General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIT WAS THE OMB DIRECTOR, MISAPPROPRIATING FUNDS, IN THE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR'S OFFICE
Finally, Hill puts Mick Mulvaney at the scene of the crime.
As Ive said before, one part of this scandal that has gotten far too little attention is that, to extort Ukraine, Trump withheld funds appropriated by Congress, funds about which there was bipartisan agreement.
Last week, CNN and WSJ reported that to do this, OMB changed the way the funds were distributed, putting a political flunkie in charge, also a detail that has gotten far too little attention.
Not only does that raise the Constitutional stakes of the Executives refusal to spend the funds Congress had duly appropriated, but it shows consciousness of guilt.
And per Hills testimony Mick Mulvaney, serving in the dual role of OMB chief and Chief of Staff, knew that those funds were being withheld for a quid pro quo or (as John Bolton described it) a drug deal.
Senate Republicans might not ever convict Trump for demanding foreign countries invent propaganda on his political allies. They might feel differently once it becomes clear that the crime involves refusing to do what Congress, with its power of the purse, told him to, without even telling Congress he was doing so (or why). They may not care about Trump pressing for any political advantage for their party, but they may care about Trump neutering their most important authority.
https://www.emptywheel.net/2019/10/15/the-significance-of-fiona-hills-testimony-whatever-drug-deal-sondland-and-mulvaney-are-cooking-up/
Now OMB says it does not plan to turn over the documents that impeachment committees subpoenaed. The deadline was today.
Note, these documents will show that the White House decided to ignore the will of Congress to carry out his extortion.
Link to tweet
https://www.emptywheel.net/2019/10/04/trump-specifically-ensured-republicans-wouldnt-know-about-his-extortion/
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)Happy to see him squirm now!
dchill
(38,505 posts)lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)So we can add Mulvaney to the impeachment roster.
Peregrine Took
(7,415 posts)Really, one of the nastiest POS around trump.
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)anytime he's on the TeeVee and I can't hit the mute button fast enough.
progressoid
(49,991 posts)And there's your fall guy (or gal).
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)What will he do when he's all alone?
robbob
(3,531 posts)But heres hoping he does it on live tv...
MFGsunny
(2,356 posts)empedocles
(15,751 posts)klook
(12,157 posts)rurallib
(62,423 posts)tishaLA
(14,176 posts)NewJeffCT
(56,828 posts)and has been ahead of the curve on a lot of the Trump corruption and malfeasance
malaise
(269,054 posts)lock him up
Kid Berwyn
(14,909 posts)Article I: Obstruction of Congress. Check.
luvtheGWN
(1,336 posts)That's a word that everyone can understand.
Kid Berwyn
(14,909 posts)Trump sold out his nation, his oath to the Constitution, and obligations to our allies. His actions have benefited Putin and Russia.
Pepsidog
(6,254 posts)Scarsdale
(9,426 posts)collect a salary from BOTH positions? It is time to start arresting and jailing these people who refuse to honor subpoenas. Start with Rudy, and then Mick.
Pepsidog
(6,254 posts)Hermit-The-Prog
(33,349 posts)LiberalLovinLug
(14,174 posts)Are we still limited to "strongly worded letters"?
All I read, before the official impeachment, and now even after, is one subpoena after another ignored, then the story moves off the news cycle, and two days later we hear about some other subpoena ignored. Strong letter. Rinse and Repeat.
Hermit-The-Prog
(33,349 posts)That's a warning that the fairly new law (signed this year) requires withholding salary from people for blocking others from communicating with Congress. In this case, it could affect multiple people up to and including TrumPutin.
LiberalLovinLug
(14,174 posts)(That would be the "strongly worded" part).
You're right, its pretty well the same thing as actually hauling their ass off to jail.
Sorry but some generally written threat of withholding department funding is just not strong enough. I wouldn't doubt Republicans would find a way to re-direct funds in any case. Also many of these political appointees are wealthy sycophants whose federal salaries pale in comparison to what their business earnings are. And lastly, it seems like past Senates and Houses of lawyers have so entangled the process with avenues to appeal these subpoenas for years, making them all but useless.
Hermit-The-Prog
(33,349 posts)LiberalLovinLug
(14,174 posts)But if you are saying this is all a House can do with a corrupt sitting President, then we are truly fucked.
As for an answer. I'm tired of the SWL strategy to nowhere. If they can withhold funding.... Stop giving veiled threats in SWLs about it and..JUST DO IT!
benld74
(9,904 posts)Nt
Pacifist Patriot
(24,653 posts)ms liberty
(8,580 posts)DallasNE
(7,403 posts)When Trump was challenged over transferring money from the military to build the wall?
The Nixon era emergency law ceded the power to the President. The next Congress needs to address that law in order to gain back the power of the purse. But that may have to happen over a presidential veto so it won't be easy.
bucolic_frolic
(43,182 posts)Despite his actions, Trump has not declared a national emergency to subvert Biden and manipulate the Ukraine government into providing help. Yet.
bucolic_frolic
(43,182 posts)I'm confused. Is he really alluding to actual smuggling, or is this an off-the-cuff hyperbole for which he's almost famous? Why do I feel like he's pointing in the right direction but doesn't want to be specific. Smuggling? Smuggling what?
erronis
(15,303 posts)has gone on. I only wish her site was a bit easier to navigate...
There are obviously some tremendously knowledgeable people with real experience in these matters who comment there. And then there are a few like me.
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,862 posts)Really, someone ought to re-invent the game as Trump White House Mystery.
Turbineguy
(37,343 posts)boston bean
(36,221 posts)Pachamama
(16,887 posts)I believe it was a very deliberate move to making him both the OMB chief and then the Acting Chief of Staff....
It was all part of a very orchestrated plan to control the money and implement their plans....
Beartracks
(12,816 posts)"It was Trump... in the Oval Office... with the telephone!!"
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lark
(23,105 posts)Withhold the directors salary as part of that. Don't know exactly how "Contempt" charges work, but would imagine those should be filed against everyone who refuses to honor a subpoena. When drumpf et all give Dems the raspberry, again, it will be nation at severe risk time because this will go to SCOTUS and drumpf will be bribing & threatening them non-stop - it may be someone on behalf of drumpf, but wouldn't be surprised if he did this himself because he loves to threaten. That will be it folks - make or break time for this experiment in representative government called the USA. Will the fascists hold and our constitution in effect invalidated by rw Russian Repug SCOTUS or will the rule of law embodied in the constitution win and drumpf et al will have to obey the law and produce the documents (for the first time in his rotten criminal life for drumpf). If SCOTUS doesn't kiss his ass and rules against him, what will drumpf do? The docs confirm his treachery and lies! At that point he might resign if Pence promises an immediate and complete pardon for him and his adult children from any ongoing cases or cases that might arise from actions prior to xxx date. I think Pence would do it and continue the collusion but hide it much better. However, hopefully he could be tied to all the devastation and criminality and he too would go down in flames!
WyattKansas
(1,648 posts)How much has the U.S. Government failed to pay for the last 3 years, so Mickey could cook the books?
How many little people in the United States are still owed payment, due to Mickey churning the books to cover the tRUMP Family Crime Business?