Please Help:
I'm trying to make sure I am understanding both sides of ongoing Trump issues:
(1) Whose and what acts violated Campaign laws
(2) What constitutes illegal "collusion" and what is just "working together" to achieve a common goal or purpose that is not illegal
(3) What is legal or illegal "interference" in seeking to "influence" election results or outcomes
Here is how I break down the two sides.
Please reply with corrections or clarifications where you see them
(3) First, what is legal or illegal interference, influence or propaganda in election-related media or outreach activities to others?
(a) Whether it's Obama, Trump or their supporters/opponents; whether it's propaganda regarding Israeli/Palestinian conflicts or it's elections campaigns between Clinton/D Party vs. Trump/R Party,
just the expenditure of corporate finances on popular propaganda and media is NOT considered "illegal" -- unless it's committing unlawful acts of: slander, libel, defamation, harassment, misrepresentation, fraud etc.
So it isn't illegal to LOBBY politically to "influence" an election, or to organize huge corporate resources for this type of "influence."
However, abuses of collective corporate or media power is debated as being ethical or not, depending on claims of misrepresentation and "lying."
(b) the illegal type of "interference" that people agree is illegal is altering or manipulating ballots/votes or counting of these.
(c) The main conflict I have seen, is that the "media" keeps reporting contested actions as INTERFERENCE when it's really about INFLUENCE.
Is this correct? That in reporting questionable INFLUENCE, the term INTERFERENCE keeps getting used or misused, which implies a more specific criminal act of ALTERING election, voting or ballot counts or results.
(2) Second point on "collusion"
(a) the illegal type of collusion is one thing, such as conspiring to violate civil rights
(b) Collaborating between parties is NOT necessarily "collusion" or "illegal" or a "conflict of interest" or "violation" of policy; it depends what is being done
(c) Similar to (3) the problem is simply having Trump or Trump's agents communicating with Russian officials or agents is not necessarily "collusion"
But using the word "collusion" LOOSELY is confusing what is legal communications and working together with illegal types of conflicts of interest, abuse of authority, or conspiracy to commit wrongs or violate rights/laws.
(1) And last, what I read so far about Cohen's charges he pled guilty to:
"He admitted to committing two separate crimes that violated federal election law: He caused a corporation to make an unlawful contribution to the Trump campaign and he personally made an excessive contribution to the Trump campaign.
...
The first crime occurred when Cohen arranged to have AMI, the parent company of the National Enquirer, buy the rights to the story of Playboy model Karen McDougal for $150,000, according to court papers. AMI then shelved her story.
That payment served as an in-kind contribution to Trump’s presidential campaign, violating a ban on corporate donations to campaigns, prosecutors said.
The second violation occurred when Cohen paid adult-film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 in hush money days before Election Day. Cohen admitted to making the payment so that her story would not damage Trump’s campaign.
Prosecutors said that the $130,000 served as an excessive contribution to Trump’s campaign by Cohen, who under federal law was only allowed to donate a maximum of $5,400."
(a) so Cohen's crimes involve what HE did wrong. If HE gave excess contributions outside legal constraints or procedures/policies. or if HE caused a corporation to make a wrongful contribution that broke rules/laws.
(b) the issue getting confused here is whether TRUMP broke campaign laws, and if Cohen is a witness to any such wrongdoing by TRUMP.
(c) so when this is reported in the media, these two are being treated interchangeably. When instead, Cohen's crimes are as an individual which reflect on him as responsible, and not on Trump.
Are these 3 points correct?
Please post any comments that help to clarify anything amiss here.
Thank you for your help!
I'm trying to make sure I am understanding both sides of ongoing Trump issues:
(1) Whose and what acts violated Campaign laws
(2) What constitutes illegal "collusion" and what is just "working together" to achieve a common goal or purpose that is not illegal
(3) What is legal or illegal "interference" in seeking to "influence" election results or outcomes
Here is how I break down the two sides.
Please reply with corrections or clarifications where you see them
(3) First, what is legal or illegal interference, influence or propaganda in election-related media or outreach activities to others?
(a) Whether it's Obama, Trump or their supporters/opponents; whether it's propaganda regarding Israeli/Palestinian conflicts or it's elections campaigns between Clinton/D Party vs. Trump/R Party,
just the expenditure of corporate finances on popular propaganda and media is NOT considered "illegal" -- unless it's committing unlawful acts of: slander, libel, defamation, harassment, misrepresentation, fraud etc.
So it isn't illegal to LOBBY politically to "influence" an election, or to organize huge corporate resources for this type of "influence."
However, abuses of collective corporate or media power is debated as being ethical or not, depending on claims of misrepresentation and "lying."
(b) the illegal type of "interference" that people agree is illegal is altering or manipulating ballots/votes or counting of these.
(c) The main conflict I have seen, is that the "media" keeps reporting contested actions as INTERFERENCE when it's really about INFLUENCE.
Is this correct? That in reporting questionable INFLUENCE, the term INTERFERENCE keeps getting used or misused, which implies a more specific criminal act of ALTERING election, voting or ballot counts or results.
(2) Second point on "collusion"
(a) the illegal type of collusion is one thing, such as conspiring to violate civil rights
(b) Collaborating between parties is NOT necessarily "collusion" or "illegal" or a "conflict of interest" or "violation" of policy; it depends what is being done
(c) Similar to (3) the problem is simply having Trump or Trump's agents communicating with Russian officials or agents is not necessarily "collusion"
But using the word "collusion" LOOSELY is confusing what is legal communications and working together with illegal types of conflicts of interest, abuse of authority, or conspiracy to commit wrongs or violate rights/laws.
(1) And last, what I read so far about Cohen's charges he pled guilty to:
"He admitted to committing two separate crimes that violated federal election law: He caused a corporation to make an unlawful contribution to the Trump campaign and he personally made an excessive contribution to the Trump campaign.
...
The first crime occurred when Cohen arranged to have AMI, the parent company of the National Enquirer, buy the rights to the story of Playboy model Karen McDougal for $150,000, according to court papers. AMI then shelved her story.
That payment served as an in-kind contribution to Trump’s presidential campaign, violating a ban on corporate donations to campaigns, prosecutors said.
The second violation occurred when Cohen paid adult-film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 in hush money days before Election Day. Cohen admitted to making the payment so that her story would not damage Trump’s campaign.
Prosecutors said that the $130,000 served as an excessive contribution to Trump’s campaign by Cohen, who under federal law was only allowed to donate a maximum of $5,400."
(a) so Cohen's crimes involve what HE did wrong. If HE gave excess contributions outside legal constraints or procedures/policies. or if HE caused a corporation to make a wrongful contribution that broke rules/laws.
(b) the issue getting confused here is whether TRUMP broke campaign laws, and if Cohen is a witness to any such wrongdoing by TRUMP.
(c) so when this is reported in the media, these two are being treated interchangeably. When instead, Cohen's crimes are as an individual which reflect on him as responsible, and not on Trump.
Are these 3 points correct?
Please post any comments that help to clarify anything amiss here.
Thank you for your help!
