‘Collusion 101’: Ari Melber Says Russia Payments Could Be Smoking Gun That Takes Down Trump

MSNBC’s Chief Legal Correspondent Ari Melber said that Donald Trump and Michael Cohen are toast if today’s bombshell revelations turn out to be true.

Read About Ivanka Trump's Plotting To Return To The White House On THE DAILY

According to Melber, Tuesday’s news that a Russian oligarch paid $500,000 to the same Cohen account that was used to pay off Stormy Daniels is “collusion 101.”

It could finally be the smoking gun that proves the Trump campaign and Moscow colluded during the 2016 campaign.

Video:

Melber explained:

Now to the extent this is all true, as we’re learning, totally blows that up because this is collusion, this is 101 collusion type questions of Putin money coming in. And two is the question of what does it mean to be a co-conspirator and accessory. A lot of these things are discussed as well, either there was a high-level collusion like a handshake and a briefcase or there was no collusion. And in the middle — and if I may, with your blessing, no greater legal authority than Young Thug has said, “I didn’t kill anybody, but I had something to do with that body.” And there are ways you could be wrapped up in a criminal enterprise without being the person pulling the trigger and I think the question tonight that Michael Avenatti has put in front of America is what role did Michael Cohen play in potential Russian collusion that spanned in 2016 and into the pendency of Donald Trump’s presidency, these payments in 2017.

Collusion is still central to Robert Mueller’s investigation

Donald Trump and his new unhinged lawyer Rudy Giuliani may repeatedly claim that Russian collusion isn’t even on Robert Mueller’s radar anymore, but today’s news is proof that collusion is front and center. It always has been.

As CNN reported on Tuesday, the special counsel team is questioning the Russian oligarch about payments he made to Michael Cohen after the election.

The fact that the money went into the same account that was used to pay off Stormy Daniels takes the scandal to another level, connecting a pair of scandals that initially appeared to be separate matters.

Much to the disappointment of Trump and his supporters, the longer this investigation goes on, the worse it seems to be for the White House.

Sean Colarossi

Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.