David Corn has done it again! Trump was cultivated by Russian spy agencies!!!!

[geek tragedy]

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/10/veteran-spy-gave-fbi-info-alleging-russian-operation-cultivate-donald-trump

On Friday, FBI Director James Comey set off a political blast when he informed congressional leaders that the bureau had stumbled across emails that might be pertinent to its completed inquiry into Hillary Clinton's handling of emails when she was secretary of state. The Clinton campaign and others criticized Comey for intervening in a presidential campaign by breaking with Justice Department tradition and revealing information about an investigation—information that was vague and perhaps ultimately irrelevant—so close to Election Day. On Sunday, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid upped the ante. He sent Comey a fiery letter saying the FBI chief may have broken the law and pointed to a potentially greater controversy: "In my communications with you and other top officials in the national security community, it has become clear that you possess explosive information about close ties and coordination between Donald Trump, his top advisors, and the Russian government…The public has a right to know this information."

Reid's missive set off a burst of speculation on Twitter and elsewhere. What was he referring to regarding the Republican presidential nominee? At the end of August, Reid had written to Comey and demanded an investigation of the "connections between the Russian government and Donald Trump's presidential campaign," and in that letter he indirectly referred to Carter Page, an American businessman cited by Trump as one of his foreign policy advisers, who had financial ties to Russia and had recently visited Moscow. Last month, Yahoo News reported that US intelligence officials were probing the links between Page and senior Russian officials. (Page has called accusations against him "garbage.&quot On Monday, NBC News reported that the FBI has mounted a preliminary inquiry into the foreign business ties of Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign chief. But Reid's recent note hinted at more than the Page or Manafort affairs. And a former senior intelligence officer for a Western country who specialized in Russian counterintelligence tells Mother Jones that in recent months he provided the bureau with memos, based on his recent interactions with Russian sources, contending the Russian government has for years tried to co-opt and assist Trump—and that the FBI requested more information from him.

"This is something of huge significance, way above party politics," the former intelligence officer says. "I think [Trump's] own party should be aware of this stuff as well."

Does this mean the FBI is investigating whether Russian intelligence has attempted to develop a secret relationship with Trump or cultivate him as an asset? Was the former intelligence officer and his material deemed credible or not? An FBI spokeswoman says, "Normally, we don't talk about whether we are investigating anything." But a senior US government official not involved in this case but familiar with the former spy tells Mother Jones that he has been a credible source with a proven record of providing reliable, sensitive, and important information to the US government.

MOAR!!!

In June, the former Western intelligence officer—who spent almost two decades on Russian intelligence matters and who now works with a US firm that gathers information on Russia for corporate clients—was assigned the task of researching Trump's dealings in Russia and elsewhere, according to the former spy and his associates in this American firm. This was for an opposition research project originally financed by a Republican client critical of the celebrity mogul. (Before the former spy was retained, the project's financing switched to a client allied with Democrats.) "It started off as a fairly general inquiry," says the former spook, who asks not to be identified. But when he dug into Trump, he notes, he came across troubling information indicating connections between Trump and the Russian government. According to his sources, he says, "there was an established exchange of information between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin of mutual benefit."

This was, the former spy remarks, "an extraordinary situation." He regularly consults with US government agencies on Russian matters, and near the start of July on his own initiative—without the permission of the US company that hired him—he sent a report he had written for that firm to a contact at the FBI, according to the former intelligence officer and his American associates, who asked not to be identified. (He declines to identify the FBI contact.) The former spy says he concluded that the information he had collected on Trump was "sufficiently serious" to share with the FBI.

Mother Jones has reviewed that report and other memos this former spy wrote. The first memo, based on the former intelligence officer's conversations with Russian sources, noted, "Russian regime has been cultivating, supporting and assisting TRUMP for at least 5 years. Aim, endorsed by PUTIN, has been to encourage splits and divisions in western alliance." It maintained that Trump "and his inner circle have accepted a regular flow of intelligence from the Kremlin, including on his Democratic and other political rivals." It claimed that Russian intelligence had "compromised" Trump during his visits to Moscow and could "blackmail him." It also reported that Russian intelligence had compiled a dossier on Hillary Clinton based on "bugged conversations she had on various visits to Russia and intercepted phone calls."

[Skidmore]

1. Was just going to post this article here but you

got it.

Let's get this stuff moving on social media and shove it in the lazy cable news faces.

[Ccarmona]

15. That's Right

Cable News is way behind with what their reporting and what's being reported on the Internet

[TrishaJ]

92. And that's why cable "news" will soon be

irrelevant. I don't watch cable "infotainment partisan 'news'" anymore. If a large majority of the general public is getting the idea that CNN and MSNBC (forget Fox) and others are deliberately ignoring vital information and reporting on manufactured bullshit (ahem.... emails, anyone??), alternative sources will become mainstream.

Social media may actually be shifting power from cable infotainment to the people in terms of access to relevant information. Just my 2 cents.

[DK504]

104. Mother Jones and the Nation

and maybe Huff Post are about the only sources that are believe able any longer. All the major US newspapers are suspect , even Newsweek and the like haven't worked as journalism for decades.

[lolly]

49. Yes! This!

I posted on my FB feed--in between pictures of kids in Halloween costumes.

Repost on Twitter. Get the story out there.

[Cha]

62. Great incentive call, Skidmore!

[sunonmars]

2. Has the FBI been infiltrated?

[alcibiades_mystery]

3. Your fixation with this Russia business is just strange

There are no more bombshells. We're a week out. There's only GOTV and that's it.

People hoping for an "other shoe" strike me as not very astute political observers. The dynamics are set. It's just effort now.

[Madam45for2923]

7. Your comment is strange! ~ This is major news!

[alcibiades_mystery]

10. Not really

GOTV.

[Madam45for2923]

16. Am doing GOTV regularly! ~and this is Major News!

[kentuck]

60. Yes, you can report and chew gum at the same time.

Good job!

[geek tragedy]

8. With due respect, read the fucking story and connect the dots.

Server dedicated to communicating with only one counterparty--a Putin-connected Russian bank.

And an intelligence dossier indicating that the FBI knew that Russian intelligence services had cultivated Donald Trump as an asset.

But when he dug into Trump, he notes, he came across troubling information indicating connections between Trump and the Russian government. According to his sources, he says, "there was an established exchange of information between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin of mutual benefit."

This was, the former spy remarks, "an extraordinary situation." He regularly consults with US government agencies on Russian matters, and near the start of July on his own initiative—without the permission of the US company that hired him—he sent a report he had written for that firm to a contact at the FBI, according to the former intelligence officer and his American associates, who asked not to be identified. (He declines to identify the FBI contact.) The former spy says he concluded that the information he had collected on Trump was "sufficiently serious" to share with the FBI.

Mother Jones has reviewed that report and other memos this former spy wrote. The first memo, based on the former intelligence officer's conversations with Russian sources, noted, "Russian regime has been cultivating, supporting and assisting TRUMP for at least 5 years. Aim, endorsed by PUTIN, has been to encourage splits and divisions in western alliance." It maintained that Trump "and his inner circle have accepted a regular flow of intelligence from the Kremlin, including on his Democratic and other political rivals." It claimed that Russian intelligence had "compromised" Trump during his visits to Moscow and could "blackmail him."

[Dadgumit]

99. Trump's slamming the UN, our allies, and fomenting racial and class divisions

makes more sense now, thats just what Russia would want.

Trump is desperate to save his crumbling empire, why else would he peddle steaks, a fake university, and rely on licensing his name? He is a developer who doesn't develop anymore. His lying about paying charities and short changing contractors is all about just try ng to stay afloat! Billionaires do not have to do things like that.

[enough]

9. Posting an article by a journalist as respected as David Corn is not a "fixation."

Can't understand why you bothered to take time out of your busy schedule to post on this thread.

[Glamrock]

11. I disagree.

If this turns out to be true, it could seriously depress the Trump voters from even showing up at the polls.

[alcibiades_mystery]

18. Yes

We disagree.

[Sugarcoated]

36. It knocks the server story out of the headlines

That stops the bleeding, so to speak

[alcibiades_mystery]

37. There wasn't any bleeding

[Sugarcoated]

38. The media has been pounding it for days

that's what I mean by "bleeding". This can, and probably will, stop the media feeding frenzy.

[lonestarnot]

74. There soon will be.

[alcibiades_mystery]

75. Zat right?

[lonestarnot]

76. Dumpster going to slit his wrists when he loses.

[Cha]

63. Excellent point, Sugarcoated!

[Sugarcoated]

77. Thanks, Cha!

It's a game of inches at this point, but this story matters. A lot. It plays into the existing narrative that Trump is dangerous, but now unAmerican and treasonous territory. Undecideds. The media will be gathering tomorrow, flocking and feeding by Wed.

[Cha]

78. drumpf has certainly earned it! Have you seen the latest cover of

Newsweek?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12512566083

[pangaia]

51. As important as this is,

I seriously doubt ANYTHING would stop trump's dumb as a rock supporters from showing up.

[Hekate]

20. Given the involvement of Manafort and Lewandowski, plus the hacking(s) traced back to Russia....

It would be willfull blindness to put off the Russia issue to some later date.

Manafort already involved himself in a European election (Ukraine?) at Putin's behest, making sure his agitprop skewed that election. We shouldn't pay attention when he involves himself in an American election?

[George II]

43. He is in deep trouble now that all of this is coming out. He (and Trump) should have just....

....stayed out of Presidential politics altogether. But their egos got the best of them, and they are going to expose, as they say, "the seamy underbelly" of their businesses and lives. Both of their lives are riddled with skeletons, questionable associations, and corrupt behavior.

They are toast.

[kentuck]

61. General Flynn has Russian connections also.

There is a cabal at work, it seems?

[Hekate]

68. Flynn, eh? One wonders, doesn't one.

I'm only too happy to put a little polish on this.

[GeorgeGist]

41. Nonsense.

[uponit7771]

53. Cause there's NOTHING at all there right? come on man...

[alcibiades_mystery]

56. It doesn't matter if there is

It's not going to affect the election at this point, regardless.

[uponit7771]

57. Most likely and not the point at all... even if HRC was losing (and she's not) this is some fucked u

... up shit.

I would like to see tRump have the fullest consequences to these actions win or lose

[Mc Mike]

71. While you're saying this, umpteen mainstream media outlets are telling us

how Comey's statement about Clinton's aide's husband's laptop's contents are very much affecting the election at this point, and should be.

[alcibiades_mystery]

72. Don't worry. They're wrong too

[Mc Mike]

82. I already know THEY'RE wrong. But thanks for the heads up, anyhow.

[geek tragedy]

79. social media is affecting the election the same amount, if not more, than ground game is.

which isn't very much

thus far, there isn't a single battleground state other than Nevada where Clinton is showing an advantage due to her campaign field operation. And that's Harry Reid's machine at work moreso than anything the national party is doing.

NC, FL, OH, IA--in all of those states Republicans have gained at our expense in the early voting. Even though Trump doesn't have a field operation.

Because the air war is what moves votes. Organic voter enthusiasm--not data and door knockers--is what makes the most difference. If ground game were really of any real importance, Clinton would be blowing the doors off Trump in the early vote instead of losing ground relative to 2012.

[alcibiades_mystery]

81. Whatever you say, buddy

[geek tragedy]

83. Trump has closed the gap in early voting in NC, FL, IA, and OH.

Look up the numbers. Fewer Dems, more Republicans, fewer blacks, more whites, etc etc compared to 2012.

Despite the fact Clinton's field staff outnumbers him 5-1, 10-1 in each state--an advantage Obama did not have in 2012.

Clinton's vote gains relative to 2012, on the other hand, are in deep red states like Texas (where she never had any chance to win) and deep blue states like California (where she never had any danger of losing). Where she doesn't have any field staff.

So, hard to see the empirical argument that ground game is anything but a training program for state level operatives.

Nevada is the only state where ground game is making a difference. And that's Harry Reid and the local unions, not the campaign's doing.

[Demsrule86]

94. There is no more important bombshell than Trump is in bed with Putin.

He is a traitor.

[yodermon]

110. Wow, look at the subthread you caught. Well done.

[alcibiades_mystery]

111. Some people enjoyed it

[ncgrits]

4. Holy SHIT!

That's all I've got. HO-LEEEE SHHIIT!

[Madam45for2923]

5. Again wow! Just wow!

Speechless!

Trump is compromised! Trump is no friend - He is a foe!

[Glamrock]

6. Lock them up! Lock them up!

Who's the inner circle facing charges if this turns out to be true? His kids? Bannon? How far does this thing go?

[Hekate]

12. Bookmark. Kick. Rec.

[napkinz]

13. come on MSM, all these stories about Trump's ties to Russia!

Damn it, where are the BREAKING NEWS BANNERS!!!!!

Time to cut away from Hillary's Emails!

Get on the Russia Connection, NOW!

[onetexan]

14. OMG OMG

Hello fellow democrats. I usually just lurk and read, but given this explosive bit that will tilt the balance of the election i had to sign up and post my first post. So freaked out at this breaking news. I just watched the evening news - no mention at all so i'm guessing this report was just released. Wondering if the M$M will catch on so it will spread like wildfire. Now I'm excited!!

[Stonepounder]

19. I'll be checking on the MSM as well. And welcome to DU as a poster as well! :-)

[napkinz]

22. I've been switching back and forth between MSNBC and CNN for a couple of hours.

Tweety gave the story a couple of minutes ... and that's it.

Otherwise, a big NOTHING! No Breaking News Banners. No frenzied coverage.

[Demsrule86]

97. Give it time to sink in.

[renate]

26. welcome to DU!

[FuzzyRabbit]

34. The M$M will probably not report it.

They gave Trump millions of dollars worth of free publicity. If it turns out that Trump is the Manchurian Candidate, then they will look foolish and ignorant for promoting him like they did.

[whttevrr]

17. to the twitterverse please...

[dalton99]

21. Great article.

[Coyotl]

23. Is there a November Surprise brewing tonight? This is getting really spooky!

Carville: Republicans, KGB Trying To Affect Democracy

Comey covering up Trump–Russia connection?

[CanSocDem]

102. Carville is my hero.

Calls it like it is. Thanks for posting.



.

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

24. I knew after Comey's letter that Leaks about Trump and Russia would start flowing out

Any military or intelligence type that still supports Trump after this needs to be investigated to see if they are spying on the US for Russia.

[senseandsensibility]

25. David Corn might be on Lawrence tonight; he has been on constantly lately!

Let's hope so. MSNBC ten o'clock eastern.

[onetexan]

33. Please post a recap if you can. TY!

[senseandsensibility]

35. I'll try, but it's just about to hit prime trick or treating time here on the westcoast!

Still, I'll record it and try to post something later if Corn is on. Welcome to DU!

[BSdetect]

27. drumph is dumb enough to think he can hide such a relationship

He's already contradicted himself with denials about Putin that are lies.

[GoCubsGo]

28. Watch your back, Mr. Corn!

Please stay safe. No telling what this petty, vindictive POS or his nutjob followers will do.

[whttevrr]

29. Three stories...

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/10/veteran-spy-gave-fbi-info-alleging-russian-operation-cultivate-donald-trump

But a senior US government official not involved in this case but familiar with the former spy tells Mother Jones that he has been a credible source with a proven record of providing reliable, sensitive, and important information to the US government.

In June, the former Western intelligence officer—who spent almost two decades on Russian intelligence matters and who now works with a US firm that gathers information on Russia for corporate clients—was assigned the task of researching Trump's dealings in Russia and elsewhere, according to the former spy and his associates in this American firm.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/cover_story/2016/10/was_a_server_registered_to_the_trump_organization_communicating_with_russia.html

The researchers had initially stumbled in their diagnosis because of the odd configuration of Trump’s server. “I’ve never seen a server set up like that,” says Christopher Davis, who runs the cybersecurity firm HYAS InfoSec Inc. and won a FBI Director Award for Excellence for his work tracking down the authors of one of the world’s nastiest botnet attacks. “It looked weird, and it didn’t pass the sniff test.” The server was first registered to Trump’s business in 2009 and was set up to run consumer marketing campaigns. It had a history of sending mass emails on behalf of Trump-branded properties and products. Researchers were ultimately convinced that the server indeed belonged to Trump. (Click here to see the server’s registration record.) But now this capacious server handled a strangely small load of traffic, such a small load that it would be hard for a company to justify the expense and trouble it would take to maintain it. “I get more mail in a day than the server handled,” Davis says.

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/donald-trump-campaign-lobbyist-russian-pipeline-229264

Richard Burt helped shape the candidate's first foreign-policy speech while lobbying on behalf of a Moscow-controlled gas company.

[ILFightinDem]

65. That middle section about the server looks especially troublesome...

I don't even want to think about the possibilities, if that server is being used as a Trojan (with or without DJT's knowledge). From there, the only question would be if Cheeto actively knew of it's capabilities to compromise - from both an intelligence and monetization standpoint. And that's just the start.

Hopefully, that's not the case, as I'd fervently hope the feds would have brought this to light before the election, instead of letting that thing compromise every computer coming into contact with it. One e-mail received from it would be all it took - even if the mail was never opened.

The other thing I hope has been done is for US Intel to be tapped in to it without knowledge by the involved parties, so we know what it's been up to. Not real optimistic on this possibility, as I'd like to think this would have been exposed before now (and apparently, now, it's considered 'too late' by (at least) the Bureau.

[Squinch]

30. Most infuriating line:

An FBI spokeswoman says, "Normally, we don't talk about whether we are investigating anything."

Assholes.

[ProudProgressiveNow]

46. +1 nt

[uponit7771]

54. +1

[Maven]

31. Someone needs to leak the actual memos. Could that be next? nt

[geek tragedy]

40. There's a lot of specifics in there.

Corn just retweeted a Trump tweet about the Miss Universe pageant in Moscow in 2013. Blackmail material?

[Maven]

42. Interesting. Yes that's what I think

There might be more that Corn is sitting on. Lots of specifics in the article to show it's real and not hearsay, but I think it will take either named sources or documentary evidence for other outlets to pick it up. I don't think they'll touch it based solely on "unnamed sources said" but I'd be glad to be proven wrong

[BumRushDaShow]

32. Since this would be international, I expect the CIA is involved

since the FBI is technically supposed to focus "domestically".

[ILFightinDem]

66. CIA, NSA, DHS...probably others

This would literally be 'Manchurian Candidate' stuff (Moscovian Candidate?), as someone posted further up the thread.

[yardwork]

39. Kick

[writes3000]

44. I believe this is the Rick Wilson bombshell.

If you notice his responses on twitter, there's some hinting there that he's aware of Russian influence/support behind Trump online.

[napkinz]

45. yes, Rick Wilson had made some cryptic reference to Russia when he tweeted the other day

that the Comey letter about Hillary's emails WASN'T the final October surprise.

[underthematrix]

47. This

"Russian regime has been cultivating, supporting and assisting TRUMP for at least 5 years." This add credence to AMAROSA's statement TRUMP was humiliated at 2011 WHCD

[shadowmayor]

48. He said, she said

Don't count on our "we need a horse race" media to do much with this one folks. Add it to the never ending STFU Donny outrages of the week club. Next we'll hear how Hillary didn't leave a big enough tip at a Waffle House in Arkansas in 1987. This one should be huuge, but will get the Fukushima treatment toot-sweet.

[Demsrule86]

96. hahah...nice try. Trump is going down.

There never was a 'horse race' and now? buh bye orange fascist in waiting.

[shadowmayor]

112. Not sure what you mean?

I am not a concern troll etc. I believe that Hillary has had this race wrapped up for months and the polls and rantings on TV are a concoction designed to create the sense of a horse race. I see Hillary trouncing STFU donnie just like Obama did to Romney, even though the TV people tried to tell us that Mittens was running close. Hell, the Fox Noise polls had Romney convinced he was actually going to win! Puhleeze! Hillary wins in a romp!!

[Demsrule86]

113. That could be true...sorry so many er concerned types here today.

[annabanana]

50. It truly saddens me that I am

not surprised.

Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their Country.

[peggysue2]

52. O.M.G.

Could this be the other shoe (concrete boot) that Mineral Man suggested was about to drop on The Donald? If so, the country has been compromised, not by Hillary's emails but by Trump's greed and treason.

This is bigger than Watergate. And extraordinarily dangerous.

[ancianita]

55. This is killer. Thank you.

[SunSeeker]

58. K & R for exposure.

[kentuck]

59. There is definitely something here.

If David Corn has written this, I tend to believe it. He always has sources to back up his story. A very good reporter.

This is insane!

But, as I recall, Paul Manafort resigned abruptly from the Trump campaign, as soon as word broke of a possible Russian connection with Donald's finances. and Kellyanne Conway took over for him almost immediately.

Then Donald bragged that he hoped Russia would hack Hillary's 30,000 emails that were missing? This was before the emails from Wikileaks were released. Seventeen intelligence people said that Russia was doing the hacking.

This is like a spy movie.

[Cha]

64. So it's not just our lying eyes and drumpf's big ugly mouth!

Russian regime has been cultivating, supporting and assisting TRUMP for at least 5 years. Aim, endorsed by PUTIN, has been to encourage splits and divisions in western alliance." It maintained that Trump "and his inner circle have accepted a regular flow of intelligence from the Kremlin, including on his Democratic and other political rivals."

Gotta trust David Corn.. Mahalo, geek!

[cleveramerican]

67. Please nail this jackass with this

let this get much wider attention
thanks for posting it

[getagrip_already]

69. let's just hope..

The Russians didn't leave a log on Weiners device. Compromised devices can download files as easily as upload them. Who's to know if emails were planted?

[triron]

70. Sent this to Rachel of the TRMS

Asked her wtf weren't they covering it.

[oasis]

73. K & R

[Lifelong Protester]

80. Another K & R For Exposure.

[diane in sf]

84. I wonder if Comey was being blackmailed too.

[jeffreyi]

85. kick nt

[lillypaddle]

86. K&R nt

[KewlKat]

91. several stories now seem to intertwine the ru$$ian web.

even if it doesn't come out before the election, lets hope someone manages to expose the truth.

[Demsrule86]

93. If this is true, and I think it is.

Trump should go to jail for espionage. He should spend the rest of his child raping, pussy grabbing life behind bars.

[budkin]

95. Nothing on any MSM news site

Still all Hillary emails

[tavernier]

100. Yup. Nothing.

But then, who cares about Russia blackmailing Trump and compromising our election when the FBI might expose another picture of Wiener's penis?

The only news America wants to hear is anything that is sex related.

[ewagner]

98. Skeptical.....

If something sounds too good to be true ...it probably isn't true.....

I like David but I'll wait for another, independent, credible, confirming source..

[BSdetect]

101. K&R

[napkinz]

103. MSM still stuck on Emails

[BSdetect]

105. K&R 10000 + Views ain't enough

[napkinz]

106. David Corn on MSNBC discussing story now on MSNBC

[getagrip_already]

107. the schills already have their talking points.....

source is in the bag for clinton... fbi already stated there is no link between the russians and trump campaign - using nyt atricle as proof (wrong, that is just based on other unamed sources)...

facts point to other factors.. blah, blah, blah (blah=lie)

[Hekate]

108. Kick again

[KrazyinKS]

109. I personally this connects the dots-

His comments praising Putin, letting Putin have his way in the Mideast. I always thought he owed money to some Russian oligarch. The thing is Trump repeated those comments, it was not an aberration. I could not figure out why he kept being so outrageous with his comments. Now I know, the outrageous comments were no accident. It is meant to be divisive. I believe every word of this.