels and the settlement without talking about 'Access Hollywood,'" Davidson said. "They come hand in hand. It was clear to me that the 'Access Hollywood' tape was the motivating factor in this case resolving."
According to Davidson, Cohen initially missed the deadline to make a payment to Daniels, effectively cancelling their contract, but after The Washington Post published behind-the-scenes video from the reality show in which Trump can be heard bragging about groping women, the deal took on new urgency.
"It defeats the argument that this was done purely for personal reasons," Davidson said. "It was done for political reasons. The natural conclusion is that after the 'Access Hollywood' tape, that something like this could be the straw that broke the camel's back."
Federal prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York implicated Trump in the scheme in a December court filing in which they asserted that Cohen "deceived the voting public by hiding alleged facts that he believed would have had a substantial effect on the election."
Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison for his crimes following his guilty plea, while American Media Inc., the publisher of the National Enquirer, admitted to paying McDougal $150,000 to "suppress the woman's story so as to prevent it from influencing the election" as part of a non-prosecution agreement.................
Police union calls for federal probe into 'Empire' actor Jussie Smollett
The Chicago police union is calling for a federal investigation into state's attorney Kim Foxx to determine the extent of her involvement with the Jussie Smollett case. This comes after prosecutors dropped charges against the "Empire" actor on Tuesday, prompting outrage from the city's mayor and police superintendent.
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