08 Nov 18
@no1marauder saidThanks for the Lawfare link.
There's a good article at Lawfare discussing the ramifications of Session's forced resignation and Whittaker's temporary appointment on Mueller's investigation: https://www.lawfareblog.com/jeff-sessionss-firing-matthew-whitakers-rise-and-attorney-generals-role-mueller-investigation
Since Whittaker is now overseeing the investigation, Mueller will have to inform him of ...[text shortened]... http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/11/donald-trump-jr-expecting-to-be-indicted-by-mueller-soon.html
How likely is a Whitaker recusal?
From the link:
"All of this creates some uncertainty as to how long Whitaker will oversee the probe—or, at least, how long he should. Like Sessions, Whitaker may be obligated to recuse himself from the Mueller investigation. The relevant Justice Department guideline is Section 45.2 of Title 28 of the Code of Federal Regulations, which states that “no employee shall participate in a criminal investigation or prosecution if he has a personal or political relationship with” either “any person or organization substantially involved in the conduct that is the subject of the investigation or prosecution” or “any person or organization which he knows has a specific and substantial interest that would be directly affected by the outcome of the investigation or prosecution.”
08 Nov 18
@lundos saidYou'd think that a condition for his appointment was a vow that he would violate those guidelines. I would consider it extremely unlikely that he recuses himself - the whole reason he is put there is to obstruct the investigation.
Thanks for the Lawfare link.
How likely is a Whitaker recusal?
From the link:
"All of this creates some uncertainty as to how long Whitaker will oversee the probe—or, at least, how long he should. Like Sessions, Whitaker may be obligated to recuse himself from the Mueller investigation. The relevant Justice Department guideline is Section 45.2 of Title 28 of the Code of ...[text shortened]... al interest that would be directly affected by the outcome of the investigation or prosecution.[/b]”
@kazetnagorra saidYou can tell that from the line of succession, under sane people it would have gone to Rosenstein.
You'd think that a condition for his appointment was a vow that he would violate those guidelines. I would consider it extremely unlikely that he recuses himself - the whole reason he is put there is to obstruct the investigation.
It really sucks that dems have taken over the house but will not be in power till January and that leaves a 2 month window for Trump to do his dirty work.
I'm sure Mueller and company have been preparing for this for months and might have secret indictments already in place where they can't be touched by Trump.
At least I hope so.
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@kazetnagorra saidplease tell me...what is the need for the mueller investigation since it has been discovered the evidence used to create it has been discredited
You'd think that a condition for his appointment was a vow that he would violate those guidelines. I would consider it extremely unlikely that he recuses himself - the whole reason he is put there is to obstruct the investigation.
@mott-the-hoople saidIt is needed because there are criminals out there and so far the investigation has caught a bunch of them.
please tell me...what is the need for the mueller investigation since it has been discovered the evidence used to create it has been discredited
@kazetnagorra saidThose poor criminals had their "lives ruined" according to Mott; where's your compassion?
It is needed because there are criminals out there and so far the investigation has caught a bunch of them.
09 Nov 18
@mott-the-hoople saidYou cannot contribute intelligently till you shuck the trumpite programming. Till then all you can do is scoff and deny there was any criminal activity by anyone near Trump. SHUCK YOUR PROGRAMMING, you will be a better person for it.
please tell me...what is the need for the mueller investigation since it has been discovered the evidence used to create it has been discredited
09 Nov 18
@no1marauder saidWithdraw what? They did expropriate money from Manafort and others. Mueller has to continue the investigation to put it in his bank account, so he is milking it big time.
Before that sentence, you wrote:
"After all, there is all that money he got from Manafort and others. " and then ""If he ended the investigation he would not be able to fatten his bank account from all that money just sitting there."
If you want to withdraw the allegation do so, but don't pretend you didn't make it.
Anything inaccurate in what I stated? Nope.
I don't need to confirm the obvious. Do you?
@metal-brain saidMueller's salary isn't dependent on the money they got back from Manafort.
Withdraw what? They did expropriate money from Manafort and others. Mueller has to continue the investigation to put it in his bank account, so he is milking it big time.
Anything inaccurate in what I stated? Nope.
I don't need to confirm the obvious. Do you?
09 Nov 18
@kazetnagorra saidI never said it was.
Mueller's salary isn't dependent on the money they got back from Manafort.
It is easier to tap into money that has already been expropriated though. Asking for tax money is a deficit. Asking for expropriated money costs the taxpayer nothing. Mueller knows the game. All he has to do is milk it to keep getting paychecks that make him rich.
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@no1marauder saidso you cant say on what grounds the investigation is continuing? Never before have our laws been used to investigate people till you find something, anything a person might have done.
Those poor criminals had their "lives ruined" according to Mott; where's your compassion?
Not many could pass that test. It is not the way it works and you know it.
This whole situation was created to protect the actual criminals. Dems know that, they dont care is the problem. You think these dirty politicians ate on your side, they’re not, they are just using you.
10 Nov 18
@mott-the-hoople saidSome interesting reporting from the Wall Street Journal quoted in this Vox article:
so you cant say on what grounds the investigation is continuing? Never before have our laws been used to investigate people till you find something, anything a person might have done.
Not many could pass that test. It is not the way it works and you know it.
This whole situation was created to protect the actual criminals. Dems know that, they dont care is the problem. You think these dirty politicians ate on your side, they’re not, they are just using you.
according to a new Wall Street Journal report, Trump was deeply involved in those hush payments to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, who had alleged sexual encounters with him. He was “involved in or briefed on nearly every step,” reporters Joe Palazzolo, Nicole Hong, Michael Rothfeld, Rebecca Davis O’Brien, and Rebecca Ballhaus write.
That matters because, as a candidate for office, Trump may have violated campaign finance law by not disclosing these payments. Cohen has already pleaded guilty to two campaign finance charges in connection with all this back in August.
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To get a sense of what prosecutors might be driving at, it’s useful to review the specific campaign finance charges Cohen pleaded guilty to back in August.
First was “causing an unlawful corporate contribution” to a federal campaign. Prosecutors alleged that Cohen “caused” AMI’s $150,000 payment to Karen McDougal, and that that violated the law because it was effectively a campaign contribution for Trump, in excess of the legal limit on what a corporation like AMI is permitted to give to a campaign.
Second was that Cohen made an “excessive campaign contribution” himself, by paying $130,000 to Stormy Daniels. This, too, was effectively a campaign contribution for Trump above what Cohen was permitted to give, prosecutors said.
Now, prosecutors have amassed evidence Trump — Cohen’s employer — was personally involved in and informed about both of these payments, and was encouraging Cohen to make them happen.
So it certainly seems that Trump himself may be vulnerable to similar charges, considering how involved he was in both of these payments.
https://www.vox.com/2018/11/9/18079754/trump-cohen-hush-money-mcdougal-stormy-daniels
The noose tightens.
10 Nov 18
Some interesting scuttlebutt:
When Mueller informs the public of more indictments is an open question. That they are coming, however, is not. And there are lots of them. The Special Counsel has been at work for almost 18 months now. An Intelligence Community official who assisted the Special Counsel’s investigation told me this week that Team Mueller is holding “dozens of sealed indictments” of people associated with the president, his 2015-16 campaign, and his administration. “Nobody who’s close to the Russians is getting out of this,” said the IC official.
https://observer.com/2018/11/mueller-holding-dozens-sealed-indictments-intel-source/
10 Nov 18
@metal-brain saidClearly you do not "know the game."
I never said it was.
It is easier to tap into money that has already been expropriated though. Asking for tax money is a deficit. Asking for expropriated money costs the taxpayer nothing. Mueller knows the game. All he has to do is milk it to keep getting paychecks that make him rich.
10 Nov 18
@metal-brain saidYou think Mueller is in it for the money? You denigrate a great man if so. A decorated war hero, former head of the FBI, a by the book dude. I would vote for him for president.
I never said it was.
It is easier to tap into money that has already been expropriated though. Asking for tax money is a deficit. Asking for expropriated money costs the taxpayer nothing. Mueller knows the game. All he has to do is milk it to keep getting paychecks that make him rich.