GOP senators are 'stunned' at the transcript — and think Trump is putting himself in more jeopardy: report
September 25, 2019
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Watergate prosecutor reveals how Robert Costello just opened Trump up to even more charges
March 20, 2023
Former Watergate prosecutor Nick Akerman joined Michel Cohen on MSNBC Monday following a press conference by Donald Trump ally Bob Costello who appeared before a Manhattan grand jury.
As a possible indictment hangs over Trump, he district attorney's office asked the former president if he wanted to speak out in his defense to the grand jury. He declined but he sent Costello instead. Costello then said that he provided stacks of "evidence" about Cohen that shows he was desperate and willing to do anything to get out of potential prison.
But the reality is a different matter, according to Cohen. Speaking to Ari Melber he and Akerman explained that the special counsel's report on the Russia investigation revealed a lot of information about the exchanges between Cohen and Costello, including the attempt by Trump allies to keep him from flipping.
"I start with this is the Mueller report because the Mueller report laid out a witness tampering plot by Donald Trump, basically to keep Michael in line with Donald Trump," said Akerman, saying that it went through Rudy Giuliani and Bob Costello.
"Now, Bob Costello I know, we were in the U.S. Attorney's office and he's a good guy and it seems like he was wittingly or unwittingly part of a plot to keep Michael Cohen in line," he continued.
Melber put up a headline saying Costello contacted one of Trump's lawyers to see, allegedly if he could arrange for a pardon for Cohen. He asked why something like that matters.
"Well, that's all part of the story," Akerman explained. "It really starts on April 9th when the search warrant is executed and only a few days after that Donald Trump calls him according to the Mueller report and he can confirm this and told him that, you know, he was just checking in to see if he was okay and he encouraged Michael to hang in there. Then he got calls from other people, friends of Donald Trump, who called up and basically told him to keep in line, including Allen Weisselberg who I believe also called him during that period of time. One of the people that was involved in cooking the books."
Akerman continued: "What's wrong with it is it comes to a point when Michael meets with Costello, who is talking to Rudy Giuliani, who is talking to Donald Trump, and it all comes back to Donald Trump that Michael is on board and that he's staying with the team. And the next day, the day after that meeting occurs on April 17th, Donald Trump starts tweeting out that Michael's not going to flip. That he's with the team, that he's on board."
Melber categorized it as "an effort then to abuse government power to thwart a probe."
Cohen chimed in to say that during that time, Trump was dangling pardons live on television, characterizing it: "I can shut this down tomorrow. I'm the president. I can do whatever I want. I can shut this whole thing down, and it's called the pre-pardon."
Cohen noted that it was clear Trump didn't know what he was talking about.
"And all of a sudden, they're now on television because I wasn't the only one that was going through some issues at the time. They're now throwing it out there for anybody to see," Cohen continued. It was after that that Costello got involved.
Cohen went on to say that the reason Costello would do this is unclear to him, but his allegiance to Trump and to Giuliani may have been what motivated him to "come out and make these false statements."
Akerman called it an outright "dumb, stupid move."
Giving D.A. Alvin Bragg access to Costello, Akerman said, gives him the opportunity to bring up "all the conversations Costello had with Michael. All the conversations Costello had with Rudy Giuliani. What Rudy Giuliani said that Donald Trump said and what he conveyed to Donald Trump. And then I would end up indicting Donald Trump for witness tampering and obstruction of justice. I mean, the Mueller report itself is enough basis to do that. But now they put forward a witness whose right in the middle of this witness tampering plot to supposedly give exculpatory evidence!"
See the clip of Akerman and Cohen below or at the link here.
Watergate prosecutor reveals how Robert Costello just opened Trump up to even more charges www.youtube.com
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House Republicans, led by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) on the Judiciary Committee, have set out a demand for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to testify to Congress about his investigation of former President Donald Trump's hush payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels — even before he has issued any indictment, or lack thereof, in the matter.
Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), a longtime critic of Trump, took to CNN on Monday to sound the alarm about this effort — and warn that in addition to being against the rule of law, it is derailing the GOP agenda altogether.
"As your former colleagues, House Republicans are gathering in Florida, is this precisely the type of Trump-inspired action you have been warning about?" asked anchor Wolf Blitzer.
"Yeah, I mean, look, this is a time where the Republicans should be talking about what's your agenda for the economy, what's your agenda for the banking system, your agenda for poverty, going forward, Ukraine, those kinds of discussions," said Kinzinger. "This is overshadowing, frankly, whether it's this one or the potential charges from Georgia or potential federal charges, this is going to overshadow the Republican agenda. You see people like Marjorie Taylor Greene, this is basically all she's tweeting about. She's the de facto leader of the GOP right now. It's a massive distraction, and I think a lot of these Republicans are getting way out in front of their skis. Read the charges. If they are a nothingburger, they have a right to ask some questions, but they very well may not be, and I worry about the precedent of the chill this sends to any state prosecutor that wants to pursue charges against any American."
IN OTHER NEWS: Trump ally Robert Costello reveals what he told the Manhattan grand jury
Kinzinger warned that "we run the risk of becoming numb to what's really going on here" with House GOP lawmakers trying to interfere with the Manhattan investigation.
"You have an entire party that's basically jumping the gun and trying to interfere before laws, and before law enforcement, really has had its chance, and justice has had its chance, to be done," said Kinzinger. "You have a president that's done one of the darkest videos I have ever seen, the former president, where he called Russia not our enemy but fellow Americans our enemy, and then has tweeted, or put on Truth Social, over and over that his supporters need to come out and basically prevent justice from occurring. Now, you go to Earth 2, five years ago, and people would be shocked by this. We've become numb. And I don't think we can afford and risk to become as numb as we have become."
Watch video below or at this link.
Adam Kinzinger on GOP efforts to go after Alvin Bragg www.youtube.com
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(Reuters) - Vladimir Putin and his "dear friend" Chinese leader Xi Jinping planned more talks on Tuesday after a Kremlin dinner where the isolated Russian president showcased his most powerful ally in the face of Western opposition to the war in Ukraine. Washington denounced Xi's visit, saying the timing just days after an international court accused Putin of war crimes indicated Beijing was providing Moscow with "diplomatic cover" to commit additional crimes. It was Xi's first trip abroad since he obtained an unprecedented third term last month. The Chinese leader has been trying to portray B...
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