“The Best People” strike again!

[Pommer]

The lede:

The State Department official in charge of U.S. arms control negotiations with Moscow and her husband had a years-long friendship with GOP operative Paul Erickson, the former boyfriend of convicted unregistered Russian agent Maria Butina — ties this official did not disclose to her superiors or to Congress during her confirmation process in the spring of 2018.




https://www.washingtonpost.com/opin...-butina/?utm_term=.e0cb31f6e4e7&noredirect=on​

 

[KCfromNC]

Luckily Donald has assured us his campaign had zero contact with Russia. We know we can believe him ... why would he lie about that?

 

[grasping the after wind]

The lede:

The State Department official in charge of U.S. arms control negotiations with Moscow and her husband had a years-long friendship with GOP operative Paul Erickson, the former boyfriend of convicted unregistered Russian agent Maria Butina — ties this official did not disclose to her superiors or to Congress during her confirmation process in the spring of 2018.




https://www.washingtonpost.com/opin...-butina/?utm_term=.e0cb31f6e4e7&noredirect=on​

Was she asked about her friendship with a person who was neither Russian nor a Russian agent? Should she have thought that it was relevant that she was friends with someone that was not either Russian or a Russian agent? ? If so why?

 

[Pommer]

Was she asked about her friendship with a person who was neither Russian nor a Russian agent? Should she have thought that it was relevant that she was friends with someone that was not either Russian or a Russian agent? ? If so why?

In early 2018, when she was confirmed, this wasn’t so much of a concern. But when Butina was indicted, it might’ve looked better if she went to a superior and said, “You know that Butina woman on the TV? yeah, my husband and I know her! ‘Small world’ or what!?”