Lie Gate
Yes, there have been 17 indictments and five guilty pleas so far, but most Americans are somehow unaware of that aspect of the Mueller investigation. I’m guessing more are aware of the constant attacks on the FBI and Justice Department coming from the Oval Office. And now it has a name: NPR: Trump intensifies push on what he calls improper snooping with ‘Spygate’ brand.
+ “The guy who will end up burning in all this is [former C.I.A. director] John Brennan. If I were him I’d break the capsule and swallow it now. That psychopath is going down.” Gabe Sherman in Vanity Fair: “That Psychopath Is Going Down.” Inside Trumpworld, A Bizarre Counter-Narrative Takes Hold.
+ “The spy theory holds that the FBI, working on orders from the Obama administration, implanted a spy into the Trump campaign in order to help Hillary Clinton’s campaign. This does not explain why the FBI failed to announce either the results of its spying campaign, or even the existence of the investigation, in time to help Clinton win, rather than allowing the probe to remain secret until well after the election.” That’s just one way Trump’s FBI spy theory is completely insane. (Then again, we spent several weeks debating whether or not there were tapes of the Comey/Trump dinner.)
+ Meanwhile, back in reality, the pressure is building on Michael Cohen. From the BBC: Michael Cohen, received a secret payment of at least $400,000 to fix talks between the Ukrainian president and President Trump. And Evgeny A. Freidman, Cohen’s business partner, who is known as the Taxi King, is now cooperating with investigators.
+ Jared Kushner’s security clearance has been restored.