"Lying to federal investigators is a crime, though lying on TV is not."

Source: Wikipedia

Said: Barbara McQuade, a former federal prosecutor and Professor from Practice at University of Michigan. She was commenting on Rudolph W. Giuliani’s statement that the president paid his lawyer Michael Cohen $35,000 monthly to reimburse him the costs he incurred in the widely publicised Stormy Daniels settlement for which he paid $130,000 from his personal funds. 

Giuliani is the most recent entrant to the Trump’s legal team. “I’m sure Giuliani's strategy was damage control but I’m not sure he controlled much,” said McQuade as quoted by Washington Post's Analysis: "Giuliani’s media blitz gives investigators new leads, new evidence"

According to the Washington Post's analysis, Giuliani asserted that Trump fired James B. Comey as FBI director because Comey would not reveal publicly that the president was not under investigation. Commenting on this McQuade said “I think even Trump's asking Comey to publicly exonerate him does interfere with the investigation and could constitute obstruction of justice.” Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III is also investigating whether Trump obstructed justice by firing Comey.

McQuade said investigators are also likely to explore money-laundering issues. Giuliani’s TV interviews might have been an effort to speak to Cohen and to reassure him that the White House still has his back. “Maybe the strategy there is to try to calm him down so he’s not tempted to cooperate,” she explained.

Investigators are likely to ask witnesses about the topic and compare what Giuliani said publicly about Trump’s arrangement with Cohen with what people have told them in the past, McQuade said. Lying to federal investigators is a crime, though lying on TV is not. 

Read the full story here.

I can tell you there have been people that have been making threats privately and publicly against me for quite some time and I think they should understand by now the Department of Justice is not going to be extorted.

(Courtesy: C-Span)

Said: Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein responding to a question from the CNN reporter Laura Jarrett about possible articles of impeachment by the House Freedom Caucus over his handling of document requests.

Her question was "As you think about the importance of separation of powers on the day, any reaction on the news that certain members of the House Caucus have drafted articles of impeachment?" 

Answering the question, Rosenstein said: “I saw that draft. I don't know who wrote it. It illustrates the important principle of the rule of law. We make mistakes. That is not to say we are flawless. But the way we operate is if we can accuse someone of wrongdoing, we have to have admissible evidence, credible witnesses and be able to prove our case in court and fix our signature to the charging documents. There is a lot talk about FISA applications and many people I see talking about it seem not to recognize what a FISA application is. It is like a search warrant. In order to get a FISA search warrant, you need an affidavit signed by a career federal law enforcement agent. If it is wrong, that person is going to face consequences - you can face discipline or even prosecution. That is the way we operate. We have people who are accountable. I just don't have anything to say about documents like that nobody has the courage to put their name on an State leakage that way, but I can tell you there have been people that have been making threats privately and publicly against me for quite some time and I think they should understand by now the Department of Justice is not going to be extorted. We are going to do what is required by the rule of law and any kind of threats will not affect the way we do our job. We have a responsibility. We take an oath. You raise your right hand and swearing of to defend the United States - swear in an oath to defend the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic. That is your responsibility. Everybody in the department takes that oath. If they violate it, they know they will be held accountable.”

Rosenstein was speaking on the rule of law, the first amendment, and the mission of the justice department at the Newseum in Washington. 

Watch full speech of Rod J. Rosenstein here.

I can tell you there have been people that have been making threats privately and publicly against me for quite some time and I think they should understand by now the Department of Justice is not going to be extorted.

(Courtesy: C-Span)

Said: Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein responding to a question from the CNN reporter Laura Jarrett about possible articles of impeachment by the House Freedom Caucus over his handling of document requests.

Her question was "As you think about the importance of separation of powers on the day, any reaction on the news that certain members of the House Caucus have drafted articles of impeachment?" 

Answering the question, Rosenstein said: “I saw that draft. I don't know who wrote it. It illustrates the important principle of the rule of law. We make mistakes. That is not to say we are flawless. But the way we operate is if we can accuse someone of wrongdoing, we have to have admissible evidence, credible witnesses and be able to prove our case in court and fix our signature to the charging documents. There is a lot talk about FISA applications and many people I see talking about it seem not to recognize what a FISA application is. It is like a search warrant. In order to get a FISA search warrant, you need an affidavit signed by a career federal law enforcement agent. If it is wrong, that person is going to face consequences - you can face discipline or even prosecution. That is the way we operate. We have people who are accountable. I just don't have anything to say about documents like that nobody has the courage to put their name on an State leakage that way, but I can tell you there have been people that have been making threats privately and publicly against me for quite some time and I think they should understand by now the Department of Justice is not going to be extorted. We are going to do what is required by the rule of law and any kind of threats will not affect the way we do our job. We have a responsibility. We take an oath. You raise your right hand and swearing of to defend the United States - swear in an oath to defend the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic. That is your responsibility. Everybody in the department takes that oath. If they violate it, they know they will be held accountable.”

Rosenstein was speaking on the rule of law, the first amendment, and the mission of the justice department at the Newseum in Washington. 

Watch full speech of Rod J. Rosenstein here.

"The prime minister (Narendra Modi) has a duty to safeguard and fight for all of the people of India, not just those who are allied with him politically."

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing 

a rally in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh

Photograph: @BJP4India/Twitter

Said: The editorial board of The New York Times in its 'Opinion' editorial titled "Modi’s Long Silence as Women in India Are Attacked" published today. "The editorial board represents the opinions of the board, its editor and the publisher. It is separate from the newsroom and the Op-Ed section," informs the NYT website.

The editorial board writes on Mr. Modi's silence on the recent "horrifying rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl" at Kathua, in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, and also on another case of a rape in Unnao in Uttar Pradesh, in which a state lawmaker from his party is the main accused: "Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India tweets frequently and considers himself a talented orator. Yet he loses his voice when it comes to speaking out about the dangers faced by women and minorities who are frequent targets of the nationalist and communal forces that are part of the base of his Bharatiya Janata Party."

The editorial board observes that "Mr. Modi’s silence is as perplexing as it is distressing." Referring to the 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape case in Delhi, the editorial says: "He (Mr. Modi) seems to have failed to learn the lesson of his predecessors." The then government led by the Congress party, lost the 2014 parliamentary elections for its heartlessness. "The B.J.P. won the elections in large part because Mr. Modi promised to make the government more responsive to the needs of Indians who were left behind by a government dogged by corruption scandals and widely considered rudderless," the board noted. "Instead, he (Mr. Modi) has exhibited a pattern of silence and deflection that is deeply worrying to anybody who cares about the health of the world’s largest democracy," the NYT board members conclude.

Read full editorial here.

“The United States essentially has three Russia policies: the president’s, the executive branch’s and Congress’s.”

Angela Stent

Said: Angela Stent, a former White House official and professor at Georgetown University. Angela was quoted in a piece "Trump, a reluctant hawk, has battled his top aides on Russia and lost" in Washington Post today by Greg Jaffe, John Hudson and Philip Rucker.

The authors describe the slow transformation of Donald Trump from a Putin's fan to a reluctant Putin basher during his presidency. This transformation has been due to the contribution of his free and frank key members of administration, in general, and right minded tough Generals, in particular. The key role played by the Congress, dominated by members having anti-Putin sentiments, making Trump to sign the bill approving new sanctions on Russia in late July, is seen as the major blow to Trump’s efforts to reach out to Putin. This bill was cleared with a veto-proof majority. Perhaps, Trump had planned to change the world by befriending with Putin whom he considered the most important and powerful. 

According to the authors, some European diplomats in Washington still find it difficult to believe tthat the recent tough moves against Syria and Russia have Trump’s full support. They are asking: “This wouldn’t be the policy unless Trump supports it. . . . Yes?” Russia analysts seem just as mystified.

The authors end with Angela Stent's quote on Donald Trump. “This is a man who if he had his druthers would be pursuing a much more open and friendly policy with Russia,” said Angela Stent, a former White House official and professor at Georgetown University. “The United States essentially has three Russia policies: the president’s, the executive branch’s and Congress’s.”

Read full story here.

Sizing Up Business in Russia & Eurasia: Reflections from 25 Years of Teaching

To celebrate 25 years of Dr. Trevor Gunn teaching at Georgetown University, CERES hosted a dialogue with Drs. Gunn and Angela Stent on "Sizing Up Business in Russia & Eurasia: Reflections from 25 Years of Teaching."

Watch the programme below.

“I would be lying to you if I told that I am not [worried].”: Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen

Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen said in a phone conversation on Tuesday with CNN's Don Lemon: "I am unhappy to have my personal residence and office raided. But I will tell you that members of the FBI that conducted the search and seizure were all extremely professional, courteous and respectful. And I thanked them at the conclusion."

Asked if he was worried, Cohen said; "I would be lying to you if I told that I am not. Do I need this in my life? No. Do I want to be involved in this? No." 

Read full story here.

Michael Cohen: Trump's loyal fixer 

Anderson Cooper 360 

CNN's Gloria Borger investigates President Donald 

Trump's longtime personal attorney, Michael Cohen. 

Source: CNN

It is of utmost importance for an MP to continue winning his/her own seat. Never mind the political party.

Said Dinesh Trivedi, a TMC Lok Sabha MP, in his column in Indian Express "If Congress wins Karnataka, BJP revolt will take the shape of a tsunami."

The moral of the story? Never try to predict election results. If Congress wins Karnataka, the revolt within the BJP will take the shape of a tsunami. Those who entered the party in 2014 just to win, will be the first ones to look for greener pastures as they never came to BJP for ideological reasons in the first place. It is of utmost importance for an MP to continue winning his/her own seat. Never mind the political party.

Read the full story here.