(10-14-2017 06:09 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(10-14-2017 05:23 PM)RiceLad15 Wrote:  However, I don't think investigating the campaign team's finances (especially Trump's) is well beyond the legal scope of the investigation. I think it's rationale and within the scope because an investigation into possible collusion with a foreign adversary would need to understand if there was either potential blackmail material/leverage on POTUS, which could have been used to coerce someone into colluding, or if there were payments made in a quid pro quo. That's why I don't think investigation into the campaign's main players is not tangential, but in-line with the collusion investigation.

Months ago, I harped on this thread about the silliness of the mythical collusion, asking what was the quid pro quo. No answer. I was told then by *somebody* here that a QPQ was not needed.

But let's explore this theory. sometime in 2015, Trump called Putin, and said Vlad, do me a favor. Steal the DNC emails and publish them without any editing. My campaign team tell me that is all I need to win Wisconsin. In return, I will__________________________.

What fills in the blank there? Seems like the Russians are mad at us all the time now. Is that an act?

No liberal can concoct a theory or narrative of what they are trying to prove without sounding like a complete idiot. I have asked and asked, and nary a response. It's almost as if they know it is a smoke screen.

But yeah, it sounds better if Manafort called and asked for the email theft and in return promised....again, what? To accept a lot of money?

You’re not actually interested in this, because by nature any act of collusion is going to sound kind of out there. But I’ll humor you and take you at your word.

Let’s assume pee tape is real (the Steele dossier has a lot of information that is turning out to be true). Putin realizes he has leverage over Trump, a candidate for president, so he tells him to utilize the information Russia has (emails) as well as act in a way that will de divisive and play into Russia’s goal of destabilizing the US (see all of the weird Russian backed social media groups being uncovered).

Let’s assume no pee tape. Putin realizes he can attempt to hurt Clinton, whom he hates, by supporting Trump’s efforts. He communicates with the campaign about activities like the emails being released and again, the Russian backed social media groups.

Let’s assume some financial transactions. Putin identified Trump as a candidate who can cause chaos in the election, devaluing our democracy. Putin funnels money to Manafort to bribe him to put people who are Kremlin friendly in Trump’s inner circle and push Trump to change his stances on Russia (see the change in the RNC platform regarding Crimea).

Or, Putin directly transfers money to Trump for the same reasons above. And then Russia uses their resources to help Trump get elected (see the Podesta emails being released hours after the Access Hollywood tapes were released).

Now, there is also the chance that there was no collusion and Russia just attempted to help Trump without his or without his campaign’s knowledge. But I’m more suspicious of that because of the contact between Trump jr. and the Russian lawyer that was specifically about giving the Trump campaign Russian sources opposition research.