A Late Night Conversation

[H2O Man]

"Robert Costello has some impressive experience," I said. "I'm surprised he wants to testify in front of the grand jury. It wouldn't be good to get caught lying to the."

"He doesn't want to. In a future Oliver Stone movie, his character will be assigned to do this, like Jack Ruby being assigned to end Oswald's legal problems. What can he say that's of any value? That Michael was a creep when he worked for Trump? Cohen has already told everyone that!" my friend said.

"But wasn't Costello's association with Cohen mainly after the FBI arrested him? Didn'y Cohen want a pardon? Will he say that Cohen begged for one, and he approached the White House to advocate for him to get one? And Cohen was pissed when he thought that Trump had betrayed him by not giving one?" I asked.

"Cohen doesn't deny that. Costello did go to the White House. Trump was all for it, until his lawyers told him that if he did, Cohen could be forced to testify honestly to Congress or law enforcement. At first, Trump said Michael could be trusted to lie for him. But even Rudy told him not to grant a pardon. Trump knew that Giuliani was close to Costello, and that convinced him to toss Cohen under the bus," he said.

"Other than character assassination, what can Costello possibly have to offer the grand jury?" I asked.

" His goal is to say that Trump didn't know that he was re-paying Michael for his deal with Daniels. Keep in mind that when reporters asked him about it on Air Force One, he said they needed to talk to Cohen, that he handled such things. Later, Sarah Sanders claimed that Trump didn't know at the time what he was paying Cohen for. But when the FBI raid turned up the tape of Trump and Cohen's conversation about paying off the Playboy model, this changed. Trump then said he was paying Cohen for a 'private contract' between Cohen and Daniels for something 'something that never happened.' Costello has to say that Michael told him he dealt with Daniels on his own, without Trump knowing. The McDougal tape makes that a very hard sell."

[Kid Berwyn]

1. MetaRICO

When all is said and done, dis is going to be da muthah of all slobfather conspiracies.

[H2O Man]

2. Things appear

to be heating up.

[Kid Berwyn]

13. I almost pity him, official scapegoat of the GOP.

He learned all that NAZI Dixie grifter shit somewhere.



How Cheney Got His SNEER: The Curse of Dick Cheney

https://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x790720

[H2O Man]

14. One of my sons

had mentioned over the weekend how gross it is that W and Cheney seem to be embraced because they dislike Trump. People forget how horrible they were.

[MartyTheGreek]

3. Is that the same PHONCON...

... Between Cohen where Trump asked: Cash?

Rec.

I have a feeling this is a dirty money trail too!

[H2O Man]

6. Yes.

The one about the Playboy model. It exposes Trump knowing about payments to prevent "bad news" during the 2016 campaign.

I agree with you about the money trail.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

4. This is one of the attorneys suing Steve Bannon

This will be amusing

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[H2O Man]

7. Right.

What a cast of shady characters!

[bigtree]

5. going back to that point right after Cohen's home was raided

"U.S. prosecutors investigating Giuliani in New York City also previously sought Costello’s documents regarding interactions he had with another former personal lawyer to Trump, Michael Cohen, shortly after the FBI raided Cohen’s home in April 2018.

“Sleep Well tonight, you have friends in high places,” Costello told Cohen via email at the time, adding that he was in touch with Giuliani, who thanked him for opening a “back channel” to Cohen. Cohen alleged that Trump allies dangled the prospect of a pardon to him, although Cohen also said he directed his own attorney to approach Giuliani about a potential pardon."

While the data gathering on Costello appeared centered on Bannon’s case, his lawyers said information the government has turned over raises more questions than answers, including why information about Costello’s calls, texts or emails — but not their contents — were sought, who approved the collection, and how much was scooped up. At least one request mentioned in court filings spanned an eight-month period last year when Costello was also representing Giuliani in a criminal probe led by U.S. prosecutors in Manhattan into whether Giuliani’s dealings in Ukraine as Trump’s personal attorney violated federal lobbying laws.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/02/05/bannon-attorney-costello-justice-search/

Costello could be on the hook today for more than just impeaching Cohen's credibility to the jurors.

[H2O Man]

8. Great point!

Actually, "points" .......

I understand why an attorney will defend the worst shits, such as the fellow accused of murdering the four college students in Idaho. They have loyalty to the courts, the legal system. They are focused upon making prosecutors prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the client is guilty.

But when they shift their loyalty -- from justice to a person or persons -- it is an indication that they have an interest in the power of finances. One doesn't expect them to work for free, of course. But when someone is working for Trump et al, they want to be rewarded for obstructing justice.

[Saoirse9]

9. I think this guy Costello

Is the reason trump can’t be indicted today. They have to hate him out and decide if his testimony is useful (probably not). Then they van proceed with indictments.

Just the usual delay tactic that the tangerine turd likes to engage in.

Indictment will probably happen Wednesday now. Fucker.

[H2O Man]

10. I think that the

one woman lawyer working for Trump had already been to the grand jury, though maybe she only spoke to the prosecutors. When that did little to no good, they sent in Costello.

I didn't think it would be tomorrow. Very possible it will be later this week.

[Saoirse9]

11. It am also reading

That Costello testified, and Cohen was on standby as a rebuttal witness.

Cohen was told he wasn’t needed. So whatever Costello said, they were not impressed.

[H2O Man]

12. Interesting.

At first, Vohen thought he might be on today. Then it switched to tomorrow. This would seem to confirm that Costello did not impress in a manner that would justify him standing in front of W Bush's "mission accomplished" banner.