Is Mike Pence involved in the Russia scandal?

[babylonsister]

This is from November 16, 2017...

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-mike-pence-russia-trump-20171115-story.html?fbclid=IwAR2nzOEcYN5OFiTE56s2sDf0FIv0XXAuOxfrxNC4z6EBKw6YVULXj8ULX74

Is Mike Pence involved in the Russia scandal?
Jennifer Rubin
The Washington Post

snip//

Pence has a trail of inaccurate statements concerning President Donald Trump's campaign and Russia, nearly as many as the memory-challenged attorney general.

snip//

When Trump wanted to lean on Comey to drop the investigation of Flynn, he ordered both Pence and Attorney General Jeff Sessions out of the Oval Office. Put that down as evidence that Pence was being kept in the dark.

However, Pence reportedly was present at the Oval Office meeting where Trump read the draft memo concerning his decision to fire Comey. That memo apparently was a screed about Comey's handling of the Russia probe. Pence subsequently related to Congress and the press the phony cover story that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had cooked up, namely that Comey had improperly handled the investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails. Pence denied Comey was fired over the Russia investigation, a position Trump swiftly contradicted in his interview with NBC News's Lester Holt.

Moreover, like now-embattled Sessions, Pence repeatedly denied that the campaign had any contacts with the Russians. Perhaps Pence knew and forgot, perhaps he knew and lied on behalf of the president, or perhaps he was kept in the dark.

At some point, special counsel Robert Mueller almost certainly will want to interview Pence. (Pence's lawyer reportedly met with Mueller over the summer.) At that point, Pence will need to explain how it was that he never learned in real time about Flynn's legal problems as an unregistered foreign agent, never knew about campaign or transition contacts with Russians and/or WikiLeaks, and didn't know that Comey was being fired at least in part because of the Russia episode. It's quite possible that he has been excluded from key conversations and lied to by Trump and others in the administration. If that is the case, Pence need not worry about any legal jeopardy.

On the other hand, one wonders why he would want to continue serving in an administration that uses him to deceive Congress, the press and the public. At some point, if Pence is an innocent man wrapped up in a web of dishonesty and subterfuge, you'd think he'd get angry, refuse to carry the president's water and even quit.

In any event, Pence's political future is dim. If he's complicit in a cover-up, he's in legal peril. If he's not, he's a fool and a pawn, someone far too naive to be entrusted with power. Aside from Pence's own political future, if Trump is removed (an unlikely but not impossible event) or decides to flee the presidency, could the public trust Pence? Unfortunately, he's no Gerald Ford.

[Pachamama]

1. I am certain that he is

Betting Pence will never be in politics ever again after this....

Maybe he will repent and be a Preacher somewhere back home...

[babylonsister]

7. I think it's way past time for

repenting. For a supposedly religious man, none of this seems to bother him much and he continues to kiss that ass.

[loveandlight]

13. hoping they can get him in the coming House investigations

Who become president if both Trump and Pence are gone?? Yeah, Pelosi!

[FM123]

2. Yes.

[dewsgirl]

3. Yes.

[manor321]

4. I don't think there are any smoking guns yet

Even Seth Abramson, who tracks everything, doesn't yet see smoking guns.

I'm reasonably confident that links will be found, though.

[tblue37]

17. Manafort's chose him to be VP--when Trump wanted Chris Christie. That is some serious smoke

right ther, I think.

[Siwsan]

5. No way on earth he didn't know what was going on

He benefited from their interference, so yes. He's complicit.

[GoCubsGo]

6. I have very little doubt this is the case. nt

[IphengeniaBlumgarten]

8. Manafort picked Pence, so the answer sure looks like: yes nt

[Bettie]

9. He was chosen by Manafort

so, um, DUH!

As they say on the Stephanie Miller Show: Mike Pence is up to his albino eyebrows in this.

[UniteFightBack]

10. I'm saying YES....even if he's not....YES sounds better. HE HAS TO BE!!! He knows Flynn was

compromised...why did Manafort want him so badly?

[Ilsa]

11. Pence believes, like Franklin Graham, that

this current level of deceit, treason, and criminal activities are part of "God's Plan" to install a "true christian" in the Oval Office.

I'm betting pence has worked hard to destroy any evidence of his involvement in this takeover of our government by Putin. He's an evil sonofabitch.

[dalton99a]

12. I have no doubt.

[Atticus]

14. Do bears-----------------? nt

[lamsmy]

15. There is not a shred of evidence to implicate Pence

This guy is an idiotic religious idiot who was a terrible and hugely unpopular governor headed for the exits. The VP post seemed a miraculous lifeline that saved his career. He would have agreed to be Atilla the Hun's running mate.

Manafort was smart enough to know that Trump needed the support of the religious right to win. They also needed a sap who wouldn't interfere, steal the spot light, or complain about Trump's behaivour no matter how vile. And dumb enough to by the Witch Hunt defense. Pence fit the bill perfectly.

There is no way they would have read him into the Russian game which was already in play by the time they started looking for a VP. Plus, he was not "family" and couldn't be trusted not to balk. No. I think it most unlikely Pence was aware of any Russia collusion.

Along the way, however, he must have developed some doubts. I imagine he tells himself that the best thing to do is sit tight, see how things play out, and be ready to offer stable orderly succession if/when the s*** hits the fan.

[tblue37]

19. We don't know what evidence Mueller might have on Pence. nt

[lamsmy]

20. True, but...

So much of what Mueller is investigating was based on things that that had already been reported on:

The Steele dossier was first reported by David Corn weeks before the election.
The Dutch press were following all sorts of dodgy Trump connections from early 2016.
The Trump family had bragged about Russian connections for years.
Trump and his cronies made numerous direct references to Wikileaks - including public requests for WL.
Manafort left the campaign because the press were picking up on all his suspect work in the Ukraine. Work the Ukrainians themselves were publishing dirt about.
Clinton stood on stage in front of the world and warned about Trump's Russian connections.

My point is that rumours had been flying and journalists have been digging into Trump and coming up with a ton of leads even before Mueller started work.

If you haven't heard any serious rumors or accusations against Pence yet, it's not because nobody is looking, it is probably because there is nothing to find.

[sarcasmo]

16. Manafort picked Pence for a reason, imho no more evidence is needed.

[Kitchari]

18. Based on his Dominionist

hopes to turn this country into a theocracy, and the example of Russia using "Christian" White Supremacy to successfully brainwash their people, I'd say he's perfectly comfortable with various sordid and depraved means to that end

[FoxNewsSucks]

21. "Mike Pence is in this up to his albino eyebrows!"

I heard that on the radio. . .

[OxQQme]

22. If Pence goes down too.....

Nancy is the "man".