Justice Department nominee with ties to Russian bank voted out of committee

[sandensea]

Source: Washington Examiner

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday approved President Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Justice's Criminal Division.

Brian Benczkowski, a Republican lawyer who once served as a staff director of the committee for former Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-AL, was advanced in an 11-9 party-line vote and will soon head to the Senate floor for a confirmation vote.

Benczkowski admitted earlier this year that he worked for Russia's Alfa Bank during his time as a partner at the law firm Kirkland & Ellis. He also ran the Trump transition team at the Justice Department.

The New York Times first reported that Benczkowski represented the bank, one of Russia's largest with ties to President Vladimir Putin. The FBI investigated the bank last year after it was mentioned in a dossier containing unproven allegations about the Trump campaign and possible collusion with Russia, but it ultimately concluded there was no wrongdoing or misconduct.

Benczkowski also downplayed his role in the Trump campaign during his confirmation hearing.

Read more: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/justice-department-nominee-with-ties-to-russian-bank-voted-out-of-committee/article/2635920

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Criminal division nominee Brian Benczkowski; 'criminal' being the adjective in this case.

[Grassy Knoll]

1. The Article Doesn't Really Explain The Title...

Is He In Or Out..
What Am I Missing?

[sandensea]

2. It means the committee moved his nomination forward to the floor for a final vote.

The syntax in that headline was not the best, I agree.

[Grassy Knoll]

3. Thank You !

[sandensea]

7. You bet.

That we're even having to ponder the likelihood of having a Kremlin lawyer as head of the Justice Department Criminal Division just says it all doesn't it.

[C Moon]

4. He looks like a bad person. Putin is still trying to keep his coup.

[Honeycombe8]

5. Russia now has two key people installed: The new FBI Director; now the head of DOJ Criminal Division

Two very important positions. Assuming the DOJ Criminal Division guy will be confirmed, as this seems to indicate.

Dems voted to confirm the FBI Director. Don't know if they also voted to confirm the DOJ Criminal Division head.

[burrowowl]

6. Scary!!!!

[Stonepounder]

8. According to Rachael Maddow it was a straight-line party vote.

All Rethugs - AYE
All Dems - NAY

[ffr]

9. Yep. Dotard and the rethugs are winning on this front. They're the foxes watching the henhouse.

They'll kill or obstruct any investigations into their criminal activities with Russia. It's the prefect conflict of interest scenario. They're the ones being investigated. What do you think they're going to do? Indict themselves?

Dotard won and American justice lost bigtime today.

[Honeycombe8]

10. Glad to hear it. nt

[Duppers]

11. The whole damn fucking Republican party is

In kahoots with the Russians??

[sandensea]

12. ANYTHING to win.

Isn't that the textbook definition of a sociopath?

[Judi Lynn]

13. When Benczkowski mumbles, people listen! Make that grifter people, actually.

What a nightmare has afflicted us.

We've been had, nationally.

This new information fits all the earlier crap perfectly.

Unbelievable!

[sandensea]

14. This administration is almost a Colombia-style kleptocracy - drug money laundering included.

Beyond that, his putting Kremlin lawyers in key law enforcement posts - Wray at FBI, and now Benczkowski at the Justice Dept. Criminal Division (plus others, I'm sure) - makes it obvious that Putin must have something really juicy on this president.

Interesting times. Amirite, Judi?