WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, who has been indicted by U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller, attempted to tamper with potential witnesses, Mueller said in a court filing on Monday. Manafort was released to home confinement after his arraignment in October. Mueller has indicted Manafort in federal courts in Virginia and Washington, D.C., with an array of allegations from money-laundering and failing to register as a foreign agent, to bank and tax fraud. Manafort has pleaded not guilty. FBI Special Agent Brock Domin, in a declaration filed with Mueller’s motion, said Manafort had attempted to call, text and send encrypted messages in February to two people from “The Hapsburg Group,” a firm he worked with to promote the interests of Ukraine. The FBI has documents and statements from the two people, as well as telephone records and documents recovered through a search of Manafort’s iCloud account showing that Trump’s former campaign manager attempted communication while he was out on bail, according to Domin. The communications were “in an effort to influence their testimony and to otherwise conceal evidence,” Domin wrote. “The investigation into this matter is ongoing.” Manafort is the most senior member of Trump’s campaign to be indicted, though the charges do not relate to campaign activities. Trump has denied collusion with Russia and called Mueller’s investigation a “witch hunt.” https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...l-witnesses-u-s-special-counsel-idUSKCN1J1043
Not to be confused with Maris' world where Trump is doing great things, and there is a witch hunt out to get him.
Back when Manafort took over Trump's snowballing campaign I posted I suspected it was a deep state move by The Swamp to scuttle his chances of winning. Manafort's Ukrainian dealings and accusations of shady money management were already common knowledge, and it seemed odd to tie such a liability to Trump's swamp-free campaign. Manafort's trial has been delayed twice now because Mueller can't figure out how to protect the DNC, Clintons and other deep state traitors as Manafort was/is their comrade and operative. All evidence and testimony against him is tied to Tony Podesta and the Clintons, and cannot be presented in court in a way that will not require immediate charges against them as well, charges against half of Obama's Cabinet, and Mueller himself. http://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/357962-Manafort-Podesta-Group-highlight-DC-swamp-culture Michal Kranz Oct. 31, 2017, 6:27 PM Tony Podesta has emerged as another potential target for Robert Mueller Jacqueline Larma/AP Tony Podesta stepped down from his lobbying firm after it was found to be in violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The Podesta Group had worked with Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, on lobbying the US government to legitimize former Russian-backed Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. Podesta himself claims he was unaware he was working on behalf of Yanukovych, and did not disclose his firm's operations to federal regulators. A big-shot lobbyist and Democratic donor has gotten caught up in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation because of his firm's ties to the lobbying organization led by President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort. Tony Podesta, who stepped down from his position as the head of the lobbying firm the Podesta Group on Monday, reportedly worked with Manafort's lobbying firm that had sought to ease the Obama administration's tough stance toward Ukraine's Russian-backed government. He is now being investigated by Mueller for failing to properly disclose these efforts to regulators. The Mueller investigation had initially only delved into the Podesta Group's activities to gather facts on Manafort, whose indictment was announced yesterday, but then began to investigate the Podesta Group itself after it became apparent that it had failed to disclose that it was lobbying in the US on behalf of a foreign actor, a violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). Manafort and his business associate Rick Gates were also charged with failing to disclose their activities to FARA regulators, in addition to several other federal offenses. According to Manafort's indictment, he and Gates created a think tank in Brussels, Belgium called the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine (ECMU), which then solicited lobbying services from two companies that were only identified in the indictment documents as companies "A" and "B." The companies were later revealed to be the Podesta Group and Mercury Public Affairs, according to NBC News. Paul Manafort makes his way through television cameras as he walks from Federal District Court in Washington, Monday, Oct. 30, 2017. Manafort, President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, and Manafort's business associate Rick Gates have pleaded not guilty to felony charges of conspiracy against the US, and other counts. AP Photo/Alex Brandon Manafort used the Podesta Group and Mercury as part of a two-pronged strategy he was pursuing as a consultant for the Ukrainian Party of Regions, which was the ruling party during the tenure of ousted Russian-backed Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. Because Manafort had been initially hired to elect Yanukovych, once he achieved this in 2010, he began a campaign to legitimize him in the eyes of the US and the European Union by portraying him as angling to join the European bloc. While the first part of his strategy was focused on improving Yanukovych's image in Ukraine, the second part involved lobbying the US to overlook the president's human rights abuses and to view him as a Western-leaning leader, the Associated Press reported. To this end, the traditionally left-leaning Podesta Group lobbied members of Congress "about Ukraine sanctions, the validity of Ukraine elections" and the validity of the jailing of Yanukovych's political rival, Yulia Tymoshenko, according to the indictment papers. The group also had extensive contacts with the State Department and the National Security Council in 2012 in the lead-up to the Ukrainian elections that year. "They were pretty open about their purpose being to give a positive perspective on the upcoming election," a former State Department employee told CNN. Over the course of several years, the ECMU paid the Podesta Group $1.13 million to lobby Congress, according to the AP. Podesta, however, claims he was not aware that the ECMU was working for a foreign government and did not file a disclosure under FARA due to legal opinions attorneys gave him. However, Manafort and Gates both roundly acknowledged that they were in Yanukovych's employ, as did several Podesta employees. After the group's failure to disclose their foreign employers was reported in the media, Podesta amended their previous disclosures and provided details of their financial ties to foreign actors under FARA, and documented their lobbying in Congress and in the executive branch, according to CNN. Tony Podesta is the brother of John Podesta, the former campaign chairman for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.
That's an understatement! Jobs and the economy Passage of the tax reform bill providing $5.5 billion in cuts and repealing the Obamacare mandate. Increase of the GDP above 3 percent. Creation of 1.7 million new jobs, cutting unemployment to 4.1 percent. Saw the Dow Jones reach record highs. A rebound in economic confidence to a 17-year high. A new executive order to boost apprenticeships. A move to boost computer sciences in Education Department programs. Prioritizing women-owned businesses for some $500 million in SBA loans. Killing job-stifling regulations Signed an Executive Order demanding that two regulations be killed for every new one creates. He beat that big and cut 16 rules and regulations for every one created, saving $8.1 billion. Signed 15 congressional regulatory cuts. Withdrew from the Obama-era Paris Climate Agreement, ending the threat of environmental regulations. Signed an Executive Order cutting the time for infrastructure permit approvals. Eliminated an Obama rule on streams that Trump felt unfairly targeted the coal industry. Fair trade Made good on his campaign promise to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Opened up the North American Free Trade Agreement for talks to better the deal for the U.S. Worked to bring companies back to the U.S., and companies like Toyota, Mazda, Broadcom Limited, and Foxconn announced plans to open U.S. plants. Worked to promote the sale of U.S products abroad. Made enforcement of U.S. trade laws, especially those that involve national security, a priority. Ended Obama’s deal with Cuba. Boosting U.S. energy dominance The Department of Interior, which has led the way in cutting regulations, opened plans to lease 77 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas drilling. Trump traveled the world to promote the sale and use of U.S. energy. Expanded energy infrastructure projects like the Keystone XL Pipeline snubbed by Obama. Ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to kill Obama’s Clean Power Plan. EPA is reconsidering Obama rules on methane emissions. Protecting the U.S. homeland Laid out new principles for reforming immigration and announced plan to end "chain migration," which lets one legal immigrant to bring in dozens of family members. Made progress to build the border wall with Mexico. Ended the Obama-era “catch and release” of illegal immigrants. Boosted the arrests of illegals inside the U.S. Doubled the number of counties participating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement charged with deporting illegals. Removed 36 percent more criminal gang members than in fiscal 2016. Started the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program. Ditto for other amnesty programs like Deferred Action for Parents of Americans. Cracking down on some 300 sanctuary cities that defy ICE but still get federal dollars. Added some 100 new immigration judges. Protecting communities Justice announced grants of $98 million to fund 802 new cops. Justice worked with Central American nations to arrest and charge 4,000 MS-13 members. Homeland rounded up nearly 800 MS-13 members, an 83 percent one-year increase. Signed three executive orders aimed at cracking down on international criminal organizations. Attorney General Jeff Sessions created new National Public Safety Partnership, a cooperative initiative with cities to reduce violent crimes. Accountability Trump has nominated 73 federal judges and won his nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. Ordered ethical standards including a lobbying ban. Called for a comprehensive plan to reorganize the executive branch. Ordered an overhaul to modernize the digital government. Called for a full audit of the Pentagon and its spending. Combatting opioids First, the president declared a Nationwide Public Health Emergency on opioids. His Council of Economic Advisors played a role in determining that overdoses are underreported by as much as 24 percent. The Department of Health and Human Services laid out a new five-point strategy to fight the crisis. Justice announced it was scheduling fentanyl substances as a drug class under the Controlled Substances Act. Justice started a fraud crackdown, arresting more than 400. The administration added $500 million to fight the crisis. On National Drug Take Back Day, the Drug Enforcement Agency collected 456 tons. Protecting life In his first week, Trump reinstated and expanded the Mexico City Policy that blocks some $9 billion in foreign aid being used for abortions. Worked with Congress on a bill overturning an Obama regulation that blocked states from defunding abortion providers. Published guidance to block Obamacare money from supporting abortion. Helping veterans Signed the Veterans Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act to allow senior officials in the Department of Veterans Affairs to fire failing employees and establish safeguards to protect whistleblowers. Signed the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act. Signed the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act, to provide support. Signed the VA Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017 to authorize $2.1 billion in additional funds for the Veterans Choice Program. Created a VA hotline. Had the VA launch an online “Access and Quality Tool,” providing veterans with a way to access wait time and quality of care data. With VA Secretary Dr. David Shulkin, announced three initiatives to expand access to healthcare for veterans using telehealth technology. Promoting peace through strength Directed the rebuilding of the military and ordered a new national strategy and nuclear posture review. Worked to increase defense spending. Empowered military leaders to “seize the initiative and win,” reducing the need for a White House sign off on every mission. Directed the revival of the National Space Council to develop space war strategies. Elevated U.S. Cyber Command into a major warfighting command. Withdrew from the U.N. Global Compact on Migration, which Trump saw as a threat to borders. Imposed a travel ban on nations that lack border and anti-terrorism security. Saw ISIS lose virtually all of its territory. Pushed for strong action against global outlaw North Korea and its development of nuclear weapons. Announced a new Afghanistan strategy that strengthens support for U.S. forces at war with terrorism. NATO increased support for the war in Afghanistan. Approved a new Iran strategy plan focused on neutralizing the country’s influence in the region. Ordered missile strikes against a Syrian airbase used in a chemical weapons attack. Prevented subsequent chemical attacks by announcing a plan to detect them better and warned of future strikes if they were used. Ordered new sanctions on the dictatorship in Venezuela. Restoring confidence in and respect for America Trump won the release of Americans held abroad, often using his personal relationships with world leaders. Made good on a campaign promise to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Conducted a historic 12-day trip through Asia, winning new cooperative deals. On the trip, he attended three regional summits to promote American interests. He traveled to the Middle East and Europe to build new relationships with leaders. Traveled to Poland and on to Germany for the G-20 meeting where he pushed again for funding of women entrepreneurs.
