Mueller's investigation

[Slim Cognito]

https://apnews.com/3ef5e453bd0e4a1087cfdc0e144a708c

WASHINGTON (AP) — Special counsel Robert Mueller was expected to step down days after concluding his investigation in March. Yet he remains a Justice Department employee — and the department won’t say why.

That’s just one of the complications at play in the high-stakes, secret negotiations over whether Mueller will testify before Congress.

Whatever role Mueller now has, keeping him on the Justice Department payroll offers one clear advantage to President Donald Trump’s administration: It makes it easier for Attorney General William Barr to block Mueller from testifying before Congress.

Democrats, who control the House, have been eager to hear from Mueller. They hope he can shine more light on his investigation into interference in the 2016 presidential election, possible coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign, and potential obstruction of justice.

I hate to say it but if Mueller is done, couldn't he just quit? It's not like they're holding him hostage. That's not a pleasant thought for me, but it's how I feel.

[Kendra]

He does seem to be staying on longer than we were first told.

That said, I think I'd like his testimony on the same day(s) Dictator Donald is getting the royal treatment in GB. Cohen stealing his thunder during the NK summit was a nice touch.

[pipistrelle]

Don’t know where to put this.

99387D49-F845-4B90-AAB0-5A3C1936B73E.jpeg

[Addie]

Cross-posting

WaPo

House Democrats plan marathon public reading of Mueller report

More than 20 House Democrats will stage a marathon public reading of the entire redacted Mueller report beginning Thursday at noon, and likely ending in the early morning hours of Friday.

“We’ve been saying for weeks that if you think there was no obstruction and no collusion, you haven’t read the Mueller report. So the ongoing quest has been, ‘How do we get that story out there while we are waiting for the witnesses to come in?’" said Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.) who has been organizing the effort since Friday.

Scanlon is the vice chairwoman of the House Judiciary Committee, which has subpoenaed the Department of Justice for the full, unredacted report into Russian interference in the 2016 election and has invited special counsel Robert S. Mueller III to testify by May 23. ...

The reading of all 448 pages of the report will take an estimated 12 to 14 hours, Scanlon said. Shifts will be divided up among the readers, including Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), who will follow Scanlon as the second reader. ...

The reading will take place in the House Rules Committee Room inside the Capitol and will be live-streamed. Afterward, a recording will be made available in to an audio book.

[Kendra]

Is everyone sitting down? Thread from a Republican:

Here are my principal conclusions:
1. Attorney General Barr has deliberately misrepresented Mueller’s report.
2. President Trump has engaged in impeachable conduct.
3. Partisanship has eroded our system of checks and balances.
4. Few members of Congress have read the report.

Lots more at the link.

[Gregg]

I've been saying, and hoping, that we were close to a tipping point where the Republicans started to realize their were too many lies falling apart and it was going to hurt them to continue supporting him eventually. If it does fall apart, and I think it will, don't be surprised if it falls apart real fast.

Nixon was holding the Senate with a near lock on the 33 votes he needed until the 31st of July, and by the 9th of August he was flying back to San Clemente.

[SLQ]

Yeah, it’s hard to know whether it’s an outlier or the first chink in the armor. Hopefully the latter.

[tencats]

May 19, 2019
Robert Mueller Fears He’ll Be ‘Trashed By Republicans,’ May Never Testify To Congress, Democratic Rep Says
Democrats and Republicans are both puzzled over why Robert Mueller appears reluctant to testify in a congressional hearing.
https://www.inquisitr.com/5443892/rober ... r-testify/

But one Democratic member of the House Intelligence Committee, one of the committees that has expressed interest in hearing testimony from Mueller, says that she may have the answer to the mystery. Mueller, says California Representative Jackie Speier, is simply afraid to face the inevitable political attacks from Republican committee members.

“He doesn’t want to be trashed by the Republicans,” Speier told The Hill. “Does anyone want their reputation dragged through the mud falsely? He can handle his own, but they’ll ask questions like ‘Why didn’t you look at this, and why didn’t you look at that?’ I mean, talk about a thankless job.”

While Republicans say that they do not object to Mueller’s testifying, they also say they plan to grill him not about his findings regarding collusion between the 2016 Trump presidential campaign and Russia, but about the origins of the Russia investigation itself, a question that has become mired in conspiracy theories promoted by Republicans, including by Barr himself, as The New York Times has reported.

[RTH10260]

"Why haven't you investigated the Hillary emails ???!!!"

[Chilidog]

In regards to the Mcgahn subpoena, if he defies it, is he liable for discipline from the bar association?

[Kendra]

In regards to the Mcgahn subpoena, if he defies it, is he liable for discipline from the bar association?

DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel has issued an opinion finding that former White House counsel Don McGahn cannot be compelled to testify to Congress on the Mueller report: https://bit.ly/2HJrZA5

[Sunrise]

Can the White House actually deny McGhan the opportunity if he wants to testify? Is this one more matter that will end up in the courts?

[Maybenaut]

Can the White House actually deny McGhan the opportunity if he wants to testify? Is this one more matter that will end up in the courts?

Maybe. The privilege belongs to the White House. They’ve apparently decided to exercise it. He can’t testify *to matters falling within the privilege* even if he wants to. Congress can hold him in contempt, but I don’t know how much teeth their contempt power actually has.

[Dr. Kenneth Noisewater]

But isn't privilege waived from all the talking Trump has done about this in public? Plus didn't they already waive that privilege when they allowed him to talk to Mueller?

[Addie]

Telegraph (paywall)

Mueller agents given UK approval to interview Christopher Steele in London over Donald Trump dossier

The British Government gave approval for US investigators to interview a former MI6 agent over his dossier detailing Donald Trump’s alleged ties to Russia, it can be disclosed.

Christopher Steele, who wrote the dossier, was interviewed in London by US officials working with Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating Russian interference in the US presidential election.

According to well-placed sources, the UK Government gave the greenlight to the officials to travel to London to record Mr Steele’s testimony.

[Maybenaut]

But isn't privilege waived from all the talking Trump has done about this in public? Plus didn't they already waive that privilege when they allowed him to talk to Mueller?

I don’t think so. Trump talking in public wouldn’t waive executive privilege, I don’t think. As to what McGhan said to Mueller, to the extent any of that is still under redaction, the White House might still be able to claim the privilege. Also, too, if Congress wants to ask about things that McGhan didn’t discuss with Mueller, the claim if privilege might still be valid.

I’m not saying it *is* valid - I’m just saying it’s probably not *waived.*. But I’ve been wrong about this sort of thing before, so...

[bob]

I’m not saying it *is* valid - I’m just saying it’s probably not *waived.*. But I’ve been wrong about this sort of thing before, so...

And, regardless, the road is a long one: contempt vote, lawsuit by the House, off to federal court, etc. A decision could be years away (like, post-election).

[Slim Cognito]

I'm ok with keeping trump's transgressions, including his obstruction, in the news from now until election day.

[Wintermute]

What happened to co-equal branch of government and checks and balances? The house should shut off the money tap to the executive branch. I know its not that easy but a guy can dream can't he?

[fierceredpanda]

What happened to co-equal branch of government and checks and balances? The house should shut off the money tap to the executive branch. I know its not that easy but a guy can dream can't he?

They tried cutting off the money for a wall, and Trump just swiped it from the Pentagon. And Congress can't exactly not fund the military.

[Maybenaut]

What happened to co-equal branch of government and checks and balances? The house should shut off the money tap to the executive branch. I know its not that easy but a guy can dream can't he?

They tried cutting off the money for a wall, and Trump just swiped it from the Pentagon. And Congress can't exactly not fund the military.

This is what bothers me so much about what’s going on right now. The only way our democracy works is because the people in power have, up until now, agreed to make it work the way it was intended. Although on paper we have a system of checks and balances, in reality the executive can just do whatever the fuck it wants. Who’s going to stop it? Congress? The courts? This is really fucking scary.

[Slim Cognito]

...

This is what bothers me so much about what’s going on right now. The only way our democracy works is because the people in power have, up until now, agreed to make it work the way it was intended. Although on paper we have a system of checks and balances, in reality the executive can just do whatever the fuck it wants. Who’s going to stop it? Congress? The courts? This is really fucking scary.

If I couldn't craft while stoned, I'd be institutionalized by now.

[Kendra]

Somewhat OT, but Repub congressman Amash is holding a town hall at the moment, follow here for those interested: https://twitter.com/WOODTV

[Dan1100]

Somewhat OT, but Repub congressman Amash is holding a town hall at the moment, follow here for those interested: https://twitter.com/WOODTV

Amash tweeted a bunch of Trump is Impeachable etc stuff about 6 hours ago to prime the pump.

[Kendra]

Mueller is making a statement at 11AM Eastern. No questions afterwards.