This is Kabuki Theater at its most glorious.
This is simply to allow mouth breathers to say there was Russian interference, and somehow, in their marble filled skulls, this will lead to COLLUSION!!!!
The indictments have ZERO to do with Trump nefariousness.
UPDATE: The indictment has an interesting passage-
Via Mother Jones- This person told them to focus on “purple states”—Colorado, Virginia, and Florida—and also suggested that they “use any opportunity to criticize Hillary and the rest (except Sanders and Trump—we support them).”
It’s looking more like the Russians wanted Sanders to win the democratic nomination and Trump to win the republican one.
It’s more likely the Russians felt that this would be the best match-up for their COMRADE BERNIE SANDERS to win the election.
Doesn’t that make most sense???
More than a dozen Russian nationals were accused Friday of violating U.S. criminal laws in order to interfere with the 2016 election, according to the Department of Justice.
A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia indicted 13 Russians and three Russian entities and charged them with trying to sway the election in favor of President Trump, according to court documents.
The indictment was sought through special counsel Robert Mueller, who has been tasked with investigating Moscow’s efforts to interfere in the election and any possible ties to the Trump campaign.
“Defendants operations included supporting the presidential campaign on then-candidate Donald J. Trump and disparaging Hillary Clinton,” according to the indictment.
Trump, despite the conclusions of the U.S. intelligence community, has repeatedly denied Russia’s influence on the election.
See what the execrable Daily News did there?
They’ve restated what Trump has said, that HE didn’t collude with the Russians, and turned it into Trump stating that there was no Russian influence on the election.
How would Trump know this, and how would he know to what degree there influence was?
So, with these indictments, Trump is at the center of them, which he shouldn’t be, and now Trump is a liar.
Ridiculous.
if ‘disparaging Hillary’ is now a crime we’re all going to be indicted!
Sure, you can indict just about anyone for just about anything. But can Mueller really prove they weigh more than a duck?
Remember Hillary’s paid comment thread trolls at the NYT, WaPo, and The Hill?
What’s the BFD? It’s all paid with Russian money.
On Friday afternoon no less, nothingburger. And they just diverted the media from covering the FL shooting, practically a gift.
KEY STATEMENT
Deputy AG Rosenstein: “There is no allegation in this indictment that any American was a knowing participant in this illegal activity. There is no allegation in the indictment that the [Russians’] conduct altered the outcome of the 2016 election.”
This is simply a chess-move by people who know that we now know they are guilty
of an internal coup against our President, beginning to back out
of this with an appearance of legitimacy during a news-cycle that is dominated
by the school shooting. Don’t overlook the emphasis on “no one benefitted and no
American was a knowing participant” from this attempt to interfere. This is
an important “tip of the hand” as they begin fashioning the narrative to protect
themselves and Hillary.
I just finished reading the indictment from top to bottom, and that is some seriously weak ass bullshit right there. As best I could tell, some Russians were settling up scams in hopes of getting cash donations (imagine that… Russians pulling a confidence scam. Whoever heard of such a thing?!!!) as well as causing general disruption, supposedly. But all the examples cited couldn’t have had even 0.01% of the bandwidth of the major news networks bashing Trump on a daily basis during the campaign. There is no way this is proof these people affected the outcome of the election. That’s why the only criminal complaint is banking and wire fraud and setting up fraudulent campaign organizations.
And, of course, notice who is not in the indictment… neither Trump, anyone in the Trump family nor anyone in the Trump campaign.
It was kinda funny, though, that the indictment claims the Russians also favored Bernie Sanders and Jill Stein. How funny that all of Hillary’s scapegoats for her losing are mentioned in an indictment drawn up by a special prosecution team filled with her allies.
ADD’L BACKGROUND
https://twitter.com/HNIJohnMiller/status/964564972083777536
Oh, this election was decided by the people long before the 2016 election. Whoever was furthest from obama’s policies was going to win. Whoever was likeliest to actually overturn obama’s policies was going to win. No RINOs and no socialists were going to win. No one owned by a lobby was going to win. Do the math. Trump.
Troll Factory responds
http://meduza.io/en/news/2018/02/16/america-s-russia-probe-has-formally-indicted-the-kremlin-s-supposed-trolly-factory
As I recall, it was Obama who said there was no Russian interference in the election. And then Hillary lost.
clayusmcret, damn straight.
Trump is thereby cleared as an “Unwitting Participant”
https://twitter.com/JosephMasepoes/status/964571897974288385
“Whoever”?!? What are you smoking, clayusmcret; Hillary almost won. It’s ONLY because Trump was Trump and did things “his way.”
@ ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ February 16, 2018 at 1:53 pm
> if ‘disparaging Hillary’ is now a crime we’re all going to be indicted!
Only if you’re disparaging with honest intent.
Unlike Mr. Mule, I didn’t read it top to bottom, but I did scan it and do some word searches. I didn’t find any suggestion the Russian government was trying to fix the election – you know, like our government was.
What Inspector Clouseau appears to have discovered is that there are sleazy people on the internet, and at least some of them are Russian. Who knew?
PROOF of Russian bots! (see gif)
https://twitter.com/Gotdamnitbobby/status/964587859171684352
A dozen ham sammiches indicted …
“There is no allegation in this indictment that any American was a knowing participant in this illegal activity” . So by stating this is Muller making the case that Hillary and Obama are in the clear as far as collusion and interference in the electoral process?
If this is the beginning of the end of the Trump investigation, you can bet your booties they have information that would be very damaging to the Obama administration, his legacy, the FBI and the Justice Department if it became public. Something stinks.
John Kerry, as Obama’s SecOfState,
approved visas for these Russians!
https://twitter.com/Thomas1774Paine/status/964588643561111553
Implication of the above:
https://twitter.com/JosephMasepoes/status/964597442267136001
I have this image of Bannon sitting down for his
last interview, pouring some scotch for himself,
lighting a cigar, then looking at Mueller’s team and saying
“look here motherfkcers, we know everything,” and then blowing
smoke right in their faces.
So in other words, we got nuthin! Can we the taxpayers get a receipt for your foolish endeavor?
I wonder how many Russians “volunteered”?
How many of them were on that Russian plane that crashed near Moscow last Sunday?
Was Mueller able top count TO “a dozen?”
I mean, with his shoes ON. 😳
Agree with Mule. Big Nothingburger.
Merry Fitzmas again, Fuck-O’s.
So, when does the investigation of George Soros begin?
Hmmm, wanting to change the narrative from the FBI not once but twice botched their chance to stop a major school shooting by having the FBI announce this BS knowing the MSM would immediately move on to this and forget the shooting and their incompetence.
This is garden variety spy shit that ordinarily wouldn’t make a back page blurb in the news. (And note, Mueller limited to Russia, not other countries.)
Given that this started (at least for these indictees) in 2014, is obvious that this wasn’t about “supporting Trump” but attempts via social media, other, to create connex into Trump campaign groups/volunteers and organizations because they already have long-standing connex to the Clinton and co.
@Dan Ryan Galt ~ read it again ….
“There is no allegation in this indictment that any American was a knowing participant in this illegal activity”
… as opposed to other illegal activity
“So, when does the investigation of George Soros begin?”Illustr8tr
You mis-spelled ASSASSINATION.
For some reason, this reminds me of the POW camps built out west for German soldiers. The camps were lightly guarded and fenced compared to others, but the German POWs who tried to escape soon learned why. The vastness of the West would swallow them up every time. They had no comprehension of the scale of our geography. Mueller has no sense of scale, either. But I suppose we should act concerned about a baker’s dozen Russian clowns wearing MAGA hats, waving I’m With Her signs, or being Bernie Broskis as they bring on the collapse of Democracy.
Czar, the names at your first link are a scream. My favorite is Vadim Vladim Vodkabitch.
NEWS FLASH; Israel indicts Obama for interfering in their election.
How would that be any different than this pathetic attempt by Muller to claim relevancy?
@ illustr8r
They don’t investigate Soros because they pick and choose who they want to mess with. Prosecutorial discretion, don’t you know? The FUSA is being turned upside down by the deep state, don’t you doubt that. A friend said 8 years ago, “If Obama doesn’t destroy this country, it can’t be destroyed.” Obama took his best shot. Now the deep state is taking their best shot. Mr. President Trump, please bring all the servicemen home to protect us from the alphabet agencies.