Octopus Overlords

Congressional investigators expect that Marie Yovanovitch, the former ambassador to Ukraine, will appear as planned for a Friday deposition in the House’s ongoing impeachment inquiry, despite the White House’s emphatic pledge not to cooperate with Democrats’ efforts to investigate President Trump, according to congressional officials involved with the process.

Yovanovitch and her lawyer are “on board,” according to a senior congressional aide, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations. Yet House Democrats are preparing backup options to facilitate her testimony — including issuing a possible “friendly” subpoena, according to two people involved in the investigation — in case the State Department forbids her from speaking to lawmakers.

A former Deutsche Bank executive who reviewed President Donald Trump's tax returns reportedly said it is "not normal" that the institution no longer holds copies of those records.
...
David Enrich, finance editor at The New York Times, posted to Twitter a screenshot of his conversation with the unnamed executive in which they expressed surprise that Deutsche told a federal appeals court it did not have the president's tax returns anymore.

"Holy f**k," the executive wrote, per the screenshot. "The circumstance could be that they returned any physical copies or destroyed any physical copies under an agreement with a client and cleansed their servers. Not normal though."

The business relationship between President Donald Trump's private lawyer Rudy Giuliani and the men charged Thursday in a campaign finance scheme is a subject of the ongoing criminal investigation being conducted by federal authorities in New York, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

...

The investigation is being conducted by the FBI's New York field office and prosecutors in the Southern District of New York, the same U.S. Attorney's office Giuliani ran before he became mayor of New York.

For instance, Trump told the lender that he took in twice as much rent from one building as he reported to tax authorities during the same year, 2017. He also gave conflicting occupancy figures for one of his signature skyscrapers, located at 40 Wall Street.

....

A dozen real estate professionals told ProPublica they saw no clear explanation for multiple inconsistencies in the documents. The discrepancies are “versions of fraud,” said Nancy Wallace, a professor of finance and real estate at the Haas School of Business at the University of California-Berkeley. “This kind of stuff is not OK.”

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Wed Oct 16, 2019 3:57 pm If you can't get income tax returns, try property tax filings.

For instance, Trump told the lender that he took in twice as much rent from one building as he reported to tax authorities during the same year, 2017. He also gave conflicting occupancy figures for one of his signature skyscrapers, located at 40 Wall Street.

....

A dozen real estate professionals told ProPublica they saw no clear explanation for multiple inconsistencies in the documents. The discrepancies are “versions of fraud,” said Nancy Wallace, a professor of finance and real estate at the Haas School of Business at the University of California-Berkeley. “This kind of stuff is not OK.”

$iljanus wrote: ↑Thu Oct 17, 2019 1:16 pm Trump has declared that the next G7 meeting will be held at his beautiful Doral resort in Florida. I'm really wishing that Trump will have a hot court date in his future defending himself in an enoulment clause lawsuit.

Wouldn't be sad if there was also room on the impeachment train for this as well if feasible.

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Thu Oct 17, 2019 2:50 pm Mulveny simultaneously announced that Trump "will not profit" from hosting the G7. Which is bullshit even if they don't charge a dime. The free publicity, visibility, and attention alone is an enormous benefit. As gravy add in that it's probably a market rate deal and he'll lie and say it averages 90% occupancy or something. Plus they'll try to getntax write-offs.

pr0ner wrote: ↑Thu Oct 17, 2019 6:21 pm Dude. We don't need the exact same post in multiple threads.

Alefroth wrote: ↑Thu Oct 17, 2019 6:23 pm

pr0ner wrote: ↑Thu Oct 17, 2019 6:21 pm Dude. We don't need the exact same post in multiple threads.

At least he didn't start a new one

malchior wrote:If you wish, you can listen to Trump's lawyer in Trump vs. Vance (the lawsuit to stop Vance in NY from getting his tax returns). He literally says that while President he can kill people and nothing can be done. Once he is out of office the immunity vanishes. What an argument. Let's see what the court has to say about that once the appeal is decided.

malchior wrote: ↑Wed Oct 23, 2019 2:34 pm Honestly the judge was just exploring where Trump was saying the edges of the immunity is. It wasn't even all that pertinent since the Supreme Court already decided in the past that President's can be 'investigated' while in office. I think this will end up there and they'll stick with the Nixon-era precedents. It was more interesting because you rarely directly hear the proceedings and sometimes you just have to hear the insanity yourself.

Drazzil wrote: ↑Sun Oct 20, 2019 6:13 pm How is it that we have such obviously corrupt people in office on the GOP side? Why does every R president seem worse then the last?

Holman wrote: ↑Thu Oct 24, 2019 10:24 am

Drazzil wrote: ↑Sun Oct 20, 2019 6:13 pm How is it that we have such obviously corrupt people in office on the GOP side? Why does every R president seem worse then the last?

It's almost like both parties aren't equally evil!

Holman wrote: ↑Thu Oct 24, 2019 10:24 am

Drazzil wrote: ↑Sun Oct 20, 2019 6:13 pm How is it that we have such obviously corrupt people in office on the GOP side? Why does every R president seem worse then the last?

It's almost like both parties aren't equally evil!

President Donald Trump clamored for the speedy release of emails hacked from Democrats during the 2016 election campaign, and a top Trump aide promoted the idea that Ukraine, rather than Russia, was behind the cyber attack, documents from special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe showed on Saturday.

The Justice Department released 500 pages of interview summaries, emails and other documents related to Mueller’s report detailing Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election. They were released after a court battle with BuzzFeed News and CNN.

The documents, some of which were posted here Saturday by the online news outlets, include summaries of FBI interviews with Trump's deputy campaign chair Rick Gates, his campaign chairman Paul Manafort, former campaign lawyer Michael Cohen and Steve Bannon, the former presidential adviser.

Roger Stone, a self-professed “dirty trickster” since the 1970s who is on trial in federal court in Washington for false statements and witness tampering, has found a defense that takes advantage of his unsavory reputation: Don’t believe me or anyone else.

Stone claimed throughout 2016 to have an intermediary feeding him information on WikiLeaks’ plans to release hacked emails from Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee that might destroy her presidential run. Texts and emails from Stone shown in court have him suggesting that he had two go-betweens: conspiracy theorist Jerome Corsi and former talk show host Randy Credico, both of whom forewarned Stone of coming dirt on Clinton.

But “it’s made-up stuff,” defense attorney Bruce S. Rogow told jurors in his opening statement Wednesday. “People were playing Mr. Stone. He took the bait.”

The second day of testimony at Stone’s trial opened with jurors hearing the parameters of the House Intelligence Committee investigation in which Stone is accused of lying, then listening to a recording of Stone’s testimony to the committee.
...
Prosecutors countered in their opening statement that “the evidence in this case will show Roger Stone lied to the House Intelligence Committee because the truth looked bad for the Trump campaign and the truth looked bad for Donald Trump,” as Aaron Zelinsky, who was a member of Mueller’s team, told the jury of nine women and three men.
...
Prosecutors allege Stone lied to the House Intelligence Committee by saying that only Credico had reached out to WikiLeaks on his behalf, that there were no records of those conversations and that he never discussed his efforts with the Trump campaign.

Stone is also accused of trying to tamper with a witness by threatening Credico not to contradict him.

President Donald Trump has been ordered by a New York State judge to pay $2 million to a group of nonprofit organizations as part of a settlement in a civil lawsuit stemming from persistent violations of state charities laws.

The payment is the final resolution to a case brought by the New York attorney general's office after the Trump Foundation held a fundraiser for military veterans during the 2016 campaign.

The televised fundraiser took in nearly $3 million in donations that were dispersed on the eve of the Iowa caucuses as directed by then-campaign chief Corey Lewandowski.

The two million must be paid by President Trump himself for breaching his fiduciary duty to properly oversee the foundation that bears his name.
...
The lawsuit filed by the state's attorney general accused President Trump -- along with his children, Donald Jr., Eric and Ivanka -- of conflating charity with politics, repeatedly using charitable donations for personal, political and business gains, including legal settlements, campaign contributions and even to purchase a portrait of Trump to hang at one of his hotels..
...
"Mr. Trump’s fiduciary duty breaches included allowing his campaign to orchestrate the Fundraiser, allowing his campaign, instead of the Foundation, to direct distribution of the Funds, and using the Fundraiser and distribution of the Funds to further Mr. Trump’s political campaign," Scarpulla wrote.

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Thu Nov 07, 2019 5:10 pm ABC News

President Donald Trump has been ordered by a New York State judge to pay $2 million to a group of nonprofit organizations as part of a settlement in a civil lawsuit stemming from persistent violations of state charities laws.

The payment is the final resolution to a case brought by the New York attorney general's office after the Trump Foundation held a fundraiser for military veterans during the 2016 campaign.

The televised fundraiser took in nearly $3 million in donations that were dispersed on the eve of the Iowa caucuses as directed by then-campaign chief Corey Lewandowski.

The two million must be paid by President Trump himself for breaching his fiduciary duty to properly oversee the foundation that bears his name.
...
The lawsuit filed by the state's attorney general accused President Trump -- along with his children, Donald Jr., Eric and Ivanka -- of conflating charity with politics, repeatedly using charitable donations for personal, political and business gains, including legal settlements, campaign contributions and even to purchase a portrait of Trump to hang at one of his hotels..
...
"Mr. Trump’s fiduciary duty breaches included allowing his campaign to orchestrate the Fundraiser, allowing his campaign, instead of the Foundation, to direct distribution of the Funds, and using the Fundraiser and distribution of the Funds to further Mr. Trump’s political campaign," Scarpulla wrote.

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Thu Nov 07, 2019 5:10 pm ABC News

President Donald Trump has been ordered by a New York State judge to pay $2 million to a group of nonprofit organizations as part of a settlement in a civil lawsuit stemming from persistent violations of state charities laws.

The payment is the final resolution to a case brought by the New York attorney general's office after the Trump Foundation held a fundraiser for military veterans during the 2016 campaign.

The televised fundraiser took in nearly $3 million in donations that were dispersed on the eve of the Iowa caucuses as directed by then-campaign chief Corey Lewandowski.

The two million must be paid by President Trump himself for breaching his fiduciary duty to properly oversee the foundation that bears his name.
...
The lawsuit filed by the state's attorney general accused President Trump -- along with his children, Donald Jr., Eric and Ivanka -- of conflating charity with politics, repeatedly using charitable donations for personal, political and business gains, including legal settlements, campaign contributions and even to purchase a portrait of Trump to hang at one of his hotels..
...
"Mr. Trump’s fiduciary duty breaches included allowing his campaign to orchestrate the Fundraiser, allowing his campaign, instead of the Foundation, to direct distribution of the Funds, and using the Fundraiser and distribution of the Funds to further Mr. Trump’s political campaign," Scarpulla wrote.

Unagi wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2019 9:57 am What’s this ‘we’ crap

Drazzil wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2019 12:02 am

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Thu Nov 07, 2019 5:10 pm ABC News

President Donald Trump has been ordered by a New York State judge to pay $2 million to a group of nonprofit organizations as part of a settlement in a civil lawsuit stemming from persistent violations of state charities laws.

The payment is the final resolution to a case brought by the New York attorney general's office after the Trump Foundation held a fundraiser for military veterans during the 2016 campaign.

The televised fundraiser took in nearly $3 million in donations that were dispersed on the eve of the Iowa caucuses as directed by then-campaign chief Corey Lewandowski.

The two million must be paid by President Trump himself for breaching his fiduciary duty to properly oversee the foundation that bears his name.
...
The lawsuit filed by the state's attorney general accused President Trump -- along with his children, Donald Jr., Eric and Ivanka -- of conflating charity with politics, repeatedly using charitable donations for personal, political and business gains, including legal settlements, campaign contributions and even to purchase a portrait of Trump to hang at one of his hotels..
...
"Mr. Trump’s fiduciary duty breaches included allowing his campaign to orchestrate the Fundraiser, allowing his campaign, instead of the Foundation, to direct distribution of the Funds, and using the Fundraiser and distribution of the Funds to further Mr. Trump’s political campaign," Scarpulla wrote.

We've elected a small town imbezzler to the White House...

Edit for... Holy shit... We've elected a small time imbezeller to thec White House.

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2019 10:14 am

Unagi wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2019 9:57 am What’s this ‘we’ crap

He's "our" president.

El Guapo wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2019 10:33 am

Drazzil wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2019 12:02 am

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Thu Nov 07, 2019 5:10 pm ABC News

President Donald Trump has been ordered by a New York State judge to pay $2 million to a group of nonprofit organizations as part of a settlement in a civil lawsuit stemming from persistent violations of state charities laws.

The payment is the final resolution to a case brought by the New York attorney general's office after the Trump Foundation held a fundraiser for military veterans during the 2016 campaign.

The televised fundraiser took in nearly $3 million in donations that were dispersed on the eve of the Iowa caucuses as directed by then-campaign chief Corey Lewandowski.

The two million must be paid by President Trump himself for breaching his fiduciary duty to properly oversee the foundation that bears his name.
...
The lawsuit filed by the state's attorney general accused President Trump -- along with his children, Donald Jr., Eric and Ivanka -- of conflating charity with politics, repeatedly using charitable donations for personal, political and business gains, including legal settlements, campaign contributions and even to purchase a portrait of Trump to hang at one of his hotels..
...
"Mr. Trump’s fiduciary duty breaches included allowing his campaign to orchestrate the Fundraiser, allowing his campaign, instead of the Foundation, to direct distribution of the Funds, and using the Fundraiser and distribution of the Funds to further Mr. Trump’s political campaign," Scarpulla wrote.

We've elected a small town imbezzler to the White House...

Edit for... Holy shit... We've elected a small time imbezeller to thec White House.

Does it help that he's no longer a "small time" embezzler?

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2019 10:14 am

Unagi wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2019 9:57 am What’s this ‘we’ crap

He's "our" president.

Unagi wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2019 1:41 pm

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2019 10:14 am

Unagi wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2019 9:57 am What’s this ‘we’ crap

He's "our" president.

Oh I get it.
And if you said we, I’d have known the we we were.

Drazzil wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2019 1:47 pm

Unagi wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2019 1:41 pm

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2019 10:14 am

Unagi wrote: ↑Fri Nov 08, 2019 9:57 am What’s this ‘we’ crap

He's "our" president.

Oh I get it.
And if you said we, I’d have known the we we were.

We the people.