I think we should start using the word “cahoots” to describe the kind of working relations that the Trumpers, Republicans, NRA, etc have developed with the Russian Mobocracy.
Trump is in cahoots with Putin. Can’t argue with that, when they sneak off together and have secret whispered confabs.
Republicans are in cahoots with Russian intelligence agencies. Can’t argue with that, given how rigorously they oppose investigating and stopping Russian intelligence operations in the US.
The NRA is in cahoots with Eastern oligarchs. Photos, a money trail, sexual favors, a wealth of documentation demonstrates it.
“Cahoots” is not a legal term, it covers a wide variety of illegal, semi-legal, and merely disreputable activity. It doesn’t require a legal standard of proof. But it implies exactly the kind of multi-faceted “doesn't pass the smell test” “rotten in Denmark” mischief we’ve been subjected to. Let’s start using it. Everybody will know what we mean.