The Big Story on Trump and Russia

What the latest developments mean. MoJo Reader, I've spent my career covering complex, hard-to-piece-together stories, but I've never seen anything like the Trump-Russia scandal, about to enter its third year. So I wanted to recap what we've learned this year, now that it's my turn to ask readers to [support Mother Jones' journalism with a tax-deductible, year-end donation](. There are five days left to hit our $400,000 goal, and we still need to raise about $145,000 to get there. Believe me, I don't like asking for your money, but I know we can't afford to come up short—not on our budget and not if we want to reach the full truth. One important truth is that the Big Story often gets lost in the details and ever-unfolding developments: Donald Trump and his associates betrayed Americans and have repeatedly lied about it. Every day, my team of reporters and editors in Washington, DC, and I are digging for new and critical information in the scandal, but we also keep our focus on what this all means—and the profound implications for our nation. You can read more in my [column](, but consider just one sliver of what we've recently learned. In late November, Michael Cohen, Trump's onetime lawyer and (lousy) fixer, pleaded guilty to lying to Congress. His lie, Cohen admitted, was designed to help Trump cover up a tremendous scandal in its own right: the secret business deal in Moscow that Trump tried to pull off while campaigning for president. After word of this deal emerged last year, Cohen told congressional investigators that Trump's efforts to develop a tower in Moscow had ended in early 2016 (before the bulk of the Republican primaries) and that there had been no contact between Trump's company and the Russian government regarding the project (though Cohen said he'd tried, but failed, to reach Russian President Vladimir Putin's office to discuss the venture). All of this was false. The efforts to cut a deal continued until at least June 2016—all the way through the GOP primaries—and Cohen did speak with an aide in Putin's office about the project. Cohen's plea highlighted one of Trump's grandest deceits of 2016: Throughout the campaign, Trump insisted he had no connections to Russia. And after the election, he said he had "stayed away" from Russia. The exact opposite was true. While Trump had pitched himself to voters as an America First candidate who sincerely held positive sentiments regarding Putin, he had pursued a deal in Russia that could have reaped him hundreds of millions of dollars—and he had not shared this salient fact with the public, nor had he shared that Cohen, on his behalf, had asked Putin's office for help. With each scream of "NO COLLUSION," "WITCH HUNT," and "HOAX," Trump looks to distract from his profound betrayal. Recent polling shows most of the public believes the president has been dishonest, but the full significance of Trump's deception has not sufficiently registered because he and his conservative echo chamber have done everything they can to prevent a clear-eyed reckoning of what happened in 2016. It's our job as journalists and citizens to push back with the facts and keep the spotlight on the important stuff that has already been established beyond any doubt: 1) While campaigning for president, Trump had a secret deal in Russia for which his attorney sought Putin's help—a deal Trump lied to the public about; 2) Trump's campaign was informed that Moscow intended to intervene to help Trump—it said nothing about this, and essentially encouraged the Russians; 3) Trump, after being told the Kremlin was attempting to subvert an American election, claimed no such thing was happening. He covered for Putin. This is all known and undisputable—even though Trump keeps disputing it! That’s why hard-hitting journalism is so necessary these days: to help truth overcome spin and lies. And I hope you'll [make a year-end donation so Mother Jones can keep doing independent journalism that tells it like it is]( and that pays attention to the daily revelations without losing sight of the overarching big picture. We all want to know what's going to happen next, but as someone who covers this story daily, I can tell you that anyone who tells you they know is wrong. The outcome of the Mueller investigation remains uncertain. Other cases involving the Trump Foundation, the Trump Organization, and the Trump inauguration—among others—are underway. The House Democrats will fire up their own sleuthing in January. But what I do know is this: The Mother Jones DC team and I will keep concentrating on the essential facts of these Trump investigations and their enormous consequences for our democracy. We will continue to dig into Trump's lies, his conflicts of interest, and his shady lieutenants—and we will not be intimidated or distracted by their diversions. Because the more we know, the more the Big Story becomes harder to deny: That Trump aided and abetted a foreign attack on our democracy. Talking about what it takes to do this kind of journalism—that is, the money—doesn't come naturally to me. But I am doing it because, this, too, is a fundamental truth: We can only do this because of the generous support of readers like you who have our back. That's not BS: It's the bottom line. So if you want us to keep charging hard—bringing you the scoops and what they mean—[please help us reach our $400,000 goal by December 31 with a tax-deductible, year-end donation today](. We have a lot of work to do in 2019, and it would be great if you could be part of our team and help us do it. I promise we'll put your donation to good use producing the kickass journalism you count on. Thanks for reading, David Corn Washington, DC Bureau Chief Mother Jones [DONATE]( --------------------------------------------------------------- This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To stop receiving Mother Jones' fundraising and subscription emails, or manage your preferences for our emails, click [here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- [www.MotherJones.com]() 222 Sutter Street, #600 San Francisco, CA USA 94108