Chaffetz laundering - I posted this last night but it was late and people missed it.

[shraby]

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/4/21/1654905/-Why-Did-Chaffetz-Resign-It-Will-All-Come-Out-in-the-Laundering

(snip)
To recap so far: Chaffetz has, for some time, been under investigation for campaign finance fraud and he’s been indulging in a long-time affair which allegedly the Russians have used to blackmail him. The Russians call this kompromat.Translation: compromising material.

Whaaaat? Wait a cotton-pickin’ minute… what was it he was doing for the Russians? We haven’t covered that yet.

(snip) - and more!!

As Dr Dena Grayson notes, the laundering of Russian money does make a great deal of sense. Why? Because just a few days ago there was a lot of chatter about an audio tape the FBI took into evidence. This pre-election tape purports to be a recording of Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell discussing how best to wash Russian money through House and senate campaigns via dark money superPACs. Paul Ryan’s name has already been linked with the Russian hacking of voter data from swing states so money laundering on behalf of the Russians is not a big leap from there and would be entirely in character for both men. Certainly both were desperate to hold onto the power they knew was slipping through their fingers so both would have grabbed at any opportunity for big money assistance without caring much where it came from.


http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/4/21/1654905/-Why-Did-Chaffetz-Resign-It-Will-All-Come-Out-in-the-Laundering

[2naSalit]

1. I'll just K&R it again then...

so there!

[dalton99a]

2. Kick.

[Wounded Bear]

3. Chaffetz is just the tip of the ice berg...

People worry about "corporate" money from Citizen's United. What we really need to worry about is dark money from foreign sources.

[tomp]

11. could we possibly worry about both? nt

[Wounded Bear]

13. Of course we can, and must...

in fact, it is probably impossible to find any space between them.

[DK504]

54. How do we keep investigating when all of the

investigators are being fired?

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

92. I have always said that Citizen's United...

... would lead to this.

[vlyons]

4. So many of them linked to treasonous Russian money that

when convicted, we have the makings of a chain gang.

[Leghorn21]

9. Oh damn! And these new chain gangs can rebuild America's crumbling infrastructure!

I am so down with this idea, vlyons!

[CrispyQ]

63. Can you imagine any of these men putting in an eight hour day of hard labor?

Outside? In the elements? They wouldn't last a week. Trump especially would stroke out - probably 1st day.

[pangaia]

29. Jesus, Alabama re-instituted it in 1995 ! What the fuck kind thing is that??

And AZ has female chain gangs?

What else is going on?

What a fucked up country. Wish I could afford to leave.

[luvallpeeps]

52. Po' republicans

[herding cats]

5. It does my heart good to see the king of the Benghazi conspiracy theory become a CT topic

Bring the CT's one and all, I welcome them with a hearty chuckle and a huge smile!

[annabanana]

21. Daily Kos is not a big dealer in CT's that have no facts to de-theorize them. . . n/t

[herding cats]

26. True, and any real dirt that sticks to him is all the better!

Honestly, now who can tell a CT from reality in our new bizarre state?

[wiggs]

70. It's like when two GOPrs had to step aside from investigating Bill's infidelity because

the top two were themselves cheating.

[japple]

75. Would that be Newt Gingrich, Bob Livingston, Denny Hastert. That would make 3.

Scumbags all.

[HopeAgain]

6. This is what, Chaffetz theory number 3?

We are living in an open world. There is a freedom of speech and, clearly, freedom of speculation.

-Ehud Barak

[Cracklin Charlie]

7. Sorry, I read it really late.

Forgot the K&R.

Good read!

[Frustratedlady]

8. Oh, my! This is TOO good to be true.

Just the mention of their names connected to dark money and this Russian thing was almost worth the wait. Almost! I want to live long enough to see those stupid grins wiped off Ryan and McConnell's faces. Chaffetz is just the cake crumbs. We want each layer, frosting and sparklies on top exposed.

Then, to really spank the Republicans so they never forget it, the leadership of this administration needs to be turned over to the Democrats so we can repair what Donald Trump did in his first 100 days, and get this country back on-track. Clean the swamp the right way, not Trump's way.

Glory be...glory be!

[vlyons]

15. Once we take our gov back,

we need the gov to take a long hot shower to wash off all the dirt and slim. Hire Hercules to re-route the Potomac river to wash the filth out of the Republican stables on the Hill. Oh my, we really really need to spend a lot of time talking about corruption in gov. More impoertantly, we need to strengthen our laws and impose mandatory and severe jail time for politicians convicted of bribery. None of this simply resign and pay a fine bullshit. Justice is one of the classical Greek virtures, and the GOP needs a strong heavy dose of Justice to kill the cancer that is destroying our body politic. We need to teach Republicans to tremble with fear at the very thought of taking a bribe.

[enid602]

28. Trials

We need nothing short of Nuremberg Trial.

[colorado_ufo]

56. Yes.

Could this be moved to the Hague? Otherwise no one could come up with a fair trial in the eyes of the Republican base.

[pangaia]

31. Well expressed...

[csziggy]

53. We need to have the trials because we can't move forward with real progress

If President Obama had gone after Bush & Co. like he should have, maybe the Republicans would not have been so willing to be traitorous and duplicitous enough to work with a foreign county to subvert our elections.

We Democrats did get to go after Nixon the way we should have, Reagan was given a pass and his cohorts only got slaps on the wrist, and Bush/Cheney slid right through with no consequences. We cannot keep letting these criminals get away with destroying this country and sneering at the Constitution.

The Republicans responsible need to go to prison for a good long while. The Republican Party needs to be emasculated and kicked to the curb.

[vlyons]

58. We need a renaissance of virture, honesty, and integrity

Because if we don't teach the younger generations about virtue and compassion as a way to gain merit and wisdom, then for sure there will be others to teach them about selfishness, greed, bigotry, and hatred. All actions have consequences. That is the law of karma. Corruption that goes unprosecuted and unpunished continues on its rotten course to the eventual decline and failure of the body politic.

You have to be carefully taught ...

[CrispyQ]

67. This is such an important point to make -

that the dems have been complicit by not doing their jobs. Their blame is not equal to the repubs, but they certainly have some responsibility for the mess we're in. As to your final sentence, I fear that it is the Democratic Party that has been emasculated. If something isn't done about this illegitimate president, it could be decades before the dems have any influence.

[flying_wahini]

82. Sadly, I must agree.

Lots of Crime but No punishment.

[Dustlawyer]

81. It would be nice if we could get Publicly Funded Elections and close the

Revolving Door. Bust up the media, cable/phone, oil company, and banking oligopolies. Thats my wish list!

[SergeStorms]

87. I think a majority of the American people....

would support that as well. Those that won't support it are the very people lining their pockets with this filthy money. And since when has the GOP done anything that a majority of the American people want? They work for special interests ONLY!

[notdarkyet]

22. Hear, hear

[mountain grammy]

10. K & R

[wiggs]

12. We set up a political system of legalized bribery in the US and TPTB said

it was OK as long as it's just bribery from our own citizens and our own corporations.

It is to be expected that this insatiable hunger for wealth and power would attract unscrupulous foreign money. Probably is not a new development. Not sure you can say anymore that large corporations belong to any one nation, and the same might be said for extremely wealthy individuals. They are their own economies, institutions, and forces. They seek to control all levels of government(s) including justice, voting, lawmakers, regulators, and administration.

Too much money at stake...too many fortunes...too much power, to leave it in the hands of democracy, I guess.

All the more reason for the sane, functional parts of government that hopefully still exist to come down hard on the treasonous bastards that have brought us to the edge of the cliff.

[Duppers]

41. Excellently stated, wiggs! Thank you.

If wealthy corporations and individuals can buy government, then so can foreign countries with the cash - especially since one party is populated with scum who are unable to win without cheating. CT is more likely fact here.

Our country hasn't faced anything this devastatingly serious since the Civil War.
Amen to this quote..

All the more reason for the sane, functional parts of government that hopefully still exist to come down hard on the treasonous bastards that have brought us to the edge of the cliff.

[sharedvalues]

69. This is key. Legalized political bribery is the problem.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

14. Does it surprise anyone.....

that is seems to be Republicans involved in gross Ethics violations as they are the Party of Truth? This party is as dirty as they come and their voters are either too blind or stupid to see that.

[Ligyron]

43. Welcome to DU!

and you are absolutely right.

[flying_wahini]

83. Welcome to DU! I think this voters really Don't care as long as they

keep their guns and nobody raises their taxes.

[dlk]

16. Chaffetz Cares About Chaffetz, First

No doubt when all is said and done with respect to the Russia scandal, many top Republicans will fall. It will probably take at least one or more election cycles and Democrats gaining a majority in the House and Senate for this scandal to be appropriately prosecuted. No matter how devastating the facts, Republicans will not prosecute other Republicans on a large scale which is what will be needed for treason of this magnitude and one reason the Justice Department has been hollowed out -- no senior prosecutors mean no meaningful prosecutions. Given his record of party zealotry, Chaffetz' hands are very likely dirty and he is looking to avoid any fallout from his actions. As with so many Republicans, it's all about him -- Chaffetz first. His constituents are only a means to an end.

[notdarkyet]

23. The irony of him sitting on the HIC overseeing the Russian investigation that he was

Up to his ears in is just too unsettling. How far does this reach? Who is pulling the trumps strings for Russia? We really do need to drain the swamps.

[SunSeeker]

17. K & R for exposure.

[Enoki33]

18. Always thought there was something amiss in how quick Ryan and McConnell were

to dismiss the need for investigation of the Russian/Trump connection and all that implies. As Rachel often says, if something doesn't make sense dig deeper.

[CrispyQ]

68. Stealing the SCOTUS nom.

I'll never believe that McConnell didn't know about the Russian connection back then. And his wife got a nice appointment as a reward. I want to see that fucker go down the most.

[pnwest]

88. McTurtle's theft of the SCOTUS seat is the

thing that enrages me the most. Of allllll the bullshit that's happened and is happening - that piece of work makes my blood boil, and fills me with a raging hatred that I cannot properly describe. It's a physical reaction of pure hatred, white-hot righteous rage. That (I can't call him a man)...creature...is an ugly, evil, vile, hate-filled, putrid fucking spawn of Satan. And the entire party is a swirling, sucking, cesspool of corruption, rotten down to its core.

[True Blue American]

89. You said it best

I never thought I could despise one man so much.

[Little Star]

19. Thanks for the heads-up!

[annabanana]

20. "a recording of Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell discussing how best to wash Russian money"?!?!??

Holy Shit Stacks!

This one thing.. all by itself... means proof that the whole stinkin' GOP is directly implicated.. for real.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

45. Yeah, Majority Winner Hillary should get it. Stolen election was by Republican TICKET. No Pres Pence

[onetexan]

76. second that

we really need to get behind getting Agent Orange & the lot of the swamp out & instate Hillary & Dem adminstration. This russiagate truth must all come out - the sooner the better.

[stuffmatters]

71. Absolutely, please, please let it be exposed!

This would have to bring down the whole treasonous rat colony called the Republican Party. So much bigger than trump.

[DFW]

24. I checked the line of succession

Not good. I was hoping the president pro tempore of the Senate was someone like Pat Leahy of Vermont, but unfortunately, it's Orrin Hatch of Utah.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

47. Succession depends on two or more resigning (or leaving otherwise) simultaneously.

Succession depends on two or more resigning (or leaving otherwise) simultaneously.

If resignations are sequential, then appointees get promoted.

If tRump resigns, Pence ascends and appoints a VP. Ryan sits still.

If Pence resigns, tRump appoints a VP. Then if tRump resigns, the new VP ascends.

Only if tRump & Pence resign simultaneously or are convicted by the Senate simultaneously does Ryan ascend. The rule can be generalized to three or more simultaneous resignations, but even two simultaneous would be extremely improbable.

But in this humongous Trump-Russia catastrophe, the whole Republican ticket stole the election. So it needs to be taken away from them and would be if there were appropriate Constitutional remedies, which there aren't. Since these are uncharted waters, there needs to be a completely new approach: either the Majority winner takes all since the Electoral College was stolen or there is a completely new election in 2018.

[Amaryllis]

25. Sure would like to see that tape released. Implicating McC and Ryan ....:)

[luvallpeeps]

60. New reality show Keeping Up with the Traitors

Get the popcorn, I'm drooling like Pavlov's dog.

[Amaryllis]

73. Rachel has become the new reality show. I have often said that if someone wrote a book or

movie script based on all this stuff, people would say it was too unrealistic, too global, too complex.

[Squinch]

27. Kick and YIKES!

[ananda]

30. Kick!

Thanks for posting this.

I knew Chaffetz was a dirty traitor.

[LaydeeBug]

32. HUGE k and r! nt

[NastyRiffraff]

33. Wish I could Rec multiple times

But this one will have to do.

[Zambero]

34. So when Chaffetz steps down

What is his next move?

Turns himself in?
Or beats a quick retreat skipping the country a-la Roman Polanski?

[rusty fender]

42. Considering that Colonel Oliver North

got away with selling arms to the Iranians and then giving the money to the Contras, all of which was against U.S. law, Chaffetz has a good chance of getting away with any illegal act that he may have committed

And there will be plenty of rich, right-wing wackos, like Robert Mercer, etc., who will pay for his defense.

[luvallpeeps]

61. Then Faux News will have a job for ya

They have a place for you after your career of *traiting* I guess traitors gonna trait

[rusty fender]

74. Why are you calling me a traitor ?

I was just pointing out that Chaffetz can get a way with his crimes

[pscot]

35. K&R

[ATL Ebony]

36. Kick, good find shraby. Thanks

[BSdetect]

37. More than ever we depend on some Intel people to pursue this to the bitter end

Its become an extremely tenous thread of hope.

You can bet the guilty ones are furiously throwing every block they can dream up in the way of investigation.

And with Putin's help no doubt.

[JDC]

38. F'ing Traitors. From the top down.

This republican leadership needs to be jailed if this is true. They do nothing but wrap themselves in the flag, yet under the cover of night, sell out the people of this country. Can we imagine what would be going on if a democrat, let alone democratic leadership and Ethics Committee chairs were involved in this type of thing. That is clearly a rhetorical question.

It's disgusting.

[Stuart G]

39. Chaffetz took a $10 million donation from Trump the same day (here it is..far down in story)

he leaked and lied about the Comey letter...


10 million dollars.............quite a big deal...won't you say???? Yes indeed, quite a big deal..


Here is a link to the Palmer Report, that discusses this.. $10,000,000..This is unsubstantiated at this time..1pm ET....but what a story if true..................... ???

[Maraya1969]

78. You forgot to put up the link. eom

It says here that Chaffetz was the one who leaked the investigation into Hillary right before the election. I thought it was Comey?

"It would also explain why Jason Chaffetz took the risk of leaking James Comey’s letter about Hillary Clinton’s emails on October 28th, a plainly improper move that’s subsequently made him the subject of various ethics inquiries. Chaffetz had been hemming and hawing in his support of Donald Trump all along, and his decision to leak the letter before the election always seemed suspicious. As the chair of the House Oversight Committee, it would seemingly have been more advantageous for Chaffetz to sit on the letter until the day after the election, then use it as an excuse to resume his years of investigations into President Hillary Clinton. But if he had $10 million waving in his face, it’s a different story."

https://www.palmerreport.com/opinion/10-million-chaffetz-trump-russia/2392/

[Stuart G]

79. you are correct..I forgot the link, and was distracted by something..oh my?

and thank you for putting up the link that I forgot to do..I was going to do it, but something distracted me..I am sorry to those who were looking for the link..yes, I am sorry..and yes...thank you..Maraya1969 for finding the link...

I got distracted, and forgot .... thank you again....

[Qutzupalotl]

80. The letter was from Comey, but Chaffetz made it public.

So technically Chaffetz is the leaker.

I'm starting to look at Comey as just fulfilling his duties and possibly being coerced somehow into acknowleging that the Weiner investigation affected Clinton. He seems to be focused now on building an airtight case, perhaps partly to save face.

Mensch points out that Weiner was never prosecuted. She believes more will come out about that investigation and gross misconduct in the FBI's NY field office.

[zentrum]

40. Seems too good

Last edited Sat Apr 22, 2017, 02:46 PM - Edit history (1)

...to be true.

Every Republican is a complete traitor? I knew they were corrupt and greedy and dishonest---but this?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

44. Wow! "purports to be a recording of Ryan & McConnell discussing how best to wash Russian money"

Paul Ryan’s name has already been linked with the Russian hacking of voter data from swing states so money laundering on behalf of the Russians is not a big leap from there and would be entirely in character for both men. Certainly both were desperate to hold onto the power

More wow!

First specificity I've read regarding Lyin Ryan and McCONnell.

[NoMoreRepugs]

46. If the majority of this turns out to be true it

will at a point in time destroy Rethugs for decades. Goober n gomer Rethug voters wont stand for collusion with commies.... cuz to them they are no different than socialists, intellectuals or liberals for that matter.

[bucolic_frolic]

48. Now we're getting traction

DailyKos, while partisan, does not rely on leaps of faith

The problem remains, with all this materiel being assembled, how do you
do anything with it in a one-party federal government? Trump is cleansing
Obama's appointees by the day, Congress is you know GOP. Democrats
make noise, but a lot of damage can be done in 20 months and there are
no guarantees we take enough of Congress to flip and jail.

[niyad]

49. k and r and bookmarking

[Egnever]

50. Holy shit

I find this hard to believe.

That said if true we are fucked. If our government has been this compromised at this many levels then we are beyond fucked already.

[AJT]

51. So THAT'S why there's been so many arrests.......

[GliderGuider]

64. No, it's why there has been so much investigation. Arrests are coming. nt

[dchill]

55. K&R.

[tiptonic]

57. Citizens

Can we say 'citizens united'?

[PoliticalPie]

59. I have considered that McConnell is a TeaParty Russian tool for some time now and

I believe many of the Tea Party, Congress folks are along with some of the R Governors and state elected Republicans.

[CrispyQ]

62. Taking McConnell down would make me happier than taking Trump down.

And that little shit, Ryan, too. I hope the entire upper echelon of Republican leadership is taken down. What if Comey & FBI were suspicious of Russian ties deep in the repub party & that giving the win to Trump was the way to get to the bottom of this rotten barrel. A girl can dream. The repub party is the most dangerous organization, for humans & all living beings, on the planet & if someone doesn't do something damn quick, they will hasten our departure.

[jannyd65]

84. I totally agree....

I think the Russian connections are deeper and wider than even the FBI suspected. Something that may have been speculated on here or another site (I can't remember) is that there could be a mole or moles throughout the government.

If your theory is correct Crispy Q, we're in for a very long wait. But, I would rather them get as much credible evidence to put these traitors away for good than rush only to have the evidence thrown out on a technicality.

[colorado_ufo]

65. This is such an important story!

It really ties together a lot of stray ends.

[linnknee]

66. The constant investigation of Hillary is what the Russians wanted!! Piece of Crap!!

There had to be a reason he was NOT EVER GIVING UP ON HILLARY. I'm sick of hearing all the problems Hillary had being a candidate. Poor Women look at all the shit that was thrown at her to get the imbecile elected. On one of the cable news channels the other night there is strange contributions to the CHEETO's campaign of a lot of money with no real names attached. Wiki leaks, fake news, my god, i HOPE THE ENTIRE GOP GOES DOWN WITH THE ORANGE BABOON.

[Amaryllis]

72. Does anyone know more about this reference in the OP? I missed it if it's been in the news:

"Paul Ryan’s name has already been linked with the Russian hacking of voter data from swing states ..."

[yortsed snacilbuper]

77. K$R

traitorous crook.

[burrowowl]

85. K&R!!!!!!

[StarzGuy]

86. Treason?

WOW,

If this story is proven to be true and accurate then I suggest that Trump, Ryan, McConnell as well as Chaffetz, et al have committed treason and therefore be brought to justice, tried, convicted and jailed (at least) for such acts. Why did we fight in all those wars starting with the revolution to start this country all the way to todays engagements just to have our democracy stolen by the Russians and their American cabal? What will it take to clean out the Congress and the "Selectee" currently occupying our White House? Impeach every single one of them then try them for treason...

[Fast Walker 52]

90. Republicans are all waist deep in treason, and deserve jail, or at least

complete removal from office. They are UNFIT to represent us.

[VOX]

91. If (a big IF) all this turned out to be true...

And the (guilty) party in power of all three branches simply said, "Oh well," and passed on investigation (or dragged it out to dilute it), passed on impeachment, and just sat there...what would/could be done? Besides a lot of talk, which is where it is now? If a majority of R's, who've got access to all the levers of power now, just obstructed (their one genuine skill) the whole thing?

They've already stated their position roughly as, "Putin didn't hack any voting machines (remains to be seen), and Putin didn't MAKE or FORCE anybody vote for #45, blah blah, etc."

Playing with such a power disadvantage, the strongest scenario to play out would likely be a censure or two. The R's are not going to take themselves out of office or relinquish any of their own power. Look what they did with the SCOTUS vacancy. They don't give a shit how unfairly they play. Just the fact that they've kept and supported #45 as a candidate and president shows they'll go to any extremes.

The only answer to this nightmare is to elect more Democrats and progressives, who are both gonna have to suck it up and work *together* to end their differences, if they have any interest in battling the monstrous obscenity that is the 45 administration.

[shraby]

93. Don't forget, there is no statute of limitations on treason.

[VOX]

94. Good! Bag them now (preferred) or later (acceptable)!