Trump/Russia 2016 election investigation (continued, now with Ukraine!)

KevinC · 2019-03-28T18:03:15.052Z

Hell yeah. I’d want to stand up and applaud after hearing that, were I there.

Gordon_Cameron · 2019-03-28T18:11:16.615Z

Nerdy white guy doing a King-style refrain. Love it.

ShivaX · 2019-03-28T18:14:14.859Z

Stonekettle (Stonekettle)

Kushner, who has no security clearance and no elected or appointed position in our government, gets to see the report. You? Not so much, Citize ... ur, I mean, Proletarian. twitter.com/JasonLeopold/s…

5:17 PM - 28 Mar 2019 550 210

twitter.com

Stonekettle (Stonekettle)

I mean, the ONLY reason Kushner gets to see the Mueller Report is because he's fucking the President's daughter. How's THAT for privilege? OTOH, given that Trump is fucking all of us, maybe we should be able to see the report too? Just a thought. 2/ twitter.com/JasonLeopold/s…

5:19 PM - 28 Mar 2019 570 110

Pyperkub · 2019-03-28T18:17:59.734Z

Timex:

I think that it’s clear that the report could not be made public in its entirety, as it likely contains stuff which isn’t fit for public release.

But CONGRESS should be able to see the report in its entirety. They have a Constitutional duty to provide oversight, which requires access to that information.

It’s not acceptable for the executive branch to police itself.

I also think that just about everything on collusion/conspiracy was pushed to the (separate) counter-intelligence investigation for anyone who was ever actually in the Administration, which will likely never be public unless leaked, which also explains how Barr can write a lot of what he wrote regarding Mueller’s Investigation.

Timex · 2019-03-28T18:45:52.775Z

Strollen:

Schiff ticks through the major pieces of evidence indicating collusion and says, “you might think it’s OK… I don’t think that’s OK!”

Here’s the thing:
Malthor absolutely does think all that stuff is ok. He has no problem with it.

Calelari · 2019-03-28T18:49:27.496Z

Well, specifically IOKIYAR.

(It’s OK If You’re A Republican.)

Papageno · 2019-03-28T19:04:43.054Z

Calelari:

Well, specifically IOKIYAR.

(It’s OK If You’re A Republican.)

Of course, just as Steve King is immunized against any accusations of being a White Supremacist (as are all Republicans forevermore) because Lincoln, the first Republican President, signed the Emancipation Proclamation over 150 years ago. It’s so simple, why can’t everyone see that?!

/s for any mental defectives in the audience

Menzo · 2019-03-28T19:17:42.334Z

Timex:

Malthor absolutely does think all that stuff is ok. He has no problem with it.

Well he’s got a point. I mean really, what about Hillary’s emails?! When are we going to get an investigation into that? Or Benghazi for that matter.

Strollen · 2019-03-28T19:54:48.767Z

Timex:

I think that it’s clear that the report could not be made public in its entirety, as it likely contains stuff which isn’t fit for public release.

But CONGRESS should be able to see the report in its entirety. They have a Constitutional duty to provide oversight, which requires access to that information.

It’s not acceptable for the executive branch to police itself.

Maybe I’m being too simplistic but I don’t understand why Congress can’t just subpoena. Mueller have him bring a copy a report and then asked Mr Mueller to please read page 1 of the report, page 2 etc.

Maybe have the sensitive parts read under closed door hearing just like any other sensitive material.

If Barr refuses, find him in contempt. Have a congressional trial and throw Barr’s ass in jail until the report is released.

Timex · 2019-03-28T20:08:45.886Z

They can, and then it’ll go to the courts to decide if the executive branch is able to avoid complying via executive privlege.

scottagibson · 2019-03-29T11:35:53.094Z

The executive privilege argument is weird. I understand they want to use it to keep Bad Stuff secret, but how does it even apply? Executive privilege allows the President to keep executive consultation secret except when the consultation in question constitutes a crime (e.g. Nixon ‘consulting’ with his advisors on a cover-up was not privileged).

If there is any ‘executive consultation’ in Mueller’s report, it has to be there as evidence of a crime, so it isn’t privileged. If there isn’t any ‘executive consultation’ in it, none of it is privileged.

This does not mean they won’t claim it or even that a court won’t agree with them, given the nature of the courts we are dealing with. But it is facially a bad faith argument.

antlers · 2019-03-29T12:54:19.368Z

scottagibson:

If there is any ‘executive consultation’ in Mueller’s report, it has to be there as evidence of a crime, so it isn’t privileged. If there isn’t any ‘executive consultation’ in it, none of it is privileged.

This is just not true (in theory if not in fact). There could be executive consultation referenced in the report that was contextual or exculpatory, and that would remain privileged.

scottagibson · 2019-03-29T12:58:01.721Z

antlers:

There could be executive consultation referenced in the report that was contextual or exculpatory, and that would remain privileged.

Certainly there could be, but: Did Ken Starr let the White House review his report for the purpose of withholding any so-called privileged information? Was there any question at the time that he should have? If not, why not?

If the White House provided Mueller with information, they waived privilege to do so. If they didn’t, how did he get it?

antlers · 2019-03-29T15:33:05.453Z

scottagibson:

If the White House provided Mueller with information, they waived privilege to do so. If they didn’t, how did he get it?

I’m sure the argument would be made that since Mueller’s team was part of the executive, they didn’t have to waive privilege to give him information.

gruntled · 2019-03-29T15:37:43.785Z

Yep - the difference between the previous Independent vs current Special Counsels.

scottagibson · 2019-03-29T15:43:06.220Z

antlers:

I’m sure the argument would be made that since Mueller’s team was part of the executive, they didn’t have to waive privilege to give him information.

This is a good point, one I hadn’t considered.

MrGrumpy · 2019-03-29T16:49:09.517Z

Submitted without comment.

emptywheel – 29 Mar 19

Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 President...

Here's what the public copy of the redacted Mueller Report currently looks like.

[redacted] confidential report explaining the prosecution or declination decisions [redacted]

[redacted]

19 [lawyers]

[approximately] 40 FBI agents, intelligence analysts, forensic accountants, and other professional staff

[more than] 2,800 [subpoenas]

[nearly] 500 [search warrants]

[more than] 230 [orders for communication records]

[almost] 50 [pen register orders]

13 [requests to foreign governments for evidence]

[approximately] 500 [witnesses]

[redacted]

[redacted] the investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.

[redacted]

[redacted] coordination [redacted] agreement–tacit or express–between the Trump Campaign and the Russian government on election interference.

[redacted]

[redacted] thorough factual investigation [redacted]

[redacted]

difficult issues

[redacted]

[redacted] while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.

[redacted]

[redacted] the evidence does not establish that the President was involved in an underlying crime related to Russian election interference.

[redacted]

rowe33 · 2019-03-29T17:40:13.436Z

[redacted]NO COLLUSION!!! [redacted]

[redacted] report confirms that nobody thought President Trump would win Michigan but [redacted]

newbrof · 2019-03-29T18:04:12.897Z

twitter.com

Benjamin Lee (benfraserlee)

Incredible way of making my two star review seem like I didn't hate the film http://t.co/zvOyIxHQ3h

9:53 PM - 8 Sep 2015 14K 14K

The Muller report Barr letter …

ArmandoPenblade · 2019-03-29T18:06:43.327Z

Huh that’s actually pretty brilliant