The Intercept, Oct. 29 - Nov. 4, 2017

Editor’s Picks Bad News for Jeff Sessions This week, Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller for the first time unveiled some of the fruits of his Trump-Russia probe, including money-laundering chargesagainst former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort involving a set of shady real estate loans that The Intercept’s David Dayen first wrote about last February. More relevant to the larger story of the Trump campaign and Russia, however, was the unsealing of a false-statement plea deal by Trump campaign volunteer George Papadopoulos. As Marcy Wheeler observed, the contents of that deal were very, very bad news for Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who has repeatedly and under oath denied any knowledge of Trump campaign communications with the Russian government, and may now have to continue his long, winding walk back on those claims. On our Intercepted podcast, host Jeremy Scahill delved into the complex legal dynamics of the Trump-Russia investigation with New York Times reporter Charlie Savage and criminal defense attorney Ken White. They talked about the “cloudy” definition of collusion, which is not technically a federal crime, and how, in Scahill’s words, the “government may never prove there was criminal activity by Trump’s people related to this election, but rather that they engaged in activity many Americans find offensive, immoral, unpatriotic.” Betsy Reed Editor-in-Chief

Paul Manafort’s Alleged Money-Laundering Scheme Was Exposed Months Ago David Dayen Manafort’s alleged money-laundering scheme was first laid out in a report in The Intercept in February.   George Papadopoulos’s Plea Deal Is Very, Very Bad News for Attorney General Jeff Sessions Marcy Wheeler Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been categorical in his denials. George Papadopoulos might have something to say about that.   Top Stories   There’s a Shady Puerto Rico Contract You Didn’t Hear About Kate Aronoff FEMA granted a $200 million contract to Cobra Acquisitions, a subsidiary of an Oklahoma fossil fuels company that was created this year.   Steve Bannon Tried to Recruit Teachers Union to Trump’s Agenda While in the White House Rachel M. Cohen, Ryan Grim “I came out of that conversation saying that this was a formidable adversary,” says AFT head Randi Weingarten.   “A Night at the Garden” Is the Most Terrifying Movie You Could Watch This Halloween Jon Schwarz This new documentary about a Nazi rally in New York City in 1939 lasts just six minutes. But if you truly see it, your fear will continue long afterward.   Bernie Sanders, in Puerto Rico, Calls for Nullification of Whitefish Contract Aída Chávez Sanders toured Puerto Rico and came down hard on unaccountable recovery contracts for a small, Republican-connected firm.   Angry About the DNC Scandal? Thank Obama. Ryan Grim Walking away rather unscathed from the flamewar is the man who set the blaze in the first place: former President Barack Obama. Follow The Intercept