About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 4, 2018)
WASHINGTON/POLITICS The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com Tuesday, December 4, 2018 5A Trump praises witness who refuses to testify JULIE JACOBSON I Associated Press Michael Cohen walks out of federal court, Thursday, Nov. 29, in New York, after pleading guilty to lying to Congress about work he did on an aborted project to build a Trump Tower in Russia. Cohen, President Donald Trumps former lawyer, told the judge he lied about the timing of the negotiations and other details to be consistent with Trump’s “political message.” BY MICHAEL BALSAMO AND ERIC TUCKER ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump praised a key wit ness in the Russia investigation Monday for having the “guts” not to testify against him, and said his former lawyer — who cut a deal with prosecutors — should head straight to prison. In a pair of politically charged tweets, Trump made clear that he is closely watching those who turn on him in the special counsel’s probe, which has ensnared some of the president’s closest advis ers. So far, five people in Trump’s orbit have pleaded guilty to fed eral charges. The tweets add to mounting questions about whether Trump is taking steps to improperly influ ence witnesses in an investigation that has enraged him and shad owed his administration. Some legal experts, though, say they may not amount to witness tam pering if Trump didn’t directly tell others what to say or not say. Trump already has come under scrutiny from critics who fear he may use his executive power to protect himself as well as friends and supporters. Last week, Trump told the New York Post that a pardon for his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort was not off the table. Prosecutors say Manafort tor pedoed his plea deal with spe cial counsel Robert Mueller by repeatedly lying to them, although Manafort denies that he lied. In one of Monday’s tweets, Trump took aim at Michael Cohen, his former personal attorney who once grandly declared he would “take a bullet” for the president but ultimately took a plea deal. Cohen pleaded guilty last week to lying to Congress about negotia tions he had on Trump’s behalf for a real estate deal in Moscow. Though he told lawmakers the talks were done by January 2016, he admitted they actually lasted as late as June — after Trump had clinched the Republican nomina tion and after Russians had pene trated Democratic email accounts for communications later released through WikiLeaks. Cohen said he lied out of loyalty to Trump, who insisted through out the campaign that he had no business dealings in Russia, and to be consistent with his political messaging. On Monday, Trump ripped into Cohen on Twitter. “You mean he can do all of the TERRIBLE, unrelated to Trump, things having to do with fraud, big loans, Taxis, etc., and not serve a long prison term?” Trump added that Cohen “makes up stories to get a GREAT & ALREADY reduced deal for himself.” Trump added: “He lied for this outcome and should, in my opin ion, serve a full and complete sentence.” Minutes later, Trump lavished praise on his former campaign adviser Roger Stone. Mueller’s prosecutors are investigating Stone to learn whether he had advance knowledge of WikiLeaks’ plans to release hacked material damaging to Hillary Clinton’s pres idential effort. Trump lauded Stone for say ing he’d never testify against the president. “This statement was recently made by Roger Stone, essentially stating that he will not be forced by a rogue and out of control pros ecutor to make up lies and stories about ‘President Trump,”’ he tweeted. “Nice to know that some people still have ‘guts!’” Stone then posted a screenshot of Trump’s tweet with a caption that said he was proud of their 40-year relationship and “prouder still of the amazing job he is doing making America Great Again!” Sen. Mark Warner, the top Dem ocrat on the Senate intelligence committee, said Trump’s tweet was inappropriate. “The President of the United States should not be using his plat form to influence potential wit nesses in a federal investigation involving his campaign,” Warner said in a tweet. Stone said the idea that Trump’s tweet amount to witness tamper ing is “hysterical.” “I’m not a witness to any pro ceeding,” he said. David Weinstein, a former Jus tice Department prosecutor in Florida, said he was surprised by Trump’s comments Monday, but didn’t believe the tweets alone rose to the level of obstruction or witness tampering because Trump did not explicitly tell any one what to say or not to say. Sub jects of an investigation can still communicate to others entangled in a probe, and though they can encourage them to tell the truth, they cannot coach them to lie, he said. “What he seems to be saying is that people who continue to show support for him, in some way, may be rewarded for that support,” Weinstein said. “I don’t think it rises to the level of obstruction yet, but it certainly would cause people who are conducting the investigation to start asking ques tions about whether or not the tar get has reached out to them.” Trump’s message had an immediate effect on supporters. His remarks prompted Michael Caputo, the president’s for mer campaign aide and a long time Stone friend, to launch a “GoFundMe” account to help pay Stone’s mounting legal fees. Congress seeks 2-week extension to avert shutdown BY MATTHEW DALY AND CATHERINE LUCEY Associated Press WASHINGTON — Con gressional leaders intro duced a two-week funding bill Monday to avert a par tial government shutdown over President Donald Trump’s border wall, as business in the Capitol came to a standstill for ceremo nies honoring former Presi dent George H.W. Bush. The stopgap measure would keep the government funded through Dec. 21, two weeks after a Friday deadline when funding for a portion of the government, including the Department of Homeland Security, is set to expire. The measure comes as Trump kept up pressure Monday on congressio nal Democrats to fund his promised border wall and threatened other actions to deter illegal immigration as negotiations continue. “We would save Billions of Dollars if the Democrats would give us the votes to build the Wall,” Trump tweeted without evidence Monday. “Either way, people will NOT be allowed into our Country illegally! We will close the entire Southern Bor der if necessary.” House leaders canceled roll call votes this week for ceremonies honor ing Bush, who died Friday, meaning an exten sion will be needed to avert a funding lapse. While Democrats prefer a one-week extension, they signaled they would not object to a two-week delay. Trump made clear over the weekend he would agree to a short-term funding exten sion to allow for ceremonies honoring Bush. Democrats have little interest in providing the $5 billion Trump wants for the southern border, and with the party set to take con trol of the House in the new year, opposition to the wall has hardened. Even some Republicans balk at spending more than the $1.6 billion for fencing and other security improve ments already provided. But Trump has signaled he’s ready to fight for the money as one of the last big-ticket items of the GOP-led Con gress before Demo crats take over the House following a decisive victory in the midterm elections. The president invited the top Democratic leaders, Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York and Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, to the White House for a meeting Tues day, but Democrats asked to postpone it because of Bush’s funeral. The meet ing has been tentatively rescheduled for Dec. 11, said a White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Saturday he would be willing to sign a two-week funding exten sion. “I would absolutely consider it and probably give it,” he told reporters. Schumer has suggested one option would be for Trump to accept the Sen ate’s $1.6 billion bipartisan border security package, along with the remaining Trump CAROLYN RASTER I Associated Press Brian Hook, U.S. special representative for Iran, walks past fragments of Iranian short range ballistic missiles at the Iranian Materiel Display at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, in Washington, Thursday Nov. 29. US urges Europe to impose sanctions on Iran over missiles BY MATTHEW LEE Associated Press BRUSSELS — The Trump administra tion is urging Europe to impose tough new sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missile program. The call comes as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is to meet European officials in Brussels this week and after the U.S. and others condemned an Iranian missile launch over the weekend. Iran was also a topic of conversation when Pompeo met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Brussels on Mon day night. Pompeo plans to talk about Iran when he meets his counterparts from Britain, France and Germany on Tuesday while he is in Bel gium for a meeting of NATO counterparts. U.S. special envoy for Iran Brian Hook rejected Iran’s insistence that its missile program is defensive. He told reporters traveling with Pompeo that Iran’s continued missile development and testing is a threat to the region and beyond and in defiance of U.N. Security Council demands. Hook said U.S. discussions with the Euro peans about missile sanctions are gaining traction. Those talks center on slapping pen alties on companies and people involved in Iran’s program. “It is a grave and escalating threat, and nations around the world, not just Europe, need to do everything they can to be target ing Iran’s missile program,” Hook said. Hook’s comments on Monday were the latest salvo in an escalating U.S. campaign against Iran since President Donald Trump pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal in May. “Iran is on the wrong track, and our cam paign of maximum economic pressure is designed to starve the regime of revenue it needs,” he said. On Thursday, Hook accused Iran of vio lating a U.N. ban on Iranian arms exports by sending weapons to its proxies in Afghani stan, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. On Saturday, Pompeo denounced Iran for test-firing a medium-range ballistic missile capable of carrying multiple warheads that could reach parts of Europe. “We are accumulating risk of escalation in the region if we fail to restore deter rence,” Pompeo said. $1.3 billion from the current fiscal year that has not yet been spent. The country shouldn’t have to endure a shutdown over “Trump’s temper tantrum,” Schumer said last week. While Trump has pushed Democrats to build the wall, Schumer and Pelosi face growing pressure from the party’s liberal wing to block it. A group of border-state House Democrats sent Schumer a letter last week expressing opposi tion to any funding for the wall, which they said would separate local com munities and antag onize Mexico. Rep. Henry Cuel lar, D-Texas, called the wall “a 14th- century solution to a 21st-century problem” and suggested that money would be better spent on more Bor der Patrol officers, technol ogy and equipment. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, said, “We need all hands on deck to oppose frivolous border wall spend ing proposals. That includes Leader Schumer.” Besides the funding bill, Congress is considering a sweeping criminal justice package with sentencing reforms, a farm bill that’s a top priority of Senate Major ity Leader Mitch McConnell and other items before they adjourn for the year. The Kentucky Repub lican told reporters over the weekend that it’s up to Trump “to do a deal with the Democrats.” He said, “I think that’s the path to getting a signature and avoiding a government shutdown.” Schumer IwUW! Handpicked fresh from the grove! 4 unique varieties. 20 delicious oranges! Handpicked and hand packed, our fresh, juicy oranges are delivered to your door fresh off the tree! Twenty plump, delicious oranges in 4 favorite varieties. • 5 Navel Oranges Juicy, sweet and seedless, they’re everyone’s favorite! • 5 P©tit© Red N3V©Is Spicy sweet flavor with a bright red flesh. • 5 Tangerines Rich Honey-Sweet flavor with easy-to-peel skin. • 5 Petite Navel Oranges Snack-sized sweet treat. Call 1-844-632-6340 to order item 494X or Visit HaleGroves.com/N19517 Order Item #494X, mention Code H9VH-E115 for your $18 savings. Only $19.99* (reg. $3739), plus $5.99 shipping & handling. Satisfaction completely guaranteed. This gift ships in December at the peak of freshness. Order by Dec. 17,2018 for GUARANTEED Christmas delivery. Since 1947. Hale Groves. Vero Beach. FL 32966 ‘Plus $5.99 handling to the 48 contiguous states. Limited time offer, good while supplies last. Not valid with any other offer. Limit 5 boxes per customer. IC: H9VH-E115 Awesome Oranqes! Petite Navel Oranges Tangerines M ^ ff ^ Petite Red Navels Navel
