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#371 Re: The Garden » US Politics Thread » 376 weeks ago
Paul Manafort Learns That Encrypting Messages Doesn't Matter If the Feds Have a Warrant to Search Your iCloud Account
Federal prosecutors have accused Paul Manafort of witness tampering, alleging that he used WhatsApp and Telegram in an attempt to coordinate his testimony with old business associates. Manafort, Donald Trump’s former campaign manager, may have thought that he was being sneaky by using encrypted chat apps, but Manafort just learned the hard way that strong encryption doesn’t really matter if you’re backing up your messages to the cloud—especially when the federal government gets a warrant to access your iCloud account.
The new court filing, made public just last night, outlines the communications that Manafort had with multiple unnamed sources. And while some of the sources willingly handed over WhatsApp and Telegram messages to special prosecutor Robert Mueller, it’s clear that the feds also have a court order to search through Manafort’s iCloud account.
Manafort is accused of money laundering, tax evasion, and violating federal laws that require lobbyists to declare who they’re working for, known as the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). Manafort allegedly lobbied for pro-Russian interests in Ukraine, and also lobbied in the United States. Manafort has pleaded not guilty to the charges, though his longtime business partner Rick Gates has cut a deal and is cooperating with investigators.
WhatsApp allows both manual and automatic scheduled backups to iCloud, though it’s not clear what settings Manafort may have had on his device. As WhatsApp notes on its website, “Media and messages you back up aren’t protected by WhatsApp end-to-end encryption while in iCloud.”
Manafort’s messages include code names for people and they allegedly show an attempt to get everyone on the same page about their testimony. One of the people that Manafort communicated with alleges that Manfort was trying to “suborn perjury” by saying that the Hapsburg group only did lobbying work in Europe and not the United States.
“We should talk. I have made clear that they worked in Europe,” one of Manafort’s messages reads.
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#372 Re: The Garden » US Politics Thread » 377 weeks ago
These have to be the dumbest crooks ever.
Tonight it's been revealed that Manafort has been trying to tamper with witnesses, asking them to lie on his behalf.
Mueller's team are requesting that his bail be revoked. Sitting in jail, while facing what amounts to a life sentence surely won't bode well for our pathological liar in the White House either. What an idiot. He had to know they were watching him like a hawk...right? RIGHT?
#373 Re: The Garden » US Politics Thread » 377 weeks ago
Everything he’s done has only made him look more guilty...
.
Sounds like a totally innocent guy huh?
Never before have we seen a president in our lifetimes pathologically lie like this. (that's before we even get into the fact that he believes the rule of law does not apply to him) To say it's disturbing is an understatement. It's more along the lines of a national crisis.
As has been stated by numerous legal scholars, I have the absolute right to PARDON myself, but why would I do that when I have done nothing wrong? In the meantime, the never ending Witch Hunt, led by 13 very Angry and Conflicted Democrats (& others) continues into the mid-terms!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 4, 2018
#374 Re: The Garden » US Politics Thread » 377 weeks ago
Guiliani was a mess on Fox News Sunday. Even a softball interview like that his answers just seemed like nonsensical & an underlying 'A sitting President cannot be charged' style tone. Wasn't exactly endearing to those seeking innocence. It came off more like 'Trumps guilty, and his lawyers are looking for ways not to have him interviewed by Mueller', & there seemed an odd 'The Presidents not going to fire Mueller, he just wants this to wrap up'.
Guiliani is a disaster. This is the best Trump can get now I suppose.
This new "The President can Pardon himself" is going into Banana Republic territory. Very dangerous. He's also pardoning more crooks to send a message to his pals. If you notice the trajectory of the denials, they start with denying any involvement with Russians and end up with "Collusion is not a crime" and "The President can Pardon himself."
#375 Re: The Garden » US Politics Thread » 377 weeks ago
If you want to make a difference, step away from the koolaid on either extreme and join the people in the middle. Until there are more of us, .
You're not in the middle and neither is Flagg.
It's an odd psychology you guys have about this. You both try to pass yourselves off as these rational middle of the road guys. You're not. You're right wing conservatives. There's actually nothing wrong with this. It's what your ideology is. But you both of you pretend to be something you're absolutely not.
Why would anybody take advice or take seriously a couple of guys who can't even stand by what they believe in?
#376 Re: The Garden » US Politics Thread » 377 weeks ago
misterID wrote:MSNBC is putting homophobic racist bigot Joy Reid on a program about "everyday racism." Despite she was never reprimanded for her homophobic slurs and continued race baiting.
Joy Reid is the least intelligent person on any news network I have ever seen. She is also extremely racist.
I'm no fan of her show, or any of those shows, but this is a ridiculous comment. She's highly intelligent, and I've never read anything about her being a racist. A homophobe yes, but racist?
Seems like any black person that dares talk about race is a racist. I watched that evolve during Obama's term. Right wing logic.
#377 Re: The Garden » US Politics Thread » 377 weeks ago
Samantha Bee calls Ivanka a cunt on her show, everyone apologizes, no one fired. Double standard.
I don't think she should be fired, btw. Like Roseanne shouldn't have been. Let them grovel and apologize, no need to destroy them.
And if Morgan Freeman is being attacked for making crass jokes and calling a pregnant reporter "ripe" then #MeToo has officially jumped the shark.
I'd argue that racism shouldn't be tolerated. Calling somebody a dirty word is hardly the same thing. Roseanne also had a history of racist tweets. ABC? Didn't want the liability of being associated with some crank who posts nasty racist shit in her spare time.
There is no double standard. The free market made the decision inside of two different entities altogether. In one case the network didn't think it was worth terminating their agreement, while the other sought to end it immediately. That's about it.
In the aftermath Fox News ran a segment about how all these Hollywood liberals "get away" with all sorts of naughty things. The usual whataboutism as opposed to taking responsibility for racist behavior.
#378 Re: The Garden » US Politics Thread » 377 weeks ago
Trump's insane trade war
Maybe Donald Trump really is the Manchurian Candidate, a stooge of some foreign potentate. Much more likely, Trump is just mentally unstable and narcissistic. Whichever it is, Trump is rapidly destroying American global leadership, alliances, and interests. Wednesday's announcement of new tariffs on steel and aluminum exports from Canada, Mexico, and the European Union is the latest bizarre and self-destructive move.
I have just returned from a trip to Europe. Across Europe, there was not a single word of respect for Trump. The constant refrain was extreme puzzlement and deep consternation. How did America fall so far so fast? What do we need to do to survive?
Trump's so-called policies are not really policies. Trade wars are on, off, on hold, on again, within the span of days. Summits are on, canceled, or maybe on. Foreign companies are sanctioned today and rescued the next. He says one day he would like to see overseas troops called home soon, and tells them to stay the next. Global agreements and rules are ripped to shreds. Trump's garbled syntax and disorganized thoughts are impossible to follow.
The US has probably never before had a delusional President, one who speaks gibberish, insults those around him including his closest associates, and baffles the world. By instinct, we strive to make sense of Trump's nonsense, implicitly assuming some hidden strategy.
There is none.
Trump's trade actions are blatantly illegal. They are flimsily justified as an act of national security, but this is sheer nonsense. They are also fatuous in terms of US economic and geopolitical interests. Harming our closest allies, raising the prices on key intermediate products, and provoking retaliation cannot possibly deliver higher wages, better jobs, or an improved trade balance. Trump's latest notion to slap tariffs on German automobiles would be even more damaging geopolitically.
Trump creates chaos for no reason other than his own flagrant inability to follow rules or respect the interests of others. His is a psychopath's trade war. The result will be to undermine the long-term role of the dollar; ratchet up the public debt; and undermine the current expansion through a spiral of protectionist measures and rising uncertainties for business.
Trump's casual threats of a hot war with Iran or North Korea if his various demands are not met are of course even more dangerous.
The real answer to Trump's trade (and other) policies is the 25th Amendment. Trump is unwell and unfit to be President. He is a growing threat to the nation and the world.
The emperor had no clothes.
This President has no sense.
Jeffrey David Sachs is an American economist and director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, where he holds the title of University Professor, the highest rank Columbia bestows on its faculty. He is known as one of the world's leading experts on economic development and the fight against poverty.
#379 Re: Guns N' Roses » GNR soundchecks Slither » 377 weeks ago
Sucks, sorry.
#380 Re: The Garden » US Politics Thread » 378 weeks ago
Where to even start. I've never seen news as such volume, such velocity. Some of this is almost old news now. Either way, all hell is breaking loose:
Trump's quid pro quo slush fund with Cohen has been busted wide open. Ukraine paid 400k to have access with Trump. Cohen requested a million dollars from a Qatar investor for access to Trump. The lead attorney for Navartis quit after their payments to Trump came to light. AT&T also fired their chief lobbyist about a week ago. A South Korean aerospace company was also exposed for paying Trump/Cohen 150k. The same company who just so happened to be competing for a Pentagon contract. Stormy Daniels (and other women) was just a small piece of this abject criminality perpetrated by President Trump. We're just seeing this now, but it's clear that Mueller has known about this for some time.
Just a few days ago, Cohen's old business partner made a deal with the Feds for tax evasion. A sweet deal, simply probation after facing years in prison. Which means he's going to tell them everything he knows about Cohen and all his shenanigans.
It's come to light that Cambridge Analytica is also under FBI investigation. And the whistleblower in the case told Congress last week that one of Steve Bannon's uses for their firm was to disengage black voters. Voter suppression.
The bi partisan Senate Intel Committee concluded that Russia did help Trump win the election. This really makes the GOP Congress look like a bunch of clowns, which of course they are.
Trump Jr. contradicted himself in his most recent interview. Which means he was lying to the Senate originally about any foreign governments offering to help the Trump campaign. Once again it also shows he willingly and eagerly went to meet with Russians in Trump Tower to get dirt on Hillary.
Kushner was interviewed again this week, but this time for nearly 7 hours.
Turns out the Feds were so alarmed by Trump and his pal’s connection to Russia they were even investigating them during the election. They even had an informant. Of course, now, the lying sack of shit we call "President" is claiming he was being "spied" on for absolutely no reason. Something his idiot base is going to repeat, even though it has no basis in reality or even makes any sense. Just like the Dossier said, and just like many other foreign countries told us, his connection to Russia was alarming. Enough for the FBI to launch a serious investigation.
I believe we're only seeing the tip of the iceberg here, and even with that, I can see Trump is absolutely 100% fucked. If Congress does anything remains to be seen. Right now I'd say that answer is absolutely not.