Thinking about the Schneiderman-Trump situation

I've always wondered why Trump wasn't busted for money laundering in New York in all the years he was dealing in real estate adventures with mobsters.  Maybe this is a clue...

A New York attorney is asking a judge to seal records pertaining to any discussions he had with Trump attorney Michael Cohen about two women claiming that former New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman had been "sexually inappropriate" with them.

  CBS

This comes about from the FBI raid on Cohen.

Peter Gleason told U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood in a letter that he had been contacted by the two women a year apart with claims that were "almost identical." Gleason said that he advised the first alleged victim that "invariably the very entities that were established to protect her would ultimately turn on her to protect the power elite that includes Scheinderman [SIC]."

After the second woman approached him in 2013 with her story, Gleason said that he wanted to make sure that their stories weren't "brushed under the rug," so he spoke with Stephen Dunleavy, a former New York Post columnist and reporter on "A Current Affair." Dunleavy proposed raising the matter with Donald Trump.

Why??? In 2013, why?  (I think I'd take any article by Dunleavy with a bushel of salt, knowing this.)

Gleason assumed he had done so, given that he then received a call from Cohen, to whom he divulged "certain details of Scheinderman's [SIC] vile attacks on these two women."

In an interview with the New York Times, Gleason said that Cohen had told him that if Mr. Trump were to be elected New York governor, he would reveal the abuse accusations against Schneiderman.

Why not print the story? Or take it to the actual governor? Why take it to Trump and wait for him to possibly become governor? Let's take a minute to think about this.  And while we're at it, let's remember that it has just been revealed that Trump had people connected with the Iran deal personally and secretly investigated to try to gain dirt he could use to smear them.  Could Cohen have been the organizer and paymaster for all these unethical (at best) activities?  Does Mueller have all the confirming documentation?

Mr. Trump has not yet said said whether he was apprised by Cohen of the abuse accusations, but he did tweet this about Schneiderman in 2013: "Weiner is gone, Spitzer is gone - next will be lightweight A.G. Eric Schneiderman. Is he a crook? Wait and see, worse than Spitzer or Weiner."

So I think we can safely assume that Cohen told him. And he held the information to use as blackmail. Do you have another explanation for that tweet?

There's been no love lost between Mr. Trump and Schneiderman over the past several years, since Schneiderman filed a $40 million lawsuit against Trump University in August 2013.

So, now what will Trump do for leverage against money laundering investigations in New York?  Who replaces Schneiderman?

A wide pool of potential contenders quickly emerged following Schneiderman’s surprise resignation Monday night amid abuse allegations, ranging from three members of the state’s congressional delegation to the temporary holder of the post. Schneiderman had played a key role among Democratic state attorneys general in challenging the Trump administration, and the question of who succeeds him will have implications for future mayoral races in the City — and possibly even this year’s gubernatorial primary.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has appointed an interim successor, Barbara Underwood.

  Politico

I assume Trump has no blackmail material on her.

While not endorsing her outright, Cuomo signaled Thursday afternoon that it might make sense to leave Underwood in the post until the new term begins.

[...]

New York City Public Advocate Tish James, who had appeared to quickly gain momentum early this week, took herself out of contention on Friday afternoon. “After thoughtful and careful deliberation, I have decided not to participate in the ongoing legislative process regarding the Attorney General's office,“ she said in a tweet. “More to come next week...“

Hmmmmmmm.

Naming James as AG could have removed her name from the shortlist of mayoral candidates in 2021 and clear the way for Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, both of whom are interested in the post.

[...]

Three members of the congressional delegation have been floated as potential attorney general candidates when the state holds its election later this year: Democratic Reps. Kathleen Rice, Sean Patrick Maloney and Hakeem Jeffries.

[...]

Under New York state law, the next attorney general will be picked by the combined houses of the state Legislature — 150 members of the Assembly and 63 in the state Senate. Democrats have a comfortable majority in that combined body.

Could Trump finally face justice in New York?

UPDATE:

Avenatti has filed a paper asking for Gleason's request to be denied.