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Dem lawmaker calls on House to subpoena American translator from Trump-Putin meeting
The Hill ^ | 07/17/18 | Emily Birnbaum

Posted on 07/17/2018 4:58:54 PM PDT by yesthatjallen

Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) on Tuesday called for the American translator present during President Trump's private meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to tell Congress what was said during the encounter.

In a letter to the leaders of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Pascrell said the panel should hear testimony from translator Marina Gross, who was the only other American in the room with Trump and Putin.

"Given the public concessions President Trump made to Russian President Vladimir Putin by siding against the U.S. intelligence community, law enforcement, and our military officials about Russia’s attack on our democracy, Congress and the American public deserve to know the details of their private conversation," Pascrell wrote.

His call echoes similar proposals made Tuesday by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass.), who both said the American translator should testify in front of Congress.

Though Putin speaks English, both Trump and Putin had translators with them at the meeting in Helsinki due to protocol.

Trump and Putin met privately for more than two hours before their joint press conference on Monday. During the press conference, Trump denied Russian interference in the 2016 election and targeted special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation for souring relations between Russia and the U.S.

Trump's remarks were met with condemnation from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Though Trump on Tuesday insisted he supports the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that Russia interfered in the recent election, he again said "other people" could have also been involved in election meddling.

A number of lawmakers this week have proposed ways to push back on Trump's original remarks.

Pascrell noted that translators are not typically compelled to testify before Congress. The code of ethics published by the American Translators Association says translators must "hold in confidence" any privileged information they come across.

"In general, any information that’s confidential has to remain confidential even if you’re an interpreter. For example, attorney-client confidentiality extends to interpreter," American Translators Association spokeswoman Judy Jenner said.

"But as a diplomatic interpreter, you are probably aware of how precarious things could possibly be."

"It may be unprecedented to subpoena a translator to reveal the details of a private meeting between the President and another world leader, but Trump’s actions are unprecedented in a way that harms our national security," Pascrell wrote in his letter to Reps. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) and Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), the chairman and ranking member of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, respectively.

Pascrell listed evidence that members of the Trump family continue to profit from their businesses, some of which have connections to Russia.

"Over the years, the Trump family has bragged about their financial connections to Russia," Pascrell wrote, citing several quotes by Trump's sons boasting about the Trump Organization's ties to Russia.

For example, Pascrell listed a time that the president's son Eric Trump said in 2014, "We don’t rely on American banks. We have all the funding we need out of Russia."

"Given this history, the American people deserve to know if Trump used his position or this meeting with Putin to continue to pursue his own financial interests," Pascrell wrote.

"I urge you to subpoena the U.S. translator so the American people can get more insight into the dangerous, jaw-dropping performance we saw from Trump in Helsinki," he added.


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: billpascrell; obamaknew; pascrell; trumpknew; trumpputin; williampascrell
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To: yesthatjallen

Uh, NO! How DARE they?


21 posted on 07/17/2018 5:21:00 PM PDT by Flaming Conservative ((Pray without ceasing))
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To: yesthatjallen

Obama Knew of Spies Before Medvedev Talk Sky News ^ | June 30, 2010 | Staff

US President Barack Obama knew about the FBI operation to smash an alleged Russian spy ring before meeting President Dmitry Medvedev last week, but did not raise it at the talks, an aide said. But the White House said the revelations, which were condemned by Russia, would not interfere with the effort by both sides to ‘reset’ their relations, which has been pursued ever since Obama took office last year. The alleged operation was busted just a few days after a warm summit between Obama and Medvedev at the White House at which both sides made an elaborate effort to...


22 posted on 07/17/2018 5:24:25 PM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
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To: eyedigress

Obama was cutting deals and selling the Russian’s Uranium.

Obama is exposed without knowledge of what Putin told trump.

So is the entire deep state.


23 posted on 07/17/2018 5:24:39 PM PDT by Eddie01
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To: Fedora; Grampa Dave; kristinn

Obama Knew of Spies Before Medvedev Talk Sky News ^ | June 30, 2010 | Staff

US President Barack Obama knew about the FBI operation to smash an alleged Russian spy ring before meeting President Dmitry Medvedev last week, but did not raise it at the talks, an aide said. But the White House said the revelations, which were condemned by Russia, would not interfere with the effort by both sides to ‘reset’ their relations, which has been pursued ever since Obama took office last year. The alleged operation was busted just a few days after a warm summit between Obama and Medvedev at the White House at which both sides made an elaborate effort to...


24 posted on 07/17/2018 5:25:15 PM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
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FO, you commie Rat


25 posted on 07/17/2018 5:27:34 PM PDT by Gene Eric (Don't be a statist!)
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To: yesthatjallen

And none of these Rat @holes had anything to say about Cankles giving away 20 percent of the US’s uranium supply to Russia.

The Stormy Daniels thing didn’t work out, the Russian collusion thing didn’t work out, etc., etc.


26 posted on 07/17/2018 5:27:57 PM PDT by RooRoobird20 ("Democrats haven't been this angry since Republicans freed the slaves.")
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To: realcleanguy

Yeah. They would have dropped the hammer in Hillary’s third term. That is abundantly clear now.


27 posted on 07/17/2018 5:30:52 PM PDT by justa-hairyape (The user name is sarcastic. Although at times it may not appear that way.)
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To: mplc51; bitt; hoosiermama; unkus; SkyPilot

I am so sick of the scum in DC on both sides of the aisle. I believe the majority of the American people feel the same way.


28 posted on 07/17/2018 5:35:45 PM PDT by ExTexasRedhead
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To: Kozy

29 posted on 07/17/2018 5:37:33 PM PDT by UCANSEE2 (Lost my tagline on Flight MH370. Sorry for the inconvenience.)
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To: butlerweave

30 posted on 07/17/2018 5:39:59 PM PDT by UCANSEE2 (Lost my tagline on Flight MH370. Sorry for the inconvenience.)
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To: yesthatjallen

“Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) on Tuesday called for the American translator present during President Trump’s private meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to tell Congress what was said during the encounter. ... “Given the public concessions President Trump made to Russian President Vladimir Putin ...”.

Hey, Bill, are you confusing this with the time when your boy, Barry Soetoro, passed a message along to the Russkies to “tell Vlad I’ll have more flexibility after the election”?

Or maybe when he had John F. Kerry give away the store (cash plus the go ahead on nukes) to the crazed Iranian, terrorist mullahs?

You’re a real genius, aren’t you, Bill?


31 posted on 07/17/2018 5:40:40 PM PDT by SharpRightTurn (Chuck Schumer--giving pond scum everywhere a bad name.)
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To: RooRoobird20

They’re back to Russia.

These people are predictable in butting their heads against a stone wall.

I can’t fathom human stupidity but Washington is full of it.


32 posted on 07/17/2018 5:42:45 PM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: Gene Eric

The Rats can demand things until they drop dead, they’re in the loser party and they don’t have the votes. Hee Hee


33 posted on 07/17/2018 5:45:05 PM PDT by RooRoobird20 ("Democrats haven't been this angry since Republicans freed the slaves.")
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To: ExTexasRedhead

I think we are teetering on the edge of civil war. If the left can’t act like adults when they lose then we have a problem. I refuse to allow them to treat our president like this. How much do they expect us to take before we push back?


34 posted on 07/17/2018 5:45:17 PM PDT by Peeps47 (Democrats are as corrupt as they are incompetent)
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To: yesthatjallen

We might have known it would be a $hitball RAT from “New Jeersey!”
Pascrell is a real bottom feeder.


35 posted on 07/17/2018 5:45:40 PM PDT by vette6387
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To: yesthatjallen

Will Mueller try this ?


36 posted on 07/17/2018 5:45:54 PM PDT by butlerweave
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To: yesthatjallen

I’m looking for the smiling cat in the tree.


37 posted on 07/17/2018 5:46:20 PM PDT by sauropod (I am His and He is mine. #FreeTommy)
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To: yesthatjallen
It's now at the point of absurd theater, as I used to say. Did I accidentally swerve into a Greek comedy performance by Aristophanes?
38 posted on 07/17/2018 5:48:08 PM PDT by RayChuang88 (FairTax: America's Economic Cure)
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To: yesthatjallen

Pascrell can go and reproduce asexually.

5.56mm


39 posted on 07/17/2018 5:49:52 PM PDT by M Kehoe
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To: yesthatjallen

Dear Donks,

Hump somebody else’s leg


40 posted on 07/17/2018 5:52:09 PM PDT by RightGeek (FUBO and the donkey you rode in on)
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