Michael Cohen will testify to House Oversight Feb 7 about his work for Trump

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Starbuck1975

Lifer
Jan 6, 2005
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Also, don’t expect this to be limited in scope to the Mueller probe and Russian collusion questions—I’d expect pointed questions about payments to porn stars, Trump Hotel DC emoluments, the inauguration finances and Trump’s shell companies.
Which could potentially backfire if the complexity of the financial entanglements and white collar crimes end up diluting or inadvertently undermining momentum towards impeachment.
 

fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
83,715
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What would a House testimony expose that Mueller doesn’t already know? Wouldn’t making this political theater potentially undermine Mueller, especially before he releases his report?

It has nothing to do with Mueller, it’s all about what the public knows. I doubt he will reveal anything Mueller doesn’t want him to reveal. What I suspect he will reveal though is a bunch of important things from a PR standpoint.

First, as K1052 mentioned I think he will flesh out his statements about Trump’s involvement in the felony campaign violations. There’s a big difference between a sterile court statement and a blow by blow (har) account of how exactly Trump directed him to commit this crime.

Second, crimes aside I bet Cohen has reams to say about various unethical and shady practices he and Trump engaged in. Reams. All of this helps to reinforce the public perception of Trump as a criminal.
 

woolfe9998

Lifer
Apr 8, 2013
16,188
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So you agree its political theater, because that is all Benghazi was

Mueller's report will be on collusion/conspiracy with Russia and obstruction of justice related to same. Cohen was Trump's personal lawyer and fixer for over 10 years. He knows a lot of stuff about Trump that is unlikely to ever appear in any report issued by Mueller. Mueller certainly knows about much of it, and has referred it out to other prosecutors. However, I wouldn't expect it to be covered in his report unless it relates to Russia.
 

ecogen

Golden Member
Dec 24, 2016
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The Frank Pentangeli scene from Godfather 2 came to mind when I heard this news, although some news outlets are now starting to report that this is coordinated with Mueller and that his report may even come out before the Cohen hearing.

There was absolutely zero chance of this testimony not being coordinated with Mueller. As others have mentioned, Cohen was Trump's lawyer for a number of years I'm sure the Dems will have no trouble finding questions that will both aim to hurt Trump while steering clear from anything that's related to Mueller or isn't already public record.
 

Hayabusa Rider

Admin Emeritus & Elite Member
Jan 26, 2000
50,879
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Also, don’t expect this to be limited in scope to the Mueller probe and Russian collusion questions—I’d expect pointed questions about payments to porn stars, Trump Hotel DC emoluments, the inauguration finances and Trump’s shell companies.

Most of the sensitive Russian stuff will likely be in the private session Schiff is setting up. Everything from the SDNY will likely be fair game and I think that would include criminal acts of campaign finance violations.
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
110,509
29,090
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What would a House testimony expose that Mueller doesn’t already know? Wouldn’t making this political theater potentially undermine Mueller, especially before he releases his report?

maybe. I think that the oversight committee would only work on questions screened and approved through the special council. At least, that's a stark difference from the previous "oversight committee," which declared Mueller and the Media, all "democrat enemies of the people," shit on the committee table, pouted and went home.

So, it's an improvement.
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
110,509
29,090
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The Frank Pentangeli scene from Godfather 2 came to mind when I heard this news, although some news outlets are now starting to report that this is coordinated with Mueller and that his report may even come out before the Cohen hearing.

Sure. Your prediction will blossom into truth when Cohen's raisin-skin corpse is found soaking in the bloodied bathwater of his hotel bathroom, the day after recanting all of his sworn testimony before Congress.

Because this is all a movie.
 

Starbuck1975

Lifer
Jan 6, 2005
14,698
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Sure. Your prediction will blossom into truth when Cohen's raisin-skin corpse is found soaking in the bloodied bathwater of his hotel bathroom, the day after recanting all of his sworn testimony before Congress.

Because this is all a movie.
What part of this whole situation doesn’t read like a bad Tom Clancy novel
 

Moonbeam

Elite Member
Nov 24, 1999
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I anticipate Democrats blowing major opportunities to uncover important facts as they grandstand for sensationalist attention and political opportunism.
 
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Starbuck1975

Lifer
Jan 6, 2005
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It has nothing to do with Mueller, it’s all about what the public knows. I doubt he will reveal anything Mueller doesn’t want him to reveal. What I suspect he will reveal though is a bunch of important things from a PR standpoint.

First, as K1052 mentioned I think he will flesh out his statements about Trump’s involvement in the felony campaign violations. There’s a big difference between a sterile court statement and a blow by blow (har) account of how exactly Trump directed him to commit this crime.

Second, crimes aside I bet Cohen has reams to say about various unethical and shady practices he and Trump engaged in. Reams. All of this helps to reinforce the public perception of Trump as a criminal.
The only knockout blow to Trump is proof of collusion with the Russian government through Manafort’s existing network of entanglements with the oligarchs.

What PR are you talking about? The people who despise Trump already have ample reason to do so, and his supporters are looking for reasons to rationalize their continued support to him. Nothing Cohen has to say or reveal will measurably shift that. @Moonbeam already nicely summarized how the GOP will dismiss and undermine Cohen as a rat.

The Stormy Daniels situation or white collar crimes, while inexcusable and grounds for impeachment, won’t be enough. Those lines of attack only feed the witch hunt narrative. Trump could even survive an obstruction of justice case. There is already precedence of this for an impeached President.

Collusion is the only charge that is politically inescapable.
 

dank69

Lifer
Oct 6, 2009
35,201
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The only knockout blow to Trump is proof of collusion with the Russian government through Manafort’s existing network of entanglements with the oligarchs.

What PR are you talking about? The people who despise Trump already have ample reason to do so, and his supporters are looking for reasons to rationalize their continued support to him. Nothing Cohen has to say or reveal will measurably shift that. @Moonbeam already nicely summarized how the GOP will dismiss and undermine Cohen as a rat.

The Stormy Daniels situation or white collar crimes, while inexcusable and grounds for impeachment, won’t be enough. Those lines of attack only feed the witch hunt narrative. Trump could even survive an obstruction of justice case. There is already precedence of this for an impeached President.

Collusion is the only charge that is politically inescapable.
His base doesn't care about collusion either. It's not even a crime.
 
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fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
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The only knockout blow to Trump is proof of collusion with the Russian government through Manafort’s existing network of entanglements with the oligarchs.

What PR are you talking about? The people who despise Trump already have ample reason to do so, and his supporters are looking for reasons to rationalize their continued support to him. Nothing Cohen has to say or reveal will measurably shift that. @Moonbeam already nicely summarized how the GOP will dismiss and undermine Cohen as a rat.

The Stormy Daniels situation or white collar crimes, while inexcusable and grounds for impeachment, won’t be enough. Those lines of attack only feed the witch hunt narrative. Trump could even survive an obstruction of justice case. There is already precedence of this for an impeached President.

Collusion is the only charge that is politically inescapable.

I do not agree. There are lots of charges that aren’t escapeable and more importantly, lesser charges soften him up for bigger ones.

People tend to look for the silver bullet or the one big event. It doesn’t have to be that way, we can also take him down with tons of smaller ones.
 

interchange

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 1999
8,015
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Or he could lie on national TV and cause complete havoc and uncertainty about our justice system, putting our already strained system of government into further chaos.

Is it the same effect if he tells the truth? Believe me, I want to watch and will be watching and probably enjoying immensely. But I'm not sure it's good for the country for this to be a public thing.
 

fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
83,715
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Is it the same effect if he tells the truth? Believe me, I want to watch and will be watching and probably enjoying immensely. But I'm not sure it's good for the country for this to be a public thing.

If this is not a good thing for the country then we might as well pack it in as a country.

I never thought I would live to see a day where a president’s personal lawyer informing the public about the president’s criminal activity would be viewed as a bad thing.
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
110,509
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What part of this whole situation doesn’t read like a bad Tom Clancy novel

I guess "bad" is correct. I've never read Tom Clancy, but in those movies all of the characters are usually extremely competent and effective, nefariously brilliant people in their own way. ...this is definitely not that, lol.
 
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zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
110,509
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The only knockout blow to Trump is proof of collusion with the Russian government through Manafort’s existing network of entanglements with the oligarchs.

What PR are you talking about? The people who despise Trump already have ample reason to do so, and his supporters are looking for reasons to rationalize their continued support to him. Nothing Cohen has to say or reveal will measurably shift that. @Moonbeam already nicely summarized how the GOP will dismiss and undermine Cohen as a rat.

The Stormy Daniels situation or white collar crimes, while inexcusable and grounds for impeachment, won’t be enough. Those lines of attack only feed the witch hunt narrative. Trump could even survive an obstruction of justice case. There is already precedence of this for an impeached President.

Collusion is the only charge that is politically inescapable.

Well, I have my doubts

trump-tshirts-8d76bb5538a54f2c.jpeg
 

fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
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Hey @SlowSpyder here is your official invitation to participate in this thread. It appears that Michael Cohen will testify to Congress soon about a number of things, one of which is almost certainly how he implicated Trump in multiple felonies under oath in a US court. How do you feel about this? What steps should be taken now that we have sworn statements to Trump's criminal activity? I'm interested in your opinion.
 

SlowSpyder

Lifer
Jan 12, 2005
17,305
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Sounds like nothing more than more straws for TDS sufferers to grasp at. *THIS* time they'll find something! #politicalwitchhunt
 

fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
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Sounds like nothing more than more straws for TDS sufferers to grasp at. *THIS* time they'll find something! #politicalwitchhunt

So to be clear, you do not believe that sworn testimony implicating Trump in multiple felonies is meaningful? People get sent to prison on the strength of such testimony regularly. Do you apply this standard to other people?
 
Feb 4, 2009
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So to be clear, you do not believe that sworn testimony implicating Trump in multiple felonies is meaningful? People get sent to prison on the strength of such testimony regularly. Do you apply this standard to other people?

Come on you know that only applies to Black Guys.....




/sarcasm