Why Robert Mueller’s new charges against Konstantin Kilimnik are such a big Trump-Russia deal
For some time now, the worst kept secret in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s court filings has been that the unnamed “Person A” repeatedly referenced in the charges against Paul Manafort has been Russian spy Konstantin Kilimnik. As recently as earlier this week, Palmer Report explored the question of why Mueller hadn’t yet named Kilimnik or charged him. Now we have our answer: it wasn’t yet time. Mueller has charged Kilimnik today, and it turns out it was worth waiting for.
Mueller has just charged Konstantin Kilimnik and Paul Manafort of having conspired to obstruct justice when they worked together to try to tamper with Trump-Russia scandal witnesses. All along, Donald Trump has been insisting that there was “no collusion” between his campaign and Russia, and that the charges against Manafort were for things that took place prior to the campaign. Now we have a very different story.
“Collusion” isn’t a legal term; it’s not something you’re charged with. But when the head of the Donald Trump campaign and a Russian spy are criminally charged for having tried to obstruct the investigation into the Trump-Russia scandal, that very much fits the general definition of the word “collusion.” Trump can try to distance himself from Manafort all he wants, but this guy was his campaign chairman for several months, as well as his campaign manager for months. So now we’re talking “Yes collusion” – and it couldn’t come at a worse time for Trump.
This morning, while he was busy feuding with the leaders of the United States’ most crucial allies, Donald Trump demanded that Russia be added to the G7. It’s one of the most blatantly pro-Russia stances Trump has taken to date, and arguably the best evidence yet that he’s nothing more than a puppet of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Now the former head of Donald Trump’s campaign has just been indicted for conspiring with a Russian spy to sabotage an investigation in which Trump himself is a confirmed subject. This changes everything.
