Big Government: Special Counsel Robert Mueller is now investigating another lobbyist in addition to Democratic lobbyist Tony Podesta — former Republican congressman Vin Weber, according to a new report by the Associated Press. Mueller is also looking into law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP. Here’s the five things to know about the investigation’s latest turn:
Who is Vin Weber?
Vin Weber, 65, is a former Republican congressman who represented southwest Minnesota from 1981 to 1993. He then served as secretary of the House Republican Conference and as an adviser to incoming House Speaker Newt Gingrich. He then worked as an influential lobbyist and political strategist for several Republican presidential campaigns. He is the leader of high-powered lobbying firm Mercury LLC.
Weber did not support President Trump’s candidacy, calling it a “mistake of historic proportions,” according to an August 3, 2016 CNBC article. “I won’t vote for Trump … . I can’t imagine I’d remain a Republican if he becomes president.”
According to the CNBC article, Weber is a friend and ally of House Speaker Paul Ryan, former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort. He speculated that Trump would withdraw from the race before the election.
Why is Weber now under investigation?
Weber is now under investigation due to Mercury LLC’s lobbying work in 2012 with Manafort and his business partner Rick Gates on behalf of pro-Russian Ukrainian interests, according to the AP article. On Monday, Mueller’s team unveiled indictments against Manafort and Gates, who are charged with 12 counts of money laundering, tax fraud, violating lobbying regulations, and making false statements.
The indictments mentioned “Company A” and “Company B,” which are Mercury and the Podesta Group respectively, according to NBC News.
According to the indictment, Mercury and the Podesta Group were paid $2 million from offshore accounts controlled by Manafort, and their work included lobbying “multiple members of Congress and their staffs about Ukraine sanctions, the validity of Ukraine elections,” and the reasons for imprisoning Yulia Tymoshenko, the political rival of Russian-backed Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
The indictment shows that both Mercury and Podesta Group understood their lobbying efforts were being directed by the Ukrainian government, but neither company had registered their work in accordance with the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), only filing retroactive disclosures after their lobbying was revealed in media reports.
NBC News reported last week that Mueller was investigating the Podesta Group. After the indictments were unsealed on Monday, Tony Podesta announced he was stepping down as chairman of the Podesta Group. He is the brother of John Podesta, Hillary Clinton’s former campaign chairman.
What is Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP?
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is an international law and lobbying firm, with more than 1,800 attorneys in offices across the world. Lobbyists working for the firm represent some of the largest political players in the country, according to OpenSecrets.org.
According to OpenSecrets.org: “The firm regularly brings in more than $1.5 million per year in lobbying income. The firm’s PAC expenditures show strong support for Democrats running for office, although these sums have decreased in recent years.”
So in the end Mueller will have his trophies that have nothing to do with the election, the CNN fake news squad will have their 24/7 panels about how Trump got away with colluding with the Russians, causig Hillary to lose and Jeff Sessions will still tell folks to move along. Nothing to see when it comes to Democrat crimes & felonies.
Mueller is like a consultant – his end goal is to keep his job as long as he can.
Mueller is losing focus as he overreaches. He is going to piss off the wrong people if he is not careful. Going after a monster law firm tied to bigly poilitical players seems like a really bad move if he’s working at the behest of the deep state. Like Comey, he was given an impossible task, and soon he’s going to find himself in the same position as his buddy Comey.
I love it that nevertrumpers are being caught in the dragnet. It’s almost like Mueller is helping to drain the swamp.
Say, that reminds me…There’s a new hairstyle sweeping the deep state. It’s called the Muellet: All business up front, Democrat Party in the back.
@Thirdtwin – When you say “He is going to piss off the wrong people if he is not careful.” I could not agree more.
Hillary’s shady supporters could knock him off and everybody will think Trump was behind the murder. Had to be Trump because Mueller was very close to indicting Trump, so had to be removed.
CNN and MSNBC would of course come to that same blatant conclusion and run the endless panels about how dangerous Trump had become.
KBO – “Keep Buggering On!” ~ Winston C.
JKP – “Just Keep Praying!” ~ A. Adams
Skanky Armpits Slap Meat & Flop.
Let me guess: charges will be filed against Weber before any a filed against a Podesta.
Don’t anyone tell Justice Squarejaw who Joe Biden’s son works for despite having no background in the oil and gas energy or fluency in Slavic or Russian languages.
Luckily, dishonorably discharged, adulterous cokeheads who happen to be sons of Vice Presidents are at a low risk for being compromised by Russian agents or act as influence peddlers.