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Jul 31, 2018 41 tweets 7 min read Twitter logo Read on Twitter
1. Remember that WH memo written by McGahn, confidential, that we discussed a while ago? The one detailing a timeline of events leading up to Flynn's resignation? It's in Mueller's hands.Bloop!
2. The reporter for this story has been allowed to READ the memo in its entirety as well as other underlying WH records quoted in the memo, such as other notes and memos written by McGahn and other senior administration officials.
3. The reporter also interviewed a dozen former and current WH officials, attorneys who have interacted with Mueller's team and witnesses questioned by Mueller.
4. Doowd and SEkulow quoted selectively from this memo to argue that Trump did not obstruct justice. THey also said (LOL) that even if Trump knew there had been FBI probe of Flynn, he believed Flynn had been cleared. Double LOL. Sure, that's why he asked Comey to let it go.
5. Full review of the memo on part of the reporter "flatly contradicts" Dowd and Sekulow's story. Memo states Trump WAS told Flynn was under FBI investigation: this statement is based in part on contemporaneous notes written by? Reince Priebus, ding ding, ding!
6. Priebus wrote notes after discussing the Flynn FBi probe matter with Trump. If that wasn't enough?McGahn's recollections to HIS STAFF (=more contemporaneous witnesses) about what he personally told Trump Re: Flynn are also included in materials used to write the memo.
7. The above statement is corroborated by other records that the reporter was able to review. ALSO: people familiar with the matter told the reporter that BOTH Priebus & McGahn have confirmed in separate interviews with Mueller that they DID tell Trump about FBI probe into Flynn.
8. See why that McGahn interview smack in the middle of the Flynn flipping news went on in two separate sessions? BC EVIDENCE. ANd Mueller was probably all "see your colleague Reince testified the opposite of what you tried to claim here. "
9. Naturally, Trump was told that Flynn was under FBI investigation by BOTH Priebus and McGahn BEFORE he met with Comey and asked him to "let it go". So this is pure unadulterated obstruction of justice, confirmed by MULTIPLE contemporaneous witnesses. LOL
10. Yates on Jan. 24, 2017 met with McGahn to warn him that US intelligence agencies had intercepted calls between Flynn and Kislyak and that they had discussed sanctions.
11. Yates underlined how Flynn concealed the truth from Pence, making Flynn vulnerable to Ryssian blackmail as the Russians knew the truth. LATER THAT SAME DAY McGahn BRIEFED TRUMP about what Yates had told him, per confidential WH records and interviews.
12. PRIEBUS was also present at the meeting (hence why, as we always explained, them having same lawyer means SAME version of facts). the McGahn timeline demonstrates that Trump was CLEARLY informed during that meeting that Flynn was under criminal FBI investigation. Oops.
13. "Trump directed McGahn to find out more, including any information about the criminal investigation of Flynn, before deciding on a course of action-" Narrator: Trump decided the course of action was to pressure Comey to "let it go". Yeah, intent to obstruct.
14. "A person with first-hand knowledge told me that during interviews with the special counsel, both McGahn and Priebus confirmed that they had informed Trump during this meeting that Flynn was being investigated by the FBI." TWO direct witnesses.
15. Please note: McGahn LIED in his account to defend Trump, meaning quite certainly he was then FORCED too cooperate with Mueller in order to avoid repercussions.
16. "Further, according to three current and former administration officials, McGahn also relayed to President Trump that Flynn had told the FBI the same false story he’d earlier told Pence (that Flynn had never spoken to Kislyak about sanctions)" Oh. OH.
17. This means Trump KNEW Flynn had lied to the FBI, which is a felony. And yeah, Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI when he flipped. YET he kept on lying about Flynn AND not only didn't immediately fire him, but also asked Comey to stop the investigation.
18. Reporter: "Additionally, my sources say that the special counsel also interviewed the two White House attorneys, John Eisenberg and James Burnham, who helped draft the McGahn memo, in which they, too, concluded that Trump was told that Flynn was under FBI investigation. "
19. So literally EVERY legal representative in the WH PLUS Priebus and aides KNOWS Trump willfully obstructed justice AND told Mueller sp. IN case we're not clear. Jolly good.
20. BOTH WH attorneys "said that they questioned McGahn while researching the timeline; one of them independently recalled McGahn’s contemporaneously telling the president that Flynn had been interviewed by the FBI".
21. McGahn then on Jan 27 tried to play the "but if we take action vs Flynn we might interfere with FBI prob" with Yates. Yates was all "um no honey, we're not informing you and then expecting you to sit on your hands".
22. The reason why Trump's knowledge of the criminal investigation into Flynn is central to Mueller's obstruction case is bc it clearly reveals and shows Trump's INTENT to obstruct when he told Comey on the night of Jan. 27 to "let it go".
23. Jan. 27 is when Trump called Comey to invited him to dinner that evening at the WH. Per Comey's testimony, he did NOT understand they would b ALONE until he arrived at the WH. Which obviously constituted a MAJOR problem as it was fully inappropriate.
24. Comey testified to the Senate Intelligence Committee that Trump suggested to him at the dinner that his job might not be secure, leading Comey to believe that Trump was attempting to "create some sort of patronage relationship". (which was obviously nowhere near OK).
25. Per Comey "A few moments later the president said, “I need loyalty, I expect loyalty.” I didn’t move, speak, or change my facial expression in any way during the awkward silence that followed. We simply looked at each other in silence. " As we now all know.
26. On Feb. 8 the WaPo broke story that Flynn had indeed spoken to Kislyak about sanctions and that OOPS, there were receipts. In attempting to formulate a response, Priebus, McGahn, and Eisenberg questioned Flynn. Flynn's story broke down but he was all "I don't remember".
27. Priebus then specifically asked Flynn whether he was interviewed by FBI (per memos). “Flynn stated that FBI agents met with him to inform him that their investigation was over.” LOL SERIOUSLY? LIE! So at THAT point, Pence, Priebus and McGahn recommended Flynn be fired.
28. The rest is history we know as Flynn resigned on Feb. 13 to avoid being fired. The day AFTER, after ALL that had happened and Trump being FULLY aware of Flynn's total guilt AND of the FBI investigation into Flynn, Trump pressured Comey to shut down the FBI Flynn probe.
29. Per known reports, Trump told Comey: “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy.” Trump then repeated: “I hope that you can let this go.” Pure obstruction.
30. Let's be clear: by that point not only Trump knew full well that Flynn was extra dirty and had lied to the FBI... Flynn was gone so this wasn't about Flynn AT ALL. This was about Trump being scared of what the FBI would find out ABOUT HIM ordering Flynn to act like a traitor.
31. Seukolow and Dowd willfully and blatantly lied to Mueller by exploiting the lie that caused Flynn's firing, which was Flynn telling Priebus McGahn et al that the FBI only spoke with him to tell him the investigation into him had been closed. Incredibly stupid AND sloppy.
32. Sekulow and Dowd tried to pretend that Flynn's false assertions were reported to Trump but there is ZERO information OR evidence in that sense. (of course). And even if? They KNEW Flynn had lied and knew straight from Yates, so LOL.
33. Buried Lede: "Aside from McGahn, Eisenberg, and Burnham, the special counsel has interviewed FIVE OTHER attorneys who currently work for the White House counselor or have previously done so, according to administration records" . Signed, sealed, delivered.
32. "Underscoring just how important these witnesses are, the special counsel has interviewed a total of twenty White House officials; of that number, eight have worked for the White House counsel." TWENTY WH officials interviewed on obstruction. No wonder the WH panicked.
33. The witnesses, per reporter sources, were asked about what McGahn contemporaneously told them AND specifically whether McGahn indicated to them that he had informed Trump re: Flynn being interviewed by FBI and being under investigation.
34. Reporter identifies two other WH attorneys who have been interviewed by Mueller. One is Uttam Dhillon (Deputy WH counsel and deputy assistant to the president, named to be acting administrator of DEA on July 2).
35. Dhillon was a central aprticipant in discussions with Trump on whether to fire Comey. And Dhillon advised Trump NOT to do so. And well, he's been interviewed by Mueller. Also interviewed by Mueller, was Ann Donaldson, CoS to McGahn and special counsel to the president.
36. See how many attorneys have been interviewed by Mueller? And are witnesses, crucial in determining whether Trump obstructed justice? That's why McGahn took "extraordinary step" last summer of RECUSING HIS ENTIRE STAFF from advising Trump on the Russia investigation.
37. So the Feb. 15 memo (the one compiled based on McGahn's and Priebus contemporaneous notes), combined with what Priebus and McGahn told Mueller when he interviewed them "constitutes the most compelling evidence we yet know of that Donald Trump may have obstructed justice".
38. And for the kicker (EXCELLENT final paragraph) all the TrumPutin trolls (including 2-3 who replied here) have tried to ridiculously discredit or blame Comey, FBI, CIA etc. BUT, bozos, the most compelling evidence for Trump's obstruction? COMES FROM WH AIDES!. BLOOP!
39. The perfect closing sentence to this story written by Murray Waas: "The greatest threat to his presidency is not from his enemies, real or perceived, but from his allies within the White House. " Bloopity, bloop, bloop. #MuellerIsComing /END.

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More from @aliasvaughn

Sep 28, 2018
1. Simon Kukes, a Houston-based oil executive, sent an email to a Russian official in Moscow in July 2016, boasting of his connections to Trump campaign and requesting a face-to-face meeting. The official is Vyacheslav Pavlovsky, a former Russian ambassador to Norway.
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Sep 13, 2018
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OH IMAGINE THAT. Guess who knows all about this? Michael Cohen. Who took care of this type of business. FOR TRUMP.
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Not even going to comment.
Read 15 tweets
Aug 31, 2018
1. Bruce Ohr is the Justice Department lawyer who was told by Christopher Steele that Russian intelligence believed it had Trump "over a barrel". Start seeing why Trump is going after him?
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Read 30 tweets
Aug 23, 2018
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3. Cohen's lawyer Lanny Davis specifically said on @maddow that Cohen has knowledge about the hacking that is of interest for Mueller. And the detail of the tech company payment emerged from the indictment. If the connection is accurate (and it seems like it is), this is huge.
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