THREAD: the FBI agents who raided Michael Cohen’s office searched for records about *payments to TWO women* who claim they had affairs w/Trump, plus info on the role The National Enquirer’s publisher’s role in SILENCING one of the women‼️1/ nytimes.com/2018/04/10/us/…
The public #corruption unit (of the Manhattan federal attorney) sought info on Karen McDougal, an ex-Playboy model who had an affair w/Trump. American Media Inc (the Enquirer’s parent company), whose CEO Pecker is Trump’s pal, paid her $150,000.🤨 2/
FBI agents also searched Cohen’s office for info on Stormy Daniels. Cohen paid Stormy $130,000 in HUSH MONEY *just days before the 2016 election*.🤔 3/
The goal of these HUSH MONEY payments was to SILENCE these women👉🏼their affairs clearly posed a threat to Trump’s election chances. Thus, these payments likely violated CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS, which strictly limit the amount that a candidate can receive‼️🙄 4/
In addition, when Cohen took out his home equity loan, he had to disclose for WHAT the money would be used.🤔
If Cohen lied, that’s BANK FRAUD‼️😎 5/
As I pointed out last night, it’s RARE for the Feds to seize *attorney-client privileged* info.🤔
And Cohen is the attorney to a sitting POTUS‼️
Rosenstein’s personal involvement + a judge’s agreement shows that the evidence was SIGNIFICANT.😎 6/
Team🇷🇺Trump is trying to convince Trump not to do something impulsive, such as FIRING Rosenstein, that could put him in MORE legal jeopardy & ignite a controversy, à la Nixon’s Saturday Night Massacre👉🏼kickstarted #impeachment proceedings‼️ 7/
ALL of the top officials involved in the Cohen raid are #Republicans *appointed by TRUMP*: Rosenstein, Mueller, Wray, and Geoffrey Berman (interim US attorney in NY).🤔
So much for Trump’s BOGUS claim of a “witch hunt”‼️🙄 8/
Trump is focused now on FIRING Rosenstein, but many Trump advisers/allies FEAR that Trump also intends to fire Mueller in an attempt to OBSTRUCT the #TrumpRussia🇷🇺investigation.
When asked whether he intends to do so, Trump said, “We’ll see what happens.”🤨 9/
For many months, Trump has been harshly critical of Jeff Sessions for his recusal in the #TrumpRussia🇷🇺investigation. Trump doubled down on his criticism, saying Sessions “made what I consider to be a very terrible mistake for the country, but you’ll figure that out.”🙄 11/
As Trump’s attacks heated up, DOJ officials worried about what to do should Trump fire Mueller or others. In a public show of solidarity in Feb, Sessions dined w/Rosenstein & DOJ solicitor general Noel Francisco👉🏼would oversee #TrumpRussia🇷🇺probe if Rosenstein were fired😎12/
As these latest events show, the #RuleOfLaw still prevails👉🏼*multiple* Trump appointees were involved w/the NO-KNOCK raid on Cohen‼️
Trump CANNOT fire his way out of trouble, b/c TOO MANY officials are involved now.😎
Trump's deputy campaign chair Rick Gates solicited proposals (#felony) from Israeli firm Psy Group to create fake online personas, use social media manipulation & gather intel to help defeat @GOP primary opponents (@tedcruz) & @HillaryClinton🤨1/ nytimes.com/2018/10/08/us/…
Gates wasn't interested in Psy Group b/c other Trump aides oversaw social media. George Nader & Joel Zamel (Psy Group owner) met w/Don Jr & offered to help *THROW THE ELECTION* at an Aug'16 meeting arranged by Erik Prince‼️
George Birnbaum (Arthur Finkelstein protégé/@GOP consultant who worked for Netanyahu & other Israeli officials) initially pitched Gates on using social media influence/manipulation to sway @GOP delegates toward Trump.🤨 3/
🔥@GOP operative Peter Smith raised >$100,000 to pay #Russian🇷🇺hackers to find Clinton’s emails. 10 days after telling his story to the @WSJ, he committed suicide, yet a friend spoke w/him about a new project hours before his death & says he was “excited.” wsj.com/articles/gop-o…
Smith continued his quest for HRC’s emails *after* the US warned of #Russian🇷🇺interference & went to extraordinary lengths to ensure secrecy, communicating via saved DRAFT (unsent) emails in a shared Gmail account.🤨
🔥One sent email said the >$100k in donations were to be sent to a DC-based scholarship fund for **Russian students**👉🏼“This $100k total with the $50k received from you (Smith) will allow us to fund the Washington Scholarship Fund for the Russian students for the promised $150K.”
We Democrats realize that you are in a tough re-election battle, but backing #Kavanaugh only brings you more scorn from the @GOP and erodes your much-needed support from @TheDemocrats base.
Connie Chung to Dr. Ford: “I, too, was sexually assaulted—not 36 years ago but ~50 years ago. I kept my dirty little secret to myself. Silence for 5 decades...The exact date & year are fuzzy. But details of the event are vivid—forever seared in my memory.” washingtonpost.com/amphtml/opinio…
Connie Chung: “Christine, I, too, am terrified as I reveal this publicly. I can’t sleep. I can’t eat. Can you? If you can’t, I understand. I am frightened, I am scared, I can’t even cry.”😰
Chung: “I wish I could forget this truthful event, but I cannot because it is the truth. I am writing to you b/c I know that exact dates, exact years are insignificant. We remember exactly what happened to us & who did it to us. We remember the truth forever.”
Charles Ludington, a former varsity basketball player & friend of #Kavanaugh at @Yale plans to deliver a statement to the @FBI field office in Raleigh on Monday detailing **violent drunken behavior** by Kavanaugh in college. 1/
Ludington says #Kavanaugh initiated a fight that led to the ARREST of a friend: “When Brett got drunk, he was often belligerent & aggressive...” 2/
“On one of the last occasions I purposely socialized with Brett, I witnessed him respond to a semi-hostile remark, not by defusing the situation, but by throwing his beer in the man’s face and starting a fight that ended with one of our mutual friends in jail.”😳 3/
Rod Rosenstein suggested last year that he secretly record Trump to expose "chaos" consuming the administration & discussed recruiting cabinet members to invoke the #25thAmendment.
Will Trump use this as an excuse to fire Rosenstein⁉️
Rosenstein made his remarks about the #25thAmendment & secretly recording Trump in meetings & conversations w/other DOJ & FBI officials. Several people (briefed either on the events themselves or on memos written by FBI officials, including McCabe) described the episodes.🤨
Rosenstein reportedly told McCabe that he might be able to persuade Jeff Sessions & John Kelly to mount an effort to invoke the #25thAmendment.
All of these incidents allegedly occurred around the time that @Comey was fired. Rosenstein was very distressed & felt he was used.🤔