The Other Russia Collusion Scandal by captaincrunch

REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

The Other Russia Collusion Scandal

POSTED BY: CAPTAINCRUNCH
UPDATED: Wednesday, August 1, 2018 15:57
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Monday, July 2, 2018 4:21 PM

... stay crunchy...

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In 2016, Vladimir Putin reaped two of his greatest foreign policy triumphs in quick succession. The United Kingdom voted narrowly to exit the European Union, advancing a longstanding Russian goal of splitting Western allies that have long been united against it. Later that year, the United States voted even more narrowly to elect Donald Trump president.

Friday evening, the New York Times revealed new detail about Russian involvement in the Brexit vote. The more we learn, the more similar the pattern of behavior in the two countries becomes clear, and the more suspicious the denials of Putin’s partners grows.

In both countries, the right-wing pro-Russian populists indignantly insist there is no more incriminating information to be found beyond what was known at any given moment, even as the bounds of what is known at any moment continues to expand. In Britain, billionaire businessman Arron Banks financed the Brexit referendum with the largest donation in British history. Initially, he copped to having one meeting with Russian officials. After the Guardian obtained secret documents blowing up this claim, he admitted there were actually three meetings. Now the Times has even more information, and Banks concedes the number of covert meetings has grown to four.

At the secret meetings with Russians, Banks was dangled the prospect of lucrative gold and mining deals. In the course of speaking with the Times, Banks changed his story: “In interviews earlier this week, Mr. Banks initially said he knew nothing about the [mining] project. Then he later said he remembered hearing about it from the investment banker but did not pursue it.”

Well, that sounds innocent.

Banks continues to insist he never actually took up the Russians on the offer of cutting him in on their mining deals at a favorable price. This denial seems extremely hard to credit. For one thing, Banks tweeted at the time that he was buying up gold and mining stocks. For another, the Times adds the crucial detail that his business partner and fellow Brexit supporter, James Mellon, did participate in the sweetheart deal. The mining stocks were sold at a discount, and Mellon’s investment firm, Charlemagne Capital, “was among a restricted number of investors who were allowed to participate.”

Banks’s defense of his behavior to the Times is so absurdly suspicious it almost reads like a winking, dada joke: “The idea that things were dangled as some sort of carrots for me to be involved with the Russians is very far-fetched,” he said. “I wonder what the Russians wanted from me?” What they wanted was perfectly obvious: Banks funded a political referendum in which Russia had a strong interest in passing. Russia could not directly finance the referendum, but Banks could. Therefore, what they would want is for him to use some of the money they were dangling before him to support Brexit, which he did. At this point, it seems virtually certain that Russia did use Banks, perhaps in conjunction with Mellon, as a pass through to covertly finance the Brexit referendum.

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Tuesday, July 3, 2018 8:01 PM

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Wednesday, July 4, 2018 5:00 AM

REAVERFAN

Even Faux reported it!

Findings that Russia meddled to help Trump beat Clinton were 'accurate and on point': Senate intel panel
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/07/03/findings-that-russia-meddle
d-to-help-trump-beat-clinton-were-accurate-and-on-point-senate-intel-panel.html

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Wednesday, July 4, 2018 5:08 AM

REAVERFAN

Trump: Russia didn’t interfere in the election. GOP-led Senate panel: Yeah, it did.
https://www.vox.com/2018/7/3/17532536/trump-russia-senate-election-put
in

"The Senate Intelligence Committee’s report comes as Trump is preparing to meet Putin on July 16 in Helsinki. Trump says he will raise the topic of election meddling with the Russian leader."

Then they'll have a good laugh.

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Wednesday, July 4, 2018 7:33 AM

6IXSTRINGJACK

So....

How did it happen? We've been hearing it said that it happened for almost 2 years now, but nobody has ever explained it without being extremely vague, quoting anonymous sources and really not saying anything at all.

If it happened then, hey... it happened. Would actually like to see some proof is all.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Monday, July 30, 2018 3:26 PM

THG

'One witness away from catastrophe': Legal scholar says Cohen flipping puts Trump in extreme peril

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Monday, July 30, 2018 3:57 PM

REAVERFAN

Zee plot, she theeckens!

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Tuesday, July 31, 2018 6:25 PM

THG

Facebook announces it has pulled more suspected Russian pages aimed at meddling in US politics.

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Tuesday, July 31, 2018 6:43 PM

1KIKI

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

"One witness away from catastrophe': Legal scholar says Cohen flipping puts Trump in extreme peril"

Of possibly violating campaign finance laws, or Russian 'collusion' to throw the election?

Which is it?

THUGGER admits it's not about RUSSIA !!! and is, in fact, a witch hunt. "Trump better be innocent of any wrong doing, anywhere, anytime."

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Tuesday, July 31, 2018 11:15 PM

THG

Quote:
Originally posted by reaverfan:

Zee plot, she theeckens!

And the games afoot. Even as kiki and Jack ask why we think that. It's funny to see them act as though they fell asleep during the first act. Then ask us to explain it all to them again. They remind me of sig when she says to tell her in detail why we say what we do. Like we're really going to do that. Yep, that's some funny shit.

T

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Wednesday, August 1, 2018 4:08 AM

1KIKI

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

I'm curious why you can't answer what should be a simple question.

What's gotten lost in your argument is that all this is supposed to be about RUSSIA !!! colluding with Trump to throw the 2016 election. But the longer this goes on, and the more the reporting actively obscures that salient lack of actual election-stacking 'collusion', I have to wonder ...

... where's the beef?

THUGGER admits it's not about RUSSIA !!! and is, in fact, a witch hunt. "Trump better be innocent of any wrong doing, anywhere, anytime."

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Wednesday, August 1, 2018 3:57 PM

THG

Collusion Is Worse Than a Crime

To debate whether Trump acted criminally is to miss the greater point: He’s a national-security threat.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2018/08/collusion-is-a-qu
estion-of-loyalty-not-legality/566606/

T

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