Russia Investigation

Tinfoil Foiled

cjones12122019

The tinfoil hat club got foiled. They got hoisted on their own petard, not that any of them knows what “hoisted” means or what a “petard” is.

Since he “won” the election, Trump has been screaming that the Russia investigation was a huge hoax, never should have happened, a coup attempt, illegal, an attempt to overthrow the government, and an act of the deep state. He claimed Obama wiretapped Trump Tower. He appointed an Attorney General, William Barr, who would champion his conspiracy theories. Barr even said he believed there was spying in the Trump campaign. There was, but it wasn’t from an American agency. But they don’t want to talk about that because they invited that spying.

Do you remember before the Mueller Report came out how Republicans kept saying that we need to accept the findings if it proved Trump innocent? Well, it didn’t prove him innocent, but that’s not the point I’m making. William Barr appointed the Justice Department’s Inspector General to investigate the investigation that investigated the Trump campaign colluding with Russia. Now that the investigation is complete, Trump supporters don’t want to accept the findings. Even Barr, who made this investigation happen, doesn’t want to accept the findings.

Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, Tucker Carlson, and Sean Hannity all hailed that the report proved them right all along which proves they don’t actually read anything. William Barr released a statement saying, “The inspector general’s report now makes clear that the FBI launched an intrusive investigation of a U.S. presidential campaign on the thinnest of suspicions that, in my view, were insufficient to justify the steps taken.” Uh, no it didn’t.

Barr also said, “FBI officials misled the FISA court, omitted critical exculpatory facts from their filings, and suppressed or ignored information negating the reliability of their principal source.” Actually, that sounds like what Barr did when he presented a summary of the Mueller Report.

Donald Trump said the findings are “far worse than I ever thought possible,” which means he only read Barr’s statement.

What the IG report did was debunk their conspiracy theories. Other than discovering Ivanka Trump and Christopher Steele, who wrote the infamous dossier that mentions a pee tape and whom Trump and his cult have been attacking for years, had a friendship that was described as “personal,” we didn’t really learn anything from the report. And before I get too distracted, “bow-chicka-wow-wow?”

The report stated the Steele Dossier didn’t play a role in opening the investigation. While the report found faults in some warrant requests that used information from the Steele Dossier, the FBI started the investigation based on a tip it received days before about a Trump campaign adviser, George Papadopoulos, from a foreign ally, Australia. If you’re not wearing tinfoil on your head, you already knew this.

What is true is that our ally, Australia, was more concerned about protecting our national security from an attack from Russia than Donald Trump or his idiot son, Donald Trump Jr., was. While Australia was telling the FBI that Russians were spying on the Clinton campaign and giving the material to the Trump team, Don Jr. was inviting Russians into the campaign headquarters. If you haven’t been drinking the Trump cult Kool-Aid, you already knew this.

Trump and his cult have repeatedly attacked Lisa Page, a former FBI lawyer, and Peter Strzok, a former top FBI agent, who were both removed from the Russia investigation after text messages uncovered between the two showed “hostility” toward Trump during his candidacy. But, Page didn’t have any role in opening the investigation and Strzok was not the man in charge of it. Deep-state conspiracy theory foiled. No political bias was used in the investigation. If you don’t have your head buried up Trump’s ass, you already knew this.

The report didn’t mention Obama wiretapping Trump Tower which is a claim Trump made shortly after he assumed office, but never corroborated. It was a Trump lie. Another detail that foils the tinfoil hat club is there was only one member of the Trump campaign the FBI was wiretapping. That was Carter Page. They didn’t even request warrants on George Papadopoulos, campaign chairman Paul Manafort or Michael Flynn, who all had connections to Russia. If you’re not a Fox News viewer, you already knew this.

The FBI did not plant spies in the Trump Campaign. What the report found is there were members of the campaign who sent information to the FBI, but none of that affected the investigation because all that information was all over the internet.

When Russia attacks our election, we need to investigate it. What we shouldn’t do is attack the investigators. What we shouldn’t do is defend Russia. Donald Trump, William Barr, the idiots at Fox News, and your idiot tinfoil-hat-wearing, attic-dwelling uncle whom you hate having over for Thanksgiving have spent the past three years defending Russia and putting Putin before America.

William Barr didn’t have the Inspector General investigate the investigation to produce facts. He created it to support Trump’s conspiracy theories. If you read Barr’s statements on the IG report, you’ll see he’s only talking to Donald Trump. He’s ignoring a report he demanded from his own department.

There is not a deep state. What we can take solace from is that there are still honest and ethical people in the government who will defy the cult members Trump has appointed.

There is not a deep state. There are no chemtrails. Obama did not bug Trump Tower. Uranium One has been debunked. The Clintons didn’t kill Jeffrey Epstein. There weren’t millions of illegal voters. Obama was born in the United States. Hillary Clinton didn’t run a child-sex-slave ring in a Washington pizza joint. It was Russia, not Ukraine, that meddled in the 2016 election. There are no lizard people.

What we do know from the report is that Donald Trump and William Barr are liars who will use government resources to rig the system. But, if you don’t watch Fox News, drink the Trump cult Kool-Aid, wear a tinfoil hat, or have your head buried up Trump’s ass, you already knew that.

Support the cartoonist.

You can help me continue to create cartoons, blogs, and videos by making a contribution. All support, large and small, is greatly appreciated. You can also support me by purchasing a signed print (8 1/2×11) for $40, or a signed poster (18×24) for $100 by clicking the PayPal button (just include a note if you’re purchasing a print). If you want to support but don’t want to use PayPal, you can send a contribution through the mail (address is on the contact page. Again, include a note for a print). I don’t plan on going anywhere and your support will help guarantee that. Whether you support, can’t. or just choose not to, please know that I am truly thankful that you visit my site and read my work.

You can purchase a signed print of this cartoon.

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Butt Dial Rudy

cjones10282019

Where hasn’t Rudy Giuliani stuck his ass since Donald Trump became president?

While Republicans are complaining that diplomats are “unelected,” unelected Rudy Giuliani is engaging in shadow diplomacy in Ukraine and other nations while also working on his personal business deals. Is he working for the State Department or as Trump’s personal attorney? It’s confusing because he’s tried to have it both ways. He says he has attorney-client privilege because he’s Trump’s personal lawyer, but if he’s working for the Justice Department, then he doesn’t have that privilege.

It was reported Friday night that Giuliani butt-dialed an NBC News reporter on October 16 and his ass left a voicemail. What did Rudy’s ass have to say? A lot of it was incomprehensible, much like any Rudy interview, but what was made out is Rudy discussing the kingdom of Bahrain and needing a “few hundred thousand” dollars. The weird thing is…OK, weirder, is that it’s not the first time Rudy has butt-dialed a reporter. If Donald Trump was smart, and he’s not, he’d find a better lawyer or at least one who can operate a smartphone.

Trump’s other buttpoodle, William Barr, has dragged his ass all over the Justice Department like a dog on the carpet. It was revealed Friday that the Justice Department’s investigation into the Justice Department over the Russia investigation is now a criminal probe. Barr is seeking to send people to jail for the crime of investigating Russian collusion into the 2016 presidential election.

Barr, Trump, and Republicans claim the department “spied” on the Trump campaign. They’ve been chasing a conspiracy theory that it was Ukraine, not Russia, who meddled in the election, and not in favor of Trump but of Hillary Clinton. They believe the Democratic National Committee’s server is in Ukraine. These theories have been debunked. What did happen is that Russia meddled in the election, in favor of Trump, and while neither Obama or the Justice Department spied on the Trump campaign, Russia at least attempted to. Funny how these “patriots” are all riled up about conspiracy theories and hoaxes but haven’t expressed any outrage over foreign nations attacking our country. Now, Russia and other nations hostile to us have clearance to continue attacking our nation knowing Trump’s administration will ignore them and punish those in law enforcement who try to protect our nation.

Sure, internal reviews, from police departments to the Justice Department, should always be conducted. But if we’re more concerned about punishing the people investigating foreign spies than the actual spies, something is messed up. Donald Trump, William Barr, and the entire Republican Party are punishing the FBI while protecting Russian spies. That’s a bunch of butt.

Donald Trump, with buttpoodle William Barr, has totally politicized the Justice Department. It’s not seeking justice. It’s seeking retribution for the crimes of investigating Donald Trump…or anything close to him. This is an authoritarian act.

After Trump is removed from office, we need to remove every official he’s appointed, including judges. Every appointment was made possible by Russia and Vladimir Putin and if we don’t remove them, then Putin’s ass will be staining our nation for decades to come.

Trump, Barr, and Rudy should all land in prison. Let’s just hope Rudy doesn’t butt-dial anyone with his one phone call. Hopefully, when all this is said and done, we’ll never hear from any of their asses ever again.

Support the cartoonist.

You can help me continue to create cartoons, blogs, and videos by making a contribution. All support, large and small, is greatly appreciated. You can also support me by purchasing a signed print (8 1/2×11) for $40, or a signed poster (18×24) for $100 by clicking the PayPal button (just include a note if you’re purchasing a print). If you want to support but don’t want to use PayPal, you can send a contribution through the mail (address is on the contact page. Again, include a note for a print). I don’t plan on going anywhere and your support will help guarantee that. Whether you support, can’t. or just choose not to, please know that I am truly thankful that you visit my site and read my work.

You can purchase a signed print of this cartoon.

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Mueller Speaks

cjones06012019

Special Counsel Robert Mueller finally spoke and what he said without saying it is that Attorney General William Barr is a filthy, sycophantic liar helping Donald Trump engage in a PR campaign to mislead the American people.

Mueller doesn’t want to speak beyond yesterday’s quickie press conference, where he didn’t take questions, or testify before Congress. He said his testimony is in the report. Fox News and Trump cultist Sean Hannity asked, “if his testimony is in the report, then why did he speak?” My answer to Sean is, probably because the report has been misconstrued by William Barr, you sycophantic dillhole.

Mueller didn’t come out and say he disagreed with Barr, but his statements contradicted his boss (his boss until he officially resigns from the Justice Department, which he says he is now doing).

Barr said Mueller’s conclusions did not include a determination of whether Trump had committed obstruction of justice. Mueller stated, “If we had had the confidence that the president (sic) clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.” They didn’t say so.

Barr said the Special Counsel’s decision not to reach any legal conclusions leave it to the AG to determine whether Trump committed a crime. Mueller alluded to Congress to make the determination and that their impeachment power is the constitutional arbiter (if you’re a Republican, “arbiter” means decision maker).

Mueller was clear in that he never intended to charge Trump because of the long-standing legal opinion of the Justice Department that a sitting president can’t be indicted. Mueller said Wednesday, “The Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system to formally accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing. Barr claims that in private meetings with Mueller, that Mueller said he would not claim Trump would have been charged with a crime if he weren’t the president. Barr stated last month, “He made very clear several times that that was not his position.”

One of these two men, Robert Mueller or William Barr is a liar. The liar is Barr.

The liar, Donald Trump, went batshit crazy this morning, and because he’s stupid, he inadvertently admitted Russia helped him win the election. Don’t you love that?

Trump accused Mueller of being “totally conflicted” and a “true never-Trumper,” as if that’s a bad thing. You can consider me a never-ever-ever-ever-ever-times-infinity-never Trumper.

Trump tweeted that he, “Had nothing to do with Russia helping me get elected.” That’s like saying, “I had nothing to do with the Russian hookers’ golden shower” before anyone told you “hooker” was plural (if you’re a Republican, plural means more than one).

Mueller explicitly stated that Russia sought to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. Trump claimed this morning that Russia didn’t want him to win and that they were trying to help Clinton. This defies not just Mueller’s statement but Vladimir Putin’s, who expressed he wanted Trump to win the election…while he was standing on the same stage with Donald Trump in Helsinki (if you’re a Republican, Helsinki is the capital of Finland).

Trump stated this morning that “impeachment” is a “dirty, filthy disgusting word.” No. what’s disgusting is the term “President Donald Trump.” No one becomes green from nauseation when hearing “impeachment.” It gives me a warm, squishy feeling that produces a glow.

Trump continues to claim he’s exonerated while Mueller stated that because of the Justice Department opinion, “Charging the president (sic) with a crime was therefore not an option we could consider.” In case you’re a Republican, that is NOT an exoneration. Someone tell Hannity.

Now, Mueller wants to go home without having to answer any more questions. That’s too bad. Mueller will speak before Congress and he should. There are still answers like, why didn’t you interview Donald Trump? Why didn’t you interview Donald Trump Jr? Why aren’t Donald Trump Jr, Ivanka Trump, and Hope Hicks in prison? Why didn’t you recommend charges like Ken Starr did to Bill Clinton? How is it even possible for someone as stupid as Donald Trump to have not killed himself yet from forgetting to breathe, let alone convince 62 million Americans to vote for his racist ass?

Mueller wants us off his lawn. I don’t see that happening any time soon. Mueller owes the American people answers for why he left us with a president who refuses to give honest answers.

Robert Meuller left an inept, racist, stupid, narcissistic, corrupt excuse for a human being as president of this nation. He doesn’t get to go home.

Mueller has ‘splainin’ to do.

Creative note: In May of 2016, I drew my first digital cartoon on my Surface Pro 4 (it was on George Zimmerman). Today, the 4 is retired and this is the very first cartoon on my new Surface Pro 6. This is kind of a big deal for me as my Surface has been, as my girlfriend puts it, an extension of myself over the past three years. I’ve drawn cartoons at home, in friends’ homes, girlfriend’s home (NOT plural), in coffee shops, restaurants, bars, hotels, and even on a train. I feel like I’m leaving behind a loyal friend. Let’s hope the new bigger, stronger, faster Surface is reliable and as good to me as the older, smaller, slower Surface. At any rate, they can both piss me off. The new one accomplished that feat within the first hour of owning it.

Be Complicit

What kind of person would want to be part of something that disparages, slanders, and disrespects Dear Leader and his sycophantic followers? Hopefully, you. 
Making a contribution supports my work and keeps the cartoons, columns, and videos coming. My income is from newspapers that subscribe to my work and small contributors. George Soros hasn’t sent me a million dollar check in weeks. Making a contribution of any amount, or buying a print for $40.00, makes you part of this specific resistance, and a member of Team Claytoonz (we’re still working on the name). You are complicit, an accomplice, and in cahoots (and whatever gangster terms we can think of) with this political satire pointing out that the stupid emperor has no clothes. Contributions can be made through PayPal, checks, and wads of cash exchanged in back alleys.
Whether you can help support, can’t, or just choose not to, please continue to enjoy and keep reading my work. Thank you!!! 

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More Butt For Barr

cjones05282019

Once again, Donald Trump is politicizing the Justice Department, just like he promised he would as a candidate.

Trump has given Attorney General William Barr sweeping authority to declassify information related to the Russian investigation. This move frightens the intelligence community. It endangers sources, methods, and threatens to manipulate the intelligence that’s been gathered for political means.

You may have hopes that William Barr will push this new authority to the side, wanting to respect the intelligence community and not use his position to play politics for Trump, but according to Trump, Barr asked for this authority.

Trump has Barr investigating the Russia investigation. They and other Republicans are upset that the Justice Department pursued leads on people who were in contact with the Russian government and being useful idiots for the Kremlin. These people were in the Trump campaign. Trump has called the investigation treason. According to Trump, it’s unpatriotic to go after our nation’s enemies when they’re in close contact with Trump.

Trump has constantly attacked the FBI and intelligence community since coming into office and has not been subtle in calling for the Justice Department to go after his political enemies. In the future, we’re going to need an investigation into the investigation into the investigation.

Usually, the Attorney General would prepare a report on a matter and ask senior leaders at the NSA, CIA, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and other agencies to declassify specific documents without harming the intelligence-gathering process. In this instance, he can do whatever he wants with the information without concern for who or what it hurts. He was given this authority by a man who gave Russians classified information in the Oval Office, obtained through an ally.

Trump is showing his ass. Currently, he’s in Japan showing our allies there his ass. These kind of moves, violating and abusing his power as president, are just a few of the many reasons his ass needs to be removed from the presidency.

Be Complicit

What kind of person would want to be part of something that disparages, slanders, and disrespects Dear Leader and his sycophantic followers? Hopefully, you. 
Making a contribution supports my work and keeps the cartoons, columns, and videos coming. My income is from newspapers that subscribe to my work and small contributors. George Soros hasn’t sent me a million dollar check in weeks. Making a contribution of any amount, or buying a print for $40.00, makes you part of this specific resistance, and a member of Team Claytoonz (we’re still working on the name). You are complicit, an accomplice, and in cahoots (and whatever gangster terms we can think of) with this political satire pointing out that the stupid emperor has no clothes. Contributions can be made through PayPal, checks, and wads of cash exchanged in back alleys.
Whether you can help support, can’t, or just choose not to, please continue to enjoy and keep reading my work. Thank you!!! 

You can purchase a signed print of this cartoon.

Watch Me Draw.

Jr. Jeopardy

cjones05182019

James Holzhauer is on a 22-game winning streak on Jeopardy (in case you’re a Republican, that’s a game show). Holzhauer has accumulated $1.7 million in winnings and has given the game show higher ratings than, get this, The Big Bang Theory and hold on to your lugnuts, Game of Thrones. No shit.

Holzhauer owns the 10 highest single-day winnings in the show’s history, but he doesn’t own the record for most Jeopardy money…yet. That honor belongs to Ken Jennings.

James Holzhauer and Ken Jennings are smart. They have big brains. Let’s talk about someone who does not.

After being subpoenaed to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Donald Trump Jr has agreed to limited questioning from the senators. Wait. How the hell did that happen? He gets a subpoena and agrees to limited questions? Have you ever been called to court and refused or negotiated your terms on testifying? Even Marisa Tomei didn’t get that deal in My Cousin Vinny. Is this a nation built to serve rich douchebags or what?

The deal is, Trumpy Jr will testify if the topics are limited to a half dozen to maybe a dozen (depending on which source you use), and he only has to stay two to four hours. He’s a busy guy who doesn’t have time for accountability. He has a shyster corporation to run, big game animals to shoot, and conspiracy theories and Nazis to retweet.

Trump Jr. refused to be questioned by Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team. For some reason, Mueller didn’t subpoena him. He testified once before the Senate in a private session and later agreed to return, which he reneged on.

Daddy Trump has wailed that his son is being mistreated and that he had already testified in private for hours upon hours. Yeah, that’s why he’s gotta come back. It’s that testimony that’s raised questions. The Mueller Report contains testimony from more than one witness that contradicts Jr. If you tell the cops you didn’t do something and then ten people contradict you, the cops are probably going to want to talk to you again.

Like his father, Junior has a history of lying. Before news of the Trump Tower meeting came out, he was on Fox News denying there was ever ANY contacts with Russia, and how dare anyone ask if there were.

Junior is a liar. He makes shit up. He retweets antisemitic theories on George Soros. He gives interviews to people who believe in white genocide. He compares immigrants to Skittles. He’s almost as horrible as his father. Maybe by the time he’s 72, he’ll be just as bad and have his very own failed hair transplant, and pornstars to hush.

Senators want to question Junior about the Trump Tower meeting where he was seeking dirt on Hillary Clinton from Russians, and on the secretive Trump Tower Moscow project. Daddy Trump and Junior have both claimed no Moscow deal was in progress, yet Michael Cohen claims there was, they were working on a bribe to Vladimir Putin, and Junior was briefed on the development at least ten times. I wonder if he ever replied, “I love it?”

Lindsey Graham, who once screamed that Bill Clinton and his people had to comply with congressional subpoenas and who also chairs a committee that issues them, said Junior should refuse to testify and ignore the subpoena. No cognitive dissonance there, right? Lindsey Graham has sold his soul for a bag of orange jelly beans, or are they skittles?

I understand the chairman of the committee, Richard Burr, was under intense pressure from his fellow Republicans to comply with Junior. I mean, Junior’s lawyer was threatening to send a letter. Ack! I suppose issuing contempt charges for a person being contemptible was out of the question.

This president needs oversight and that goes for his stupid children who have aided him in subverting democracy. Can someone please go to jail for breaking the law, selling out our nation to Russians, and lying to Congress?

Greg Kihn is a one-hit wonder with the song “Jeopardy” (but check out “The Breakup Song”), which Weird Al Yankovic covered with “I Lost On Jeopardy.” I’m hoping Weird Junior loses on legal jeopardy.

Be Complicit

What kind of person would want to be part of something that disparages, slanders, and disrespects Dear Leader and his sycophantic followers? Hopefully, you. 
Making a contribution supports my work and keeps the cartoons, columns, and videos coming. My income is from newspapers that subscribe to my work and small contributors. George Soros hasn’t sent me a million dollar check in weeks. Making a contribution of any amount, or buying a print for $40.00, makes you part of this specific resistance, and a member of Team Claytoonz (we’re still working on the name). You are complicit, an accomplice, and in cahoots (and whatever gangster terms we can think of) with this political satire pointing out that the stupid emperor has no clothes. Contributions can be made through PayPal, checks, and wads of cash exchanged in back alleys.
Whether you can help support, can’t, or just choose not to, please continue to enjoy and keep reading my work. Thank you!!! 

You can purchase a signed print of this cartoon.

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Shave Your Toadyism

cjones05172019

William Barr is NOT acting as the Attorney General and is instead working as Donald Trump’s personal defender.

He deflected the Mueller Report. He held onto it for three weeks after he issued his misleading memo. When asked how Mueller felt about his memo, Barr lied and said he didn’t know despite having received two letters and one phone call from Mueller telling him that he didn’t like it. When I was a teenager, a girl’s father once threatened to shoot me if he ever caught me climbing into his daughter’s window again, but other than that comment I’m not sure how he felt about me.

Barr also quibbled when asked if anyone in the White House asked him to investigate the investigators. William Barr has engaged in a coverup and is now doing Donald Trump’s bidding, which is using the Justice Department to go after his political enemies.

The Justice Department is now investigating how the FBI conducted its investigation into Russia’s meddling and involvement in the Trump campaign. We’re now going after people for going after Russian spies.

Donald Trump promised during the presidential campaign that he would use the Justice Department to go after his political enemies. His first AG didn’t work out in that regard so he fired him to install a genuine toady in the position. This is where William Barr entered the picture.

Trump says we need to move on from the investigations into Russia. All investigations are bad except investigations into investigations.

We are now a banana republic without the bananas.

Be Complicit

What kind of person would want to be part of something that disparages, slanders, and disrespects Dear Leader and his sycophantic followers? Hopefully, you. 
Making a contribution supports my work and keeps the cartoons, columns, and videos coming. My income is from newspapers that subscribe to my work and small contributors. George Soros hasn’t sent me a million dollar check in weeks. Making a contribution of any amount, or buying a print for $40.00, makes you part of this specific resistance, and a member of Team Claytoonz (we’re still working on the name). You are complicit, an accomplice, and in cahoots (and whatever gangster terms we can think of) with this political satire pointing out that the stupid emperor has no clothes. Contributions can be made through PayPal, checks, and wads of cash exchanged in back alleys.
Whether you can help support, can’t, or just choose not to, please continue to enjoy and keep reading my work. Thank you!!! 

You can purchase a signed print of this cartoon.

Watch the video.

Not OK

cjones04052019

Before Republican Devin Nunes was suing imaginary cows, he was chairman of the House Oversight Committee for the first two years of the Trump administration.

The committee was investigating Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election and Nunes pretended to recuse himself since he was on Trump’s transition team. He denied that the intelligence community had any evidence there was contact between Russia and the Trump campaign, which turned out to be a lie. He was accused of leaking classified information to the public and used the investigation to feed information to Donald Trump and his lawyers.

When Nunes learned that communications of members of Trump’s transition team had been “incidentally collected” by the intelligence community, he shared it with the White House before he informed his colleagues on the committee. He also used the investigation to attack Special Counsel Robert Mueller and the FBI, even beginning an investigation into the bureau because they had the gall to acquire a FISA warrant on a suspected Russian spy. At one point during the investigation, his committee released a memo attacking the FBI for the FISA warrants while also saying they were totally legal.

He canceled hearings where former acting Attorney General Sally Yates, former National Security Agency Director James Clapper, and former CIA Director John Brennan were scheduled to testify. Nunes eventually closed the investigation declaring there wasn’t any collusion and that Russia didn’t even try to help Trump win the election.

When Michael Flynn was busted for lying to the FBI about his secret contacts with Russia, Nunes said, “he was doing this country a favor and he should be thanked for it.”

For his mismanagement, lack of ethics, lies, and politicizing the committee and investigation to protect Donald Trump, no Republican called for his removal as chairman. Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House at that time, ignored Democrats’ calls for his removal.

Now, Nunes and the Republicans are calling for Adam Schiff to be removed as chairman of the committee because he said he had evidence of the Trump campaign colluding with Russia. Donald Trump even said Schiff should resign and be removed from Congress for lying. Seriously. Donald Trump thinks someone should be removed from office for lying. The Republicans are basing their allegations on the four pages AG William Barr released.

At a rally in Michigan, Trump even referred to Schiff as “pencil neck.” This, coming from a guy with a neck that looks like a vagina.

At the start of a hearing this week, the Republicans began by calling for Schiff to be removed. Every single Republican on the committee was on board for Schiff’s removal. Schiff didn’t take it lying down and he gave the shitweasels what for. It was a moment when every Republican on the committee appeared uncomfortable as they squirmed in their seats.

Schiff gave the retort of the year. He owned the GOP and Donald Trump. Their best comeback so far has been “pencil neck.” Schiff was magnificent. Schiff pointed out that everything Trump did during the campaign and since is “not OK.”

I’m including his remarks at length because if you missed it or haven’t read it, you need to.

“My colleagues might think it’s OK that the Russians offered dirt on the Democratic candidate for president as part of what’s described as the Russian government’s effort to help the Trump campaign. You might think that’s OK.

“My colleagues might think it’s OK that when that was offered to the son of the president, who had a pivotal role in the campaign, that the president’s son did not call the FBI; he did not adamantly refuse that foreign help – no, instead that son said that he would ‘love’ the help with the Russians.

“You might think it’s OK that he took that meeting. You might think it’s OK that Paul Manafort, the campaign chair, someone with great experience running campaigns, also took that meeting. You might think it’s OK that the president’s son-in-law also took that meeting. You might think it’s OK that they concealed it from the public. You might think it’s OK that their only disappointment after that meeting was that the dirt they received on Hillary Clinton wasn’t better. You might think that’s OK.

“You might think it’s OK that when it was discovered, a year later, that they then lied about that meeting and said that it was about adoptions. You might think that it’s OK that it was reported that the president helped dictate that lie. You might think that’s OK. I don’t.

“You might think it’s OK that the campaign chairman of a presidential campaign would offer information about that campaign to a Russian oligarch in exchange for money or debt forgiveness. You might think that’s OK, I don’t.

“You might think it’s OK that that campaign chairman offered polling data to someone linked to Russian intelligence. I don’t think that’s OK.

“You might think it’s OK that the president himself called on Russia to hack his opponent’s emails, if they were listening. You might think it’s OK that later that day, in fact, the Russians attempted to hack a server affiliated with that campaign. I don’t think that’s OK.

“You might think it’s OK that the president’s son-in-law sought to establish a secret back channel of communication with the Russians through a Russian diplomatic facility. I don’t think that’s OK.

“You might think it’s OK that an associate of the president made direct contact with the GRU through Guccifer 2.0 and WikiLeaks, that is considered a hostile intelligence agency. You might think it’s OK that a senior campaign official was instructed to reach that associate and find out what that hostile intelligence agency had to say in terms of dirt on his opponent.

“You might think it’s OK that the national security adviser designate secretly conferred with the Russian ambassador about undermining U.S. sanctions, and you might think it’s OK that he lied about it to the FBI.

“You might say that’s all OK, that’s just what you need to do to win. But I don’t think it’s OK. I don’t think it’s OK. I think it’s immoral, I think it’s unethical, I think it’s unpatriotic and, yes, I think it’s corrupt – and evidence of collusion.”

“Now I have always said that the question of whether this amounts to proof of conspiracy was another matter. Whether the special counsel could prove beyond a reasonable doubt the proof of that crime would be up to the special counsel, and I would accept his decision, and I do. He’s a good and honorable man, and he is a good prosecutor.

“But I do not think that conduct, criminal or not, is OK. And the day we do think that’s OK is the day we will look back and say that is the day that America lost its way.”

“And I will tell you one more thing that is apropos of the hearing today: I don’t think it’s OK that during a presidential campaign Mr. Trump sought the Kremlin’s help to consummate a real estate deal in Moscow that would make him a fortune – according to the special counsel, hundreds of millions of dollars. I don’t think it’s OK to conceal it from the public. I don’t think it’s OK that he advocated a new and more favorable policy towards the Russians even as he was seeking the Russians’ help, the Kremlin’s help to make money. I don’t think it’s OK that his attorney lied to our committee. There is a different word for that than collusion, and it’s called ‘compromise.’

“And that is the subject of our hearing today.”

Each of the factual points Schiff raised is supported by evidence and none of them have been contested by Trump, the GOP, or Barr’s memo for dummies.

Republicans need to learn what is and isn’t OK. Defending America is OK. Obstruction investigations into attacks on our nation are not OK.

Republicans are not behaving like Americans. They’re not even behaving like Republicans. They’re cultists now. They behave like North Koreans worshiping their Dear Leader after generations of being gaslighted.

Instead of calling for Adam Schiff’s removal, Republicans should be behaving more like Adam Schiff.

Be Complicit

What kind of person would want to be part of something that disparages, slanders, and disrespects Dear Leader and his sycophantic followers? Hopefully, you. 
Making a contribution supports my work and keeps the cartoons, columns, and videos coming. My income is from newspapers that subscribe to my work and small contributors. George Soros hasn’t sent me a million dollar check in weeks. Making a contribution of any amount, or buying a print for $40.00, makes you part of this specific resistance, and a member of Team Claytoonz (we’re still working on the name). You are complicit, an accomplice, and in cahoots (and whatever gangster terms we can think of) with this political satire pointing out that the stupid emperor has no clothes. Contributions can be made through PayPal, checks, and wads of cash exchanged in back alleys.
Whether you can help support, can’t, or just choose not to, please continue to enjoy and keep reading my work. Thank you!!! 

You can purchase a signed print of this cartoon.

Watch the video.

Mueller Time

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While talking to my producer at CNN on Thursday afternoon, we were discussing the best subjects for this Sunday’s cartoon. We both liked one particular issue and thought it had the most potential for humor while acknowledging the Mueller Report was hanging over our heads. I told her, “those fuckers will probably release it at 5:00 P.M. Friday afternoon and screw us up.”

Those fuckers released it at 5:00 P.M. Friday afternoon and screwed us up.

Actually, I don’t think they screwed us up and we’re going to stick with the cartoon I finished for them Friday, which I’m really happy with. But, I had just finished my last cartoon for the day, which was my third. On Fridays, I have to draw for CNN, The Costa Rica Star, and my syndication which is what you see here on the blog. By the time I was done yesterday evening, I just wanted to eat dinner and go to sleep…then Mueller happened.

I did eat. My friend Dallas and I went out and talked about it. As I was walking out the door, I got my first idea…and then my second. This is the second, though Dallas really liked my first. I felt this one summed up the moment best. Of course, this cartoon is dated and will probably be worthless in a couple of days…maybe.

Regarding what we know, the Trump team are celebrating because there are to be no more indictments. That sucks. I was really hoping to see them delivered to Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, and perhaps even Ivanka and Hope Hicks. We know they lied and did their best to obstruct and collude with Russia. These are people who deserve to be charged for crimes.

I don’t know what’s in the Mueller Report yet but I do know there was collusion. What Mueller may not have been able to find is direct evidence that Trump was personally involved. But, the campaign hosted Russians at Trump Tower, had access to the stuff Wikileaks was stealing from the Clinton Campaign, and Donald Trump himself asked publicly for Russia to help him. We know that over a dozen people were in direct contact with Russia during the campaign.

We also know Trump obstructed justice. The guy told Lester Holt straight out that he fired Comey to end the investigation, then he told the same thing to…wait for it…RUSSIANS. Unfortunately, Mueller was never able to get Trump to testify verbally, and the written questions didn’t include any on obstruction. I feel no matter what’s in the report, we’re getting the shaft. We have a criminal in the White House, and while the Senate of sycophants would probably never convict him, I hate to see a corrupt president skate.

What I predict is that the Mueller report will NOT clear Trump, even if it doesn’t “indict” him. I don’t expect it to say there wasn’t any collusion or obstruction. I expect it to say they couldn’t gather all the facts…which is because of obstruction. Donald Trump and his cult will point at the report and claim it vindicates him, even though it won’t. But, these jerks have made those claims before, twisting statements from judges and politicians and at times, just making them up.

Mueller’s time may be over but our’s is just beginning. Whether Trump is impeached or voted out of office, he has to be removed from office. A stupid, racist, game show host kneedeep in corruption is in charge of our government and we can’t let this stand. I don’t care what the Mueller Report says, Donald Trump is more than just a bad president. He’s a danger and a national security risk. His move yesterday, recognizing the Golan Heights as a political favor proves that.

Mueller can retire in peace now, play golf, and sleep in. We gotta go to work.

Be Complicit

What kind of person would want to be part of something that disparages, slanders, and disrespects Dear Leader and his sycophantic followers? Hopefully, you. 
Making a contribution supports my work and keeps the cartoons, columns, and videos coming. My income is from newspapers that subscribe to my work and small contributors. George Soros hasn’t sent me a million dollar check in weeks. Making a contribution of any amount, or buying a print for $40.00, makes you part of this specific resistance, and a member of Team Claytoonz (we’re still working on the name). You are complicit, an accomplice, and in cahoots (and whatever gangster terms we can think of) with this political satire pointing out that the stupid emperor has no clothes. Contributions can be made through PayPal, checks, and wads of cash exchanged in back alleys.
Whether you can help support, can’t, or just choose not to, please continue to enjoy and keep reading my work. Thank you!!! 

You can purchase a signed print of this cartoon.

Watch the video.

Damn, It’s Good To Be A White Gangster. Cartoon for CNN

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This was drawn for CNN’s weekly opinion newsletter, Provoke/Persuade which you should sign up for. 

Judge T.S. Ellis ignored sentencing guidelines and only gave former Trump Campaign manager Paul Manafort 47 months in prison. If you’re a Republican, that’s a little less than four years. Manafort committed several crimes, deliberately over several years, and the judge ignored that too. He was also ordered to pay $25 million in restitution and received a $50,000 fine.

Manafort stole millions of dollars from the US government to support his absurdly lavish lifestyle. You remember the Ostrich jacket, right? Manafort hid millions of dollars of income in overseas accounts and lied to banks to obtain millions more in loans.

Manafort gave the finger to the criminal justice system at every step and still got an enormous break. Manafort was tried in two courts, the Eastern District of Virginia and in Washington, DC. It was the DC judge, Amy Berman Jackson who revoked his bail after he was caught trying to tamper with witnesses. He was found guilty on eight counts in Virginia. He pleaded guilty to more crimes in a plea agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, but that was a ruse. He told more lies and may have been feeding information to Donald Trump’s legal team.

Manfort whined at the sentencing about how inconvenienced he’s been over getting caught and the judge recognized he wasn’t accepting his guilt. There was no contrition, remorse, or apology. But, then the judge complained about the sentencing guidelines and said the guy who built a career lobbying for dictators had led a “blameless life” before he got into trouble, and gave him a sentence that fell more than 15 years below the bottom of the guidelines range.

Manafort received about the same sentence, and in many cases, less than a typical low-level, nonviolent, first-time drug offender in the federal system.

Manafort faces another sentencing next week in the Washington court and the judge is expected to add to his sentence. The sentence he received last week could end in 2020, given the standard 15% reduction for good behavior in prison and deducting the approximately nine months he has already has served.

Manafort may not have been speaking to the judge during his statement, and instead may have been performing for an audience of one. His lawyers did the same thing after the hearing in citing how the case didn’t have anything to do with Russian collusion.

Donald Trump praised the sentencing and said it was “vindication” and tweeted, “Both the Judge and the lawyer in the Paul Manafort case stated loudly and for the world to hear that there was NO COLLUSION with Russia.” No, the judge did not say there was “no collusion.” He didn’t say it quietly, loudly, or in all caps. In case you’re new around here, Donald Trump lies.

It may not matter what sentence Manafort receives in DC next week. Trump, being an idiot and a guy who flaunts pardons like shiny objects will probably pardon Manafort, right after the 2020 presidential election. Trump said he feels bad for Manafort, taking the side of the crook.

That would be another injustice of the American justice system. Basically, rich white guys receive light sentences. If you’re black, they might kill you on the street for selling loose cigarettes.

Here are the roughs.

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As you can see, I changed the text in the speech balloon. CNN didn’t see the cartoon until it was done and they picked it.  But…

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They almost picked this one. I’m glad they didn’t.

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I came up with this idea while drawing the CNN cartoon. I roughed it out and sent this to them along with the Manafort cartoon. I liked this one enough to draw it for my clients on Friday night.

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I had this Nickelback idea before I got the other one. I didn’t like it as much.

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My editor originally had the idea that I do something on Sherrod Brown and the large field of Democratic candidates. Our conversation was before the Manafort sentencing was announced. I knew our direction would change. I kinda like this one.

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I’ve had this idea for over a week and I still might draw it.

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I like the point of this one but I’m not crazy about the cartoon. I’ve already seen a clown car cartoon from a Republican cartoonist.

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I liked this one. I added color to the rough for obvious reasons. I might draw this one too…maybe.

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This was my first idea and I don’t like it at all. So, which one’s your favorite?

Be Complicit

What kind of person would want to be part of something that disparages, slanders, and disrespects Dear Leader and his sycophantic followers? Hopefully, you. 
Making a contribution supports my work and keeps the cartoons, columns, and videos coming. My income is from newspapers that subscribe to my work and small contributors. George Soros hasn’t sent me a million dollar check in weeks. Making a contribution of any amount, or buying a print for $40.00, makes you part of this specific resistance, and a member of Team Claytoonz (we’re still working on the name). You are complicit, an accomplice, and in cahoots (and whatever gangster terms we can think of) with this political satire pointing out that the stupid emperor has no clothes. Contributions can be made through PayPal, checks, and wads of cash exchanged in back alleys.
Whether you can help support, can’t, or just choose not to, please continue to enjoy and keep reading my work. Thank you!!! 

You can purchase a signed print of this cartoon.

Watch the video.

Manafort Flips

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Last August, Donald Trump tweeted, “I feel very badly for Paul Manafort and his wonderful family. ‘Justice’ took a 12 year old tax case, among other things, applied tremendous pressure on him and, unlike Michael Cohen, he refused to ‘break’ – make up stories in order to get a ‘deal.’ Such respect for a brave man!” And, right on cue, Manafort “broke.”

Manafort, who has already been convicted in a Virginia court and was set to face trial in Washington, has flipped and will now cooperate with Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation on Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election. In doing so, Manafort has admitted guilt to all the things he and his lawyers previously said he was innocent of.

In addition to all the dirt he can provide to Mueller, he also kills one of the GOP’s arguments against the investigation, and that’s the cost of it. So far, the investigation has cost the U.S. government $7 million. Now, with Manafort surrendering property as well as the contents of three bank accounts, the investigation has made money. The New York real estate the government has acquired is estimated to be worth $22 million.

Manafort is giving up a home in the Hamptons, a Brooklyn townhouse, and three Manhattan apartments, including one in Trump Tower. The Justice Department now owns a chunk of Trump Tower and may be the only tenant not using the building for money laundering. Now, if anyone sees Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein sporting an ostrich jacket, can you please let me know?

Now, the fun begins. Manafort knows all the details of the Trump Tower meeting with Russians which not only puts pressure on Donald Trump, but also on egghead son number one, Donald Trump Jr., and son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Manafort can also reveal the reasons why the Trump campaign removed language from the GOP’s platform concerning arms for Ukraine.

Manafort was a tool for Ukraine’s former president, who was a puppet for Putin (like Trump). He’s also indebted to Russian oligarchs (also like Trump).

Manafort joins the other Trump flippers, Michael Cohen, George Papadopoulos, Michael Flynn, Rick Gates, and the publisher of the National Enquirer. For a witch hunt, that’s a lot of witches. Surely, between them, Mueller is going to discover where the bodies are buried.

The one thing that is for certain is Mueller isn’t going away empty-handed from the Manafort flip. There will be more indictments, but who? Don Junior and Jared? I believe so. They will probably receive the pardons Manafort gave up on. If Junior gets indicted, his father’s hissy fit will be of epic proportions. I will need lots of popcorn.

There is another certainty. Donald Trump is going to be impeached. What’s uncertain is if he’ll be convicted and tossed from office by the cowardly Republican and Trump sycophant Senate.

In the meantime, we can look forward to Trump and Rudy Giuliani telling us how horrible of a person Manafort is and that he never could be trusted. Why won’t they? They said the same thing about Cohen after boasting what a wonderful person and great lawyer he was.

They do have a point though. All these flippers are vile, horrible, and disgusting people. After all, They did work for Donald Trump.

Your support in the form of donations is appreciated. I am fully independent as I’m not employed by a newspaper or with a major syndicate (leaving one to be independent). It does take a lot of work to provide you with cartoons, columns, and videos almost every day (more than any other political cartoonist), and I don’t charge my clients much at all. If you can, please consider making a financial contribution to keep the fun flowing, or purchase a signed print for $40. Whether you can help support, can’t, or just choose not to, please continue to enjoy and keep reading my work. Thank you!!!

You can purchase a signed print of this cartoon.

Watch me draw.