And so it begins . . .

1. 82

   Don Wposted 7 years ago

   Cambridge Analytica is a data company currently in talks for a lucrative contract to help boost the Trump White House’s messaging. The company is also in talks with the Trump Organization for a contract to help boost its sales (1)(2).
   
   Chief strategist to Trump's White House, Steve Bannon, is playing a lead role in the talks.
   
   Bannon currently sits on the board of Cambridge Analytica.
   
   Robert Mercer, one of Trump's mega-donors, is a key investor in Cambridge Analytica.
   
   Merecer's daughter, Rebekah Mercer, is currently part of Trump's transition team(3)(4). Mercer is also a major investor ($10m) in Bannon's website Breitbart News(5).
   
   According to Federal Election Committee filings, the super PAC funded by Mercer ("Make America Number 1") paid a production company called Glittering Steel $950,090 over the course of the election. The last payment to Glittering Steel was in November 2016(6)(7)(8)(9).
   
   The head of Glittering Steel is Steve Bannon(10).
   
   Receiving payments from a Super PAC while running a political campaign is a felony under the Federal Election Campaign Act(11)(12)(13). From the time Bannon became CEO of Trump's campaign, any payments to him (as head of Glittering Steel) from Mercer's super PAC, would be illegal.
   
   A complaint has been filed (14).
   
   Whether it gets properly investigated is another story. And should the chief strategist to the White House be involved in talks between the White House and a private company that he is on the board of?
   
   
   (1) https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 … eve-bannon
   (2) http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world … 35536.html
   (3) http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/artic … trump-role
   (4) http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/r … ump-231693
   (5) http://europe.newsweek.com/robert-merce … non-523366
   (6) http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C … 1124556/se
   (7) http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C … 1118882/se
   (8) http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C … 1122832/se
   (9) http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C … 1117798/se
   (10) http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2 … gally.html
   (11) http://www.salon.com/2016/11/16/steve-b … ance-laws/
   (12) http://www.inquisitr.com/3718859/steve- … ance-laws/
   (13) http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/11/1 … To-The-FBI
   (14) http://www.campaignlegalcenter.org/site … 0final.pdf

   replyreport
   1. 61

      Live to Learnposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      It should be investigated. Rigorously. And, if the allegations are true he should be tried and, if convicted, incarcerated.
      
      I'd love to see someone in the political arena pay for their crimes. Just once.

      replyreport
   2. 79

      Credence2posted 7 years agoin reply to this

      And everybody thought that Trump was coming to Washington to 'clean out the swamp'. He may well have to start with his own staff appointees. Gotta dig yourself out of the swamp first before you can clean it.

      replyreport
   3. 0

      ahorsebackposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      I find it interesting that liberals had NO problem whatsoever with Clintons  financial dealings ,  NONE !
      and now , at the slightest hint of the same  type of possibility in influence peddling -- it  all  comes apart at the seams ?   Please  ......the hypocrisy on the left is amazingly obvious - and totally sickening .

      replyreport
      1. 61

         Live to Learnposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         And we wonder why Washington can't work together courteously and intelligently, in the best interests of the public.

         replyreport
         1. 0

            ahorsebackposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            Exactly why "draining the swamp " must happen by whatever means , both parties . I recently heard the term" Swamp Pravda " to describe the news media bias , How fitting !

            replyreport
            1. 61

               Live to Learnposted 7 years agoin reply to this

               Working together is the only way to affect lasting change. Not holding those of one party accountable to the transgressions we've complained about from the other party isn't working together. It's taking advantage of power and position.
               
               If the allegations are true Trump has dived into the swamp. Head first. He'd better find dry land fast.

               replyreport
            2. 78

               colorfuloneposted 7 years agoin reply to this

               I heard the term ""Mainstream vomit brookers" - CNN has always been Communist Network News take over and control."   

               replyreport
   4. 82

      Don Wposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Is Trump getting the message? Not quite:
      
      "I will be holding a major news conference in New York City with my children on December 15 to discuss the fact that I will be leaving my great business in total in order to fully focus on running the country in order to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! While I am not mandated to do this under the law, I feel it is visually important, as president, to in no way have a conflict of interest with my various businesses. Hence, legal documents are being crafted which take me completely out of business operations. The presidency is a far more important task!" (Donald Trump, November 2016)(1)
      
      Trump's change of heart may be related to a business need rather than a sudden understanding of ethics. The building his new DC hotel is in (the Old Post Office Pavilion), is leased. As part of the contract the federal and D.C. governments included the following clause:
      
      "No member or delegate to Congress, or elected official of the Government of the United States or the Government of the District of Columbia, shall be admitted to any share or part of this Lease or to any benefit that may arise therefrom." (General Services Administration (GSA) contract)(2)(3)
      
      The reason this was built into the contract is because the GSA is a government agency(4). Currently CEO-Trump is the government's tenant, but president-elect Trump is responsible for appointing the administrator of the GSA. So Trump would be the landlord and the tenant, which is the type of scenario the contract was written to avoid.
      
      For that reason, as of Jan 20 2017, Trump would be in breach of the GSA lease for the building, and his ownership of the lease would constitute an "unprecedented and intolerable conflict of interest"(5).
      
      I suggest this is the main reason behind today's announcements.
      
      (1) https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 … -interests
      (2) http://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trum … -business/
      (3) http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/ … hite-house
      (4) https://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/100000
      (5) http://www.govexec.com/excellence/promi … le/133424/

      replyreport
      1. 82

         Don Wposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         Some nice graphics to explain the problem very simply:
         
         
         
         

         replyreport
2. 77

   Kathleen Cochranposted 7 years ago

   We knew this.  We knew him.  Where is the surprise?  He never hid who he was.  This is what you wanted.

   replyreport
   1. 61

      Live to Learnposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      How is this any different from everyone else in Washington? This is in line with the Hillary pay to play ideas. The only thing different is that we expected him to not be like her in this respect.

      replyreport
3. 70

   aguasilverposted 7 years ago

   Can I suggest you all give the guy a bit of time, he's not even in power yet, and as someone else said, he will need his own team around him to start cleaning, because turkeys do not vote for Thanksgiving or Christmas, and those wallowing in the swamp will hardly be the best ones to clean up their mess.
   
   Review the situation in a few months, one thing you can be assured of is that the liberal progressives will be keeping a super squeaky clean eye on Trump, one not exercised during the Democrat years, the one they looked the other way with, and anything that can be exposed will be exposed.
   
   If he is dirty, he will be deposed, if you are dirty, you will be exposed, that seems to be where we are at.
   
   BTW I'm not American, had no vote, but will experience the consequences whether they are good or bad.

   replyreport
   1. 79

      Credence2posted 7 years agoin reply to this

      "Review the situation in a few months, one thing you can be assured of is that the liberal progressives will be keeping a super squeaky clean eye on Trump, one not exercised during the Democrat years, the one they looked the other way with, and anything that can be exposed will be exposed"
      
      
      You can rest assured that this will be a certainty........
      
      Just the point, he has not yet taken the oath, and already Washington is for sale to the highest bidder. The heat will be kept on this guy for some time.

      replyreport
      1. 70

         aguasilverposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         Washington's been for sale to the highest bidder for years.... what's different is that once he has power, he may just change that, until then I would protect my back, and bring in my own praetorian guard to ensure that Brutus is kept out.

         replyreport
         1. 79

            Credence2posted 7 years agoin reply to this

            I can't be as optimistic about his true objectives. It would be nice if he were this Robin Hood populist conservatives say that he,in fact, is.  I doubt it.  I can no more expect him not to live up to his roots as a capitalist crony than I can expect a grizzly bear to use the toilet.

            replyreport
4. 77

   Kathleen Cochranposted 7 years ago

   ahorseback 25 hours ago:
   I find it interesting that liberals had NO problem whatsoever with Clintons  financial dealings ,  NONE !
   Thirty years of almost non-stop investigations.  No indictments.  No convictions.  That's not "no problem". That is no proof.  He's not even in office yet and has already committed proven felonies.  See a difference?

   replyreport
   1. 0

      ahorsebackposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      The" difference " Is ,  that the accountability for the Clinton Mafia is perhaps , about to be accounted for ,  barring  a political pardon --, I don't believe that its over with yet .    As to the political naiveté of your point ; and I'm sure of that ....."No liberals have a problem with her financial dealings ....."  , I'm never surprised at the false pride and lack of accountability of the alt-left ,  it is after all the agenda "down the road" that matters , the blindness of immaturity , the blurred vision of socialism . 
      The only reason that Hilary lost - IS that conservative America's  wisdom and foresight  saw something that you totally  ignored , maybe you've lived in the fantasy of liberalism La- La land  too long ,   maybe that financial  accountability matters in a presidential candidate .  Maybe character REALLY matters ,  I'm not surprised that you missed that .

      replyreport
      1. 78

         colorfuloneposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         I don't believe investigations of the Clinton Crime Family is over, far too much evidence has surfaced through emails just in the past couple of months.  Its like a political Card Game being played, some cards are face up, some cards are being held close to the chest, some cards are still face down or in the deck, and there are cards up sleeves.  There are things that Trump cannot say until after Jan 20th, or it could give Obama the opening to pardon the Clintons, or tip his hand another way.  There is so much going on that we don't know about and cannot see, but there is a war being fought on many levels. 
         
         (If, Trump had committed "proven felonies" as Kathleen calms,  he wouldn't be in line to take office, not with that corrupt nest of lawyers in DC.) 
         
         There is a double standard, one for the Washington Cartel and another for anyone that opposes them, or does a fraction of the violations Hillary has done. 
         
         Trump might grant her a reprieve. But, I understand he is reaching out to world leaders asking them to hand him proof of the Clinton Foundation's pay-to-play operations, that was revealed through the Wikileaks.

         replyreport
         1. 0

            ahorsebackposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            Exactly -   He had better not drop this investigation ,   I offer this , If Trump weakens on his promises , the very next election could be either an open revolution from the right or a plague of apathy  ! Anybody's guess , I'm for the revolution and return to America's past .

            replyreport
      2. 82

         Don Wposted 7 years agoin reply to this

         I understand in your simplistic view of the world there has to be a hero to cheer and and a villain to boo, but the election is done. Time for you to own what your man does, or doesn't do. So perhaps you can start by answering some questions, like:
         
         if Trump is distancing himself from his business by letting his children run it, why have hi daughter and son-in-law sitting in on a meeting with representatives of a foreign state?(1)(2)(3)
         
         Will the CEOs of other corporations be given the same advantage?
         
         Will Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, Elon Musk, Tim Cook or Jeff Bezos be invited to meetings the president-elect has with representatives of foreign states too?
         
         I can see how involving his children in such meetings helps the Trump Organization. Exactly how does it help make America great again?
         
         I eagerly await your insight.
         
         (1) http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/19/us/po … .html?_r=0
         (2) http://www.politico.com/blogs/donald-tr … ing-231593
         (3) http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ivanka-trum … -minister/

         replyreport
         1. 0

            ahorsebackposted 7 years agoin reply to this

            1-I see no reason for trump to distance himself from his business .
            2-Business leaders meet with foreign leaders every day .
            3-Ceo's of other business' aren't the president and they can meet whoever wil have them .
            4-The Zuckerburg's that  think they are world leaders , aren't !
            5-The Trumps are working for free at these meetings - I accept that free labor

            replyreport
            1. 82

               Don Wposted 7 years agoin reply to this

               "I see no reason for trump to distance himself from his business"
               
               And you've lost me at that... Not even going to bother countering a view so devoid of merit (to put it charitably). The rest of these points are the same. I didn't realize you were so far out there on the fringe. I'll leave you to your thoughts way out there. Good luck to you.

               replyreport
               1. 0

                  ahorsebackposted 7 years agoin reply to this

                  The difference there is a legitimate business  grows and promotes  taxes and jobs , The Hilary factor is where  you outright steal from ALL  for the good of self , the Hilary and Bill Foundation !   Business wins in my book over career federal paychecks anytime ! But you keep drinking that liberal cool-aid my friend.
                  
                  You really don't recognize that ?

                  replyreport
5. 0

   ahorsebackposted 7 years ago

   Just proves one thing , Liberals  want him to divest ---- and you won't be happy when he does !
   Does that constitute a liberal or what ?
   Ever heard of the term , Grow up ?

   replyreport