Democrats To Begin ‘Vast Probe’ Into Trump & Putin Possible Criminal Ties

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Democrats in the House will soon launch a “vast” and comprehensive series of investigations into Donald Trump’s ties to Russia.

And, according to a new report, the focus of the investigations will be on Trump’s criminal relationship with Vladimir Putin, and the alleged money laundering and other crimes that they committed together.

The report states that House Democrats, who are now in the majority, will hold a series of public events that “will include multiple committees and dramatic public hearings, and could last into 2020.”

Obviously what this means is that Democrats plan to showcase Donald Trump’s crimes to the entire nation starting this year and extending into the 2020 campaign for the presidency.

Even if Trump succeeds — with the help of probable new Attorney General William Barr — to keep secret the report and findings of the Mueller probe, he won’t be able to keep all of his misdeeds from public view. Clearly House Democrats have no intention of giving Donald Trump a free pass that would allow him to be re-elected as president next year.

The plan is for several different House committees to examine all aspects of the president’s financial ties to Putin and to Russian oligarchs. They even plan to subpoena and to question the interpreter present during Trump’s face-to-face meeting with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki last summer.

The aggressive plans were reportedly laid out in detail by a Democratic House member during a meeting with reporters. Democrats have made clear that now that they are in the majority they will be interviewing new witnesses. They also are scheduling follow-up interviews with witnesses who have previously testified before House committees, but who Republicans allowed to “stonewall” and not answer key questions.

According to the report:

“Participants in the meeting were made to understand that House Democrats don’t plan to depend on Robert Mueller for the last word on interference in the 2016 election.”

A minimum of three House committees are currently planning hearings into Trump’s crimes and his criminal relationship with Putin and other Russians. And other committees and subcommittees could get involved as well.

At the heart of the efforts will be the House Intelligence Committee, chaired by Rep. Adam Schiff of California. He will reportedly coordinate his efforts on investigating money laundering with the House Financial Services Committee. And the House Foreign Affairs Committee will explore in detail the current administrations dealings with Russia.

Congressional investigators are especially interested in understanding where the president obtained $400 million in cash that he spent making real estate deals in the 2000’s. That was a time when, due to his many failed projects and bankruptcies, he was unable to obtain bank financing for any new projects.

The Washington Post reported in May 2018:

“In the nine years before he ran for president Donald Trump’s company spent more than $400 million in cash on new properties — including 14 transactions paid for in full, without borrowing from banks — during a buying binge that defied real estate industry practices and Trump’s own history as the self-described ‘King of Debt.’”

Democrats will also be investigating Trump’s private meetings with Putin, and they intend to probe the president and his family’s dealings in Russia throughout the 2016 presidential campaign.

“If we didn’t look at his business,” the Democratic lawmaker said, “we wouldn’t know what we know now about his efforts to pursue what may have been the most lucrative deal of his life, the Trump Tower in Moscow — something the special counsel’s office has said stood to earn the family hundreds of millions of dollars.”

There is a good reason that Donald Trump is terrified of Adam Schiff and Nancy Pelosi. No matter what happens with the Mueller report, he knows that they have the power to bring down his presidency. And hopefully that is exactly what will happen in the coming months.

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Leo Vidal

I am a lifelong Democrat with a passion for social justice and progressive issues. I have degrees in writing, economics and law from the University of Iowa.