Ryan's Coda

Piling On:  Due to Michael Cohen’s proclivity for taping clients we’ve known for some time that Trump was aware of the “hush” payments made to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal days before the 2016 election.  Yesterday we learned that those payments were part of a scheme that was hatched in 2015 during a meeting between Cohen, National Enquirer owner David Pecker and a “senior member” of the Trump campaign.  At that meeting Pecker asked what he could do to put the kabosh on any of Trump’s inconvenient women problems.  The senior member of the campaign present at that meeting was none other than Donald J Trump himself. That may explain why Trump’s explanations for the playmate/porn star payments are constantly changing; his currnet version is that the payments were made on the advice of his esteemed lawyer Michael Cohen and that given Cohen’s infinite wisdom and keen lawyering skills, the same skills he previously dissed when he said Cohen wasn’t really his lawyer, he had every reason to believe ion that they were legal. As to that whole violation of campaign finance laws thing, not a big deal because according to Trump, if violating that law is a problem than at least three dozen members of Congress belong in jail.  Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s current lawyer/fixer takes a slightly different route to the same conclusion, he said that the payments were just “a crime of interpretation,” adding who would charge any president with a crime of interpretation anyway?  For her part, last night spokesperson Kellyanne Conway spent almost forty minutes with CNN’s Chris Cuomo spewing lies and alternative truths in a thoroughly unconvincing and mind numbing attempt to distance Trump from the payment felony while her husband George refuted her argument by tweeting “Given that Trump has repeatedly lied about the Daniels and McDougal payments—and given that he lies about virtually everything else, to the point that his own former personal lawyer described him as a “f****ing liar”—why should we take his word over that of federal prosecutors?”  Since dissecting Trump’s campaign finance crimes wasn’t enough fodder for one day’s news quotient, yesterday afternoon the Wall Street Journal piled on reporting that Federal prosecutors in New York are investigating whether Trump’s 2017 inaugural committee misspent some of the $107 million it raised for inauguration activities, an amount that far exceeds the amount that was raised and spent on either of the Obama inaugurations.  Given that Trump’s festivities were kind of anemic in comparison to Obama’s it’s been suggested for some time that the money might have been spent inappropriately so the only thing surprising about this investigation is that it has taken so long to happen. Prosecutors are also examining whether some of the top donors gave money in exchange for access to the incoming Trump administration, again not that surprising giving the number of Trump associates who are now convicted felons and given earlier reports that Michael Cohen was selling himself as a consultant with access to Trump.  To be clear, giving money in exchange for political favors is not kosher and runs afoul of federal corruption laws and diverting funds from the inaugural committee which was registered as a nonprofit, could also violate federal law.  The WSJ reports that the Feds are basing part of their investigation on information obtained when they raided Michael Cohen’s office. One possibly incriminating piece of that evidence was a tape of a conversation with Stephanie Wolkoff, a former adviser to Melania, who worked as an event planner for parts of the inauguration. In the recording, she is heard expressing concern about how the inaugural committee was spending money.  Last night, the NY Times added to this story, reporting that prosecutors are also focusing on whether foreigners illegally “funneled donations” to the inaugural committee and a pro-Trump super PAC in the hopes of buying influence.  That part of the inquiry focuses on whether people from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates used “straw donors” to disguise their donations; foreign contributions to federal campaigns, political action committees and inaugural funds are another one of those things prohibited by Federal laws.  Notably, the Inauguration committee was chaired by Trump friend Thomas Barrack, who is also the guy who introduced him to Paul Manafort.  Additionally, Manafort’s sidekick and Mueller cooperator Rick Gates was heavily involved in all of the committees functions. To say that this plot is thickening would be a gross understatement.

Revolving Door Update:  Trump still doesn’t have a Chief of Staff but his search may be reaching its climax.  Yesterday the Huffington Post reported and Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed, that Trump is seriously considering hiring son-in-law Jared Kushner.  Of course to do that job, Kushner, who is responsible for almost everything else would probably have to relinquish some of his other functions.  Given that the “life expectancy” of a Trump Chief of Staff is relatively short, in addition to all of the other problems associated with appointing Kushner, can you imagine what it would take to fire him?  One can envision that at some future date Trump would push Ivanka to divorce Kushner, using marital discord as an excuse for booting him out.  In any case Jared’s ascension is not yet a done deal, Axios reports that former New Jersey Chris Christie met with Trump last night and that he is also on the short list.  What a contrast, the guy who imprisoned Jared’s dad versus Jared.  Can we get tickets to the final playoff?   

Arabian Nights:  With everyone except Trump and Secretary of State Pompeo agreeing that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the Senate finally responded by voting to end US participation in the Saudi-led war/humanitarian nightmare in Yemen and then unanimously approving a measure blaming the Crown Prince for the Khashoggi killing.   Unfortunately, in a rather despicable maneuver, Speaker Paul Ryan attached a provision slow tracking the Yemen legislation to the must pass House Farm bill effectively derailing the efforts to cut US support for the Yemen war.  The Yemen legislation will now be deferred to next year.  What a fitting coda to Paul Ryan’s already miserable term as Speaker.

Questionable Factoid:  Yesterday Casler Noel, a former Apprentice staffer, claimed that Trump is a “speed freak” who crushes up Adderall and snorts it to keep his motor running and to overcome his reading problems.  Noel says that he’s coming forward with this information now because he no longer feels constrained by his non disclosure agreement and anyway it makes for good material for his comedy routines.  For what it’s worth, one time Roseanne Barr husband, Tom Arnold who also competed on Celebrity Apprentice, confirms the story. It’s not really clear that either one of these guys is speaking the truth but the allegation would explain why Trump was snorting so much during the Hillary debates.