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パパドポリスは3ヶ月間、FBI協力者として活動していたことが明らかにされた！
特別検察官ミュラーが、ロシア政府とトランプ陣営の大統領選挙共謀調査において、きわめて重大な一歩を踏み出したことで、メディアはもちろん、トランプ陣営に強大な旋風が吹き荒れている。
金曜日に、ミュラーがだれかを提訴するとの（確かな）情報がワシントンをかけめぐった。が、だれを、そして何の嫌疑で行われるのかは完全に秘密のままであったのだが、いずれにせよ、月曜にはその行動がとられるらしいとのうわさがかけめぐっていた。
そして月曜日。ミュラーがFBIに出頭させたのは、マナフォートとゲイツであった。マナフォートがターゲットであることはただちにメディアで取り上げられていたが、これは7月26日に秘密裏に実行されたマナフォートの自宅の強制捜査のさいに、担当官が直接、マナフォートにたいし、提訴を考えている旨の発言をしていたことが知られていたからでもある。
今回は、それよりもはるかにトランプ陣営にとって衝撃的であったのは、その翌日、つまり7月27日にトランプの外交政策アドバイザーであったパパドポリスという人物が逮捕されていたという事実、そして彼がFBIへの全面的協力を承認して、この3ヶ月間、協力者 (Proact Coperator) として活動していたという事実、がいまになってミュラーから公表されたという事実である。これらの事実は、どこにももれることなく、今日に至ったということである。
このことのもつ意味はきわめて重大な意味をもっている。パパドポリスはプーチンとトランプのあいだでの会談の設定に主体的に関わっていた人物であるからである。そして彼は、FBIに全面的に協力するという約束のもとで、3か月ものあいだ内部偵察を行い続け、そしてその結果を逐一FBI、ミュラーに報告し続けていたのである。
パパドポリスは10月5日に、 。
これらのもつ意味は非常に大きい。パパドポリスはFBIから2つのいずれを選ぶかを追究された。ウソをつきとおして訴追されて有罪になるか（この場合、重罪になる）、それとも真実をすべて語ることで、きわめて軽微な罪になるか、あるいは場合によっては執行猶予扱いになるか、の選択である。彼は後者を選んだわけである。
マナフォートとゲイツがFBIに出頭したのと、パパドポリスのこうした活動が同時に明らかにされたのは、おそらく前2者への大きな心理的圧力をかけるためであるように思われる。ウソをつきとおして有罪が確定すると重罪判決になる可能性が高いから、それを逃れるために何もかも話すという姿勢をとる、つまり一種の司法取引に応じる人物が今後輩出することもありうる話になってきている。
こうした事情に詳しい専門家によると、ミュラーの行動は予想を超える早さで進行しているようである。今後、多数の関与者が逮捕、提訴される可能性は高い、と言われている。例のニクソンのウォーターゲート事件のさいの大きな突破口となった訴追に、このパパドポリスのケースは該当する、というのである。
１つの問題は、トランプがミュラーを解雇するという行動に出る、もしくは出ることができるかである。ただコミ―の場合と異なり、ミュラーはこの捜査を進めるにあたり、園力を大きく増大させることに成功してきている。大陪審制 (grand jury) の導入や、強力な税調査機関IRSとの協力体制の構築である。
トランプは例によってツイートで怒りを爆発させているが、外堀は今後かなりの速度で埋められていくことが確実視されている。
WASHINGTON — Shortly after his former campaign chairman marched into an F.B.I.office
Yet even as his message went out to more than 41 million followers, news emerged that the authorities were unsealing another case that described how a young foreign policy adviser spent months seeking to connect Mr. Trump’s campaign with Russians offering “dirt” on Hillary Clinton.
The first charges filed by Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel, did not implicate Mr.Trump but
The indictment of Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign chairman, suggested that the president’s top lieutenant for part of last year was a highly paid agent for pro-Russian foreign interests. And the guilty plea extracted from George Papadopoulos, the foreign policy adviser, confirmed the second known attempt by Mr. Trump’s team to tap Moscow for damaging information on Mrs. Clinton, coming months before his son Donald Trump Jr.met
The legal action propelled the special counsel investigation into a new and more dangerous phase for Mr. Trump, who had hoped to spend this week focused on his appointment of a new Federal Reserve chairman, the introduction of his tax-cutting legislation and the start of a 12-day trip to Asia.
“It’s obviously a big-deal day. These are big-deal developments,” said John Q. Barrett, who served as associate independent counsel during the Iran-contra investigation.
Inside the White House, the mood changed drastically throughout the morning. Although Mr.Manafort was
But then, just as Mr. Trump tweeted that the charges involved actions that took place “before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign,” the news about Mr. Papadopoulos stunned and alarmed White House aides.
How Key Trump Associates Have Been Linked to Russia
Several are under scrutiny by the F.B.I.and
Mr. Trump said nothing more publicly through the day and left it to his advisers to argue that the cases did not impugn him because Mr.Manafort’s higher agents
“Today’s announcement has nothing to do with the president, has nothing to do with the president’s campaign or campaign activity,” said Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary. She added, “We’ve been saying from Day 1 there has been no evidence of Trump-Russia collusion, and nothing in the indictment today changes that at all.”
Jay Sekulow, a private lawyer for Mr. Trump, said the president and his legal team were not worried about the indictments. “No, not concerned,” Mr. Sekulow said on CNN. “I’m completely convinced, as I was from the outset, that not only was there no Russian collusion, there was no obstruction.” He added, “I’m not concerned about this at all, and no one else is either.”
But lawyers and former prosecutors said Mr.Papadopoulos’s already
“Collusion is what Papadopoulos did. Collusion is what Trump Jr.and
Mr. Mueller’s action also made it harder for Mr. Trump to brush off the investigation and blame Democrats. “After Mr. Trump whipped up a tweet storm of suspicion about Mueller this weekend, he really now has no place to go with this attack,” said Robert F. Bauer, a White House counsel under President Barack Obama. “Mueller’s first charge is beyond any potential claim of ‘politics’ or ‘stretching’ that the president might wish to bring against him and his office.”
The gravity of the threat may yet tempt Mr. Trump to take action to short-circuit the investigation, such as firing Mr. Mueller or pardoning Mr.Manafort Manafort prosecutorial
Roger J. Stone Jr., a sometimes adviser to the president, told The Daily Caller, a conservative website, that the president should not fire Mr. Mueller but could accomplish the same outcome by directing the Justice Department to investigate a deal consummated when Mrs. Clinton was secretary of state giving Russian interests a share of the American uranium market.
Because Mr. Mueller was the F.B.I.director
Photo
Rick Gates, left, Donald J. Trump, Paul Manafort and Ivanka Trumpin CreditSam
Both Ms. Sanders and Mr. Sekulow disputed suggestions that Mr. Trump might seek to fire Mr. Mueller. “There is no intention or plan to make any changes in regards to the special counsel,” Ms. Sanders said.
The two also played down the possibility that Mr. Trump might pardon Mr.Manafort
In the past, the president has signaled that he might dismiss Mr. Mueller if the special counsel exceeded what Mr. Trump considers the bounds of his investigation. Mr. Trumphas also publicly noted
Democrats warned Mr. Trump on Monday not to impede Mr. Mueller’s investigation.
“The president must not, under any circumstances, interfere with the special counsel’s work in any way,” said Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the minority leader. “If he does so, Congress must respond swiftly, unequivocally and in a bipartisan way to ensure that the investigation continues.”
Senator Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California, said the indictment showed that Mr. Mueller was “doing his job” and that the process was working. “I’ll continue to support Bob Mueller as he follows the facts — his independence must remain sacrosanct,” she said.
With the indictments, Mr. Mueller made clear that he was not to be underestimated. In one court document, his team used two words to describe Mr. Papadopoulos that might send a chill down the spines of some in Mr. Trump’s circle: “proactive cooperator.” Mr. Papadopoulos has been cooperating with prosecutors for three months, and his statement refers to several other campaignadvisers he
Moreover, former prosecutors said the charges against Mr.Manafort Manafort’s Manafort
“They’ve done phenomenal work, they’ve done it quickly, they’ve done it ruthlessly, and they’ve done it efficiently,” said Solomon L.Wisenberg
Follow Peter Baker on Twitter: @peterbakernyt.
Michael D. Shear and Glenn Thrush contributed reporting.
A version of this news analysis appears inprint on
特別検察官ミュラーが、ロシア政府とトランプ陣営の大統領選挙共謀調査において、きわめて重大な一歩を踏み出したことで、メディアはもちろん、トランプ陣営に強大な旋風が吹き荒れている。
金曜日に、ミュラーがだれかを提訴するとの（確かな）情報がワシントンをかけめぐった。が、だれを、そして何の嫌疑で行われるのかは完全に秘密のままであったのだが、いずれにせよ、月曜にはその行動がとられるらしいとのうわさがかけめぐっていた。
そして月曜日。ミュラーがFBIに出頭させたのは、マナフォートとゲイツであった。マナフォートがターゲットであることはただちにメディアで取り上げられていたが、これは7月26日に秘密裏に実行されたマナフォートの自宅の強制捜査のさいに、担当官が直接、マナフォートにたいし、提訴を考えている旨の発言をしていたことが知られていたからでもある。
今回は、それよりもはるかにトランプ陣営にとって衝撃的であったのは、その翌日、つまり7月27日にトランプの外交政策アドバイザーであったパパドポリスという人物が逮捕されていたという事実、そして彼がFBIへの全面的協力を承認して、この3ヶ月間、協力者 (Proact Coperator) として活動していたという事実、がいまになってミュラーから公表されたという事実である。これらの事実は、どこにももれることなく、今日に至ったということである。
このことのもつ意味はきわめて重大な意味をもっている。パパドポリスはプーチンとトランプのあいだでの会談の設定に主体的に関わっていた人物であるからである。そして彼は、FBIに全面的に協力するという約束のもとで、3か月ものあいだ内部偵察を行い続け、そしてその結果を逐一FBI、ミュラーに報告し続けていたのである。
パパドポリスは10月5日に
これらのもつ意味は非常に大きい。パパドポリスはFBIから2つのいずれを選ぶかを追究された。ウソをつきとおして訴追されて有罪になるか（この場合、重罪になる）、それとも真実をすべて語ることで、きわめて軽微な罪になるか、あるいは場合によっては執行猶予扱いになるか、の選択である。彼は後者を選んだわけである。
マナフォートとゲイツがFBIに出頭したのと、パパドポリスのこうした活動が同時に明らかにされたのは、おそらく前2者への大きな心理的圧力をかけるためであるように思われる。ウソをつきとおして有罪が確定すると重罪判決になる可能性が高いから、それを逃れるために何もかも話すという姿勢をとる、つまり一種の司法取引に応じる人物が今後輩出することもありうる話になってきている。
こうした事情に詳しい専門家によると、ミュラーの行動は予想を超える早さで進行しているようである。今後、多数の関与者が逮捕、提訴される可能性は高い、と言われている。例のニクソンのウォーターゲート事件のさいの大きな突破口となった訴追に、このパパドポリスのケースは該当する、というのである。
１つの問題は、トランプがミュラーを解雇するという行動に出る、もしくは出ることができるかである。ただコミ―の場合と異なり、ミュラーはこの捜査を進めるにあたり、園力を大きく増大させることに成功してきている。大陪審制 (grand jury) の導入や、強力な税調査機関IRSとの協力体制の構築である。
トランプは例によってツイートで怒りを爆発させているが、外堀は今後かなりの速度で埋められていくことが確実視されている。
WASHINGTON — Shortly after his former campaign chairman marched into an F.B.I.
Yet even as his message went out to more than 41 million followers, news emerged that the authorities were unsealing another case that described how a young foreign policy adviser spent months seeking to connect Mr. Trump’s campaign with Russians offering “dirt” on Hillary Clinton.
The first charges filed by Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel, did not implicate Mr.
The indictment of Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign chairman, suggested that the president’s top lieutenant for part of last year was a highly paid agent for pro-Russian foreign interests. And the guilty plea extracted from George Papadopoulos, the foreign policy adviser, confirmed the second known attempt by Mr. Trump’s team to tap Moscow for damaging information on Mrs. Clinton, coming months before his son Donald Trump Jr.
The legal action propelled the special counsel investigation into a new and more dangerous phase for Mr. Trump, who had hoped to spend this week focused on his appointment of a new Federal Reserve chairman, the introduction of his tax-cutting legislation and the start of a 12-day trip to Asia.
“It’s obviously a big-deal day. These are big-deal developments,” said John Q. Barrett, who served as associate independent counsel during the Iran-contra investigation.
Inside the White House, the mood changed drastically throughout the morning. Although Mr.
But then, just as Mr. Trump tweeted that the charges involved actions that took place “before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign,” the news about Mr. Papadopoulos stunned and alarmed White House aides.
How Key Trump Associates Have Been Linked to Russia
Several are under scrutiny by the F.B.I.
Mr. Trump said nothing more publicly through the day and left it to his advisers to argue that the cases did not impugn him because Mr.
“Today’s announcement has nothing to do with the president, has nothing to do with the president’s campaign or campaign activity,” said Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary. She added, “We’ve been saying from Day 1 there has been no evidence of Trump-Russia collusion, and nothing in the indictment today changes that at all.”
Jay Sekulow, a private lawyer for Mr. Trump, said the president and his legal team were not worried about the indictments. “No, not concerned,” Mr. Sekulow said on CNN. “I’m completely convinced, as I was from the outset, that not only was there no Russian collusion, there was no obstruction.” He added, “I’m not concerned about this at all, and no one else is either.”
But lawyers and former prosecutors said Mr.
“Collusion is what Papadopoulos did. Collusion is what Trump Jr.
Mr. Mueller’s action also made it harder for Mr. Trump to brush off the investigation and blame Democrats. “After Mr. Trump whipped up a tweet storm of suspicion about Mueller this weekend, he really now has no place to go with this attack,” said Robert F. Bauer, a White House counsel under President Barack Obama. “Mueller’s first charge is beyond any potential claim of ‘politics’ or ‘stretching’ that the president might wish to bring against him and his office.”
The gravity of the threat may yet tempt Mr. Trump to take action to short-circuit the investigation, such as firing Mr. Mueller or pardoning Mr.
Roger J. Stone Jr., a sometimes adviser to the president, told The Daily Caller, a conservative website, that the president should not fire Mr. Mueller but could accomplish the same outcome by directing the Justice Department to investigate a deal consummated when Mrs. Clinton was secretary of state giving Russian interests a share of the American uranium market.
Because Mr. Mueller was the F.B.I.
Photo
Rick Gates, left, Donald J. Trump, Paul Manafort and Ivanka Trump
Both Ms. Sanders and Mr. Sekulow disputed suggestions that Mr. Trump might seek to fire Mr. Mueller. “There is no intention or plan to make any changes in regards to the special counsel,” Ms. Sanders said.
The two also played down the possibility that Mr. Trump might pardon Mr.
In the past, the president has signaled that he might dismiss Mr. Mueller if the special counsel exceeded what Mr. Trump considers the bounds of his investigation. Mr. Trump
Democrats warned Mr. Trump on Monday not to impede Mr. Mueller’s investigation.
“The president must not, under any circumstances, interfere with the special counsel’s work in any way,” said Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the minority leader. “If he does so, Congress must respond swiftly, unequivocally and in a bipartisan way to ensure that the investigation continues.”
Senator Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California, said the indictment showed that Mr. Mueller was “doing his job” and that the process was working. “I’ll continue to support Bob Mueller as he follows the facts — his independence must remain sacrosanct,” she said.
With the indictments, Mr. Mueller made clear that he was not to be underestimated. In one court document, his team used two words to describe Mr. Papadopoulos that might send a chill down the spines of some in Mr. Trump’s circle: “proactive cooperator.” Mr. Papadopoulos has been cooperating with prosecutors for three months, and his statement refers to several other campaign
Moreover, former prosecutors said the charges against Mr.
“They’ve done phenomenal work, they’ve done it quickly, they’ve done it ruthlessly, and they’ve done it efficiently,” said Solomon L.
Follow Peter Baker on Twitter: @peterbakernyt.
Michael D. Shear and Glenn Thrush contributed reporting.
A version of this news analysis appears in
