After the dust settles, what are we to take away from the filings of Mueller, et al.? For one thing, Trump’s almost comical tweet exonerating himself is just flat wrong. If anything, the walls are closing in.
As the folks at Lawfareblog.com note: “Don’t spend a lot of time looking through the three filings for the section entitled, “The President is Totally Cleared.”
What makes one of the documents filed yesterday from the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York so extraordinary is that it backs up Cohen’s claims that he was directed to commit crimes by “Individual 1,” otherwise known as the President. From Lawfare:
“In short, the Department of Justice, speaking through the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, is alleging that the president of the United States coordinated and directed a surrogate to commit a campaign finance violation punishable with time in prison. While the filing does not specify that the president “knowingly and willfully” violated the law, as is required by the statute, this is the first time that the government has alleged in its own voice that President Trump is personally involved in what it considers to be federal offenses.
“And it does not hold back in describing the magnitude of those offenses. The memo states that Cohen’s actions, “struck a blow to one of the core goals of the federal campaign finance laws: transparency. While many Americans who desired a particular outcome to the election knocked on doors, toiled at phone banks, or found any number of other legal ways to make their voices heard, Cohen sought to influence the election from the shadows.”
Meanwhile, in a separate filings from Robert Mueller’s office, the special counsel is now alleging a connection between the Trump Tower Moscow project and election interference. BuzzFeed has been out front on this story for months.
“For the first time in his investigation, Mueller in Friday’s filing directly stated that Trump was aware of activity during the campaign that Mueller believes is “material” to his investigation. The activity surrounding the Trump Tower Moscow project is “particularly” relevant, Mueller said, because it happened in the time when “sustained efforts by the Russian government to interfere” in the election were taking place.”
Buzzfeed also names the Russian national who is mentioned in the Mueller filing as wanting to provide “political synergy” between the Trump campaign and the Russian government.
“The Russian national detailed in the filing is former Olympic weightlifter Dmitry Klokov, BuzzFeed News has confirmed. BuzzFeed News previously reported on his communications with Cohen relating to the Trump Tower Moscow project.
“BuzzFeed News also previously reported that Ivanka Trump connected Cohen with Klokov — although her name is not mentioned in Friday’s filing. In fact, the connection is presented in the passive voice: “Cohen received the information for” the Russian national.”
And it’s also important to point out that yesterdays filings are just a hint of what Mueller knows. From Dan Rather:
A gentle suggestion: keep it in perspective and in context, remembering the following:
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This is not the end of the Mueller prove. It may be the beginning of the end, but it’s not the end. Mueller still has more work to do and more–much more–to reveal.
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The ultimate decision of what, if anything, is to become of Mueller’s final, formal report remains clouded. Congress, the courts and–perhaps most importantly–public opinion are the likely keys to that
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And, finally, don’t jump to conclusions; be skeptical–never cynical, but skeptical–of hyped-up news coverage, and…stay steady.
