Discussion: NBC: In Meeting With Russian Lawyer, Manafort Took Notes About 'Donations'

TPM Article Topics
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Priebus too

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Adam Khan @khanoisseur has long speculated based on a close study of Manafort’s activities in Ukraine, that Manafort may have funneled money to RNC delegates to buy them off in order to stave off a convention floor fight. One of his primary tasks when he was hired by Trump was to ensure that Trump didn’t face problems at the Convention. In fact, Josh said at the time that Manafort’s hire was a good thing for those who thought Trump would be the easiest for HRC to defeat (I also thought that too…but I didn’t factor in Comey + Russia).

When you consider that Veselnitskaya and Jr both mentioned that their conversation was about potential dirty money into the DNC, I see no reason why Manafort made a specific reference to the RNC unless Jr and Veselnitskaya were both lying or telling half truths and the real negotiation was between Manafort and Akhmetshin (as Putin’s rep). I believe Manafort told Akhmentshin that his biggest near term challenge at that time was preventing a revolt on the convention floor and he may need help greasing the wheels. Trump is notoriously cheap, didn’t have the cash and couldn’t be seen bribing delegates for votes. The Mercers probably also wanted to stay away from something like that, but Putin was all-in.

This news article was more than I was expecting because there’s now a real tie in to the RNC. I agree with Josh that we’ve only learned a fraction of what went on in that meeting and afterwards.

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I’m hoping this investigation goes one step further to include Vlad’s other business friends - like the Koch brothers.

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Nope. Not Ryan. I think it was Kevin McCarthy, but I’m not certain.

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Thats a very interesting question. And I have very little doubt that Mueller has people poring over phone records already. :wink:

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Yup that pretty much sums up how I feel about it too. If you do not already you might want to follow Rick Wilson. He is a conservative Repub but his Twitter feed is very entertaining.

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not thinking 2018 is going to go the way democrats hope. still gerrymandering, voter suppression and a spineless media - all going strong since the 2016 disaster

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they’ll walk scott free. when did cheney pay any kind of price for lying our way into the forever war? what bank and investment brokers did time for lying and financial fraud? one law for the rich, another for the poor.

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she turned me into a newt!

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Thanks, I will!