***Official Political Discussion Thread***

Draining the swamp 
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https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/12/...-left-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-left-region
 [h1]Mr. Trump Goes After the Inspectors[/h1]
Just before the inauguration, Michael Horowitz, chairman of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, was at a hockey game when he began getting calls from other inspectors general in federal agencies. The inspectors — independent officials who investigate waste, misconduct, mismanagement and criminal activity — were furious. Trump aides had let them know they might be replaced; for the first time ever, a president might fire them en masse.

The administration later backed down. But it has continued to undermine the inspectors’ role by failing to hire for open positions and planning to slash the offices’ budgets, one of the many ways the White House has found to diminish the oversight functions of the federal government.

Every major federal agency and program has an inspector general, a nonpartisan, independent official whose staff investigates cases of wasteful spending, criminal activity, employee misconduct and plain bad management. These are watchdogs with real teeth.

Mr. Horowitz, who is also the inspector general at the Department of Justice, recently told Congress  that in fiscal 2015 alone, the offices identified $26 billion in potential savings and recovered an additional $10 billion through criminal and civil cases. That’s a return of $14 for every dollar in the offices’ budgets.

The list of good works is long and impressive. In 2008, for instance, the Interior Department’s inspector general, Earl Devaney, delivered three reports to Congress detailing widespread corruption and conflicts of interest in the division overseeing the oil industry, leading eventually to a thorough departmental reorganization. He later reported that President George W. Bush’s political appointees had run roughshod over agency scientists who had recommended stronger protections for endangered species.

In a similar vein, the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction found weaknesses in planning, executing, and sustaining $488 million worth of American investments in Afghanistan’s extractive industries; inspectors at the Department of Homeland Security unearthed technical problems that resulted in cost overruns of 480 percent while increasing national security risks; and the inspector general for the Social Security Administration discovered $345 million in underpayments to 50,000 people.

Today nearly one-quarter of inspector general offices have either an acting director or no director at all, including  the offices at the C.I.A., the National Security Agency, the Department of Defense and the Social Security Administration. Acting directors can be reluctant to make extensive changes or take bold action, particularly if they hope to be nominated for a permanent appointment.

The inspectors’ offices are deeply affected by the current federal hiring freeze and would be further harmed by the administration’s proposed budget cuts. The budget takes unexplained specific aim  at the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, created in part to monitor the $700 billion taxpayer bailout for big banks.

That office has gone after 96 bankers; at least 36 went to prison. In 2015 its investigators helped prosecute General Motors for covering up a defective ignition switch responsible for at least 15 deaths, securing  a $900 million settlement. The administration wants to cut its budget in half, to $20 million; as a result it has stopped accepting applications to its foreclosure prevention program.

The cuts in staff and budget would force inspectors general to do less, just as a new administration generates new matters to investigate.

Congress has demonstrated bipartisan willingness to step up for inspectors general in the past, and last year it expanded the types and scope of protection offered to government whistle-blowers. Now it needs to protect the watchdogs from an administration that wants to starve them.
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Rolaholic said:
So given that it's being made clear that Mueller's been assembling an All-Star team of legal and national security minds,investigators and criminal prosecutors, some in Trumplandia are starting to get nervous...

Just a month ago when the special counsel was first announced

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Now today

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:rollin

https://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/michaeljackson/images/7/75/Moonwalk_left.gif/revision/latest?cb=20111019160259[/quote]

LIFE COMES AT U FAST B.
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The press spokesperson for Trump's lawyer Marc Kasowitz tweeted this regarding US attorney Preet Bharara discussing calls with Trump and his firing on ABC News.
 
Death by social media 
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http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-40246754
 [h1]'Facebook blasphemer' given death penalty[/h1]
A man accused of posting blasphemous content to Facebook has been sentenced to death by a court in Pakistan.

Taimoor Raza was convicted after allegedly posting remarks about the Prophet Muhammad, his wives and companions within the site's comments.

The public prosecutor involved said he believed it was the first time the death penalty had been awarded in a case related to social media.

Human rights campaigners have expressed concern.

Facebook itself has yet to comment on the case.

The US firm previously announced in March that it was deploying a team to Pakistan to address the government's concerns about blasphemous content on its service, but added that it still wished to protect "the privacy and rights" of its members.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has described blasphemy as being an "unpardonable offence".
[h2]Religious debate[/h2]
Raza's case was heard by an anti-terrorism court in Bahawalpur - about 309 miles (498km) from the capital Islamabad.

His defence lawyer said the 30-year-old had become involved in an argument about Islam on the social network with someone who had turned out to be a counter-terrorism official.

The public prosecutor said the accused had been arrested after playing hate speech and blasphemous material from his phone at a bus stop, following which his handset had been confiscated and analysed.

Raza will be able to appeal against the death penalty at Lahore High Court and then, if required, in Pakistan's Supreme Court.

The Express Tribune, a local newspaper, reported that the verdict  came days after a college professor was refused bail in another case involving accusations of blasphemy on social media in Pakistan.

Amnesty International recently published a report critical of the country's blasphemy laws.

Its Pakistan campaigner, Nadia Rahman, has called for Raza's immediate release.

"Convicting and sentencing someone to death for allegedly posting blasphemous material online is a violation of international human rights law and sets a dangerous precedent," she told the BBC.

"No one should be hauled before an anti-terrorism court or any other court solely for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression and freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief online."

The developments come seven years after a Pakistan court temporarily blocked local access to Facebook after the social network was used to promote a contest to draw images of Prophet Muhammad - an act considered to be offensive by many Muslims.
[h2]Analysis - Tahir Imran, BBC Urdu social media editor[/h2]
This is a dramatic time for Pakistani social media. Once considered a platform where people could express themselves freely, it is now a place where people worry about the consequences of commenting.

Instead of acting to restore confidence and safeguarding the masses' right to freedom of expression, the government has been busy making threats through TV and newspaper adverts.

This is happening with a clear understanding about the gravity that accusations of blasphemy can have. There have been several incidents of vigilantes taking the law into their own hands after such claims.

Human rights activists accuse the government of pushing through a controversial cyber-crimes law without addressing their concerns.

In a country where fewer people have been convicted of blasphemy than have been killed after being accused of the offence, this ruling will not calm nerves. And increasingly people prefer to use chat apps and closed groups to post content so that their thoughts cannot be seen by the wider public.
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http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trum...i-building-contract-raising/story?id=47981206

Nothing to see here 
 
In what ethics experts are calling a glaring “direct conflict” of interest, a significant business partner of both President Donald Trump  and his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner  is pursuing a $2 billion government contract to build a new headquarters for the FBI.

“It creates a huge conflict,” said Rep. Gerald Connolly, a Virginia Democrat who sits on the House Oversight Committee. “It’s an enormous project. The exposure here for the Trump administration is very real.”

Vornado Realty Trust, a giant New York real estate firm whose founder and chairman Steven Roth is a longtime friend and occasional advisor to President Trump, is one of three finalists for the rights to develop a new FBI headquarters and campus in the Washington, D.C. region. Roth is helping head up Trump’s infrastructure advisory council and traveled with the president as he rolled out his plans last week, briefly sharing the stage with him in Cincinnati – with Trump introducing him to the crowd as one of “the greatest builders in America.”

Through business partnerships with both the Trump Organization and the Kushner Company, Roth’s firm has a level of financial codependence with the First Family that Connolly said could spark intense debate over the Trump administration’s handling of potential conflicts.

Vornado and The Trump Organization are jointly invested in two buildings — one in Manhattan and another in San Francisco. Vornado is also in the midst of active negotiations with the Kushner Company about the future of a troubled investment by Kushner’s family in a New York City skyscraper at 666 Fifth Avenue, according to a Kushner Co. spokesman. The company came to the rescue of the Kushners when it agreed to an arrangement that gave Vornado 49.5 percent of the office portion of the New York tower, and 70 percent of the retail space.

Through a spokesman, Kushner told ABC News he will work hard to avoid any conflict between his White House work and his family business.

“Jared takes the ethics rules very seriously and would never compromise himself or the administration,” a White House official told ABC News. “In consultation with the Office of the White House Counsel, he is fully complying with federal ethics rules and will recuse as necessary.”

Already, Kushner has faced questions about presentations his family firm made in China – a road show in which his sister referenced Jared’s White House stature as she marketed a New Jersey development to potential investors. Noah Bookbinder, the executive director of the ethics watchdog group CREW, said he harbors even greater concerns about the FBI headquarters project. It is not uncommon in Washington, he said, to find indirect conflicts of interest, where a broad policy change might benefit someone close to a political leader, but this is different.

“This is a case where the conflict is direct,” Bookbinder said. “They have business ties to a company that stands to benefit from a direct decision of the administration.”

Earlier this year, Kushner announced he had stepped away from roughly 200 positions in the various entities that comprise the vast family business, though he continues to have a financial stake in the company. In April, Kushner’s lawyer Jamie Gorelick  told The New York Times that her client could not shed investment funds that were tied up in buildings.

“The real estate assets that Kushner is holding on to are unlikely to pose the kinds of conflicts that would trigger the need to divest,” Gorelick told The Times. “The remaining conflicts, from a practical perspective, are pretty narrow and very manageable.”

Reached last week, Kushner’s spokesman did not indicate whether the president’s son-in-law would weigh in on the decision about the FBI headquarters contract, which is expected to be made by the General Services Administration  later this year. The winning bidder not only will have the rights to develop an expansive new campus for the federal law enforcement agency, the government has also agreed to convey ownership of the existing FBI headquarters, an iconic building that sits on Pennsylvania Avenue in one of the most coveted locations in the nation’s capital. Vornado is partnered in its bid with a Maryland firm, The JBG Companies of Chevy Chase.

Connolly expressed concern about the ability of the General Services Administration to act independently of any influence from the White House. He and other lawmakers have questioned the way the agency handled the federal lease for the Old Post Office Pavilion, a government property in Washington, D.C., that is now home to the Trump International Hotel. The lease agreement included a provision prohibiting any elected official from holding an interest in the agreement, but the GSA ruled that Trump’s interest in the hotel did not run afoul of that requirement.

“Does GSA cut corners when it is politically convenient?” Connolly asked. “Our experience with the Trump Hotel downtown would suggest yes.”

A GSA spokeswoman was not available for comment last week.

Connolly said he believed the only solution would be for Vornado to withdraw its bid. Vornado executives did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Roth has not commented on the question, but told investors on an analyst call in February he was “honored” to be asked to help lead the president’s infrastructure council and that “infrastructure matters are not political.”

Questions about the close association between the Kushner firm and Vornado have surfaced at a time when there have been reports of financial stress for the signature Kushner property at 666 Fifth Avenue, in which Vornado is a partner.

One New York real estate expert told ABC News that the building is not making enough money in rental income to cover the payments on its $1.3 billion mortgage, and Vornado is likely playing a role in keeping the building afloat as they seek partners for a redevelopment. The initial loan is said to be coming due in January 2019.

“When they brought in Vornado, according to the documents we've seen, Vornado put some cash in, and made some financial commitments to cover those shortfalls on an ongoing basis,” said Thomas Fink, senior vice president of Trepp, a firm that analyzes commercial real estate.

“I don't know [the Kushners’] personal financial situation,” said Fink. “I don't think they have a billion plus in the bank to just write a check to pay off the mortgage.”

A spokesman for the Kushner firm said the company has “strong financing mechanisms in place with our partners to cover any deficits or improvements.” The depressed rental income for 666 Fifth Avenue, which is only 70 percent occupied, is by design, the company said. The company has been allowing leases to expire as part of a plan to empty the building’s rental space and replace it with a condominium redevelopment.

A company official said the firm sees the value of the building in the ‘dirt’ beneath it, not the actual building. Through its redevelopment, company officials predicted the ultimate value could be as high as $12 billion. Arthur Mirante, a New York real estate expert and friend of the Kushners, said he believes that Kushners and Vornado are working together to find funding for the building’s redevelopment.

“There’s risk in doing that, but these guys wouldn’t be doing that unless it made sense,” Mirante said. “Major decisions require unanimity. That includes a decision like not leasing space. And certainly the redevelopment would require mutual consent.”

As for that relationship creating a conflict for Kushner in his role as a senior adviser to President Trump, Bookbinder said he already sees reason for concern. According to news reports, Kushner dined with executives from a Chinese firm during the presidential transition. The firm was in talks with the Kushner firm to invest $400 million in the redevelopment of 666 Fifth Avenue. That deal fell through in March, but Bookbinder said it sent a message.

“What we’ve seen is not giving us confidence,” Bookbinder said. “It’s still not clear what he has divested from and what he hasn’t. We don’t believe he has sufficiently addressed all potential conflicts.”
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get you some then sessions...


AG Jeff Sessions has requested his appearance before Senate Intel Committee tomorrow be public, per DOJ.
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uh oh...

Atty Gen. Sessions provided false testimony in response to questions from me and @SenFranken about his contacts with Russian officials. (1)
(2) Now, twice in 2 mos., AG Sessions cancels an Approps hg in which I could Q him about his false testimony and half-hearted Russia recusal
3) My mssg to AttyGen Sessions: Approps & Judiciary have oversight of DOJ. You need to testify before both in public. You can't run forever.
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Sen. Patrick Leahy
 
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I wanna see Ivanka without make up because I'm finding it hard to believe she can be so attractive when her brothers got hit hard wit da ugly stick 8o
 
Why is NBC airing an interview with Alex Jones this weekend?

Why is Alex Jones even being mentioned by a major network?
 
Colombia said:
The press spokesperson for Trump's lawyer Marc Kasowitz tweeted this regarding US attorney Preet Bharara discussing calls with Trump and his firing on ABC News.
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When DA DON CALLS U BETTA ANSWER B.
 
^ Unless you're Comey B. Then you're supposed to have da covfefe to stand up to da president and gently tell him he's committing treason.
 
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