Durham's Investigations Fizzles

[whell]

Does anyone find it remotely interesting that Charles McGonagal - the former FBI guy that was indicted for his work with the Russians - has hired Seth DuCharme as his defense counsel? I thought I'd seen DuCharme's name before, and it turns out that he and Durham previously worked together.

Don't know if this matters or not, and it's pure speculation, but one could theorize that maybe DuCharme has some thoughts about getting a plea deal for his client in exchange for certain information?

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by whell

Does anyone find it remotely interesting that Charles McGonagal - the former FBI guy that was indicted for his work with the Russians - has hired Seth DuCharme as his defense counsel? I thought I'd seen DuCharme's name before, and it turns out that he and Durham previously worked together.

Don't know if this matters or not, and it's pure speculation, but one could theorize that maybe DuCharme has some thoughts about getting a plea deal for his client in exchange for certain information?

If he does cooperate, it likely will not be pretty for Trump in that McGonigal was in the employ of Oleg Deripaska, Paul Manafort's connection to Russian intelligence. Moreover, McGonigal may know details of some FBI folks in New York leaking shit to Rudy in the run-up to the 2016 election, thereby forcing Comey's hand to spill details of the Hillary investigation.

[whell]

Originally Posted by finnbow

If he does cooperate, it likely will not be pretty for Trump in that McGonigal was in the employ of Oleg Deripaska, Paul Manafort's connection to Russian intelligence. Moreover, McGonigal may know details of some FBI folks in New York leaking shit to Rudy in the run-up to the 2016 election, thereby forcing Comey's hand to spill details of the Hillary investigation.

And yet, Biden's business dealings with Chinese intel/Communist Party don't seem to trouble you at all.

Oh, yeah, and I know the media had Manafort tried and convicted for funneling secrets to Russian intelligence, though he was never legally accused or convicted of that.

No, I think McGonigal has a fair bit of knowledge about Russian and eastern European intel and financial players. Some of that may, or may not, help Durham connect some dots.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by whell

And yet, Biden's business dealings with Chinese intel/Communist Party don't seem to trouble you at all.

You are reliable font of misinformation. I'm not aware of any illegal dealings that Biden had with China.

Oh, yeah, and I know the media had Manafort tried and convicted for funneling secrets to Russian intelligence, though he was never legally accused or convicted of that.

It was clearly and unequivocally shown that Manafort cooperated with Russian intelligence assets.

No, I think McGonigal has a fair bit of knowledge about Russian and eastern European intel and financial players. Some of that may, or may not, help Durham connect some dots.

Dunham's grand jury (and thereby the active component of his investigation) have closed up shop. He's writing a report now. In his investigation that has lasted years and spent millions, he connected exactly zero dots when it comes to criminal misconduct though he apparently ignored serious financial criminal misconduct by Trump in Italy (Clinesmith's noodling with a FISA warrant application was uncovered and provided to Durham by the DOE-IG.)

[whell]

Originally Posted by finnbow

You are reliable font of misinformation. I'm not aware of any illegal dealings that Biden had with China.

I didn't use the word "illegal". Nothing "illegal" has been demonstrated. Nor has Manafort been accused of any business dealings that are "illegal".

But you don't seem at all concerned that the Biden family was courting representatives of CEFC China Energy for a business deal. What the Biden family business had to offer CEFC China Energy isn't really clear. But, that business had " layers of Communist Party committees across its subsidiaries – more than at many private Chinese companies."

Or, I remember you were all exercised about Trump's business' previous efforts to build a hotel in Moscow, and that was proof of Trump's contact with the Kremlin. But you don't seem the least bit alarmed that a member of the Biden family real estate business received $40MM from a noteworthy Russian oligarch who claimed that the funds were intended to help their business enter the US Market.

Originally Posted by finnbow

It was clearly and unequivocally shown that Manafort cooperated with Russian intelligence assets.

Yup, the accusation was that Manafort gave polling data to one of his Russian buddies. The ONLY reason that this is relevant is that it feeds the discredited narrative that the Trump campaign "colluded" with Russian on the 2016 campaign.

Originally Posted by finnbow

Dunham's grand jury (and thereby the active component of his investigation) have closed up shop. He's writing a report now. In his investigation that has lasted years and spent millions, he connected exactly zero dots when it comes to criminal misconduct though he apparently ignored serious financial criminal misconduct by Trump in Italy (Clinesmith's noodling with a FISA warrant application was uncovered and provided to Durham by the DOE-IG.)

We'll see....

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by whell

I didn't use the word "illegal". Nothing "illegal" has been demonstrated. Nor has Manafort been accused of any business dealings that are "illegal".

But you don't seem at all concerned that the Biden family was courting representatives of CEFC China Energy for a business deal...

There is no evidence that Joe Biden did anything illegal. IIRC, you routinely dismiss any criticism of Trump or his minions (e.g., Manafort) unless they were charged and convicted of crimes that correlate precisely with the criticism (reminder - Al Capone was convicted of tax evasion, not of being a mob boss).

Meanwhile, eleven (and counting) Trump associates have been charged with crimes and zero Biden associates have been. Any day now, quite a few more (including Trump himself) are likely to be indicted in Georgia per court statements by Fani Willis with more charges possible in NY and DC. You need to come to terms with the fact that your Dear Leader is a career criminal.

Meanwhile, here's another worthwhile take on the Durham fiasco. Perhaps you should read it to help dislodge some of the wingnut nonsense you seem to have absorbed.

House Republicans are right that politicization of the Justice Department has been a jaw-dropping abuse of power. They’ve got the wrong culprit, however. As a blockbuster New York Times article made clear, then-Attorney General William P. Barr and special counsel John H. Durham engaged in unethical, abusive manipulation of the Justice Department in pursing the baseless conspiracy theory that the intelligence community had conducted a witch hunt of then-President Donald Trump in connection with Russian manipulation of the 2016 election.

[RickeyM]

Originally Posted by finnbow

There is no evidence that Joe Biden did anything illegal. IIRC, you routinely dismiss any criticism of Trump or his minions (e.g., Manafort) unless they were charged and convicted of crimes that correlate precisely with the criticism (reminder - Al Capone was convicted of tax evasion, not of being a mob boss). [/I]

Biden = bad
tRump = good until/unless proven otherwise

Get it?

[whell]

Originally Posted by finnbow

It was clearly and unequivocally shown that Manafort cooperated with Russian intelligence assets.

Oh, I almost forgot: the "Russian asset" that Manafort was accused of working with was actually a key contact for the US State Department going all the way back to 2013. The Mueller report saw fit to overlook that little detail.

In a key finding of the Mueller report, Ukrainian businessman Konstantin Kilimnik, who worked for Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, is tied to Russian intelligence.

But hundreds of pages of government documents — which special counsel Robert Mueller possessed since 2018 — describe Kilimnik as a “sensitive” intelligence source for the U.S. State Department who informed on Ukrainian and Russian matters.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by whell

Oh, I almost forgot: the "Russian asset" that Manafort was accused of working with was actually a key contact for the US State Department going all the way back to 2013. The Mueller report saw fit to overlook that little detail.

In a key finding of the Mueller report, Ukrainian businessman Konstantin Kilimnik, who worked for Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, is tied to Russian intelligence.

But hundreds of pages of government documents — which special counsel Robert Mueller possessed since 2018 — describe Kilimnik as a “sensitive” intelligence source for the U.S. State Department who informed on Ukrainian and Russian matters.

Actually, I was referring to Oleg Deripaska to whom Manafort owed $10 million for a previous loan that he tried to pay off with polling information helpful to Russian influence operations. Kilimnik served as an intermediary between Manafort and Deripaska. It also appears that Deripaska may have been the person who recruited Charles McGonigal.

[whell]

Originally Posted by finnbow

Actually, I was referring to Oleg Deripaska to whom Manafort owed $10 million for a previous loan that he tried to pay off with polling information helpful to Russian influence operations. Kilimnik served as an intermediary between Manafort and Deripaska. It also appears that Deripaska may have been the person who recruited Charles McGonigal.

Oh, you mean the same Oleg Deripaska that has a long relationship with Robert Mueller? The same Oleg Deripaska that funded an FBI op? The same Oleg Deripaska who also had a history with Andy McCabe?