Thread by @NGrossman81

Nikki Haley is deeply wrong here, confusing evidence that arouses reasonable suspicion warranting investigation with beyond-a-reasonable-doubt evidence necessary for a conviction.
Many making this mistake re: counter-intel investigation into Trump. Here's why it's wrong.
(THREAD)

https://twitter.com/NikkiHaley/status/1098203561584984064

The counterintelligence investigation into the Trump campaign began because Trump foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos drunkenly bragged to an Australian diplomat that Russia had Hillary's emails and he told the US.
Even Devin Nunes admits this. It's not in dispute.
2/x

Was George Papadopoulos making it up, perhaps to make himself seem more important?
Don't know. That's why you investigate.
3/x

Trump put Paul Manafort, who for years cashed Russian checks to advance Russian national interests, in charge of his campaign. And Manafort did it for free.
It stood out as shady at the time, and if US counterintelligence ignored it, they'd be abdicating their duty.
4/x

Was Manafort still answering to Kremlin-connected oligarchs? Did Trump make him campaign chair to facilitate a shady Russia connection? Or was he just ignorant, choosing from a limited pool of people, and terrible at vetting?
Don't know. That's why you investigate.
5/x

Michael Flynn, Jeff Sessions, Jared Kushner and other senior Trump campaign members held secret meetings with Russian officials and tried to keep them secret. After Trump won, Jared even tried to set up a secret backchannel using Russian embassy coms, hiding it from US intel.
6/x

Were Flynn, Kushner, etc. trying to set up Trump's foreign policy, worried that the Obama admin was out to get them, and making mistakes that come from inexperience? Or were they continuing collusion that started during the campaign?
Don't know. That's why you investigate.
7/x

Donald Trump Jr. set up a meeting with people who identified themselves as representatives of the Russian gov, said they had dirt on Hillary Clinton, and wanted to help the Trump campaign.
The public didn't find out until 2017, but US counterintelligence knew in 2016.
8/x

Was the Trump Tower meeting just about adoptions? About sanctions? Setting up collusion? Was Don Jr. a fool who got set up, or a willing participant in an effort to collude (or both)?
Don't know. That's why you investigate.
9/x

Trump fired Comey, and the White House said it was because Comey mishandled the Hillary Clinton email investigation, an obvious lie.
Then Trump went on national television and said he did it to stop the investigation into Russian electoral interference.
10/x

Did Trump fire Comey because he really believed the Russia investigation was a hoax perpetuated by political enemies? Or was it because he feared that the investigation would find things that reflected poorly on him and his campaign?
Don't know. That's why you investigate.
11/x

I could keep going, because there are so many things about Trump and his campaign's relationship with the Russian government that arouse reasonable suspicion, but the ones I listed are more than enough.
The evidence warranted a counterintelligence investigation. No question.
12/x

Does the Trump-Russia evidence warrant impeachment? Criminal prosecution (against Trump officials who haven't already confessed or been indicted)? That's a harder question.
13/x

But Haley didn't say the evidence doesn't meet the standard for collusion, impeachment, indictment, conviction, or anything like that. She said it didn't even warrant an investigation. That US counterintel should have willfully ignored all these red flags. That's ridiculous.
14/x

Nikki Haley is smart. I'd guess she's deliberately lying when she says "start an investigation on a feeling, not evidence" because she knows support from Trumpists is key to future ambitions.
Not sure if that's better or worse than simple ignorance.
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https://twitter.com/NikkiHaley/status/1098203561584984064