What the hell?: Indeed! (on threatening Michael Cohen)

By artappraiser on Tue, 02/26/2019 - 5:28pm |

A tweet that deserves to go viral if ever I saw one. Such blatant unashamed gangster behavior from a Congressperson! Don't need to check "context", don't care if intended as a joke, whatever: it's just outta line.

What the hell...

This is not normal. This is not okay. This is mafia tactics. Cohen is a Congressional witness being intimidated and tampered with IN PUBLIC by a Congressman. https://t.co/AiRXQYoPU3
— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) February 26, 2019

URL:

https://twitter.com/SethAbramson/status/1100522840531570688

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hmmm:

There you go:

Michael Cohen apologized to the Senate Intelligence Committee for the lies he told the committee in 2017, according to multiple sources familiar with the classified testimony.@mkraju
— Shimon Prokupecz (@ShimonPro) February 26, 2019

by artappraiser on Tue, 02/26/2019 - 5:37pm

More on Senate:

WATCH: Sen. Mark Warner steps out of closed-door Michael Cohen hearing to discuss what he's learned. #MTPDaily @MarkWarner: "When this investigation started I said it may be the most important thing I'm involved in.... Nothing that've I heard today dissuades me from that view." pic.twitter.com/S43hmZmQch
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) February 26, 2019

by artappraiser on Tue, 02/26/2019 - 6:06pm

Not being ignored:

GOP lawmaker accused of obstruction and witness intimidation after apparently threatening to publicly embarrass Michael Cohen one day before his congressional testimony

By Sonam Sheff @ BusinessInsider, 32 min. ago

Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Republican on the House Oversight Committee, appeared to threaten to release publicly embarrassing details about Michael Cohen one day before Cohen is scheduled to testify before the panel.

"Hey @MichaelCohen212 - Do your wife & father-in-law know about your girlfriends?" Gaetz tweeted. "Maybe tonight would be a good time for that chat. I wonder if she'll remain faithful when you're in prison. She's about to learn a lot..."

Gaetz's tweet came on the heels of a Wall Street Journal report that said Cohen plans to publicly accuse President Donald Trump of criminal conduct while in office when he testifies Wednesday.

Shortly after Gaetz sent out the tweet, some legal experts suggested his statement could amount to witness intimidation and obstruction of justice. Gaetz denied that, saying he was "witness testing."

[....]

GOP lawmaker appears to threaten Cohen on eve of public hearing

By Morgan Gstatler @ TheHill.com, 5:03 pm

Trump ally Rep. Gaetz appears to threaten Michael Cohen ahead of public hearing

@ Politico.com, 02/26/2019 05:15 PM EST

by artappraiser on Tue, 02/26/2019 - 5:45pm

WaPo:

Rep. Matt Gaetz’s very witness-tamper-y Michael Cohen tweethttps://t.co/CbRqsxu7Am pic.twitter.com/vFCWk3JFY0
— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) February 26, 2019

Lanny Davis:

Lanny Davis, a lawyer for Michael Cohen, on @mattgaetz tweet: pic.twitter.com/044gnTIzhn
— Rebecca Ballhaus (@rebeccaballhaus) February 26, 2019

FWIW, a "Kansas Republican":

As a republican from Kansas this tweet made me sad and upset, please stop being negative, we have nothing to hide let him testify by saying things like this this looks like were hiding something
— Barbara Robinson (@Barbara06002455) February 26, 2019

by artappraiser on Tue, 02/26/2019 - 6:14pm

OIC! The current headline story @ Politico is related: Cohen will present document to criminally implicate Trump

The president's former lawyer will publicly accuse Donald Trump of a crime over three days of Capitol Hill testimony this week.

Updated02/26/2019 02:36 PM EST

by artappraiser on Tue, 02/26/2019 - 5:47pm

Here's the WSJ story mentioned in the Politico piece:

Michael Cohen tomorrow will show the Oversight Cmte a signed check he received as part of his reimbursement for the Stormy Daniels payment. *Trump* signed some of the checks reimbursing Cohen, which he began receiving after Trump took office, per source. https://t.co/iIaZ2P2V9r
— Rebecca Ballhaus (@rebeccaballhaus) February 26, 2019

by artappraiser on Tue, 02/26/2019 - 6:09pm

thread https://t.co/eWH5mV1fuu
— Laura Rozen (@lrozen) February 26, 2019

Thread: https://t.co/wgTANVQroo
— David French (@DavidAFrench) February 26, 2019

by artappraiser on Tue, 02/26/2019 - 6:25pm

That pretty well sums up what Gaetz is now facing as a consequence of this outburst.

What the hell could have driven him to do it?

by moat on Tue, 02/26/2019 - 6:32pm

I have seen many tweets (which I haven't bothered to post because they are sorta pot calling kettle black) which suggest, er, how should I say it: he could try using the alcoholism excuse. Sorta like the old twinkie defense.

by artappraiser on Tue, 02/26/2019 - 6:55pm

The Speaker speaks:

I encourage all Members to be mindful that comments made on social media or in the press can adversely affect the ability of House Committees to obtain the truthful and complete information necessary to fulfill their duties. https://t.co/NDnxkaiFCA pic.twitter.com/DIIgSHgeb5
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) February 26, 2019

by artappraiser on Tue, 02/26/2019 - 7:12pm

Gaetz tweets an apology to The Speaker and deletes the original tweet:

Gaetz apologizes after initially saying he was witness “testing” not “tampering” https://t.co/psst1wylNf
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) February 27, 2019

Preet Bharara earlier advised his followers that there isn't enough there there to prosecute over a single tweet

As I see it:

1. Gaetz is a thug & disgrace. His tweet is consistent with and evidence of witness tampering. He should be shunned & censured. And paid a visit by investigators.

2. I don’t know what prosecutor would indict and go to trial on the strength of this one tweet alone https://t.co/XK9zZo546L
— Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) February 27, 2019

by artappraiser on Wed, 02/27/2019 - 2:13am

from self-described Chair @TheDemocrats Lawyers Council. @Obama WhiteHouse appointee. @HolocaustMuseum Council member. Trial Lawyer. Music & Hockey Fan. #EndGunViolence

Steve King was stripped of his committee assignments for racist comments.

Matt Gaetz also made racist comments, invited a Holocaust denier to the State of the Union, tried to get Parkland dads thrown out of a hearing on guns, and is now witness tampering.

Your move @GOPLeader
— Andrew Weinstein (@Weinsteinlaw) February 27, 2019

by artappraiser on Wed, 02/27/2019 - 9:06pm

Matt Gaetz Under Investigation By Florida State Bar Over Michael Cohen Threat https://t.co/M1PN0VKfd7
— Ali Velshi (@AliVelshi) February 27, 2019

by artappraiser on Wed, 02/27/2019 - 9:11pm

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