***Barr's report ONLY discounts possible collusion/coordination with the Russian GOVERNMENT.***

[pnwmom]

But those were never the claims.

The claims have to do with Russian and Ukrainian OLIGARCHS.

The claims about Flynn and Manafort had to do with Ukrainians who were associated with Putin. And Manafort gave the US polling data to Russian oligarchs who were associated with Putin.

So most of the collusion was never thought to be with the actual, official Russian government -- it was with the shadow government led by the oligarchs, and its tentacles in the Ukraine.

The sanctions that Trump wanted to lift were hurting the oligarchs -- not the official Russian government.

https://judiciary.house.gov/sites/democrats.judiciary.house.gov/files/documents/AG%20March%2024%202019%20Letter%20to%20House%20and%20Senate%20Judiciary%20Committees.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3pDY5HTAzmdUkFb54h2gOVIrquErOy5y7ue4cgJBdG7-mf_yWFhjeA49o


https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/06/politics/oligarch-russia-billionaires-government-putin-sanctions/index.html

How tied are oligarchs to the Russian government?

He added that the bulk of most oligarchs' assets, however, will remain in Russia, so they're still at the mercy of the government.

He said it's not beyond reason that they'd be asked by the Kremlin to do things in the US related to elections, but whether an oligarch is operating on his or her own behalf or Russia's could be anyone's guess.

"I think it's also true that in many cases, because their fortunes depend on maintaining good relations with those in power," they are "asked by the government to do certain favors," Graham said.

"The problem you have is that a businessman in Russia has to operate in a different way than a businessman in the US because you don't have a reliable legal system," he said. "Your ability to maintain your hold on property is reliant on your ability to maintain relations with the government."


ON UPDATE:

Seth Abramson and Washington State Rep. Denny Heck have brought up this point:

Link to tweet

Seth Abramson
✔
@SethAbramson
· 56m
Replying to @SethAbramson
NOTE3/ Some folks add, rightly, that Mueller only found no beyond-a-reasonable-doubt evidence of collusion with the Russian "government"—the IRA, GRU officials, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs—none of whom Trump was ever accused of colluding with. Rep. Heck just said this on CNN.


NOTE4/ Barr appears to have *avoided* any reference to Team Trump collusion with Russian foreign nationals and Kremlin cutouts like Agalarov, Rozov, Vekselberg, Deripaska, Firtash, Sater, Kilimnik, Boyarkin, Akhmetshin, and *so many others* who are *not* "the Russian government."

[PeeJ52]

2. I caught that GOVERNMENT tjhing too. It makes it seem like there was some written "contract" too.

and maybe a payment, with installments or layaway for Christmas. The wording was a little funny there about the Russian Government. This was a report, written by a Republican, for Republicans. Let's see the evidence turned over to Congress. This is just the beginning. I'm still going to Canada though... tRump getting Bush and now tRump getting elected in the first place have soured me on this country.

[California_Republic]

3. Maybe Barr forced a tight definition on Mueller concerning the word "Russians "

What was the official wording of his task?

[California_Republic]

5. Rosenstein memo. " Russian government "

[KPN]

14. The oligarchs ARE Russia's government

in effect.

[California_Republic]

18. Agree but maybe Barr forced a tight definition

Forcing Mueller to prove that Putin’s governments was involved

[UniteFightBack]

4. That's what I keep hearing more and more of...this is "Barr's report".............nt

[octoberlib]

6. I'm seeing tweets from a journalist that Mueller's remit was very narrow re collusion.

He was only allowed to investigate whether Trump was involved in the hacking of emails.

[pnwmom]

7. Could you provide a link to the tweet? I'd like to read it. n/t

[octoberlib]

8. Here it is.

Link to tweet

Wrong, Brit. Barr (or someone) limited the definition of collusion to if Trump conspires w/Russia to hack emails. He appears to have overlooks the quid pro quo aspect, such as Ukraine language in RNC platform for Putin, sanctions, etc.



On second reading I don't know if she's saying Mueller was limited or Barr was limiting his definition of collusion. Ben Wittes of Lawfare blog also tweeted yesterday that Mueller's scope was very narrow.

[pnwmom]

9. Thank you!

[eppur_se_muova]

10. Exactly! There is a thread on an editorial by Gary Kasparov re. Russian "business" Russian gov't

It describes how Putin and his ilk take advantage of the FALSE dichotomy between state and "private citizens" to exploit the weaknesses of lawful democratic societies. Well worth a read.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211953340

[pnwmom]

12. Thank you!

[triron]

11. There's also this:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211953054

This needs to be investigated by congress if not by other US attorneys.

[Texin]

13. The oligarchs are *allowed* to do what they do by virtue of PUTIN'S approval.

PUTIN is the fucking government in Russia. No one or nothing can operate without his tacit permission, and make no mistake, if he doesn't like something one of them have done, he can make them go away. As Stalin once said, "There is no problem. No man, no problem."

[pnwmom]

17. True. But the Russians who needed to be investigated weren't official members of the GOVERNMENT

so Barr's statement didn't address them.

[KPN]

15. Thank you for posting this. Great thread.

Everyone should read and disseminate.

[allgood33]

16. I noticed that also. Conspiring with Russians not of the Russian government is still open then?