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Ex-FBI Director Mueller appointed DOJ Special Counsel

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  • Ex-FBI Director Mueller appointed DOJ Special Counsel

    I was going to post this in the 'Director Comey' fired thread - but as this is a very important development, it's very much deserving of its own thread.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...=.375cc88f5803
    Deputy attorney general appoints special counsel to oversee probe of Russian interference in election

    By Devlin Barrett, Sari Horwitz and Matt Zapotosky May 17 at 6:30 PM
    The Justice Department has decided to appoint a special counsel to investigate possible coordination between Trump associates and Russian officials seeking to meddle in last year’s election, according to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

    Robert Mueller, a former prosecutor who served as the FBI director from 2001 to 2013, has agreed to serve in the role, Rosenstein said. The move marks a concession by the Trump administration to Democratic demands for the investigation to be run independently of the Justice Department. Calls for a special counsel have increased since Trump fired FBI Director James Comey last week.

    “In my capacity as acting attorney general I determined that it is in the public interest for me to exercise my authority and appoint a special counsel to assume responsibility for this matter,’’ Rosenstein said in a statement. “My decision is not a finding that crimes have been committed or that any prosecution is warranted. I have made no such determination. What I have determined is that based upon the unique circumstances the public interest requires me to place this investigation under the authority of a person who exercises a degree of independence from the normal chain of command.’’

    He said Mueller has agreed to resign from his private law firm to avoid any conflict of interest.

    Rosenstein is overseeing the Russia probe after Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself. Democrats have challenged Rosenstein’s impartiality in the Russia probe because he wrote a memorandum used as the rationale for Comey’s firing. In the memo, Rosenstein said Comey had violated longstanding Justice Department practices in his handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server, but shortly after the announcement of the firing the president said he’d decided to fire Comey before he received the recommendation from Rosenstein.

    Under the order signed Wednesday by Rosenstein, Mueller is tasked with investigating “any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump’’ as well as “any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation’’ and any other matters that fall under the scope of the Justice Department regulation covering special counsel appointments.

    “If the special counsel believes it is necessary and appropriate, the special counsel is authorized to prosecute federal crimes arising from the investigation of these matters,’’ the order states.

    Officials said the appointment was being made under a Justice Department statute that has only been used once, in 1999, though the Justice Department has made other special counsel appointments more recently under different authority.

    Peter Zeidenberg, who has worked for a past special counsel, called Mueller an “inspired choice’’ because he comes to the job with automatic credibility among both parties.

    “He’s nominally a Republican, but he’s really not a political person at all,’’ said Zeidenberg, a lawyer now in private practice, who cautioned that such an investigation is likely to take a long time, and may not ultimately satisfy the public’s demand for a full accounting. “People are waiting for public answers to what happened, but that’s not his job. There won’t be a report or a press conference at the end of this from him, that’s not his role.’’
    Last edited by Ironduke; 18 May 17,, 00:44.
    "Every man has his weakness. Mine was always just cigarettes."

  • #2
    So, Comey's out, and Mueller is "back" in.

    An interesting development.
    Last edited by Ironduke; 18 May 17,, 00:44.
    "Every man has his weakness. Mine was always just cigarettes."

    Comment


    • #3
      Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein seems to understand how things should work from an independent investigative standpoint as his boss ŔG Sessions had reclused himself.
      Real eyes realize real lies.

      Comment


      • #4
        Doesn't a crime have to be committed first? Where's the evidence a crime has been committed?

        Comment


        • #5
          Possibly commence with spoliation of evidence and potentially move onward from there.

          I'm not stating that I would start an enlarged investigation with the taxpayers buck at this juncture...but sureIy I would seek some plain answers to certain simple questions from the highest elected official of the American people.
          (Obviously Trump's twitter account is giving f**k all.)

          I believe that being disingenuous is not listed in any statute as a crime.
          Real eyes realize real lies.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by InfiniteDreams View Post
            Doesn't a crime have to be committed first? Where's the evidence a crime has been committed?
            It seems Deputy AG Rosenstein felt that there was enough evidence to warrant appointing Mueller as special counsel.

            There are likely things, that have not yet been publicly revealed, as is the case with any ongoing investigation.

            We can't assume that just because we haven't yet seen certain things on the cable/nightly news circuit, or in print media, that they don't exist. The facts regarding Watergate took months or a year or more to fully emerge. Just as was the case back then, there are likely bombshell revelations yet to be made.

            For example, Flynn request immunity six weeks ago... immunity in exchange for what?

            With that being said, I think the matter of Flynn is just a small portion of the entirety of what is yet to be revealed.

            What better place though to discuss these revelations, as they emerge, than right here, on WAB?

            I do have my own inferences and predictions on what is yet to come, but as an outside observer employed in a non-government capacity in a backwater flyover state, I personally don't have any evidence which I can produce to verify them.
            Last edited by Ironduke; 18 May 17,, 05:47.
            "Every man has his weakness. Mine was always just cigarettes."

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Ironduke View Post
              It seems Deputy AG Rosenstein felt that there was enough evidence to warrant appointing Mueller as special counsel.
              Rosenstein says it's in the public interest. There’s a difference.

              Why is it the public interest when there is no evidence!?

              It's in the public interest because we have the MSM pouring the “Russia Connection“ down the American public’s throat night after night while providing ZERO evidence. Both the democrats & republicans are looking for anything they can do to get Trump out of power.

              MSM which has now become a faction of the Democratic Party has taken a page right out Goebbels playbook.

              This whole this is akin to someone yelling "fire fire", and everyone turns around to look and there is no smoke anywhere. But the same people keep yelling "fire fire". They can’t be lying right? No one would lie and yell fire when there is none? Finally someone calls the Fire Department just to shut those people up.

              That's what we have here folks. The MSM has fed the American public a lie enough times that the Deputy AG feels it’s in the public interest.

              Originally posted by Ironduke View Post
              There are likely things, that have not yet been publicly revealed, as is the case with any ongoing investigation.
              Wishful thinking.

              With all the leaks coming out of the White House and the Intelligence community, don't you think if there was anything out there damaging enough to lead to an impeachment it would have been leaked by now!?

              Also, why would Moscow conspire with the Trump campaign when no one thought Trump had a snowballs chance in hell of winning? No one, nary a one except the ‘silent majority’ actually believed Trump would win the presidency.

              Originally posted by Ironduke View Post
              "For example, Flynn request immunity six weeks ago... immunity in exchange for what?
              Why wouldn't he ask for immunity? Afterall, the Clinton aides all received immunity.

              Originally posted by Ironduke View Post
              I do have my own inferences and predictions on what is yet to come, but as an outside observer employed in a non-government capacity in a backwater flyover state, I personally don't have any evidence which I can produce to verify them.
              Time will tell. I think it's a witch hunt, and a waste of tax payer money.

              Anything Mueller finds that doesn't lead to an impeachment won't appease the democrats, and will need another Independent Investigation/special prosecutor for the next impeachment attempt.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by InfiniteDreams View Post
                there is no evidence!
                I distilled your post down to just this, because this is what you're saying.
                "Every man has his weakness. Mine was always just cigarettes."

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by InfiniteDreams View Post
                  Doesn't a crime have to be committed first? Where's the evidence a crime has been committed?
                  Judges and juries determine if a crime has been committed.
                  Investigators -- with the title "special counsel" in this case -- investigate whether there is sufficient evidence to charge someone with a crime.
                  Trust me?
                  I'm an economist!

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by InfiniteDreams View Post
                    Doesn't a crime have to be committed first? Where's the evidence a crime has been committed?
                    Getting past all the Kool-Aid the above is what Grand Juries are used for

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      What I find interesting/amusing is that Wednesday night the WH released a statement (from Trump?) that there will be "thorough investigation will confirm what we already know -- there was no collusion between my campaign and any foreign entity."

                      Then during Twitter time, Thursday morning, Trump let's loose with what he really is thinking. So apparently what is released during media time is what the communication staff wants to say (not Trump) and during Twitter time the window in Trump's mind opens up. Got to say he is true to form, has always been true to form, and always will be true to form. He is a great case study.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by tbm3fan View Post
                        Getting past all the Kool-Aid the above is what Grand Juries are used for
                        Who wants to bet Comey and Hillary/Obama staffers are sleeping nervous?

                        "any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump’’ as well as “any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation"

                        Who unmasked Flynn, Why does Comey's under oath testimony before Congress and his personal journal conflict, who hacked/leaked the DNC and why did they refuse to let the FBI do a forensic compuer investigation, what exactly are Podesta's links to Russia, the whole Uranium 1 after massive payments to Bill Clinton in Moscow....

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Wasn't Uranium I a Canadian company?

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by snapper View Post
                            Wasn't Uranium I a Canadian company?
                            Yes but subject to US export control laws becuase of what it mined.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by zraver View Post
                              Who wants to bet Comey and Hillary/Obama staffers are sleeping nervous?
                              I'll bet Comey sleeps just fine.

                              That being said, just because one is bad, Trump vis-a-vis Clinton, doesn't make the other good. They are both spectacularly bad, but while Clinton is corruptly bad, Trump is dangerously bad.
                              "Every man has his weakness. Mine was always just cigarettes."

                              Comment

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