Just to take this one step further...
Worth noting that federal prosecutors chose to make public an indictment which has little prosecutorial value on its face (since Veselnitskaya is out of reach).
There’s a method to this madness and it may well be...
1/
Worth noting that federal prosecutors chose to make public an indictment which has little prosecutorial value on its face (since Veselnitskaya is out of reach).
There’s a method to this madness and it may well be...
1/
1) Shining a spotlight on the Trump Tower meeting about “adoptions”
2) Putting into the public domain evidence that Junior, et al, were indeed meeting with the Kremlin by proxy
3) Providing corroboration of the criminal quid pro quo alluded to in Paul Manafort’s mtg notes
2/
2) Putting into the public domain evidence that Junior, et al, were indeed meeting with the Kremlin by proxy
3) Providing corroboration of the criminal quid pro quo alluded to in Paul Manafort’s mtg notes
2/
4) Establishing that all attendees fully knew what the Russian objectives were in supporting the Trump Campaign
5) Providing a supporting indictment of the foreign actor in the Trump Tower meeting in advance of Mueller indicting Junior for lying to Congress about the mtg.
3/
5) Providing a supporting indictment of the foreign actor in the Trump Tower meeting in advance of Mueller indicting Junior for lying to Congress about the mtg.
3/
...or put a whole lot more simply:
Using this indictment to lay out the Russian half of the criminal conspiracy discussed in Trump Tower.
Simpler still:
Proving there was collusion by explaining what Russia asked for in return.
4/
Using this indictment to lay out the Russian half of the criminal conspiracy discussed in Trump Tower.
Simpler still:
Proving there was collusion by explaining what Russia asked for in return.
4/
I’ve had this sensation so many times now.
An indictment lands and after the plain reading, I think “Well, that’s not a lot.”
...but then all the implications and subtleties settle in...
...and it’s a lot.
5/
An indictment lands and after the plain reading, I think “Well, that’s not a lot.”
...but then all the implications and subtleties settle in...
...and it’s a lot.
5/
Like I’ve been saying with Mueller’s indictments:
Look past what they say and ask:
“Why is this being said? What are prosecutors accomplishing by publishing this?”
When the indictee is out of reach those questions look even larger.
6/
Look past what they say and ask:
“Why is this being said? What are prosecutors accomplishing by publishing this?”
When the indictee is out of reach those questions look even larger.
6/
If the endgame was truly to eventually arrest and prosecute Veselnitskaya this indictment would have likely remained under seal.
She ain’t ever coming back to the U.S. now - or going anywhere we could sweep her up.
7/
She ain’t ever coming back to the U.S. now - or going anywhere we could sweep her up.
7/
So, in a way, this indictment becoming public burns the potential of prosecuting the indictee.
So again we must ask:
Why do that? What in those pages is worth that effort and cost?
To me, feels like a public airing of evidence that draws charges against Junior ever closer.
8/
So again we must ask:
Why do that? What in those pages is worth that effort and cost?
To me, feels like a public airing of evidence that draws charges against Junior ever closer.
8/
I haven’t read the full indictment. Will do later.
At first blush, I’m catching a distinct whiff of a Mueller-like evidence dump in the form of an indictment.
Evidence for a future trial served up in a filing abt a different case.
That future trial?
U.S. vs. Donald Trump, Jr.
At first blush, I’m catching a distinct whiff of a Mueller-like evidence dump in the form of an indictment.
Evidence for a future trial served up in a filing abt a different case.
That future trial?
U.S. vs. Donald Trump, Jr.
Note: this indictment was sought by federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York - the same folks who took down Cohen - Preet Bharara’s old office.
This wasn’t a Mueller indictment but there was undoubtedly coordination be the Special Counsel’s Office and SDNY.
This wasn’t a Mueller indictment but there was undoubtedly coordination be the Special Counsel’s Office and SDNY.
*between
