Remember when Mitch McConnell covered up Putin's interference to elect Trump?

[babylonsister]

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/1/18/1827396/-Remember-when-Mitch-McConnell-covered-up-Putin-s-interference-to-elect-Trump

Remember when Mitch McConnell covered up Putin's interference to elect Trump?
Joan McCarter
Daily Kos Staff
Friday January 18, 2019 · 3:01 PM EST


With Individual 1 sinking deeper and deeper into impeachment territory, it's worth remembering that he didn't get there without a lot of help from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who's currently carrying his water by refusing to vote on reopening government.

McConnell's willingness to jeopardize the nation by going along with this manufactured crisis is one thing. But his efforts to keep the nation in the dark about what the government knew—before the election—about Russia's interference on behalf of Trump is quite another. For if there's a whiff of illegality around Trump for his Russia dealings and coverup efforts, then it has to surround McConnell, too.

Remember that in 2016, when it became clear after Trump had secured the nomination that Russia was interfering, and the nation's intelligence agencies had that information and presented it to congressional leadership, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell covered it up. He and then Democratic Minority Leader Harry Reid were told that Putin was overseeing an operation to disrupt the election and to help Trump. McConnell's reaction, in the words of Washington Post reporter Greg Miller, who initially broke this story: "'McConnell is basically telling [the CIA], 'you're telling us that Russia is trying to help elect Trump. If you try to come forward with this, I'm not going to sign onto any sort of public statement that would condemn Russian interference. But I will condemn you and the Obama administration for trying to mess up this election.'"

The briefing from the CIA had Reid so alarmed that he wrote, and made public, a letter to then-FBI chief James Comey, saying "The evidence of a direct connection between the Russian government and presidential campaign continues to mount and has led Michael Morrell, the former Acting Central Intelligence Director, to call Trump an ‘unwitting agent’ of Russia and the Kremlin. The prospect of a hostile government actively seeking to undermine our free and fair elections represents one of the greatest threats toward democracy since the Cold War ..."

The evidence presented to Reid that so alarmed him was also presented to McConnell. He knew full well that the CIA was deeply concerned before the election, and made the decision to cover it up. McConnell also knew full well that Russia wanted to get involved in our elections, because his own leadership PAC received a cool $2.5 million filtered through Len Blavatnik, a dual U.S.-U.K. citizen, from a web of Putin's oligarchs. He started getting that money in 2015, and kept on getting it through at least 2017. Among those business associates of Blavatnik is none other than Oleg Deripaska, Paul Manafort's boss both in Ukraine and while he was nominally working on the Trump campaign.

McConnell is deep into this, at least up to his third chin. He is by no means an innocent bystander. Every action he takes—including his refusal to do his constitutional job and stand up to Trump on the government shutdown—has to be viewed through the filter of his complicity with Trump's lawlessness.

[Raven123]

1. Another reason to wait for Mueller. Need to know if there is another reason for McConnell's action

[Wounded Bear]

2. I do...

and I hope Rachel picks up on this article.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

15. Here's a riddle: how many PAID FBI agents did it take to cause a CIA director to resign?

How many UNPAID FBI agents does it take to convict McConnell?

[2naSalit]

3. K&R

[AlexSFCA]

4. it's astonishing how much power senate majority leader has

can he singlehandedly not bring just about anything for a floor vote?

[UpInArms]

5. Merrick Garland

nt

[Botany]

6. Lock him up

Treason

[malaise]

7. And then his wife was given a Cabinet position

How neat

[babylonsister]

8. And then she never shows up to actually work AFAIK...

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/409214-analysis-finds-290-hours-of-private-meetings-on-chaos-calendar

Analysis finds 290 hours of ‘private’ meetings on Chao’s calendar
By Emily Birnbaum - 10/01/18 09:35 AM EDT


Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao has spent more than 290 hours in meetings labeled "private" during her first 14 months in the position, according to a new Politico analysis of her calendars.

Documents obtained by Politico through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) indicate Chao has spent a large amount of time in "private" meetings, which have usually taken place on Fridays after lunchtime.

One Department of Transportation (DOT) spokesperson told Politico some of the "private" time was spent traveling, while other blocks involved appointments ranging “from doctor’s appointments to meeting with personal friends to tending to personal needs or regularly sharing meals with her husband."

more...

[malaise]

10. This is a full-fledged

Kakistocracy

[babylonsister]

11. And they don't give a damn.

[maxsolomon]

22. why would they?

there's no one to hold them to account.

particularly mccconnell.

he's been in the senate for 35 fucking years. since I was 21.

[dlk]

9. Could There be a Sealed Indictment with Mitch's Name on it?

[Rebl2]

19. We can hope

[CCExile]

12. How many congresscritters own something to Russia?

Will we ever know? Seems like important tasks for the next 20 years are: Foreign interference clean up ( Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, ...), Corporate involvement clean up, religionists clean up, white nationalists elemination (prison or sterilization).

[FakeNoose]

13. Besides all that, he's a terrible Senator for the voters of Kentucky

[gtar100]

23. Just wow! That says it all.

McConnell is such a slime.

[PeeJ52]

14. I keep seeing references to this, but never remember a follow up...

Are there other sources? Has anyone ever asked McConnell if he did this? It seems like a Facebook rumor. Could someone help me with more documentation? Thanks!

[Lonestarblue]

17. Look to his wife.

Elaine Chao is the daughter of James Chao, very wealthy shipping magnate. By marrying McConnell, Chao gained enormous influence for her family’s business and Mitch gained introductions to the power brokers in China. Very lucrative.

[Duppers]

20. Shipping in Chinese/U.S. trade, remember

Trump was throwing wrenches into that trade. Such behavior wouldn't benefit the Chao family.

However, there's definitely something going on there.

[Ford_Prefect]

16. Lock Him Up! Lock Him Up! Lock Him Up! Lock Him Up! Lock Him Up!

Rinse and Repeat!

[Hassler]

18. Moscow McConartist is still mitching inaction.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

21. Mitch has earned a cell of his own for the rest of his life.

And keep him on suicide watch. He needs to live with this behind bars for as long as possible.

[JoeOtterbein]

24. Harry Reid will go down in history for his bravery in trying to expose Trump...

...We Dems all need to follow his lead, whenever we can.

[Honeycombe8]

25. McConnell will just retire w/all his Russian millions, if he gets in trouble. Which he won't.

Of course, Obama and Reid could have released the information, anyway. There may have been an awful backlash against the Democrats, I guess. And would it have changed anything? Maybe. Maybe more Democrats would have shown up to vote for Hillary. Who knows?