Cole writes: "Except for Sessions, this list has nothing to do with Russian influence on the 2016 presidential race, and probably is actually beyond Mueller�s purview. But somebody should lock these creeps up."

Trump watches as Steven Mnuchin is sworn in as Treasury Secretary. (photo: Getty Images)

Top Six Trump Administration Crimes That Ought to Bring Indictments

By Juan Cole, Informed Comment

30 October 17

ne. Jeff Sessions lied under oath, saying he never met with any Russian official during the Trump presidential campaign. He met the Russian ambassador twice. The GOP impeached Bill Clinton for perjury in what was a minor personal matter, but stand by Sessions despite his perjury regarding a matter of national security. Mueller should indict.

2. Scott Pruitt met with the CEO of Dow Chemical last spring. Twenty days later, he decided not to ban Dow�s chlorpyrifos pesticide from being sprayed on food. The problem with chlorpyrifos is that it can have a negative impact on brain development in fetuses and small children. We should look into whether young Trump was exposed to it or something similar in the late 1940s. Evangelicals, the main support base for Trump, are always going on endlessly about abortion being a genocide and are continually interfering with women�s constitutional right to have one. So you would think they�d be up in arms about a pesticide that could harm an embryo, right? Not so as anyone could tell. Pruitt�s own Environmental Protection Agency scientists have confirmed the dangers of chlorpyrifos but he ignored them. This is child endangerment and child abuse on a massive scale. I�d say, even a high crime and beyond a misdemeanor. Jail time would be appropriate.

3. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke swung a $300 mn. contract to rebuild Puerto Rico�s electrical grid to a tiny company on the verge of bankruptcy with two employees, Whitefish, which happens to be based in Zinke�s home town. That is corruption pure and simple. Puerto Rico has annulled the contract, quite rightly. Imagine if Trump had tried to treat Houston that way! Somebody should indict.

4. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin also allegedly perjured himself when he denied that the company he headed, OneWest, engaged in robo-signing (backdating mortgage documents and forging them) even though there are substantial indications that the company did so. Mnuchin is the reincarnation of Ebenezer Scrooge. He actually made people homeless for being 27 cents behind on their mortgage. Now he is seeking one of the largest transfers of wealth to the US rich since the days of Andrew Carnegie.

5. When he was Secretary of Health and Human Services and flying around on million dollar flights at taxpayer expense, Tom Price also spent money earmarked by federal law for encouraging people to sign up for Obamacare on negative ads attempting to discourage them from doing so. Just because Price is out of office doesn�t mean he can�t be indicted. What could be lower than trying to take away people�s health care insurance?

6. Despite promises that he would avoid investments that raised red flags about foreign influence while he was president, Trump is looking at deals in India. If the Indian government of PM Narendra Modi grants these licenses, worth a substantial amount of money, won�t that be an emolument of the sort banned by the constitution?

Except for Sessions, this list has nothing to do with Russian influence on the 2016 presidential race, and probably is actually beyond Mueller�s purview. But somebody should lock these creeps up.

Comments

We are concerned about a recent drift towards vitriol in the RSN Reader comments section. There is a fine line between moderation and censorship. No one likes a harsh or confrontational forum atmosphere. At the same time everyone wants to be able to express themselves freely. We'll start by encouraging good judgment. If that doesn't work we'll have to ramp up the moderation.

General guidelines: Avoid personal attacks on other forum members; Avoid remarks that are ethnically derogatory; Do not advocate violence, or any illegal activity.

Remember that making the world better begins with responsible action.

- The RSN Team

+17 # noitall 2013-02-02 13:12

If ex-gov, from Washington, Christine Gregoir gets the nod for EPA Director, that would probably be another straw on the camel's back. She weenied out on tackling the embarrassingly low (6.5 grams per day)fish consumption rate (which determines the amount that toxin dischargers can dump into WA's waters in WA's cleanup law, presumably to avoid another hurdle from coal train efforts to ship out of Washington's coast. It doesn't look good from where I stand. This country and Canada are poised via the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP, google it) to become world energy exporters. WOE BE US. We're being kept in the dark.

+1 # pbbrodie 2013-02-02 13:32

Unfortunately, I believe this is hopeless and it will be approved.

+29 # Vardoz 2013-02-02 13:46

We must all do what we can to oppose this suicide mission that the energy companies are taking us on. Trade energy for our survival is NOT WORTH IT - we have already emailed and called our reps strongly protesting the pipeline and emailed Obama over and over at whitehouse.gov

+17 # hoodwinkednomore 2013-02-02 15:53

No Gravestone Pipeline!! We must do as Vardoz says and more...Get involved, people!

+16 # Regina 2013-02-02 17:07

Obama keeps telling us that he comprehends the science. He could demonstrate that comprehension by standing up against Keystone and their ilk. We have only one planet, and it's already teetering on the brink of irreversible damage. The moguls love their money, but what if they can never really use it again under disastrous living conditions, that they will have brought about? What does it take to get through to those empty heads that sit on deep flush pockets?

+12 # Unicorn144 2013-02-02 17:40

This is it; the tipping point for saving our planet or destroying it so some cree billionaires can make more money to invest in currency speculation in destroying the global economy and the world environment at the same time.....NO!!!

+17 # roger paul 2013-02-02 18:42

To see the environmental destruction taking palace in Alberta, Google Earth the area. The toxic waste storage "lakes" are beyond dangerous, think the waste pond from mountain top removal are bad (which they are)these ponds are even more toxic. There are over 700,000 acres of boreal forests that are being destroyed in some of the most biologically diverse forest in the world.
Once gone, gone for ever.

+12 # ghostperson 2013-02-02 20:08

How is this for a bumper sticker: "Don't poison us so Big Energy can make more money."

If Canada wants to transport dirty oil to other countries, let it pay the toxic price.

Whoever the idiots were that conceived of pumping oil so dirty that is that grinds out pipelines across our agricultural belt should be institutionaliz ed.

+2 # seeuingoa 2013-02-02 21:59

come on Kittytinyhawk and Barbara K.

Say something !

After all, you are his base so he
will listen to you.

0 # tm7devils 2013-02-03 00:20

As Ed would query:
Will the 'powers that be' make sure that the pipeline is built?

Text: Oh, Shit! for Yes,
Text: BS for No.

+2 # futhark 2013-02-03 09:21

Barack Obama has demonstrated time and again that he will say one thing on the campaign trail, then, once in office, will behave in exactly the opposite fashion on behalf of big money interests. Protest, Yes! But don't expect that this Administration will listen or respond accordingly.

Refresh comments list

JComments

THE NEW STREAMLINED RSN LOGIN PROCESS: Register once, then login and you are ready to comment. All you need is a Username and a Password of your choosing and you are free to comment whenever you like! Welcome to the Reader Supported News community.

Name:	*
Username:	*
E-mail:	*
Password:	*
Confirm password:	*
Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required.