U.S. prosecutors investigating potential White House 'bribery-for-pardon' scheme | Reuters
Category: News & Politics
Via: sister-mary-agnes-ample-bottom • 4 years ago • 39 commentsBy: Jan Wolfe (U. S.)
The U.S. Justice Department is investigating a potential crime related to funneling money to the White House in exchange for a presidential pardon, according to court documents unsealed in federal court.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
By Jan Wolfe
(Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department is investigating a potential crime related to funneling money to the White House in exchange for a presidential pardon, according to court documents unsealed in federal court.
Workers construct viewing stands for the 2021 Inaugural Parade in front of the White House, near the memorial fence at Black Live Matter Plaza in Washington, U.S. December 1, 2020. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell on Tuesday released a heavily redacted order that described what she called a "bribery-for-pardon" investigation.
About half of the 18-page document was blacked out, with the publicly available version providing few details of the alleged scheme, and naming none of the people potentially involved.
It said federal prosecutors in Washington said they had obtained evidence of a bribery scheme in which someone "would offer a substantial political contribution in exchange for a presidential pardon or reprieve of sentence."
The order said prosecutors were also investigating a "secret lobbying scheme" in which two unidentified individuals "acted as lobbyists to senior White House officials, without complying with the registration requirement of the Lobbying Disclosure Act."
The Justice Department had to ask Howell's permission to view certain emails between a lawyer and clients, who were not identified.
Howell granted the request in August, saying attorney-client privilege did not apply …
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And yet again...what a surprise.
what are you saying, Trump, could possibly be swayed by monetary influences....Preposterous, all his supporters will tell you, that's not what he meant, he didn't imply that, he didn't expect a quid per quo, he didn't pay $130,000 per Ho Ho Ho, Christmas is righjt around the corner, Donny in the slammer, nuttin could be grander...
A pox upon me for even thinking such a thing.
Not a surprise at all. It would be surprising if it wasn't happening.
It would almost be insulting if it wasn't happening.
Time to apply those immortal words to President***** Trump
I think the better proclamation would be "Lock them up!". Trump and his enablers should be exposed and charged to the fullest extent of the law.
Indeed it is no surprise that Trump would be involved in such a scheme. He needs money for his new news show to beat Fox, and to support his campaign for his 2024 re-run for the WH again. He has no money of his own, so he has to find a way to garner money for his missions.
Trump would happily pardon the Devil himself for a buck. He doesn't care who it is or what their crime is, just as long as they put the money up.
As is Trumps MO, if caught he will blame it on someone else, or, he has someone else handling the deals so he can supposedly keep his hands clean. About as clean as swamp sludge.
I don't understand all of the responses I'm seeing here. According to the article, there is not a single government official of any kind being investigated. It seems to be, as far as I can tell, private citizens that are being investigated. So why are you guys putting this on Trump?
Why would they stop now. It has NOTHING to do with Trump or, as you say, any GovCo official. Guess some are still trying to recover from TDS, quick to infect, slow to recover, even after he lost the election.
Well since it has been made abundantly clear that rather than going through the Office of the Pardon Attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice for investigation and review, Trump prefers to usurp the vetting process and have private citizens go begging to him, one has to conclude that Trump is responsible for the issue.
The filing ALSO cites the fact that the 'intermediaries' were working with the WH Counsel and lobbying WH Officials. Trump is in charge of the Executive Branch, is he not?
Oh and WHOSE campaign were they going to 'donate' the bribery money to I wonder?
It has?
Yes, Trump is in charge of the executive branch. However, a careful reading of the statement doesn't indicate that this part of the investigation has anything to do with the bribery allegations. It seems to be about two individuals who did not register as lobbyists.
I wouldn't know. First, I don't know that any bribery charges can be supported at this time. I believe that is the purpose of the investigation. Second, if it is in fact bribery, there's no indication that any money would go anywhere other than in the pockets of the persons being investigated for the crime. I find it difficult to believe that someone who is taking such a risk in the commission of the crime would not see the money as compensation for that risk. Especially since the story seems to indicate the suspects have no official connection to Trump. I suspect this will turn out to be more in the nature of a scam than anything else, but we'll see.
Apparently, you are satisfied with your unproven assumptions, probably because it satisfies your hatred of Trump. Who knows, you may even be proven right over the course of the investigation. For myself, I think I'll just wait and see what the investigation reveals.
And once again the lefties salivate over unsupported allegations about Trump
Yes. If you would like to prove it to yourself, go review the pardon documents and see how many were vetted by the Office of the Pardon Attorney.
Those dots need to be connected since they are on the same case docket.
Sure, we all know the extent of Trump's altruism so it's totally legit that he would give a pardon to someone who donated to another politicians campaign. /s
Since it states that one of the 'suspects' worked with the WH Counsel, I would say there was SOME official connection to Trump.
Now all they have to do is prove it. As Clinton will attest that is damn hard to do.
So, same old same old.
I know, I know; but Trruuummmmppppp!!!!!!!!
The left will never recover from this presidency.
So what you are trying to establish is that it doesn't matter which party the POTUS is from, both will sell out to the highest bidder? Well, after all, isn't America the "Land of Opportunity"?
We do know that money "talks" in China also
Really? And how DO you know?
Guess what, "steering" money to causes or campaigns you believe in isn't illegal. In fact, it's expected and totally above board. What's illegal is asking a foreign government to investigate or manufacture dirt on a personal political opponent that otherwise was not being targeted by the actual US State Department, while withholding hundreds of millions in funding.
I find it hilarious that some dumb shit conservatives believe in a fantasy "deep State" with zero evidence other than that the 'government' isn't being run the way their 8th grade drop out education thinks it should be.
Family members taking bribes to use their influence with the president is. If you had bothered to read all of the articles I linked.
This BS again? Still as wrong as the day the Democrats used it to ram down impeachment w/o having any facts. Go ahead an find out what funds were withheld from Ukraine- we can all wait- answer is there weren't any. In fact Trump gave weapons to Ukraine- something that Obama never did.
You want to know what is illegal? Using the FBI and DOJ to spy on a political opponent. It was illegal when Nixon did it. It was just as illegal when the Obama administration did it.
I find it hilarious that TDS sufferers will never get over Trump. He will live rent free in their heads forever.
The left will never recover from this presidency
And it will take decades for the country to heal from your savior Trump having occupied the WH.....
My savior?
As I have stated repeatedly I can't stand Trump. I voted for, and campaigned for, Gary Johnson first time around. I didn't do the lesser of two evils of two evils BS back then. That changed after the election and I was attacked repeated from the left. Seems voting 3rd party over the toxic Hillary Clinton isn't allowed. So from now on it is the lesser of two evils. Since right now the Democrats are by far the most evil things at every level it was straight Republican ticket for the first time ever for me.
BS....You've been carrying his water and singing his praises for the last four years Ronin....
And anyone that thinks the GOP has the backs of Americans must think authoritarianism is the ticket.
That is simply ridiculous.
smh
I see your BS, and raise you your perspective being slanted by rampant TDS.
While I might like some of the Trump administration policies (notice I didn't say Trump); he is not what I envision a good president to be. If you would take your D colored TDS painted glasses off you would see the Democrats have sunk beneath Trump's level of rancor. There are more of them; and they love to pile on.
In case you missed it I was very pissed at him not pulling troops out of Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq like he promised. He allowed himself to be bullied by the military, intelligence agencies, and the hawks on the right and the chicken hawks on the left. We stand nothing to gain by being in any of those countries; but there we are still.
Seems you have missed several Democratic governors stabs at authoritarianism- and the all of the begging Democrats are doing for Biden to bypass the Senate and use EO's and EA's to get what they want done. But Trruuummmmppppp; and ignore all of the very traits you despise about him in the politicians you dote over.
I think you throw all Dems and libs into the same bucket of feces and gasoline
and light it a little too gleefully over and over.
It colors the way your comments are perceived,
Just sayin...yer rose colored glasses are covered with shoot.
think ya spelled $hiit wrong...
The swamp is percolating.
There's a lot of gas trying to reach the surface
Trump? Corruption? Fraud?
The hell ya say....
Any thoughts on which high profile conservative donor is waving cash under Trump's nose for a pardon?
Try Rudy Giuliani for one. He is begging Trump for prepardon, as he knows he is going to be changed for several crimes that can lead to long prison sentences.
Ya cannot pardon someone you owe money to.
Of course, no common sense has stopped Donald yet.
Ghislaine Maxwell
That was the one name that came to mind......
Somebody suggested somewhere else that she knows where all the bodies are buried so it may be an attempt at extortion
anyone that can incriminate trump or his defective spawn can expect a pardon shortly.
No one is waving cash under Trump's anything. Read. No GovCo officials are being investigated. Sounds to me like it is all in the private sector wishful thinking................and probably scamming the hell out of someone on a whim that $$$ will cure their ills.