Bali news and views editor's comments:

Lawrence at work in his office in Sanur dictating newsletters

Here we go. As I predicted previously a week after the midterm elections when Trump lost control of Congress he is having investigations come at him and from several directions.

1. As the article points out below he is finally going to provide answers to the F.B.I. investigator Robert Mueller "related only to Moscow’s involvement in the election" If he lies can be held in contempt or indicted.
2. He also may have to answer questions to the IRS who has already stated they may audit him for tax evasion
3. In addition to that there is allegations that he may have violated election laws when he authorized payment to a former porn star and Playboy model for hush money.
4. On top of all that a lawsuit was filed against him today by CNN for preventing their key anchor from attending White House briefings. Within that suit I'm sure if they get his spokesman Sarah Huckabee on the witness stand they will ask her why was there a doctored video of the CNN anchor purporting to show that he pushed away the arm of a Trump aide who was trying to recover the microphone when in fact he was simply moving away from the aide as the real tape shows.

I can't help but think a whole bunch of hurt is coming to Trump and Karma is catching up. 

The dollar is starting to sell off which  could be a reflection of the loss of face of the U.S .Pres. and perhaps the US economy. 

In addition in a few short weeks the government will ask for an increase in the budget to prevent a shutdown of the government. In the past it was easy because Trump controlled the government now the Democrats control it and will certainly have him by the short and curly's.

It's going to be an interesting two or three weeks coming up here.

Let's hope  it's over with before Christmas and that either Trump resigns, is indicted or impeached.

When it's all over Lord help us if we have to go through another two years of him holding onto the nuclear briefcase.
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Trump could answer written Russia probe questions this week: source

Karen Freifeld

(Reuters) - President Donald Trump is expected to provide written answers to questions from the special counsel investigating Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election as soon as this week, a person familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

The questions from Special Counsel Robert Mueller that Trump is preparing to answer relate only to Moscow’s involvement in the election, and not to whether Trump may have tried to obstruct the Russia investigation, the source told Reuters.

Among the topics covered is a June 2016 meeting between the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., other members of Trump’s campaign team and a group of Russians, the source said.
Trump met with his lawyers this week in anticipation of responding to the questions, according to the source.

Rudy Giuliani, a lawyer for Trump, declined to comment, as did Peter Carr, a spokesman for the special counsel.

Trump’s lawyers have been negotiating with Mueller’s team since last year over whether he will sit for an interview. That question still has not been settled, the source said on Tuesday.


Last month, Giuliani told Reuters that Trump would be willing to answer questions in writing on whether his campaign had colluded with Moscow to influence the 2016 election, but not whether he had acted to obstruct the Russia probe.

It is not clear whether Mueller may press Trump to try to answer questions on obstruction at some point.

In an NBC News interview last year, Trump tied his May 2017 decision to fire FBI director James Comey to the investigation into Russian election meddling. At the time of his firing, Comey was leading the investigation.

Trump last summer denied knowing about the Trump Tower meeting with Russians who had promised damaging information about Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

DHS chief Nielsen headed for the exit -sources

But Trump dictated a statement from Air Force One about the meeting that Mark Corallo, a former spokesman for Trump’s legal team, viewed as false, a person familiar told Reuters in January. The statement issued by Trump Jr. said that he and Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya “primarily discussed a program about the adoption of Russian children.”

U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia interfered in the election to try to tip it toward Trump by undermining Democratic candidate Clinton. Moscow has denied any interference, while Trump has denied any collusion with Russia and any obstruction of justice.

Reporting by Karen Freifeld, Tim Ahmann; Editing by Sandra Maler and James Dalgleish, Grant McCool
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.