This subpoena was just like the one that the Democratic controlled House of Representatives wants to serve our current Attorney General over the Mueller Report.
So what happened was that Eric Holder refused to turn over the information, effectively ignoring the congressional subpoena. In a rare act, the House of Representatives (on a very bipartisan fashion) voted to hold the A.G. in Contempt of Congress. Technically they could have sent the Sergeant at Arms to arrest him, but they never took it that far.
So where did that get them? Well obviously there was a resulting court battle that started back in 2012 when the subpoenas were issued, and contempt was voted on. For those keeping track, some (but not all) of the information requested was eventually provide to Congress, but the issue was not completely resolved till 2018 (six years later).
At this point in time, quite obviously William Barr has already ignored the call by Democrats to hand over everything to them by Tuesday of this week (two days ago). He has informed them (in writing) that he is handing over the redacted report, likely sometimes mid-April. If the Democrats insist upon continuing to pursue this through the courts, then there is little reason to suspect that this will process will be anymore expedient than the process was with Holder and Fast and Furious.
The bigger problem for Democrats is that they are afraid of the drip, drip, drip of information that does nothing to further their talking points memo of either a conspiracy with Russia, or a conspiracy by the A.G. to undermine Mueller and hide what he found.
- The first blow was the reports that the Mueller probe was done, and that no further indictments were recommended.
- The second blow was the summary by Barr of Mueller's primary findings that found no collusion or coordination, and no recommendations of any criminal indictment for obstruction.
- The third blow will be a redacted report that by and far will support the primary findings from the previous summary.
The truth is that there may not be anything actually very damaging in any of this. But to have it come out in bits and pieces will only continue to affirm what people suspected on that wonderful Friday evening when Mueller finished his probe and nobody from the Trump inner circle was frog marched out of the White house under indictment.
44 comments:
You ducking and cover up for the President is going nowhere.
Some members of special counsel Robert Mueller's team have expressed frustration that Attorney General William Barr cleared President Donald Trump of obstruction of justice, and they believe the evidence that Trump sought to impede the investigation is stronger than Barr suggested in his March letter summarizing Mueller's findings, a U.S. official who has spoken with the members tells NBC News.
Justice Department officials say Barr had no choice but to render a judgment, because the special counsel regulations say that he is ultimately in charge of the investigation. If Mueller believed Trump was guilty of obstruction, he could have said so, the officials argue — but he didn't do that in his report.
Three government officials have told NBC News that a dispute within the special counsel's office on the facts and the law was one factor behind Mueller's decision not to make a call on the obstruction question.
The lawyers and FBI agents on Mueller's team could not reach an agreement about whether Trump's conduct amounted to a corrupt — and therefore illegal — effort to impede the probe, the three officials said. As a result, Barr, after consulting with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, stepped in to clear the president, saying the evidence did not amount to a prosecutable case of obstruction of justice.
The feelings of some members of Mueller's team do not change the attorney general's legal conclusions — which cleared Trump on both obstruction and conspiracy with Russia. But the political impact could be huge, as Democrats seek more information on Mueller's findings.
The New York Times and The Washington Post first reported that some members of the Mueller team were upset with how Barr portrayed the evidence.
Mueller report could be 'more troubling' than Barr revealed, NYT says.
A former federal prosecutor familiar with Barr's thinking said the attorney general believed the obstruction case was complicated by the fact that the questionable actions taken by Trump, such as firing his FBI director, were authorized under the powers of the presidency.
At least one faction within the office says their intent was to leave the legal question open for Congress and the public to examine the evidence, the U.S. official who has spoken to them said. It's not clear how Mueller himself feels about the matter.
More to come
On Thursday morning, the Justice Department issued a statement saying that Barr had decided to release the "bottom-line findings" and conclusions of the Mueller report immediately, without attempting to summarize it. The statement said he did so with the understanding that the report would be made public once confidential information in it had been redacted.
"The Department continues to work with the Special Counsel on appropriate redactions to the report so that it can be released to Congress and the public," said the statement issued by the department spokesperson, Kerri Kupec.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., sent a letter to Barr later in the day urging him to release to the public any "summaries" in the report prepared by the special counsel's office. Nadler also requested that Barr hand over to the committee "all communications between the special counsel's office and the [Justice] Department regarding the report."
"You have already provided an interpretation of the special counsel's conclusions in a fashion that appears to minimize the implications of the report as to the president," Nadler said in the letter. "Releasing the summaries—without delay—would begin to allow the American people to judge the facts for themselves."
Mueller told Barr and his deputy Rod Rosenstein four weeks ago that he would not be making a decision about obstruction — news that came as a surprise to them, Justice Department officials said. Barr's letter said Rosenstein agreed with his decision that there was no case that the president had obstructed justice.
READ: Barr's letter to Congress
It's also unclear whether Barr coordinated his March 24 letter in advance with Mueller. Many longtime observers of Mueller are puzzled as to why he didn't render his own judgment on a core matter in his investigation.
The DOJ policy that says a sitting president can't be charged with a crime wasn't a factor in the dispute within Mueller's team, according to one senior U.S. official in a position to know. Rather, lawyers disagreed about whether they could prove that Trump had criminal intent as he took a variety of actions that seemed designed to shut down the investigation, from firing FBI Director James Comey, to ordering the dismissal of Mueller, only to back off when his White House counsel threatened to quit, according to The New York Times and not confirmed by NBC News.
The official who has spoken to members of Mueller's team says they described the evidence on obstruction as compelling and said it includes more information than has been made public.
March 24: Special counsel doesn't conclude Trump committed a crime, Barr says
According to a senior law enforcement official who has spoken to members of Mueller's team, Mueller team members say it includes detailed accounts of Trump campaign contacts with Russia. While Mueller found no coordination or criminal conspiracy, the official said, some on the special counsel's team say his findings paint a picture of a campaign whose members were manipulated by a sophisticated Russian intelligence operation. Some of that information may be classified, the official said, so it's not clear whether it will be released in a few weeks when Barr makes public a redacted version of the Mueller report.
Report 😀 aka leak is that Mueller knew 8 months ago he had nothing. But, kept the witch hunt going thru the 2018 election.
Scum.
You got your marching orders
Trump lawyers have pushed back against some of this reporting.
"They're a bunch of sneaky, unethical leakers," Rudy Giuliani said on Fox News about the Mueller team. "And they are rabid Democrats who hate the president of the United States, and I can't tell you how much false information they leaked during the course of the investigation."
This is just a lie. This investigation has been conducted in secret and there have not been leaking during the course of the investigation!
While Mueller found no coordination or criminal conspiracy, the official said, some on the special counsel's team say his findings paint a picture of a campaign whose members were manipulated by a sophisticated Russian intelligence operation.
The gross incompetence is evident by the President and his tweets and Orange of the investigation!
Roger after two years of defending the AG and DOJ , why are you now attacking them.
Lol@Roger, opinion.
Orange Man Bad.
I give you the floor Alky.
Spam Away.
There is evidence that the A.G. undermined Mueller and hid what he found.
The first blow was the reports that the Mueller probe was done, and that no further indictments were recommended. The fact that the A.J declined further indictments may be in itself obstruction of justice.
The second blow was the summary by Barr of Mueller's primary findings that found no collusion or coordination, and no recommendations of any criminal indictment for obstruction. The letter said that there was no exoneration of objection of justice. Why were then, no indictments issued?
The third blow will be a redacted report that by and far will support the primary findings from the previous summary. The heavily redacted report, did not include even one complete sentence.!
Barr is doing what he was hired to do, to protect the President.
With this President, he has put people in place to protect and defend against any charges.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/barr-didn-t-do-justice-mueller-report-officials-tell-new-n990776
Wow, what a Brilliant Man.
He beat Hillary with a stick.
Hid it all from the Best Democrat Lawyers Mueller could buy and has time for Golf.
"FORE MORE YEARS"
OH, and Trump will have North of a Billion USD to Spend the power of AF1 AND a even better tech team (Putin is loaning him some of his best guys).
If I cut in past your link Alky, will it actually <Name the Officials?
This is just a lie. This investigation has been conducted in secret and there have not been leaking during the course of the investigation!
So all those stories from the New York Times and the Washington Post were made up? Pure fiction?
Thought so.
President Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen says he has new information to offer Democrats if authorities reduce or delay his upcoming three-year prison sentence.
In a letter to lawmakers Thursday, Cohen’s attorneys say he has discovered substantial files on a hard drive that could help investigations of the president.
The hard drive is said to include over 14 million files, which consist of all emails, voice recordings, images and attachments from Cohen’s computers and phones, his attorneys Lanny Davis, Michael Monico and Carly Chocron wrote.
“To date, Mr. Cohen has located several documents that we believe have significant value to the various congressional oversight and investigation committees,” his attorneys wrote.
In exchange, Cohen is seeking for congressional help to persuade the Southern District of New York to allow him more time before reporting to jail so he can review the files. He is also asking for a reduced prison sentence while he “is fully cooperating with prosecutors and Congress.”
Cohen is also asking top Democrats on the panels to write letters to prosecutors with the Southern District of New York outlining his cooperation. Cohen’s attorneys say he only recently discovered the hard drive.
“With 30 days left before he surrenders to prison, time is no longer a luxury he is capable of,” they added.
Cohen was sentenced last year for three years in prison for financial crimes, campaign finance violations and lying to Congress. He appeared before three congressional panels earlier this year, accusing Mr. Trump of financial fraud and orchestrating hush money payments to women who alleged having affairs with the president.
Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.
This investigation has been conducted in secret and there have not been leaking during the course of the investigation!
This is the first time ever. Nothing came out during the 19 months!
You are actually stupid enough to believe that the Washington Post and New York times stories are fiction.
Menstra your lost
Oh my goodness
The hard drive is said to include over 14 million files, which consist of all emails, voice recordings, images and attachments from Cohen’s computers and phones, his attorneys Lanny Davis, Michael Monico and Carly Chocron wrote.
“To date, Mr. Cohen has located several documents that we believe have significant value to the various congressional oversight and investigation committees,” his attorneys wrote.
You think that this is a good idea?
(Putin is loaning him some of his best guys).
Really stupid shit
"You think that this is a good idea?" Then there is Alky Fucking Stupid u no Humor political Hack.
Made fun of Alky, he missed it.
(Putin is loaning him some of his best guys).
If I cut in past your link Alky, will it actually <Name the Officials?
Answer : Nope, unnamed , unaccountable , non-source.
Is it just me or has the feckless countless Alky become even more boring?
Cd
Even Politico reported that the investigators are frustrated by the A.J.
I said earlier today that Barr might be objecting justice! The first blow was the reports that the Mueller probe was done, and that no further indictments were recommended. The fact that the A.J declined further indictments may be in itself obstruction of justice.
They are "members" of investigators who can not speak in public.
The first blow was the reports that the Mueller probe was done, and that no further indictments were recommended. The fact that the A.J declined further indictments may be in itself obstruction of justice.
The first thing that you keep saying is that none of the actual investigators are not speaking to the reporters. And you then claim that this story is not credible.
The reporters usually don't use "second hand" sources. But, if the actual investigators speak to reporters, about the investigation, they would be destroying their careers. They cannot speak to the reporters. They could be disbarred for speaking out publicly.
So, does that really matter?
Unless you actually believe that this is nothing more than a partisan attack on the President, because the reporters are using well known and respected and responsible people, your argument is nothing more than partisan speculation or just another example of the deep state conspiracy.
The investigators have not spoken publicly regarding anything in the last almost two years! Not once.
This reinforces the demand for the release of the investigation document to the house of Representatives, unredacted. They have a Constitutional right to see the report.
Even Politico?
They are just as far out in left field as any of them, Roger...
But the most recent accounts are 100% exactly as I explained them earlier.
There were certain people within the Mueller probe, likely Hillary supporters infected with TDS, who were pushing the idea that Trump's "legal" activities had corrupt intent, and therefore constituted obstruction.
This is the same hairbrained theories being floated nightly on CNN and MSNBC. It doesn't surprise me that there are people within the Mueller probe who wanted to get something for their 22 months of work, and were willing to sip that legal Kool-Aid.
Problem is that all of the reasonable people within the probe understood that attempting to sell the idea of corrupt intent of legal action requires a great deal of evidence as to someone's state of mind. How much evidence do you have, when you never interviewed the person?
This is why Mueller would not (himself) suggest that he felt there was evidence to charge Trump with a crime. The bone he throws to the Trump-haters who wanted to go with the "corrupt intent" argument was to provide the wishy washy statement about neither finding evidence to charge, but not exonerating him.
I always suspected that Mueller might go in that direction (of fining corrupt intent). Not that it would have convince me or anyone who held a different opinion. Nor would it have convince any Republicans sitting in the Senate if the issue ever came up for a vote.
But the reality is that not even Mueller could bring himself to make the actual allegation and pull the trigger. He left it to the DOJ, knowing full well that they would exonerate him just as they did.
There is absolutely no way that any "reasonable prosecutor" would attempt to make this charge without actual smoking gun evidence that the actual intent was to obstruct Justice. Apparently Mueller is reasonable.
The first thing that you keep saying is that none of the actual investigators are not speaking to the reporters. And you then claim that this story is not credible.
The reporters usually don't use "second hand" sources. But, if the actual investigators speak to reporters, about the investigation, they would be destroying their careers.
The fact that the actual investigators cannot speak to reporters doesn't make any sense if they are simply relaying information to a go-between. They would be just as guilty as if they spoke to a Reporter themselves.
But short of these investigators telling a go between to reach out to reporters and then providing them with "exactly" what to say....
Then the information from being reported is BY DEFINITION second hand information. It's hearsay of hearsay.
Look, I have no qualms believing that some of Mueller's team wanted Mueller to say he thought Trump committed obstruction. That was obvious to me from the time I read Mueller's quote on the subject. I never believed that Mueller "himself" could not make a call. I don't think he was confused by the law, felt it wasn't his place, or wanted to throw the question to Congress.
It always felt like he was unwilling to take a side in a legal argument between different factions within his team. Obviously he didn't feel strongly enough about the argument from the anti-Trumpers who wanted to charge him, to take their side.
So he punted, knowing exactly where the DOJ would take it.
But that is where it "matters" that he picked Hillary donors and anti-Trump people like Peter Strzok to be a part of the probe. It tells us that many of these people were not going into this thing with an objective mind. But even within those ranks, you couldn't come up with a consensus that the President was guilty of anything.
Drunkard
"The reporters usually don't use "second hand" sources. But, if the actual investigators speak to reporters, about the investigation, they would be destroying their careers. They cannot speak to the reporters. They could be disbarred for speaking out publicly."
A.J. ?
Do you mean Attorney General (AG) ??
So Roger you are divorced, but living with the Mail Order still?
Your Team has an amazing Speaker of the House.
🤣Ocasio-Cortez said, “How many years until the world ends again? We have 12 years left to cut emissions by at least 50% if not more. For everyone who wants to make a joke about that, you may laugh, but your grandkids will not. Understand that the internet documents everything.”😂
Nope the clock has been ticking. 11 years 8 months.
But that is where it "matters" that he picked Hillary donors and anti-Trump people like Peter Strzok to be a part of the probe, that he fired once it became apparent that people like you would claim the deep state conspiracy theory and the dossier, not the Russians intervention in support for Trump
I'm beginning to believe that Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez's sole purpose is to provide content for Fox & Friends.
The New York Times relied on anonymous, secondhand sources for a Wednesday report pushing the narrative that Attorney General William Barr is mishandling special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Russian collusion.
The Times’ story Wednesday alleged that members of special counsel Robert Mueller’s team believe that the report is actually much more damaging to President Donald Trump than Barr indicated in his summary of the report’s principal conclusions last weekend.
In making this claim, however, the Times seemingly did not interview anyone from Mueller’s investigatory team who is unhappy. Instead, the Times spoke to “government officials and others familiar” with the team members’ frustrations — all anonymously. None of the sources for the article are further characterized and none were directly quoted for the piece.
https://dailycaller.com/2019/04/04/new-york-times-anonymous-russia-mueller/
I'm beginning to believe that Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez's sole purpose is to provide content for Fox & Friends.
fox needs to back off. the woman is a moron, no doubt. but the constant attention she gets from fox and others on the right only makes her more sympathetic to the imbeciles who voted for her.
i'd stop covering her altogether. that would drive her nuts.
and the traitors who are backing and propping up that twit and those other JOO haters can be found here:
https://www.justicedemocrats.com/home/
fox needs to back off.
Not likely, she's ratings gold. And it's so easy to mock her ignorance and arrogance.
You Biden is blaming the flood of women and children accusers on The Sanders Camp.
Sources within Biden's Team leaked that plugs is hopping mad.
Get the popcorn.
Socialist Democrats are freaking out, lashing out Against Rosenstien , Mueller, Barr and the DOJ..
Miss Nadler has a granny panties wedgie.
Mocking Alky.
"You think that this is a good idea?" Then there is Alky Fucking Stupid u no Humor political Hack.
Made fun of Alky, he missed it.
(Putin is loaning him some of his best guys)
Thursday on CNN’s “The Lead,” host Jake Tapper reported Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, has demanded the communications between the Justice Department and special counsel Robert Mueller’s office be turned over.
Tapper said, “We begin with some breaking news in our politics lead. Just moments ago, the Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Jerry Nadler, demanded that the Justice Department turn over all communications between special counsel Robert Mueller’s office and Attorney General Barr’s office regarding the Mueller report.”
Lol. Sure Jake. And in other headlines. Hillaries 31 K emails have been found on Putin's computer.
Roger -
if you seriously believe that Peter Strzok was the only anti-Trump person on the team, then you need serious medication. Strzok was just not smart enough to keep his anti-Trump sentiments out of the public eye.
Michael Tracey
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Throughout this ordeal, it's been truly disturbing to watch otherwise intelligent people lapse into conspiratorial lunacy. After Mueller said no collusion, you'd think they would at least begin to self-reflect and change their behavior. Nope. They're just getting worse
6:47 AM - 4 Apr 2019
https://twitter.com/mtracey/status/1113800306079555584
"You know how every time the human centipede that is the national media gets criticized for being biased jackasses, they start hollerin' about how they're protected by the first amendment and how dare you say anything against them? Well, no. As far as I'm concerned, they've become just another player in the blood sport of politics, and guess what, they're playing for the other team. They've cast their lot, they've made their decision, they've gone all in with #theResistance. Some of them even admit it. Then they get hissy when Trump calls them 'the enemy of the people'. Do a search on 'journalism in the Trump era' and you'll see what I mean. But then after openly and brazenly taking sides, they seem completely mystified why they're now hated by half of America. I'll never forget the Mitt Romney press conference where he asked a pretentious, monologuing J-school 'tard who he was and why was he making a speech, and the sanctimonious blowhard said 'I represent the people', like he was part of some fourth branch of government. And then Mitt, bless his heart, immediately fired back, 'No, *I* represent the people. *You* represent corporate media interests.' Which is exactly right. George Washington called the press of his day 'infernal scribblers.' Nothing much has changed."
- AoS
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