Rantt Rundown: “It’s Cohen That’s Consuming Him.”
Today, brought with it a flood of news related to the investigations that are weighing down on President Trump.
CNN reported that President Trump is happy with the way the White House and Republicans have tried to discredit former FBI Director James Comey’s book tour, but the corruption investigation into his personal lawyer Michael Cohen is “consuming” him. This came as multiple reports claimed President Trump and his allies are becoming concerned that Michael Cohen may cooperate with federal prosecutors as pressure mounts on him (why would they be concerned if there was nothing to hide?)
Speaking of having nothing to hide, Bloomberg reported that last week Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein told President Trump that he isn’t a target of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation or the Cohen corruption investigation. This reportedly reassured Trump, making him back off what appeared to be an imminent firing of Rosenstein:
“After the meeting, Trump told some of his closest advisers that it’s not the right time to remove either man since he’s not a target of the probes. One person said Trump doesn’t want to take any action that would drag out the investigation.”
This appears to indicate that Trump would be more likely to fire Rosenstein or Mueller if he became a target of the investigation. Again we ask, does that sound like the conduct of an individual with nothing to hide?
Important to note that The Washington Post previously reported that last month Mueller told Trump’s lawyers that Trump is a subject of the Russia investigation but is not a criminal target. As CNN Legal Analyst Jeffrey Toobin points out; a target “is almost certainly going to be indicted” whereas a subject is “someone who is being scrutinized, who may be indicted, who may not be indicted.”
Trump shouldn’t be so reassured that he isn’t a target because being a subject still places him under scrutiny.
Meanwhile…
- Within hours of Congress receiving Comey’s memos, they were leaked. They were largely in line with Comey’s testimony with some new unforeseen details, including this tid bit: “Putin had told [Trump], ‘we have some of the most beautiful hookers in the world.’” Read them for yourself.
- After being constantly berated by President Trump directly and on Twitter, being fired less two days before his retirement would give him access to his pension, former acting FBI Director (and witness in Mueller’s obstruction of justice inquiry) Andrew McCabe may a face criminal investigation. The Washington Post reported:
WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors are examining whether they have sufficient evidence to open a criminal investigation into Andrew G. McCabe, the former F.B.I. director, his lawyer said on Thursday, after a Justice Department inspector general report repeatedly faulted him for misleading investigators.
The inquiry is certain to add to an already corrosive atmosphere pitting Mr. McCabe and other current and former law enforcement officials against President Trump. The president has accused them of concocting a baseless investigation into possible links between his associates and Russia’s election interference.
- Former New York City Mayor, and enthusiastic Trump campaign surrogate, Rudy Giuliani is joining Trump’s legal team. Giuliani told The Washington Post he would try and negotiate an end to the Mueller probe. The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman pointed out that “Giuliani is a former US Attorney in the Southern District of NY, which is the office probing Cohen — the probe Trump lawyers are most worried about.” Important to note that Giuliani has still not answered for why he seemed to have preemptive knowledge of the fateful Comey letter released 11 days before the election.
- Bloomberg reported:
Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s interest in former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort stemmed in part from his suspected role as a “back channel” between the campaign and Russians intent on meddling in the election, a Justice Department lawyer told a judge.
The disclosure by U.S. prosecutors came Thursday during a hearing on whether Mueller exceeded his authority in indicting Manafort on charges of laundering millions of dollars while acting as an unregistered agent of the Ukrainian government. Manafort’s lawyers say those alleged crimes have nothing to do with Mueller’s central mission — to determine whether anyone in the Trump campaign had links to the Russian government.
- The Washington Post reported:
Two of President Trump’s top legislative allies met with Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein this week to press him for more documents about the conduct of law enforcement officials involved in the Russia probe and the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email server, according to three people who were not authorized to speak publicly about the discussion.
Rosenstein’s meeting at his office Monday with Reps. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) came days after Meadows, an influential Trump confidant, warned Rosenstein that he could soon face impeachment proceedings or an effort to hold him in contempt of Congress if he did not satisfy GOP demands for documents.
Trump and Meadows spoke at some point after the meeting, the three people said, but they declined to share details of the exchange.
- Cohen dropped the libel lawsuit he had against Buzzfeed and Fusion GPS over their publishing of the Christopher Steele dossier.
- CNN reported that “In interviews with a cross-section of more than two dozen GOP lawmakers, ranging from rank-and-file members, conservatives and party leaders, many refused to say they’d back Trump’s re-election bid.”
- The Senate confirmed a climate change denier to head NASA. The Washington Post reported:
The Senate on Thursday narrowly confirmed Rep. Jim Bridenstine as NASA administrator, despite deep concerns from Democrats that he lacks the scientific and management expertise to lead the space agency.
The vote to install the three-term Oklahoma Republican was 50 to 49. President Trump had initially tapped Bridenstine for the post last year, but his nomination stalled amid Democratic criticisms, as well as some reticence from Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who said Thursday that NASA should be led by a professional with a background in space.
- Oh, how could we forget your daily dose of Scott Pruitt corruption. Reuters reported that the EPA Director “spent about $45,000 in government money to fly five people to Australia to prepare for a planned trip that was later canceled.” Also, there were new details about his controversial trip to Morroco which ties back to the Washington lobbyist who arranged the $50-a-night condo situation for Pruitt. Yup. Can’t make this stuff up.
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