Opinion of TDB article: Are the Feds Treating the White House Like a Mob House?

[Virginiá]

http://www.thedailybeast.com/are-the-feds-treating-the-white-house-like-a-mob-house

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Of course, this isn't to say all the major leaks were coordinated by investigators. The article does state that. Rather, the point is to show that at least in the future, coordinated leaks could be used to trip up Trump administration officials.

[pbrower2a]

The FBI does not beat confessions out of people.  It doesn't need to tell some wretch "Vee haff vays to make you talk" as might a Gestapo or GPU interrogator.

If there is no conspiracy, then the names mean little. The FBI can tickle the wire on anyone, but if one is innocent one does nothing to self-incriminate. So suppose that a small clique of people are involved in a pump-and-dump scheme. Some people look for a lightly-traded stock and make some purchases that drive the value up. Someone else with a little talent for creative writing tout the stock and induce people to buy it. There might be a crooked stockbroker who goes along with the scheme. Then those who have bought it sell it to the suckers and make the profit to be shared among those on the inside. The last people holding the stock see its value plummet.

Such a crude fraud involves people with different talents -- researching, dealing, and touting. Few people have the talent to do all three.  So if the profiteers cheat the researchers or the touters... the FBI might play upon the hurt feelings.

Maybe there isn't quite enough of a paper trail -- but someone might be living a bit well for his talents.  Conspiracies are vulnerable to resentments and fear of someone willing to cut a deal to spare himself a long term in a federal pen. Someone might have no idea that his actions are either mail fraud or wire fraud -- but even collecting the proceeds by mail or a personal check (because 'Fells Wargo' and 'Shace' might wire-transfer a check involving proceeds  between each other) might put one at risk of federal time for violation of a wire or mail fraud statute. Many swindlers do time on mail fraud or wire fraud. Twenty years in the federal pen while your erstwhile buddies get to sip mai-tais in Honolulu? That can ruin a nice friendship.