The moral aspect of Trump Jr.'s actions

[bhsmte]

If that's the case, Donald has certainly provided... the question then becomes: has he paid in full, or is there more to come?

I think Don can do that on his own.

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

Politics and morality, don't mix well together.

I tend to agree. Neither does politics and religion.........

......................

 

[SoldierOfTheKing]

In politics, when you hear about a source that has possible opposition research, you at least look into it. Whether it comes from Russia, China or Satan himself. This "moral aspect" is so much grasping at straws when you can't find anything illegal. Can people really be so naive?

 

[TLK Valentine]

In politics, when you hear about a source that has possible opposition research, you at least look into it. Whether it comes from Russia, China or Satan himself. This "moral aspect" is so much grasping at straws when you can't find anything illegal. Can people really be so naive?

Why? Is it valuable? What's it worth?

 

[Go Braves]

Well I guess Trump Sr.'s drama has managed to take the attn. of Jr.

 

[Maren]

....Unless you want to go after Hillary's staff for their collusion with Ukraine, I'm going to take this for nothing more than a bunch of partisan pearl clutching. Same with Trump Jr. Either it isn't okay, or it is.

I don't care if you think it's fine and should be allowed, or think that it's awful and shouldn't be. All I ask is that people be consistent one way or another?

I'm sorry, I actually looked at this issue (went beyond just listening to the sound bites) and found no evidence that Hillary (or her staff) had any "collusion with Ukraine."

Instead, what I found is that the Clinton campaign hired a polling company that was started by a former Ukrainian government official -- much in the same way some US politicians have formed similar types of companies to help with campaigns here in the US. In either the Ukrainian or the US examples, in neither case is is "working with the government" -- it is merely the person that started the company had a background in government before starting the company. If you have a source that says something different, I'd love to see it.

Next, the Clinton campaign hired the Ukranian company and paid them, including reporting the payments to the FEC. By contrast, the Trump campaign was looking to get free information from a Russian Government official -- at least per what the email claimed. There was no payment for the information, and the meeting was definitely not reported -- instead the Trump campaign only admitted to it after they were "caught."

It is unclear if the Trump campaign violated any law -- that is being debated by better legal minds than mine. Interestingly, there seem to be several Democrats that seem to think the Trump Campaign did not violate the law, and several Republicans that think they did -- this is not split along party lines, which makes me think we are getting an honest debate (at least from some) and that it is a very gray area.

At the same time, there are no laws that forbid campaigns from contracting with foreign businesses -- if there were you could have a candidate get in trouble just for buying his gas at a Shell gas station (Shell is a Dutch-British company). Granted, that example is not quite the same, as no information is coming from the gasoline, but it does show there is nothing that prohibits campaigns from buying goods or services from foreign companies -- even if the owner/founder of the company was once in a foreign government (just as some executives of Shell gasoline have likely served in government).

Last, I'm not aware of any attempt by the Clinton campaign to hide the fact they hired the Ukranian company. I can understand them not wanting to advertise it -- there is a real stigma to not "buying American" when you are running for political office. But, by contrast, the story from the Trump campaign (as others have noted) is that there were no meetings; then it changed to, okay, there were meetings but had nothing to do with the campaign; then it became, yes, it was about the campaign but just about adoptions with a Russian lawyer; then it changed to, okay, we took the meeting because she promised us dirt on Hillary but all she wanted to talk about was adoptions (never admitting that "adoptions" is code for a Russian ban on American adoptions because of American sanctions against Russia; so it is actually her wanting to talk about removing sanctions). And even the players have changed. Initially it was just the Russian lawyer, then it changed to how there were maybe a couple of others there; then it changed to 5 others, and then 6 others -- and then the sixth was identified as a "former" KGB agent. If this had been a Democrat and they kept changing their story, like the Trump team has, there is no way you wouldn't demand a full investigation with, at the end, locking those Democrats up.

Again, I can't say if a law was broken, or not. What I do know, there has been enough evidence that the Republican Congress, both House and Senate, have ongoing investigations. Even the Trump Justice Department thought, and appointed, a Special Prosecutor (after Sessions recused himself). The Democrats have had little to do with this investigation, other than to "cheer it on," much as Republicans would be if the situation were reversed. I'll be interested in the report of the Special Prosecutor.

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

I think the NY Post was 1 of the few papers who'd endorsed Trump for POTUS, so I took note of the criticism. I think he makes a good point that there is not enough focus on the moral aspect.

https://nypost.com/2017/07/11/trump-jr-just-defined-disgraceful/

I'm betting trump and his family does this stuff all the time. You don't have multiple business. By playing nice. I'm sure Trump Sr had his son try to get more dirt on Hillary. Just like they always have. Is it moral? no. But some Republicans don't care.Which I always thought Republicans had morals.

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

How do we know he hasn't. And Hillary was never found innocent by the media. She was just no worse, than how Trump does business .

 

[bhsmte]

How do we know he hasn't. And Hillary was never found innocent by the media. She was just no worse, than what Trump does.

I don't think there is a lot of morality in politics to begin with and it seems to have diminished more as time has gone on. Trump Jr. accepting a meeting to obtain dirt on an opponent, is something someone on Clinton's staff likely would have done if presented with the same situation.

 

[Landon Caeli]

I'm betting trump and his family does this stuff all the time. You don't have multiple business. By playing nice. I'm sure Trump Sr had his son try to get more dirt on Hillary. Just like they always have. Is it moral? no. But some Republicans don't care.Which I always thought Republicans had morals.

It's immoral to get dirt on Hillary? Why? It seems like a morally good thing to me.

 

[Landon Caeli]

I don't think there is a lot of morality in politics to begin with and it seems to have diminished more as time has gone on. Trump Jr. accepting a meeting to obtain dirt on an opponent, is something someone on Clinton's staff likely would have done if presented with the same situation.

I think it's morally sound. Is the FBI immoral when they get "dirt" on someone too?

 

[bhsmte]

I think it's morally sound. Is the FBI immoral when they get "dirt" on someone too?

What is your impression of what the FBI does?

 

[Landon Caeli]

What is your impression of what the FBI does?

They do investigating, go through records, interviews, collect information.

 

[bhsmte]

They do investigating, go through records, interviews, collect information.

Correct. They do all of this to determine if laws were violated.

 

[Landon Caeli]

Correct. They do all of this to determine if laws were violated.

Yes. Just like Trump Jr., just like private investigators do.

 

[bhsmte]

Yes. Just like Trump Jr., just like private investigators do.

If you consider that part of Trump Jr's responsibilities, the same way you see it as a crucial part of what the FBI does.

 

[Go Braves]

I think it's morally sound. Is the FBI immoral when they get "dirt" on someone too?

The FBI works to protect the country as a whole. Not self interest.

 

[Go Braves]

Trump Sr. dictated the misleading statement Jr. made. Smh.
Trump dictated son’s statement on 2016 meeting with Russian lawyer, report says

 

[Ada Lovelace]

Nice post. I think i pulled a groin, just looking at your picture.

Thanks for the compliment and for making me laugh. Haha, one of my professors said something similar when I did this.

 

[bhsmte]

Thanks for the compliment and for making me laugh. Haha, one of my professors said something similar when I did this.

I just pulled my other groin.