Truthdig
Veteran Washington Attorney Calls the Trump-Russia Allegations a 'Hall of
Mirrors'
http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/veteran_washington_lawyer_trump_russia_
allegations_hall_of_mirrors_20170331/
Posted on Mar 31, 2017
By Emma Niles
President Trump speaks on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
With Trump, from left: White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, Vice
President Mike Pence, White House press secretary Sean Spicer and Michael
Flynn, who at the time was national security adviser. (Andrew Harnik / AP)
"This is a mess."
These are the words of Jack Blum, a veteran Washington, D.C., lawyer who
recently appeared on KPFK's "Background Briefing" with Ian Masters and
analyzed the alleged ties
(https://fdmedia.org/background_briefing/march-28-2017/) between Donald
Trump and Russia.
Blum, an expert (https://www.ciponline.org/about-us/experts-staff/jack-blum)
on international financial crime, has decades of experience working inside
and outside Congress-for instance, he often testifies in front of
congressional committees investigating tax crime.
When he spoke with Masters, Blum argued that allegations of Russian
influence in the Trump administration are "more serious than most of the
other scandals" he has worked on.
"This is direct interference by a foreign power in American politics,
undermining the credibility of our democracy," Blum continued. Listen to the
full conversation below:
Blum's main argument was that the Trump administration has "doubled down on
denials that later proved to be flimsy if not false." Why is Trump doing
that?
According to Blum, Trump "can't clear the air" no matter how hard he tries,
because there is a strong likelihood that intelligence agencies already know
all the facts-making it difficult for the president and members of his
administration to lie.
So whatever contact Trump has had with Russia, "somewhere, in the
intelligence world, there's a record of it," Blum said. Members of the
administration can't say much because anything they may say could later
"blow up in their face."
"What we've walked into here is a hall of mirrors," Blum told Masters. "It
is worthy of a top-notch spy novel, but at the moment it's undermining
completely the credibility of the administration."
Blum analyzed the business dealings of Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort
and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
"The idea that there was no contact between the campaign and the Russians"
is not credible, Blum declared. He also said that classified information
eventually would become public, either through a leak or through testimony.
In this regard, Michael Flynn, a former Trump campaign adviser, offered to
testify about Russian dealings
(http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/senate-intelligence-committee-rejects-i
mmunity-michael-flynn-n741061) in exchange for immunity, an offer that the
Senate Intelligence Committee quickly rejected.
Many observers argued that Flynn probably had little to reveal. "It's not a
serious offer, and it suggests he has nothing to say (or is not willing to
say anything that would incriminate others)," Alex Whiting wrote
(https://www.justsecurity.org/39426/explainer-flynns-request-immunity/) at
Just Security.
In a tweet Friday,
(https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/847766558520856578?ref_src=twsrc
%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fthinkprogress.org%2Fmedia%2F78205ee439a869d794b
c7a71006549a7%3FpostId%3D20e390aca58f) President Trump endorsed Flynn's
quest for immunity and labeled the Russia investigations a "witch hunt."
The investigations are continuing-and already have resulted in alarming
statements.
"You also ought to follow the trail of dead bodies," one national security
expert said, speaking of the Russia probe (
http://www.wweek.com/news/2017/03/30/as-flynn-flips-wyden-speaks-out-on-russ
ia-investigation-follow-the-trail-of-dead-bodies/) .
Another national security expert echoed these remarks on the first day of
Senate Intelligence Committee hearings on Russian cyberattacks.
"Follow the trail of dead Russians," Clint Watts, a former FBI special
agent, told the committee (
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/russian-meddling-investigation-misinformation-ta
ctics-senate-intelligence-committee/) . "There's been more dead Russians in
the past three months that are tied to this investigation who have assets in
banks all over the world."
In his interview, Blum touched on the subject of wealthy Russian elites,
noting that they are successful only because they have close ties to Putin.
On the topic of Russian interference, there has been a growing wave of
criticism of the allegations against Trump. Journalist James Carden
explained in a recent piece
(https://qz.com/933735/trump-putin-connection-liberals-paranoid-attempts-to-
tie-trump-to-russia-are-distracting-them-from-their-real-problems/) on
Quartz:
In the months following Donald Trump's surprise victory in the US
presidential election, it has become increasingly clear that the Democratic
party is unwilling-and perhaps unable-to come to terms with the country's
post-election reality. The party's inability to accept defeat has since
manifested itself through an increasingly hysterical campaign to blame
Hillary Clinton's defeat on alleged Russian interference.
The charge that Russia, in the words of respected Russia expert and longtime
Clinton associate Strobe Talbott, breached "the firewall of American
democracy" has been repeated so often and by so many that it has taken on
the patina of fact. It has become an article of faith, among disappointed
Clinton partisans, mainstream political commentators, Democrats on Capitol
Hill and Republicans like senator Lindsey Graham, that the election was
tainted and that Trump's legitimacy as president is questionable, at best.
Liberal observers also argue that people who raise questions about the
validity of the allegations against Trump are quickly silenced or subjected
to unfair scrutiny.
For instance, journalist Adam Johnson tweeted:
Blum believes it's the responsibility of congressional investigative
committees and journalists to find out "what's going on behind the curtain"
when it comes to Trump and Russia, although some critics charge that current
congressional investigations will do little to uncover the truth.
Take the example of Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., head of one congressional
investigation into Trump and Russia, who has come under fire
(http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/rep_devin_nunes_recuse_gop_oppo
sition_russia_investigation_20170328) the past several weeks for alleged
close ties with the Trump administration.
Nunes "has functioned less as a watchdog than a lapdog, providing
information about the investigation of Trump to Trump in a breach of
protocol," Sarah Kendzior wrote
(https://thecorrespondent.com/6487/why-trumps-ties-to-russia-would-be-way-wo
rse-than-watergate/1834848708979-a4ae7d69) for The Correspondent.
"Given the erratic behavior of not only Trump but members of his
administration-and the sheer number of administrative officials who appear
to be implicated-it will be difficult to ensure a thorough inquiry,"
Kendzior continued. "But that is precisely what's needed, and as quickly and
publicly as possible."
Blum, however, was cautiously optimistic that the truth will be uncovered.
"The combination of journalists and congressional investigations will
eventually open the door to figuring out what's going on," he concluded.
Gathering for a 'Day of Play' on Cesar Chavez Day (Multimedia)
Poems From the Pond
Veteran Washington Attorney Calls the Trump-Russia Allegations a 'Hall of
Mirrors'
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