Again, @mtaibbi, we *don't disagree* on this. You are misunderstanding the fact that in both agency and asset relationships there's a mental state that is applicable to *each* participant in the relationship individually. The two sides can understand what's happening differently.
@mtaibbi 1/ So Trump may say to himself, "This is just like business! I {per Unger} give certain info to certain Russian nationals about Russian oligarchs renting from me, and in return the Kremlin sends me more business. It's just a business deal!" But that *isn't* what the Kremlin sees.
@mtaibbi 2/ This is why Trump has called the FCPA "a horrible law" and "ridiculous"—because he has *defined down graft* as simply "smart business practice." Just like he's redefined tax fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, and fraud by deception as "being a smart businessman" for 40 years now.
@mtaibbi 4/ And it's for this reason that Trump could take what the Kremlin considers an "asset" relationship and tell every single person he knows with complete (seeming) conviction that all he's doing is what any smart businessman would do, and it's all... well, shall we say, "perfect"?
