Megan McArdle writes that the NYT's leaked Trump tax documents show the product of a byzantine system more than anything else. But one thing I notice that they don't show is Russian connections. The NYT would have been trumpeting that as the top-line finding if there were any, but they don't. So the theory that Putin is holding a chain on Trump that goes back to compromising information about Russian money laundering looks to be dead, or close to dead, as a result of this leak.
Since that was the only part of the story that was credible to me, I'd say that in my estimation this saga is closed.
Was reading a comment that I thought made a relevant point - it's odd this was dropped in the middle of the week with many other irons in the fire (Kavanaugh, the upcoming election, trade deals, etc). There was no apparent urgency to printing the report, and you could even make a case that waiting until after the election (if things go as the Democrats hope) would have been better. It's almost as if somebody decided the subject of the national conversation needed to change and refocus on Trump.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe they were truly expecting to find Russian investments in the tax records, and when they didn't realized that it basically clears him of the major charge against him. So why not just bury the story in the middle of the SCOTUS fight? Now nobody will even work through the fact that it clears him of the charge of being a "TRAITOR!!!!" for the Russians.
ReplyDeleteI see via Instapundut that The Hill is reporting a meeting between FBI general counsel Jim Baker and Perkins Cole lawyers re The Dossier prior to the FISA warrants. Adam Schiff was already talking about investigating Trump's finances if the Russian Scare didn't pan out.
ReplyDeleteKavanaugh is energizing Republicans, and now looks to be a big win for a united GOP going into the election.
I'm starting to see the new talking points in comments on unrelated topics. It's time to get people bickering about Trump again.
Did they mentioned Elizabeth Warren, being the wonderful person she is, donated $50,000 of clothing one year?
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