Page 1401 - Leverage News Today

The world and u.s. economy. the dow goes up and down because the outcome of these negotiations matter for u.s. companies and u.s. consumers. now, if you look at the raw numbers, the u.s. should have the leverage. u.s. exports to china are less than 1% of gdp. their exports to us are about 4% of gdp. but having leverage is one thing. knowing how to use it is another. the u.s. needs to be careful that what it asks for is deliverable. on that list, theres a whole continuum. some things are easy. ch...

Investigation, robert muellers team slipped this otherwise innocuous line in a sentencing memo for the presidents former national security adviser michael flynn. quote, flynns record of military and public service distinguish him from every other person who has been charged as part of the special counsels investigation. however, senior government leaders should be held to the highest standards. let that last phrase sink in a moment. senior government leaders should be held to the highest standar...

But if theres one thing weve all learned, robert mueller takes the process crimes seriously and sending a message other people should too, with good reason. when people lie, it delays an investigation. anyone complaining about the length of this investigation should look no further than the lies that are at the heart of it. and also when youre talking about national security officials and dealing with foreign adversaries, the lies are incredibly consequential. because not only are you facing pot...

Sentencing several times. and no doubt theyve reached a point where they feel like the sentencing is -- the cooperation is complete. ordinarily you want to, as dan pointed out, wait until a witness has testified if youre going to ask him to testify. so that you can maintain leverage over him and he has the incentive to continue to provide you with information to earn credit, so to speak, in reducing his sentence. it tells me the fact that theyre ready to sentence him now means that his cooperati...

Memory of a conversation in which russia had aseeded due to flynns request. in other words, flynn said dont respond to these obama sanctions, dont worry, were going to be different. he has a subsequent conversation with the russian ambassador, we didnt respond to those sanctions booze you told us not to. flynn lies about both of those conversations to the fbi. if the fbi is worried about russia having compromised flynn, once they get these false statements from him, not only is he committing ano...

Are incredibly consequential. because not only are you facing potential criminal prosecution for lying, but then you also put yourself that compromise situation, the situation sally yates talked about. if the russians know you have lied publicly, they can use that as leverage against you to coerce you to cooperate with whatever they demand. the stakes are high and theyre very serious crimes. >> theres a question how this makes it more difficult to investigate. but when were talking about the mat...

Prosecutors to make a case. what we might be seeing here is behind the scenes negotiations between congressional committees and special counsels office about who is going to ultimately, you know, proceed with this and whether or not the senate investigation is going to take priority over the special counsel investigation. >> how do you see it, laura? >> and muellers team should have priority, because were talking about a criminal prosecution as opposed to having public accountability in the publ...

Did that give the russians a form of kompromat over the future president? >> well, i think it does. i mean, the russians will engender kompromat, their acronym for compromising material, whether its real or contrived. so anything that even smacks of putting himself in a compromising position. and whether or not this is true about the offer of the $50 million penthouse in trump tower moscow. yeah, that gives the russians potentially some -- to use congressman nadlers term, leverage. and thats wha...

Look, when you have somebody like the president or then candidates personal lawyer, his chief financial saw, his national security adviser, two of his campaign operatives and the like, all entering into plea deals to provide the truth to the special investigator, then you know something is forthcoming and it will be. it will be this week. >> in light of what we heard from cohen last week, again were expecting more revelations this week when his sentencing memo is due, incoming committee chairman...

Administration needed to take some action this. i think thats where you see congress like on forcing the presidents hand on russia saying very likely to act to contrain. where the frustration is not that the administration didnt cut off ties with saudi arabia or post sanctions, but refusal to acknowledge the facts and use our leverage with saudi arabia who is a close ally to force the king to broaden the base of power there. the base of power there is only the crown prince and whatever sort of p...