Alex van der Zwann, and Richard Pinedo.
Cohen pleaded guilty to evading taxes, and violating campaign finance laws, and was sentenced to three years in prison.
Papadopulos pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and was sentenced to 14 days in prison. He has already served his punishment and was released.
Van der Zwann pleaded guilty to lying to investigators and was sentenced to 30 days in prison.
Pinedo pleaded guilty to identity fraud connected to Russain interference during the election and was sentenced to six months in prison.
This connects to other events in US history where there are investigations into the White House when affairs or scandals come out. For example, Ronald Reagan was also questioned during the Iran-Contra Affair in 1987. Another prominent example is the Monica Lewinsky scandal, as an investigation pushed for answers from President Bill Clinton about his relationship with the White House intern.
1. Do you agree with the sentences that each person was given? If not, what do you think their sentences should have been?
2. Mueller's investigation has included questions posed directly to President Trump. If Trump responds, how will his answers affect his presidency?
3. Judging from their crimes and punishments given out so far, what sentences do you expect the other Trump associates to receive?
Sources:
https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/12/politics/robert-mueller-sentences/index.html
The number of indictments of people close to Trump should be worrying for him. From what it seems, Mueller is gradually getting closer and closer to the inner circle of Trump and their illegal actions. With recent breaking news such as the exposing that Trump was at a meeting to discuss hush money that was given to porn stars to stay quiet about affairs, I think that Trump will eventually be impeached by the house. The real questions is if the senate will convict the president, due to the loyalty many Republicans have to the president. If any more incriminating evidence is found, such as direct collusion with Russians, I hope the Republicans can put their party aside and impeach a guilty president if it comes to that.
ReplyDeleteI think that Mueller's recent convictions coming from his investigation continue to insinuate Trump's secrecy behind his election. Although Trump continues to deny claims, the information that has been coming to light only heightening mistrust in the President. I think that if Trump were to begin answering questions that were directly posed to him, the true motives behind his actions would be exposed. This is definitely a goal of Democrats at the moment, since it would give them a solid reason to begin the impeachment process. With the convictions of Cohen, Pinedo, Van der Zwann, and Papadopulos, the public, as well as members of Congress have the right to become more skeptical of the past actions of both Trump's associates, and even the President himself.
ReplyDeleteWhile the fact that these convictions should point to the guilt of the Trump administration, as more and more individuals are being found guilty, I am not sure if this news will change anything. Unless Mueller is able to find concrete evidence regarding Trump's illegal actions, I highly doubt that the House or the Senate will take action to impeach. Trump's constant evasion of Mueller's questioning and his lack of cooperation throughout the investigation is concerning, but it is unlikely that his behavior will change. Thus, I believe it will be difficult for Mueller to gain any conclusive evidence pointing directly to President Trump.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the comments above. There is no sufficient evidence to prove Trump participated in illegal actions, and although these convictions are concerning, there will most likely be no action taken against Trump. Republicans are too loyal to him for the Senate to find his guilty in the possibility that the House impeaches him. Some of these sentences seem really short, but I'm not that informed in the justice system so I wouldn't know if they are appropriate or not. Trump continues to avoid questions, and I am doubtful that this will change with more convictions. Democrats can try to get more concrete answers from Trump, but this will be a very hard task. Hopefully, these convictions of those who worked closely with Trump can raise skepticism about the sketchy actions out president may have been a part of.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the sentences are worth the amount that they've done over the years. Just because some of them cooperated with the FBI, they should've stayed in prison longer. Many people put their trust in them to work high positions in the government. It's not right for them to get only a few days in a cell. The track record Trump's lawyer has lying for years should not be punishment for a few months, but a few years. All their prison times seem like a slap on the wrist.
ReplyDeleteWith the special counsel gradually unveiling more details and closing in on Trump, it seems that the president is in a position of great danger. There's also reportedly been investigations on Donald Trump Jr. and Jared Kushner for administrative collusion. I think it's highly unlikely that Trump had no influence in the criminal actions of his administration, and with the cooperation of many of those convicted, much more could be revealed about Trump himself to his own detriment. Adding fuel to the flame, Trump's private business, The Trump Organization, is also under investigation. The House now with a Democratic majority, I presume, will try to take action against the president, and try to reveal whether or not his entire presidency has been filled with deceit and deception
ReplyDeleteI believe that Cohen's sentence was accurate to the crimes that he committed. However, I believe that the other three should have gotten at least a little bit more time as punishment. These are important public figures in the United States who are supposed to be some of our best. They are expected to set the standard for upstanding American citizens but they haven't based on their actions. I believe that having men like this in Trump's inner circle and involved in his campaign is a signal of Trump's character and willingness to bend the rules for a win. I don't really believe that there will be consequences for Trump's actions because I believe that the other men are the fall guys for this whole situations. I believe that this situation inflames the dislike between the left and the right because the left will complain about Trump's associates breaking the law while the right will claim that this whole investigation is a ploy against the right.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I believe the sentences of Papdopulos, Van der Zwann, and Pinedo are too light. Cohen's three year sentence seems reasonable for his transgressions. A sentence of 14 days and 30 days because of lying to the FBI is too lenient of a sentence, as this not only undermines Papdopulos and Van der Zwann's credibility but also may be indicative of possible sabotage of the investigation. I also agree with Laurel that those who lied to the FBI basically escaped with a lighter sentence than those who cooperated with the FBI. A sentence of mere days for dishonesty in an investigation that concerns national security is too light.
ReplyDelete