I smell disbarment, or should it be, the Kardashians have a new legal team?
These bias attacks are an obvious red herring. The FBI is not a court and will not be trying any alleged criminals so they don't have to demonstrate complete impartiality. They are gathering evidence. Let the evidence speak in due course.
2
It was the intentional strategy of Trump and his conglomerate of "corruptibles" to appear to cooperate with Mueller's investigation so that when the inevitable occurred they could claim foul play. Just one of the myriad time-tested weapons employed by the current White House CEO and his Board of Directors in their pathetic attempts to limit their liabilities and cast aspersions on whomever becomes a viable threat. There is absolutely no "reasonable" doubt as to the veracity of their claims. But that won't alter the impaired judgment of any willingly duped shareholder.
1
I doubt Trump will fire Mueller, but this seems more like a long-range ploy to undermine the investigation so any scandal that stems from the inquiry can be brushed aside using claims of "deep state plots", "partisan bias" or "an attempted coup by Democrats" etc etc
1
The perfect client is rich, scared, and guilty. F Lee Bailey.
3
There is no better indicator of Trump & Co's guilt than how loudly they are screaming and attempting to derail the Mueller investigation.
2
So the FBI gave Hilary the "privilege" to select what emails she handed over (and destroyed the rest) and Trump's transition team could not screen theirs before handing them over (in fact, it was a GSA administrator who was asked and handed over the emails, apparently without the consent of the transition team)? The public did even know about these emails had been in Mueller team's hands since August until last Friday? According to some legal experts, the transition team's email is private in as far as the public is concerned—FOIA does not apply, and some are privileged (national security, etc, just like HRC’s). I think it is a conspiracy to force Trump to fire Mueller (a probable cause for impeachment), but Trump is too smart to fall for it. If this seize of emails is kosher, why did Mueller have to defend publicly such a "legal" action? On the other hand, why did it take Trump's lawyer months before protesting with a letter to Senate leaders? (I suppose, since Trump is NOT (yet) charged with any crime, discovery rules do not apply? but what about Flynn, who was on the transition team?) Both parties stink. Drain the swamp and elect people with ethics, moral integrity and ability, irrespective of party affiliation.
It used to be a tenant of an impartial investigation to ensure that the person conducting the investigation was a member of the opposition party. The theory went, that they were be more dogged in investigation and less likely to gloss over wrong doing. That's why in several countries, mostly in Scandinavia, the head of the government oversight committees is a member of the opposition party.
It seems the new standard being put forth by the GOP is that only die hard Trump supporters should be allowed to investigate Trump. Its depressing the speed that the GOP is abandoning the rule of law. The more they attack the FBI and DOJ the more they undermine the ability to do their job. IF people don't trust in the judicial system, then the rule of law ends. That the GOP is putting short term politics ahead of the country--especially as it pertains to law enforcement.
It's going to take a generation ( or more) to fix the damage that Trump and the GOP is doing.
2
"Mueller is compromised" is this year's "the election is rigged"
All those people who jumped to Comey's defense last fall were left with egg on their faces when he dumped "the letter". It was a classic bait and switch and so many fell for it.
Given that history, it's best to not pre-judge who you think is a straight shooter or infallible.
Let the process play out and then make your conclusions.
And keep in mind that Mueller is a Republican, just like Comey, and was chosen by Trump's justice department, not some independent commission.
1
I still want to know what was up with the Trump campaign server that secretly stayed in communicating with the Russian financial entity Alfa Bank. Maybe Mueller knows...
6
Mueller over reached, you can't un-ring that bell. The General Services Administration,handed them over to Mueller’s investigators without allowing transition team lawyers to review them. The documents, should have been shielded by various privileges, like attorney-client privilege. Like Hillary E-mails.
Not true. All emails written on government computers belong to the government, which is made abundantly clear to government employees. There is no expectation of privacy of any kind from the owner of the computer and servers, and everything is archived. This is also standard practice in the private sector, where employee use of computers/servers owned by corporations can be accessed/monitored/retrieved at any time by those corporations.
3
Every federal employee in every single federal agency has a personal political opinion.
Seems like Trump and Trump Republicans would like to fire all of them and fill them up with employees who are Pro-Trump. Let's take it one step further and lock everyone who is not a Trump supporter and send them to labor camps and we can have our very own version of Soviet Union of America here in the US, in the 21st Century.
8
So let me get this straight...Mueller subpoenas records in the GSA’s custody. And because the GSA just produces them, without Trump or Trump transition lawyers asserting privilege, and/or lack of control, that’s somehow supposed to be Mueller’s fault? It doesn’t work that way. To the extent there was a screw-up — and I’m skeptical, extremely skeptical — it certainly wasn’t Mueller’s. The Republicans are falling prey to the very Stupid Defense Lawyers’ Tricks they typically are the first to decry in high-profile murder and other criminal prosecutions.
4
As a foreigner from Europe who has visited the US several times I think its horrible whats going on in the US with regard to the republicans grip on power. They really do anything to protect Trump, to keep their power. Its such a shame for them and their ignorant, purely capitalist and anti-social party that once represented global US hegemony to be suspected of collusion with the Russians. Shame on you, the republican party. I feel sorry for those conservatives in the US which have been raised to be republican since I think most of them may have in principle good and peaceful intentions.
5
You can be biased on personal views and unbiased at your job, but It is not possible to be totally unbiased when dealing with political views.
3
Republican senators and representatives and the Trump team are treading on thin ice. If they are acting for the best interests of their political party, or themselves, instead of the country in this investigation, they are acting as private citizens and not as public officials. Any attempt to impede, obstruct, or tamper with the legitimate investigation of Special Counsel Mueller exposes them all personally to criminal liability. This goes to their representatives as well.
Maurice F. Baggiano, Member of the Bar of the U.S. Supreme Court
6
Everyone is biased, I have a strong bias against lying salesmen who boast about sexually abusing young women. This bias predates Trump, he just happened to nicely fall into my bias.
6
I don't have much hope that this will end well for the truth. Trump will fire Mueller. The Republicans will support Trump because Trump's team and his den of corrupt Republicans will have discredited Mueller by then. Nothing will happen. The country will remain as fractured as ever. We will then move on to another scandal from Trump and his swamp creatures in 2018. He'll get out of that one and the next one and the next one. I have to hand it to him. Even when the chips are down and it looks like he is going down, he fights his way back. I credit his lack of conscience and guilt for his ability to beat his enemies.
1
The 'Coup' was Trump getting elected on the lies from Russia, Newsmax, the National Enquirer, and Breitbart. And the language that they are using may result in actions by their listeners that this nation will sorely regret. The reckless and corrupt language from the Trump thugs makes a great case for us all taking to the streets and starting a revolution if they even begin to act on their silly talk.
4
Let me make sure I've got this right.
A Republican appointed by Republicans appoints a fellow Republican to investigate a matter connected to the election of a Republican and the people who are complaining about investigative partisan bias, are Republicans.
10
Hilarious! I'd laugh if it weren't so serious. Still, brilliant observation. They will tie themselves up like pretzels to kill the truth.
4
Almost as ridiculous as every Democrat blindly jumping to the defense of the Republican only months after another Republican handed the election to a Republican with a last minute letter falsely implicating his Democratic opponent.
Mueller: "When we have obtained emails in the course of our ongoing criminal investigation, we have secured either the account owner's consent or appropriate criminal process."
Trump is not worried about impeachment. He is worried about Federal prison. My guess is there are many Republicans in Congress who are worried just the same. Trump is likely not the only one guilty of crimes here. When all is said and done, this investigation could rip the guts out of the GOP.
Trump is not going down alone, he'll take the GOP down with him. Will he take the country?
1
Why would a president care about the private political views of FBI agents if he has done nothing wrong? Further, if the private views of some of the team lean Democrat, what about the ones that lean Republican? Mueller himself if a Republican. Where is it written that the target of a criminal investigation gets to choose the views of the people doing the investigating? They are looking for crimes, not political acts.
Collusion is not a crime. But there are crimes that would be part of a pattern of collusion. Before stalking became a crime in most states, only the underlying crimes (harassment, trespassing, breaking and entering, assault) could be prosecuted. It's the pattern that matters, though, which is why stalking became a crime. Maybe "collusion with foreign elements" should be a statutory crime.
4
Oh the irony. Trump's team wanted to choose which emails to release and which to remain private. How do they feel about Hillary doing just that? The shoe is on the other foot and they cry outrage.
15
Schadenfreude is pretty tasty tonight.
Hope HRC is sipping a glass of wine and enjoying the evening news.
3
On the White house team is FOX (For Our Xenophobia) News; a State sponsored media outlet of the Republican Party where you get out of it exactly what you bring to it; all your prejudices and ignorance.
8
Mueller must be getting too close for comfort.
12
It's totally transparent what Trumps's people are up to here.
8
Of course they huff and puff about "how" emails were obtained--legally according to standard operating procedure, says the Mueller team--but clearly dread the exposure of the messages' contents. It's become predictable: With each important indictment and guilty plea, as Mueller circles in ever closer to Trump at the center, the protestations and outrage become shriller. A more obvious smokescreen was never huffed and puffed by the clumsiest dragon.
5
So only Trump loyalists can investigate Trump? Wasn't Ken Starr a Republican and Bill Clinton a Democrat? For those saying this 7 month investigation has gone on too long Ken Starr stayed on for four years.
13
That FBI agents should have privately said that the prospect of Trump being elected was "terrifying"and that Hillary "just has to win" proves only that they love their country and possess ordinary common sense, not that the investigation was "biased". Trump defenders are grasping at straws.
14
More deflection from the Right (with Trump as their puppet), while Stevie Mnuchin continues to re-write plans for the next great transfer of wealth (another housing crisis?). 2007-08-09 was the greatest transfer of wealth in US history as banks and vulture capitalists stole millions of homes. That crisis continues unabated and, with Mnuchin in charge, will return. Come on NYTimes and Wash Post, start doing the real work, naming names and exposing the thieves!
7
While on an extended drive today and scanning through radio stations, I happened upon a "conservative" talk radio show in which the commenter were all parroting the same words, the investigation is biased and must be stopped, cable news channels (you can guess which two) are "out to get Trump" (as if he is innocent of targeting people), and the investigative team obtained the emails illegally. It seems they all work from the same script.
Perhaps Team Trump is innocent, which I won't wager on, or, all of the screeching from Trump and his courtiers about his innocence is merely deflection from the real truth, along with stoking the fires of what is left of his supporters.
Regardless of the incessant cry from the conservative politicians and conservative leaning "news" outlets, I desire this investigation to run its course regardless of how many and who will be disgruntled.
Apparently many of these politicians and "news" hacks have amnesia, or, were not old enough or born during the dark days of the Watergate investigations, and the ultimate fallout from Nixon's actions.
And to remember that a Greedy Old Party Congress went after Mr. Clinton for "lying" about his escapades to the point of impeachment. What would the fallout be if the current President was a democrat who was accused of colluding with a foreign power and the Greedy Old Party was in the majority in both houses.
7
November 16, 2016
MEMORANDUM TO FEDERAL AGENCY RECORDS OFFICERS: Guidance Relating to President-Elect Transition Team Materials
The President-elect’s Transition Team (PETT) represents the President-elect during the 2016-2017 Presidential transition. The materials that PETT members create or receive are not Federal or Presidential records, but are considered private materials. However, transition briefing materials created by a Federal agency and agency communications with the PETT are Federal records and must be managed in accordance with an approved agency records schedule.
If a PETT member is appointed to an agency position as part of the new Administration, the status of PETT materials that the individual brings to the agency may change at that time. If PETT materials are incorporated as agency working files, they become records under either the Federal Records Act (FRA), for individuals working at Federal agencies, or the Presidential Records Act (PRA), for individuals working in PRA creating entities of the Executive Office of the President. If the PETT materials are kept separate from Federal agency files or from files of a PRA entity, then they remain private materials.
If you have any questions concerning this guidance, please contact the appraisal archivist assigned to work with your agency.
LAURENCE BREWER
Chief Records Officer
for the U.S. Government
2
It's not like Mueller got on televisions, leaned into a microphone, and said, 'Russia, if you're listening, I hope you'll hand over all of Donald Trujmp's emails to me."
Gotta love the irony.
13
How can Trump's lawyers claim foul when they were supposed to have handed over all these emails themselves?
7
And trump and his swamp is still out to get Hillary- has before the election and will forever be so. Trump himself still mouths off about Hillary-can’t let it go, can’t get any more two faced than trump’s inner circle. They are the ones with the anger as it appears Mueller is uncovering more and more dirt and hopefully getting close to revealing all the Trump lies; trump is sweating like a pig- angry because he is guilty of something. Pigs will be pigs.
5
More theater for the sheep, aka the voters, with the outcome determined years ago. Mueller worked for the FBI, the secret police agency founded by the known pervert and transvestite J Edgar Hoover and his boyfriend. Why does the USA have a secret police? Why do we have to use passports to travel? When did that first occur? 1941, December, when freedom rang. Wake up zombies. The parties don't differ. Slavery has become a real thing worldwide.
The FBI can't be a very secret police if we're all talking about them.....
3
With all read, I found there was barely to nothing in the comments about Russia.
Guys! Can you ease the tension? Do your America thingy. And forget about Russia please. And they will forget about you.
Hate your president for all you want, please leave Russians alone on that.
Nothing to hide, nothing to be upset about. It's that simple.
3
Another John Kerry's heroism upended by some phantom swiftboater moment. Another Clinton's emails topping all the Republican lies, subversion of justice, misogyny, a totally virtual non-factual reality. As the walls are closing in on the Republicans and their Russian Connection, closer and closer to Trump, they are again trying to obfuscate, deflecting and trying to create a smokescreen. This FBI agent who 'was sacked' is really a non-issue but Republicans are resorting to the same MO - make an issue of it. Seriously this is obstruction of justice by the Trump team. I hope Mueller does not throw in the towel because of disgust. The Republicans would win again in trying to hide their treason.
5
In my lifetime I've never witnessed anything as despicable as the attacks on, a man beyond reproach, Robert Mueller. You don't get lower in this world than Hannity, Limbaugh, and the congressmen who have called him and his investigation 'corrupt' and worse. Trump has seen four people close to him indicted and two have pled guilty. The man is the recipient of the Bronze Star with Combat Valor and a Purple Heart. Simply put, these people attacking him are traitors in my eyes.
14
Expecting Trump and his ilk to work within America's legal system is absurd. They have absolutely nothing to loose by continuing their crimes.
5
Is Trump going to have Mueller fired?
Of course Trump is going to have Mueller fired.
And the next Special Counsel that Trump gets appointed, will bury the investigation deeper than the Grand Canyon.
Trump knows that if Mueller continues, Trump is going to wind up going to jail.
There is no way that he's going to just sit there, and let that happen.
Trump will have the investigation buried, and he will pardon anybody and everybody that can testify against him.
The real question is: What is America going to do about it?
6
Why can a Democratic President (Bill Clinton) withstand an investigation headed by a Republican (Ken Starr) but a Republican President can't even weather an investigation by a Republican?
12
Trump says his people are "very upset at special counsel Mueller (former FBI, former Marine, former prosecutor, longtime Republican) for having the nerve to obtain Trump transition emails. Nixon also had "his people" who were very upset that investigators obtained "his people's" incriminating evidence. Stellar fellows like Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Segrettii, Colson, the entire enterprise that attacked our U.S. Constitution and the legality of our national government.
15
I hope the Democrats in Congress have a plan of resistance in place for when the president fires Mueller.
12
Besides rolling on the ground--seems to be what they do.
1
A critical question here is whether Trump is a target of the FBI Investigation. Comey publicly assured him he was not. Mueller has said nothing. But if Trump is a target, you wouldn't expect him to be fully cooperating with the investigation. He is a contentious guy, and cooperating with the FBI is way out of character. Moreover, voluntarily turning over all kinds of materials could do great harm to his defense.
If Trump turns over privileged material, that could waive his privilege. As for the emails, cellphones, and laptops, the FBI would ordinarily have to issue search warrants for them, which could not be issued until investigators knew their particular descriptions, their likely contents, and their whereabouts. This could take a good deal of time and is subject to error. So voluntarily handing them over is a great favor to the FBI.
Investigation targets almost never cooperate with their investigators. There simply is little advantage to doing so. Non-targets have much more leeway and are inclined to cooperate as long as they know that the investigation is not directed at them.
There has been a lot of speculation that Mueller is breathing down Trump's neck. That could be true, but if it were, Trump is basically rolling over and handing the FBI the evidence they need to incriminate him. More likely, Mueller doesn't yet have evidence on Trump that he believes to be incriminating. And the speculation that an indictment is imminent is probably lwrong.
1
Interrogators are free to lie to their subjects, according to none other than our esteemed SCOTUS.
Someone might want to remind dump about that.
It seems Trump's attorneys have no idea what they're doing. . . Nothing new. . .
11
From what I read, the GSA was absolutely clear to Trump's team that transition documents on the .gov server were available to law enforcement if requested. Trump's team had the right to set up its own server but used .gov.
More interesting is the speculation that Mueller's team previously asked Trump's team for all their transition emails without disclosing that they already had them. That way they could see whether and to what extent the White House team was honestly dealing with the investigator team.
Thus, when Mueller acknowledged that he already had the emails, he sent the signal that, should Trump attempt to fire Mueller, Mueller has the materials at hand to launch a volley of criminal charges at any moment.
The plot thickens...
21
Investigating agents are bias against Donald Trump, a big joke. Mr. Mueller and his team are honing in on Trump and his attorneys are scrambling for excuses.
18
Kellyanne Conway phoned Putin's lawer, Anna Karenina.
9
Fire him, Trump! I dare you.
6
I'm with Mueller, the REPUBLICAN special counsel acting on behalf of our nation against this fellow who would (but we won't let) be king.
15
I have one question. Once Mueller clears Trump of any wrong doing, what are the liberals going to do, since they have put everything in the collusion basket, and they have sung Mueller’s praises so they cannot impune his character after he concludes that Trump did not break any law. What then? It’s going to be a long four years for them....
4
Just a point: Every year with Trump as president is a long year.
Second, Mueller has already shown that Trump appointed various very high level folks onto his campaign staff and into the White House even though they were unsavory and acted illegally. That is bad enough.
Few doubt that more folks in the Trump camp will be ensnared. It is possible that Trump won't be one of those caught but the fact that he put together such a lowbrow team despite being warned by many not to do so expresses yet another reason why his presidency is disastrous for America.
5
Maybe we should do like the Republicans after the first Benghazi investigation turned up nothing and have 7 more investigations...?
4
What will your cry be if Mr. Mueller's investigation bears fruit and Trump is guilty? It will be a long four years for you also.
3
I found Sean Hannity of foxnews to be the most reliable source to find out how close Mueller is getting to Trump.
The most desperate he sounds, the more he attacks Mueller - the closer Mueller is to Trump
15
It is deeply troubling that Mr. Trump sees nothing wrong with removing a career civil servant (FBI and line prosecutors) because that person is not "loyal" to him. The government agents and attorneys are not supposed to be loyal to him; their loyalty is owed only to the American people. Trump is daring th American people to choose between him and the very structure of our system of government. I'm betting on the American people to save their democracy.
22
It is amazing to me that we, the American people, have to take Kellyanne Conway seriously. I feel sometimes as if I have slipped into alternate universe where the news coming out of Washington is simultaneously silly and terrifying.
18
Please don't hate Russia for that.
Please...
Why should we love Russia for what they are doing to destabilize governments around the world? It obvious that Russia can never be trusted. Only Resident Trump seems to love Vlad. What does Trump owe him?
3
I agree about Kellyanne. We need to vote en masse in 2018 and stop letting them push us around.
2
Mueller versus Trump like a fight where one side is boxing by Queensberry rules while the other side is fighting by prison rules. Mueller thought he was doing the principled thing when he dismissed the FBI agent from the investigation for expressing political opinions in private and before Trump was even elected President. But to Trump's team, all this means is the opponent has shown weakness. They are pouncing on that weakness.
9
Know your enemy. That was Hillary's mistake.
2
Keep him or not it, the agent situation was a mess. Might as well do the right thing.
"Bad men are apt to paint others like themselves."
-Alexander Hamilton
24
For those who can, and/or do, read the real news, remember that Trump has said the Democrats "should have won the election". Take that as you will. THIS issue is about TRUMP, and HIS activities. It's not a political hatchet job - he's just an abominable Dotard. He tries to blame everything that he doesn't like on Democrats and Hillary Clinton. What a truly narcissistic, stupid man. He cannot, and will not, ever take responsibility for HIS actions. With ratings and confidence in the sewer for Trump, the issue speaks for itself. The few remaining zealots will eventually have to realize what they are supporting, just like the Confederacy losing the Civil War or the Nazis losing WWII. If the hypocritical members of the Senate and Congress would DO what they SAY in private, this travesty would end quickly.
10
I want to know, would you be giving excuses to Russia sometime, when all of the facts became merely barely anything and Mueller would just say:"Russia did that. Or not. Did, but all of the facts are hidden, so you can't see them".
Trump is not above the law - People will stand up in revolt against this administration if they obstruct justice ! That includes obstructing the investigation, and/or pardoning those that broke the law.
Mueller is obviously getting close to to trump, hence the increased criticism of him and the investigation.
15
This and other articles about bias in the investigation are building a public relations case for the termination of this investigation. The evidence of bias is irrefutable. It is clear that numerous Republican congressmen are supportive of termination. So, in one form or another this is going away and the Democrats will not have the votes to stop it.
1
Public relations and the truth are two entirely different things, Jon.
6
The evidence is not irrefutable unless you bow at the throne of Emperor Trumplethinskin. I like to think for myself, thanks.
Congressional Republicans cannot end the Mueller investigation. And let's not forget they have two of their own going.
2
So, what if Trump fires Mueller and team? Or, fires Rosenstein and Mueller and team? So what? The Senate and Congress are run by the GOP, and they have shown zero indication they would reprimand Trump for doing anything at this point. They might says "It's wrong" for a few days, then it would be forgotten - much like the Access Hollywood tapes, Charlottesville and many other instances.
Eric Holder talks about an "absolute red line", and suggests protests to put pressure on politicians to act. Despite numerous protests this year, the majority of GOP elected officials still voted for the health bills, FCC decision, the current tax bill and many other votes. From where I sit, there is no evidence that firing all these people would hurt Trump in any way.
5
They're obviously going to rush through this tax law, batten down their hatches, and pray for God to deliver manna from Heaven for it to bail them out.
7
This is just building a case for having a judge toss the investigation because the evidence was obtained illegally. That is what lawyers do.
1
Trump's team is panicking because they evidently just realized that Robert Mueller's team LAWFULLY gained access to e-mails they erroneously called "privileged" (read "incriminating"), even though they were sent from public, .gov e-mail addresses. He has had these for some time. Remember the recent NYT scoop on KT McFarland, who plainly knew the Trump team was communicating with the Russians? This e-mail was most likely within this group of thousands of e-mails, some of which the "transition team" held back, not knowing that Mr. Mueller lawfully had all of them.
The Hill reports: "Transition officials had reportedly assumed that Mueller would want the emails, and separated ones that they believed contained privileged information. But Mueller was reportedly able to obtain all the e-mails from 12 accounts," as his mandate allow him to do in his search for collusion. No doubt he has found a lot of it. Panic ensues. I - and many others - applaud Robert Mueller for his relentless search for the truth.
17
Problem is it wasn't obtained illegally. Your move.
3
And the “presidential communication privilege?”
To/from the president-ELECT,
E-mails sent to someone are the “property” of the sender? Not even the recipient?
Feds are not allowed political opinions, and, properly removed months ago from an investigation, one agent’s opinion proves a plot?
Next up: The Saturday night massacre and I am not s crook.
12
What about the FBI agents who support Trump...there are scads of them.
12
Picture any other defendant trying this tactic: The prosecutor doesn't like me!
Get used to it, Mr. Trump. Nobody likes you. Nobody likes a whiny cheater.
27
"One of the emails shows that several transition officials were aware that Mr. Flynn was going to be speaking with the ambassador on Dec. 29 after the Obama administration had imposed new sanctions on Russia for its election meddling."
Am I the only one who thinks this may be the critical "thread" that begins to show a link to Pence? What are the odds of "several" transistion members knowing and Pence being completely in the dark- since he was running the transistion team?
25
The Trump attorneys, and Trump himself, are trying to discredit Mueller (the reason is obvious - it's an attempt to deflect any more indictments which are surely coming) - which is kind of a joke really. Mueller has probably the cleanest reputation of anyone in D.C. He's a Republican and is above reproach. This is a fight they'd be well advised not to undertake. It's going to backfire badly for them. The only ones who will agree with them are Trump's base, which seems to be diminishing according to polls.
9
(Short attention spans....)
Trump's team is panicking because they evidently just realized that Robert Mueller's team LAWFULLY gained access to e-mails they erroneously called "privileged" (read "incriminating"), even though they were sent from public, .gov e-mail addresses. He has had these for some time. Remember the recent NYT scoop on KT McFarland, who plainly knew the Trump team was communicating with the Russians? This e-mail was most likely within this group of thousands of e-mails, some of which the "transition team" held back, not knowing that Mr. Mueller lawfully had all of them.
The Hill reports: "Transition officials had reportedly assumed that Mueller would want the emails, and separated ones that they believed contained privileged information. But Mueller was reportedly able to obtain all the e-mails from 12 accounts," as his mandate allow him to do in his search for collusion. No doubt he has found a lot of it. Panic ensues. I - and many others - applaud Robert Mueller for his relentless search for the truth.
19
The more he screams, the more he coerces, the more he claims he is "innocent" - the more we are sure he is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors. If he is truly innocent, he would gladly open all his financial records to Mueller and start telling the truth for the first time in his life.
Time will tell, but if he is proven to be guilty, he will not accept this (calling it "fake" and a Democratic witch hunt). If Congress does not then step in decisively, we will have a true Constitutional crisis which could end us.
The Republicans do whatever they want, without regard to ethics or truth. They are all rallying around a psychopath, trying to keep their jobs. This is a TRUMP ISSUE - he is unfit for any office and needs to be removed.
19
Trump's supporters and lawyers "claim that the agents investigating the president may be biased." They really are trying to undermine public confidence in the FBI, hoping the ultimate findings of Mueller's probe would be cast in doubt.
Government employees are allowed to express political views, and making donations to political parties should not disqualify them, as long as they don't influence their job performance. Mueller's team builds its cases with hard evidence, so personal political views should not matter. Trump and his lackeys are obvious nervous. If there is "no collusion" as Trump insists, why no earth all this fuss?
18
The Republicans are convinced (or "convinced") that the investigation is a Democratic initiative to delegitimize the Trump presidency. They believe so because that is what they intended to do to Hillary Clinton with their investigations, and that is surely what they would have done had Hillary Clinton won the election, or carried the electoral college. They assume Democrats are fundamentally as corrupt and greedy as they are. For them, issues of treason, or truth, carry less weight than the political struggle against liberal democracy, whose idealism they mistrust (holding no real ideals themselves). Those who are completely corrupt see the struggle as a zero / sum game: they will either be allowed to walk off with the treasury, or they will be brought to justice. The less corrupt see the struggle as a contest in which their side must prevail because only winning matters. I may be too cynical, but I think the Republican congress won't permit Mueller's investigation to achieve completion. They may well jeopardize the republic for the sake of political victory, because they learned from the election that one can convince the American people of anything; and so, one can do pretty much anything one wants and trust their propaganda wing can concoct a narrative that will draw popular ire against the "Democrat party." If they can pass this tax scam without popular uprisings, they can do virtually anything.
14
I am starting to observe an upsetting trend toward Royalty inside WashDC.
There's a lot of Incumbant Politicians inbreeding with bureaucrats who have handed down jobs from generation to generation.
And now that Americans can inherit without taxation....
It begins to look even more like standard European Aristocracy.
Aristocrats are now Bankers....literally....Royal Houses exist on Wall Street. They send their younger sons and daughters off to finishing schools for pedigrees....Harvard, Yale, Brown, etc.......
Those vulgar, tawdry upstarts with their crude 'new" money sometimes slip into a "good" school like Univ of Pennsylvania. Oh! and those horrid outlanders presuming they can come from California orange groves or Georgia peanut farms.....the absolute temerity! Why, they have no idea what is taught in Harvard.
The Palace Eunuchs scurry through the halls of bureaucratic power, aping the Royals and taking an ample portion of the Royal Treasury. The Court Jesters appear on TV and ridicule the enemies of the State...implying they'd be better off in a Soviet Style Mental Institution. Sometimes a court jester is rewarded with a plum senatorial position.
Nay. The commoners simply dont know how to run a Nation....thats why we selected one of our own , Robt Muerller of the Royal House of Bush to neatly and succintly tidy up WashDC......no muss no fuss.
1
Dear Republicans. You need to make a decision. There is a limited amount of time left before the damage Trump is doing is bigger than the public's ability to ignore.
Maybe it will all be nothing.
But maybe Trump is going down and will bring the Republican party down with it.
Or maybe Trump will take this to the edge and demand the Republican Party impose martial law on our great republic.
Are you willing to go that far? You better think about it now, because Trump loves surprises.
If Trump tries to fire Mueller it will cause a constitutional crisis. Are you really willing to destroy the FBI for a New York real estate lunatic?
But right now the president keeps asking for a piece of paper that says no collusion.
The president is denying it so hard ,"No collusion. No collusion," But collusion is a polite name for treason: working in the interests of a foreign country.
Who asked Trump to deny treason? What president ever said, "I did not commit treason" and demand paper work from law enforcement confirming his assertion?
Why is he doing this?
And why is he attacking traditional institutions like the FBI which he was bragging last year loved him? We need a president driving a wedge between the police and the FBI?
Something is wrong with this whole thing. Trump will throw anyone under the bus if he needs to. High tax state Republicans just found that out.
Is this what you signed up for?
14
The treatment of Mueller and the FBI by Trump is disgusting. Mueller is a purple heart veteran and a true patriot. Trump doesn't have enough class and moral integrity to tie Mueller's shoes.
26
Also he doesn't know how to.
15
I happen to respect Bob Mueller and what he was called upon to do.
Bob has gotten four indictments. Just remember, people, an indictment is not a conviction, and the government loses its share of cases even when it does decide to go to trial. It's top keg legal talent for the defendants that wins.
Two indictments and two convictions. So far.
9
Trump is deathly afraid of something. Hope it's not too much longer until we find out what...
18
Poor people, you can't give your poor president a chance to make a better relations with Russia. You hate him for that, cause he's no Hillary.
I am Russian and believe you me, I truly detest all of that childish behavior your country is on.
Mueller... Is your Jesus.
3
Ilya,
The truth is that we both have lousy presidents.
We don't dislike the Russian people. Just your corrupt government.
11
Trump is not smart enough and too selfish to defend our interests. If Russia saw fit to support Trump, Putin should have simply done so publicly. Covertly blackmailing and paying a deeply damaged person to run for POTUS and promoting propaganda as "Americans" is an act of war. If China or Iran was suspected of half of this stuff, we'd be bombing right now.
The weight of circumstantial evidence against Don the Con is suffocating. His "defense" liars......in their panic and last ditch attempts to arouse favorable public and political sympathy are "trying" the case in the court of public opinion.......sounding a lot like a patent Trump "tweeting strategy"............... ...............SADLY,for the Donald ,he will be judged by LAWS of the United States based on admissible LEGAL evidence and facts obtained by the SPECIAL PROSECUTOR,who was selected by the Department of Justice !
4
But his emails.
7
wrong. Trump will go down in history as a fraud. Remember, Johnny rifle racks don't write history books.
6
Isn't all the "friction" one way? i.e. directed BY Trump AGAINST Mueller?
Mueller is a professional (and a Republican, picked by a Republican member of Trump's own administration!), doing his job in a thorough, methodical, low-PR manner, issuing no inflammatory (or any!) tweets or statements to the press.
Trump in contrast... is doing all sorts of tweeting, snorting, innuendo-casting, and bringing all all usual pressure to bear that he usually does.
The contrast couldn't be clearer! Or more telling, in terms of who has credibility.
Perhaps, Mueller should ask a judge to issue a "gag order" on Trump, enjoining him from trying to influence the investigation, on pain of a nice "contempt" citation?
20
Here's an idea. Have Trump challenge the Russians to hack his own emails and then release them on Wikileaks. Deja vu all over again.....
8
He said Hillary Clinton was crooked.
Really, he, himself, is crooked.
He said that he will not benefit from the tax cuts.
He will benefit big-time from those cuts.
His news stations broadcasts that they are afraid of a coup.
He, himself, is planning a coup.
Look out Congress; you are the only power who can stop him. He will go after you next.
19
It's interesting that Sen Cornyn cautions Mr. Mueller to "be concerned about the appearance of conflicts of interest." How about applying that concern to Donald Trump and his corrupt administration -- every facet of which screams conflict of interest!
21
The materials, said the lawyer, Kory Langhofer, were the property of the transition team, and therefore it should have had the chance to decide what was given to investigators.”
No.
16
The lawyers are trying to save their jobs because due process made them look bad and now Fox is helping them out with a smear campaign.
According to GOP hearings, political beliefs influence work outcomes.
If this is the case, then let's pull all of Mueller's staff's emails and texts for the period of 2015-2017 and identify how many are "anti-Clinton."
According to the GOP line of reasoning, anyone who is anti-Clinton is also unable to do their job. So, who remains to do the work?
This is the way of a developing fascist regime.
Declare the "other side" is over-reaching and intruding on our lives;
Discredit one side of the media while boosting the Breitbarts;
Overtake voting rolls and polls and disenfranchise minorities;
Superfund the rich through tax manipulation;
Depress and disadvantage the poor, and then
Blame it all on the rule of law declaring that the laws are too stringent on those in power.
15
Donald himself and his lawyers throw these comments out and then get free legal advice from every media source, legal firm, and politician in the country as they interview and discuss the particulars and consequences. The press should ignore these empty threats and gestures from Trump, and Congress should send out a stern and firm warning that this is an uncrossable line which would trigger immediate impeachment. They should also include a clear warning that these statements amount to tampering with what is perhaps the most significant domestic investigation in time immemorable.
This is an issue which should unite us as a country and instead it has been doing the exact opposite. Foreign interference and candidate collusion in our electoral process is not something we as a nation should disagree upon.
Write to Congress and make it clear that they need to make this clear. If I were in the position to do so I would have the impeachment papers already waiting to be introduced.
10
Incredible that the appropriate future of Our Country, meaning moving forward down the correct/progressive/inclusive road based on science and facts, or over a cliff, is in the hands of this Mueller Investigation. I’m 59. Do young Americans realize where we’re at right now? It’s your future. If we were a less-restrained, less-distracted country, there would already be rioting in the streets.
11
Your nation chose Trump. You probably think it was the Russia's choice.
But you chose Trump! You!
1
C'mon, now, Russia definitely gets an assist!
BTW. most of us didn't. Didn't!
17
Ilya, 3 million + MORE people voted for Clinton than voted for trump. Unfortunately we had a corrupt and partisan Electoral College that violated the law by placing an UNFIT person into the presidency, and for that, they deserve punishment and abolition. You understand that, right, Ilya? Things like that happen all to often in Russia as well.
1
My honest opinion.
There are many people in the US politics who like to propel war budget. Strangely, many of them are from democtratic camp.
So all of that "Russia is our true enemy" agenda should be suspicious to anyone with brains.
1
It is clear that Trump and his close supporters are in a panic; all the more reason for Special Counsel Mueller to move forward with the investigation.
17
A person who is party to, or subject to matters related to an investigation should not have any input in to the conduct of the investigation. The "attacks" are a virtual admission of guilt. You don't have to be pro or anti someone to do your job, as anyone working in the public sector knows perfectly well. Trump's legal team can get anything they're looking for through legal channels. Information the Trump team might want is readily available through any number of due processes. Why the soap opera?
14
The Trump Administration is full of conflicts of interest. The republicans aren't the least bit concerned with the numerous conflicts of interest that exist in the Trump White House. All of a sudden, the Republicans are extremely concerned with conflict of interest in the Mueller investigation. No where else. Suspicious? The democrats need to start talking about the numerous conflicts of interest in the Trump Administration. Trump need to be hammered for his conflicts of interest. I don't hear anything about it.
21
Wondering from any of the legal experts participating in this forum if Robert Mueller and/or his team have any legal avenues to fight back against Fox News and Sean Hannity/Newt Ginghrich etc ie. Defamation lawsuits etc. These brilliant attorney's are having their reputations tarnished with Fox's continual assault on their political leanings etc. I would love for Hannity to have to prove in a court of law whether a Andrew Weissmann, MIke Dreeben etc have ever been shown to have demonstrated bias in a previous legal action based on political orientation
15
It's a fine idea, John, but I'd rather have them focused on the investigation of Trump and his cabal.
All you have to do is infer that the investigation is tainted and the WH Lawyers smell blood. Mueller is not anyone's patsy. He is held in high regard by both parties, which is why he was appointed Special Counsel. Mueller is doing everything he can to make sure the information he has is true. And is doing everything to keep a biased opinion out of the investigation.
If this Mr. Langhofer, who is the counsel to Trump for America believes otherwise he must be living in another universe.
Obviously these emails have revealed "several officials were aware that Mr. Flynn was going to be speaking with the Russian Ambassador." The Transition Team included Pence, Bannon, Kushner and many others. Maybe Pence did know that Flynn was meeting with the Russian Ambassador and lied to the American public.
This is why the Republicans are crying foul. They will lie about anything.
17
With the Trump administration and many Republicans on a mission to continually denigrate the FBI, we now have "Faux News" preaching and adding to the hysteria that the FBI is implementing a coup against the President and actually comparing them to the KGB! I can't think of any kind of worse rhetoric that could create more danger and divisiveness than already exists in the country, yet, it probably will.
I am afraid that, this kind of rage and hystera continuing will, if it hasn't already, inevitably create one or more Timothy McVeigh types whom, in their misguided vengence toward the FBI, could have another Oklahoma City in their sights.
Although Trump's approval ratings continue to drop, there are clearly still more than enough loyal supporters in his "cult", especially white supremacists, whom would have no reluctance at all to commit such a terrible atrocity.
I can't help but think, in recent memory of a more unsettled, dangerous time that now exists in America.
10
These attacks on the FBI and the Mueller investigation by Trump and the usuals (e.g. Fox, Breitbart, talk radio) seem chiefly aimed at firing up "the base". However, I sense the growth of another base that consists of a national electoral anti-Trump majority devoted to returning again to a greater America, an America without the authoritarianism and nastiness of Trump and friends, and one that will make it very clear that fooling around with Mueller's investigation is an option that will be politically fatal. I regret to say it might be time for some serious counter hardball.
12
More smoke & mirrors from the Trump thugs.
14
The real creeps are on the Mueller team. Read up about his attack dog Andrew Weissmann, who got tens of thousands of jobs vaporized at Arthur Andersen and THEN was unanimously overturned in the federal courts for chicanery like jailing innocent family members until their spouse at the firm flipped on his friends.
IMHO, this guy should have been disbarred.
2
LOL I bet a few of Mueller's team had "impure thoughts" too. Trump's expectation of total loyalty is something more akin to a dictator. Fortunately, a growing majority of Americans despise him. Remember, 3,000,000 more people voted against him - or is that an 'alternative fact?'
7
Arthur Anderson was cooking the books for Enron, no? No sympathy for crooks, sorry
Let the president fire Muller and he see a wave of national protests and marches the "the world have never seen". Not Putin, but Trump will have a Color Revolution on his hands.
11
GSA documents are by definition DOT.GOV.
Their authors have no right to privacy from investigation. Federal investigators have every right to the documents.
19
Republican spurious accusations against Director Mueller are just muddying the waters, as intended, and cast further doubt on our democratic institutions. Interesting that Trump thought nothing of going into Clinton's private emails and publicizing them, however transitional emails, publicly held on on Government computer and to be hidden, and from subpoena? Don't think so. Regarding FBI employees - or EPA - or any government employee, it seems that if your a registered democrat or express a political idea the Republicans don't approve, you're open to investigation. Very 50's and Robert Welch. Too bad these people don't understand our laws or understand respect for the individual.
11
Agreed. I would only add that it was the Russians, via Wikileaks, who grabbed HRC emails, making the situation even worse.
1
Robert Mueller's investigation is getting results. It certainly not another Devin Nunes "Inspector Clouseau investigation." I think this is why cooperation is waning.
16
Mueller's choice of words says a lot - he chose to use the word "criminal" rather than the more measured "legal" when talking about his work and the processes he uses. I read that, and more importantly the Trump administration reads that, and should see a bit of foreshadowing for more indictments coming down the pike.
10
The Republicans are undermining our trust. I agree that we need an unbiased investigation and Mr Mueller did the right thing by removing Mr Strzok. Mueller should get credit for his determination to keep the investigation as unbiased as possible. In the end we need the facts. By questioning the objectivity of everyone who investigates this administration the Republicans are undermining our trust in the justice system.
14
The decision on the TRO filed by Dear Leader Donnie's attorneys will help clarify his allegations of illegal seizure of documents.
Oh wait....the Great Showman has NOT FILED a legal claim!!
He didn't contact the Justice department.
He filed with a political body.
How odd.
One is left wondering why?
15
For the first time in years (one or two) you can't see the word "Russia" in the comments, like.. at all.
When you Americans finally realise that it was you who chose Trump?
Russian Moscovite.
4
No, the over-whelming majority of us didn’t. And your FSB is coming to your door. Knock-knock.
7
Ilya, for the hundred thousandth time: MOST Americans did NOT choose trump. That is false, and you should stop saying it. What occurred was Russian interference, SOME Americans buying into the con artistry of trump, and the corrupt and partisan Electoral College. But make no mistake: 3,000,000+ MORE Americans voted for Hillary Clinton. And Putin does not like Clinton, da?
Let's see: We have to choose between a raving sociopath and a distinguished public servant. Let me think about this for a while........
35
Done!
11
No need to spend more time on that one!!!
1
Let's be clear about one thing...this whole thing is a total FRAUD...and it's completely OWNED by the democrats. History will show this was all a farce.
THEY OWN IT!
4
The emperor has no clothes, just a Twitter account, Fox News and lawyers who are not following appropriate legal process if this has any serious bearings.
19
We'll see, Tom. We'll see.
Do we own the two Congressional inquiries led by Republicans, too?
4
Please explain Michael Flynn cooperating with Robert Mueller.
"Denial ain't just a river in Egypt."
Mark Twain
3
Anyone from Texas knows that John Cornyn lecturing on ethics is like Charlie Manson lecturing on the Ten Commandments.
18
We all deserve an impartial investigation. How could it be otherwise? If its not impartial then its a witch hunt.
Theres way too much cherry picking going on these days especially with our friends in the "fake" news corporations..And they know who they are.
3
Were the stakes not so high this latest faux outrage over emails of the Transition team would be completely laughable. Let us count the ways:
Kory Landhofer is not one of Trump's lawyers; he represents something called "Trump for America". Were this a serious allegation it would have been made in a legal motion to the Court, not a letter and press release to Congress. There is no such thing as a "deliberative process privilege" or a "presidential communication privilege" or an attorney/client privilege in public emails, which any account ending in .gov is.
These emails are decidedly not the property of the private citizens who wrote them, but of the US Government, which provided the platform and archived them. Presumably one part of the Executive Branch, the Special Counsel, asked another part of the Executive Branch, the GSA, to turn them over.
As bogus as this kerfuffle is, however, it will be seized upon by all of Trump's allies as grist for their mill. Mueller's investigation is hanging, if not by a thread, then by nothing stronger than kitchen twine.
21
Why, when Trump constantly voices his "no collusion" thing among the
other well verified lies, do we regard it as anything but the latest
garble. I mean, are their people left who thinks he tells the truth
in his daily blasts, on the way to the helicopter, for example?
10
I don't think that there was collusion. Trump is bought and paid for.
3
Maybe no collusion between trump and Putin to steal the election.
Instead, it'll be proved a quid-pro-quo: trump lifts sanctions in exchange for Putin illegally releasing stolen Clinton & Podesta emails via WikiLeaks
Instead, it'll be proved that trump has been laundering money for Russia for years with his failed real estate "businesses."
Instead, it'll be proved that trump has obstructed justice with his firing Yates, Comey, and telling Flynn, via the press, that trump plans to pardon Flynn in order to signal to Flynn, not to turn as Mueller's witness.
4
Trump works for Putin. Notice he doesn't insult Putin and he refuses to enforce the sanctions at all.
This is not collusion. That assumes two equal parties working together towards the same ends. Trump is Putin's subordinate and acts like it.
I'd like see the New York Ties run a side-by-side consideration of the integrity of these two men, Trump and Meuller.
Meuller demonstrates restraint, honesty, integrity, service and competence every single day. As the blowhard Trump ejaculates tweety graffiti that contradicts itself day to day and often turns out to be not only untrue, but the product of a 12 Diet Coke-a-day-addicted brain prone to paranoia and conspiracy, Meuller steadily presses on with his work, making very few public comments, not fighting his case in the media, and letting his work speak for itself.
This pattern of behavior on the part of Meuller goes back to rescuing fallen soldiers in dangerous situations that called for tremendous personal courage in Viet Nam. Mr. Trump has stated that HIS personal challenge during the war was to avoid contracting syphilis in his playground world of Manhattan, where he sat out the war his age group was fighting, nursing a highly-dubious bone spur on his heel.
Let's have a look at these two adversaries, side-by-side.
By the time Meuller is done with him, the words "Trump" and "traitor" will be as eternally linked as the words "Water" and "gate."
29
"Ejaculates tweety graffiti" - that rivals any professional columnist! "Thank you" seems like an odd thing to say, but I can appreciate a good way with words amid this sordid mess.
2
I would push back against the title of this article, “Friction Rises Between Trump’s Lawyers and Mueller’s Team.” It suggests there is some kind of mutual acrimony between Mueller and Trump. In reality, the former is running a careful, impartial, legal investigation—in other words, doing the job he was appointed to do—while the latter is lashing out in an hysterical and embarrassing effort to undermine the special counsel.
Stop legitimizing the Trump team’s bad faith attacks on Mueller, who has an impeccable record of integrity and fairness.
28
How many people who investigated Hillary, not just in the FBI but also in the 11 or so congressional investigations, were biased against her. People in glass houses shouldn't disparage Mueller.
29
What is the striking image here for me is the din spewing from the White House and the Republicans on Capitol Hill, contrasted with the utterly methodical, professional silence from Mueller's bailiwick. Except for the recent terse comment about how the emails in question were gotten, the mill continues to silently grind ever so slowly and oh, so exceeding small. This one comment that we've gotten in seven months was notable, I think, in what those few words emphasized. Two phrases telegraph an inescapable message: "in the course of our ongoing CRIMINAL investigation," and "appropriate CRIMINAL process." It couldn't be more clearly stated that Mueller isn't talking about simply indulging his curiosity by going after the emails. This is the real thing.
18
To TheRev - you are so so right. The word is CRIMINAL. There, you have it DT and supporters, enablers & yes, co conspirators. Yes you are under investigation and the investigation is a CRIMINAL one. A ray of hope shines out for those who want to see justice returned to America, once so proud, so free and so admired by all.
10
And they have criminals in their sights
Do the Republican's job for them, NYT. Keep this in the headlines like emails, emails, Benghazi, emails. Keep reiterating the pillow talk between two romantically linked FBI agents. Keep repeating the story line the administration lawyers want you to hear. Next we'll hear Robert Mueller once got a 'B' on a civics exam in eleventh grade.
Let the Republicans control the zeitgeist, just like they did in 2016. Why even have an election in 2020? Just give Donald Trump the master key; he's probably changed the locks already, anyway.
“Image of Cooperation Between White House and Mueller Starts to Fracture.” It’s not a headline; it’s a legal strategy. Seriously, are we going to do this again?
11
And, can we get a photo of Robert Mueller where he's not in the basement with overhead plumbing pipes and an exit sign? Subliminal much?
Last election, it seemed the NYT couldn't publish a photo of Donald Trump without him standing next to a big black SUV looking all 'president-y.' Look where that got us.
itsmildeyes: I think that Mueller is being taken through a basement to keep him safe from the hired assassins! (Do you think that I am kidding? I AM NOT!)
1
My thought is this: Mueller questioned Trump's lawyers and other WH staff before they knew he had their transition emails. I believe that he may have released the notice that he had the emails because of all the GOP/Fox blather trying to smear him, Mr. Integrity. He's letting them know that he has the goods and if any of them lied... well...
5
If there was nothing adverse in the emails then why is Trumps legal team so concerned about Muelller having them.
I smell a rat.
10
Would you want someone reviewing all you communications? Suppose someone communicated about an abortion or a medical condition. There are many things about us that are legal that we would like to keep private. We are entitled to privacy. That's why we have the 4th amendment.
That's why we have confidential medical records. passwords, etc.
Using you logic, should the Justice departments handling of this be an open book to congress. They have refused to give Congress answers to questions.
Many have lost confidence in the Justice Departments. Just as the incoming Admin has been investigated for illegal Collusion with Russia with none being found, we need to investigate the Justice department to restore confidence.
We need to know why lying to the FBI was not charged in the Clinton E-Mail investigation but Flynn was charged.
1
John, any communication via email on either a business or government server is not private and may be subject to review. This is common knowledge.
3
They used a government server not gmail.
2
The solution for Trump and the GOP is simple: fire Muller and just say that Hillary did it. Problem solved. I mean it's worked for everything else for them so far.
"The Iraq War? Never heard of it. But, I have heard of Benghazi! And I've been told that it was the worst thing any American has ever done! And since it was on Fox News, I know it's the God's honest truth! BTW, I heard that Hillary just fired Robert Muller because he was getting to close to exposing her uranium deals!"
Enough said.
3
I've noticed that Republicans don't seem to understand rising above one's feelings. It's why they don't believe it's possible to speak of "deplorables" but still wish to help them economically. Or that it's possible for FBI agents to not want Trump to be president but still do their job professionally. They are totally ruled by emotion and don't understand people who are not.
3
They're guilty and they know it, so they are grasping at straws. One tactic is to discredit the investigation in the court of public opinion, the republican base. The rest of us have been screaming, crying, writing letters, signing petitions and marching since the election to no avail.
1
Trump has already secured the support of Israel lobby thanks to recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, AIPAC has an enormous influence on the US "democratic" election and Trump certainly will receive large rewards for what he did.
Trump's tax plan serves the rich more than any body, and is the biggest giveaway to corporations.
Trump is basically set for the next presidential election. The only problem seems to be Mueller's investigation. I feel this problem would also resolved considering his above-mentioned achievement.
You would have thought that the Trump transition team would have learned from the way Hillary's team handled their emails.
4
If Cornyn is so concerned about partisanship in the ranks of the FBI, I wonder what he thinks of Director Wray donating $39,000 to the RNC?
18
The lengths the Trump cronies (aka the entire GOP) will go to as they try to discredit Mueller (who they appointed) astound me. Conway, Huckabee Sanders et al do nothing but lie. How they can look themselves in the mirror is beyond me. They're all traitors to democracy.
9
It is apparent to anyone watching that the president's daily WH lawn
remarks are less sane every day. Now all we hear is that everyone is very
very angry at whatever the media, except Fox, is saying.
He looks less and less rational as well, and that's no small thing.
7
Walking this back a few steps, Mr. Trump cannot fire Mr. Mueller. Mr. Rosenstein, as AG, would have to do it.
4
The most serious allegation against Russia is that it hacked Democratic National Committee email and gave the email to WikiLeaks. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has offered to provide proof WikiLeaks did not get the DNC email from Russia in exchange for the same type of immunity to prosecution afforded U.S. news media outlets such as the New York Times when they publish purloined documents. The United States should take Assange up on his offer. If it turns out WikiLeaks didn’t get the DNC email from Russia, the collusion conspiracy theory falls apart.
Allegations that Russia waged a social media campaign to influence the election aren’t worth investigating. Russia favored Trump over Clinton for two reasons: (1) Vladimir Putin has been conducting a vendetta against Hillary since she accused him of rigging Russia parliamentary elections while she was serving as secretary of state, and (2) Trump publically campaigned on promises to improve U.S.-Russia relations, including the lifting of sanctions imposed for Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Most countries whose leaders thinks they will be affected by U.S. foreign policy—which is to say most countries—meddle in U.S. elections just as we meddle in their theirs. It doesn’t violate international laws. It also not unlawful for presidential candidates to makes foreign policy promises that affect foreign nationals and foreign governments. Both sides did this during the 2016 election.
5
William , So you say. It's amazing how many try to use this tact to obfuscate and excuse bad behavior and bad policy simply because others do it , just because it's not unlawful does not make it right.
1
Wikileaks is not the start and the end of possible collusion. The thread where team Trump may have provided Cambridge Analytica data to the Russians to aid with their social media targeting is much more interesting.
Further, while criminal charges and convictions would be nice, this is fundamentally an exercise in uncovering activity so appalling that congress is shamed to impeach. Or at least that voters are motivated to remove Republicans from office in 2018.
1
The evidence is the evidence is the evidence. Whether you believe in the tooth fairy or that the earth is flat, it makes no difference to the evidence.
If evidence was illegally obtained, it will not be admissible in any judicial proceeding, and likely any quasi-judicial proceeding. Thus, one of Mueller's primary concerns is that all evidence is obtained legally.
The entire opposition to the investigations of Russian interference with the election and any possible crimes by the Trump team is focused on preventing us from seeing the evidence. Simple question: why?
9
Image of cooperation? More like an illusion.
2
So crooked Trump and his corrupt lawyers can demand everything but when the shoe is on their feet it doesn't fit so you must acquit . It's just another ploy to stop the investigation , meanwhile he and his team have tainted any sense of the rule of law and try to bend it into their interpretation of Conway's "alternate facts . Sure the fix was in , to pull the wool over our eyes and accuse others of what he does . His ego knows no bounds , he is America's version of a wannabe king and tyrant . He will attempt to fire Mueller, very predictable behavior at this stage of his presidency.
2
If we're going to oust agents for having opinions, then we'll also need to get rid of anyone who has made pro-Trump comments.
Republicans are putting on a transparently false show of scruple. It's clear they're concerned about only one kind of bias, not bias per se.
Trump's complaints about the FBI are in the same vein. In trying to kick out anyone who might appear not to have supported him--if even because of totally reasonable doubts about his commitment to upholding the law--he's essentially trying to remake the FBI in his image.
He's not against bias. He's demanding it.
10
Dear NYT. Again you make it sound like this is a dispute between two legitimate parties, and time will tell who is correct. You give a huge amount of airtime in the article to the GOP claims and only scant reference to the defences and rebuttals of Mueller's team and the Dems. But why not interview a legal expert so you can state in no uncertain terms that there is NO LEGAL BASIS TO THEIR CLAIMS. And EARLY in your article. This is another Trump team LIE and you treat it as if it's legitimate. It's not biased on your part to call it out. it's FACTUAL, and you can use a legal expert to do it. In your attempts to be even handed you come across as legitimizing their lies.
9
Wow, Trump's placed himself at the epicenter: tax reform, conspiracy charges and #metoo. As he likes to say, "Let's see what happens. "
2
With the gop protecting him...nothing will happen.
2
Why,of course NOW it is.
A couple of Mueller's move rattled Toddler-in-Chief and his ignominious crew, but they went back to their usual business UNTIL last week when news broke of both Deutsche Bank and Cambridge Analytica on Bob's radar. This base crowd went berserk!
Even Trump's lulling lawyer, Ty Cobb, can't come up with good reassurances that this investigation is winding down now.Because we all know you-know-what has hit the fan...And right on time.
Now Trump camp's tossing all sorts of deflections while scrambling for just about anything to discredit the Special Counsels office.
What a messy lot!
Mueller, keep going and might I ask,will you be bestowing holiday tidings upon us this season?*smirk*
8
Fox News is red hot. This propaganda mouthpiece for Trump is drumming the propaganda drum loud, louder and hope to be loudest.
3
Do not find a great deal zeal for the defense of the Constitution. Perhaps the oath of office doesn't apply to the GOP members of the Congress. Of course, by his own speech, The Donald has declared himself not to be accountable for anything or to anyone.
10
Well, we need to hope that there is some mutual sharing of information between Mr. Mueller and the states AG's. Trump is trying to make America a kleptocracy. He praises Putin's kleptocratic governance, alleged pedophiles and neo-nazis. The Republican Party supports him. He needs to be investigate and jailed.
8
Trump is taking on strategies common to the guilty when running scared. Blame law enforcement tactics; claim prejudice; attack the system; play the innocent victim. It is so transparent.
16
The investigation is, first, about the U.S. and the hacking of the election. Since the election contained trump and his transition team and anyone else trump brought into it these, too, will be part of the investigation. And anywhere the money leads investigators follow. And anyone dealing with countries or people outside the U.S. will be followed. The only bias Robert Mueller has is to the Constitution of the U.S. and the law he swore to uphold. The same for the FBI.
12
If Trump fires Mueller, then the we can finally say that we have turned the corner and are well on our way to becoming a dictatorship.
Wake up, Americans, the country you knew is no longer yours, you are allowing yourselves to become serfs to the Republican Party. This country will truly die of stupidity.
14
YAY!
i said i'd give trump a chance the day after he was elected. i did that. and now i'm done with that.
on a regularly recurring basis, he's shown himself to be the whiney child & fully incompetent boob so many of us -- in fact, a 3-million-plus plurality of voters last november -- strongly suspected he was. from now on, every time trump embarrasses himself, shoots himself in the foot, engages in pointless fights inside or outside his administration, takes an active role in idiotic schoolyard name calling (eg as in that fun episode with the other loon in north korea) , etc... i'll consider it a plus.
in the short term, his immature antics & repeated blunders are bad for the country. but in the long term, i'm hoping that 2018 and 2020 voters, mindful of the covey of credentialed clowns presently running the country, will wake up and throw the bums out!
18
After reading your news story on “Friction Rises” and reading the reports on same subject from various well known reporting sources including FOXNEWS, it seems president’s defense team may have waited with intent to soar up support for Mr. Trump in his part of Republican base or Mr. Bannon supporters. With this approach to prosecute and smear campaign against Special Prosecutor’ office may be a last chance left for Mr. Trump and his supporter. As a citizen I would like to see a high profile MEMBER of BAR to step forward and file “Friend of the Court” petition to Supreme Court for evaluating the claims and it’s intent of Trump defense team against special prosecutor’s office. Though Supreme Court majority is Republican appointees, at this stage of our politics I believe Supreme Court is better choice to resolve Trump Lawyer’s claims rather than non functional Republican Party of the Congress and Senate.
Given that close to 70% of Americans are not in favor of Trump, I'd be more shocked if nobody in the FBI was anti-Trump.
17
This is a classic diversionary tactic. Trump uses these all the time. Another tactic being to cry 'Fake news' any time something negative is reported. By creating doubt about the media and seeking to discredit them, when they report actual bad news, he simply responds with 'fake news'. This creates credibility issues and problems in identifying the truth. Meanwhile, his followers bray like donkeys. Putin's behaviour is much the same.
17
>>>... bray like donkeys...
Perfectly apt description. Let us hope that we don't end up with some fascist version of "democracy." But if we do, and though the donkeys will suffer along with the rest of us, one can be sure that they will find a way to blame Obama/Warren/Clinton/Pelosi, abetted by braying Faux News propaganda. In earlier times, such blatant lies were deemed seditious. Not anymore.
4
Russia, if you're listening .... we have some more emails you can help us get.
7
They would never do that to Comrade Trump!
3
As a low-level government employee, I always understood that any of "my" email correspondence done on computers/accounts belonging to the government were in fact the property of the government and that they were being archived. Seemed pretty obvious to me and my coworkers, and it's also the prevailing policy for private corporations. With all those "genius" pols and "great" legal minds on Transition Team, this was not understood and communicated to all? And now they pretend ignorance of this basic fact? Uh huh. Sure.
17
Of course Trump isn't planning to fire "Mueller". He's planning to fire Rosenstein.
9
This is not a witch hunt any time you have a president consistently throwing a barrage of self wounding comments on social media and news media outlets why is there a “fictional” counterpart to sway this man’s guilt? Point and case the loathed Sec. Huckabee claims there is eyewitness evidence to dispute several sexual allegation claims against Pres. Trump. Why would there be an eyewitnesses available if NOTHING happened ??!! This guy and his team can’t even lie correctly
12
How can Mr. Mueller investigate Trump without looking into his finances? The man is who he is due to money, whether it's his or Deutsche Bank's (Russia's) or someone else's money.
13
Why do you think he's not?
2
apparently, the investigation is getting uncomfortably close. i just hope that mueller has a plan B for when our fearless leader is going to shut him down (preparations to do so are -- obviously -- in the works.) but hey, mueller is a very smart man, and if i am thinking of this, so must he be.
9
Know this for what it is and call it what it is: Yet more obstruction of justice from Donald Trump and his historically corrupt administration. Plain and point blank.
10
About those emails and the Transition Team's supposed need to review them first: If you actually believe there is more to the legal process than what Mueller's team did in acquiring them, you are being played.
Non-lawyers watch way too much TV. So when someone's lawyer starts yelling, "Attorney-Client Privilege," it might be helpful to know this: When it comes to recorded items, like emails, the government is entitled to subpoena and get your stuff. Yeah, there's an exception somewhere, just not here, in the midst of a criminal investigation.
8
Cool. Republicans can't believe everybody driven by bias because everything they do is driven by bias in favor of Trump. So can we finally talk about the partisan motives behind the Benghazi investigations? I'm all ears.
12
From CNN today:
“The special counsel has had the White House documents for some time now and has concluded all requested White House interviews. The President is confident based on the lack of evidence of any wrongdoing that he'll be treated appropriately by the special counsel and ideally in the near future.”
CNN reports that’s Mueller is feeling pressure to wrap up the Trump part of the investigation to maintain credibility in the face of the special council having to remove a partisan FBI team member.
What will the liberals scream about next, once Trump is cleared? All your eggs are in the Russian collusion basket. No evidence to date that backs that up. House investigation wrapping up after a year of investigation that likewise shows no evidence of collusion.
Time to step out of your echo chamber.
2
The stench of desperation coming from this administration is becoming overwhelming.
11
They're not going to stop until they get some Trump lackey (or family member) running the investigation, just like in some third-world dictatorship.
6
Moments like this make me feel we are living in the Upside Down. How can Strzok's political view become a nationwide discussion when the clear focus of the story is Mueller's corrective measure taken to mitigate potential biases? This story is quite illustrative of the reasons why American politics is dysfunctional. Half of the nation tries to solve problems / mitigate potential problems. The other half focuses on finger pointing, assigning blame, complaining about its disadvantage and talking dirty. We can only have an adult conversation if both sides act like adult.
6
The Russia probe discredits itself through its meandering scope, illogical premise, corrupt counsel and partisan operatives.
Trump was right about this one thing, “Russia” is a “ruse”, in the sense that it’s not the real crime.
There’s criminality there, of course, but hardly the bigliest one here.
There are all these other, far more serious crimes, that in theory at least could put Trump and his associates in jail for a very long time–and should, in the perfect world that we don’t live in, unfortunately.
His many corrupt and illegal business and financial deals with Russia and Russian vassal states, along with similar behavior within the US itself, especially in NY, NJ, VA & FL, his egregious violations of the Emoluments clause, his deliberate shaping of policy to benefit himself and his family and associates, his endangering the safety and security of the US and its allies, both actively in his actions and words, and passively in allowing the likes of amateur Kushner to work at the highest levels of government with top security clearances - these are the real crimes to pin him on.
So now it is Israel collusion with the president-elect transition team instead of Russia collusion with the Trump campaign team.
This “narrative” has been rehashed any number of times now – it looks and sounds desperate.
Day by day, the drip drip of FBI corruption will more likely lead to the collapse of it, as even Rep Adam Schiff finally seems to be realizing, crashing his senate ambitions.
5
Strange that you look at the FBI and at Trump and conclude that it's the FBI that's corrupt. I think everyone in the world, except Trump, would agree that you need new glasses.
13
@ Fourteen
Strange that anybody would not see the FBI and especially Mueller as corrupt.
Mueller is a loyal servant of the national security state, being the ex head of the major domestic police state agency, supporting CIA torture and NSA mass surveillance, and being dripping wet with corruption going all the way back to his days in Boston.
But hey, when two equally corrupt parties have a monopoly over the political system, and a handful of conglomerates owned by billionaires have a monopoly on almost all information we receive, and Pai and Co. want to give the ISP monopolies control of what we can and cannot access on the internet, which will smother what little light of truth there is anymore, then it's not surprising gullible Americans, the most highly propagandized people on the planet, fall for all kinds of propaganda, Left or Right.
The anti-Russian hysteria in the US, promoted mostly by the corporate Democrats, the Clintonian empire, and the ruthless neocon/neoliberal establishment as a whole, is just more time-tested deep state propaganda.
Notice that the Trump/Russia narrative is morally vacuous. It has nothing to do with Trump’s toxic ideology. Centrists (the “Resistance”) would rather place the focus on something else: Official adversaries of American imperialism.
What's missing in this article is an expert source who can simply say that transition emails held by the GSA are not protected documents and that providing them to a special prosecutor violates no laws. Period. I've seen that expert assurance elsewhere. Why is it missing here?
The noise being made by Sen. Cornyn is disingenuous; he makes noise that effectively undercuts trust in Mueller's integrity, then ends with his "confidence" in Mueller. But wants to get that all-purpose dig in: "appearance of a conflict of interest." Mueller instantly removed the agent in question, and did so months ago.
As for those feared enemies -- Democrats -- Trump himself used to declare himself a Democrat and often gave to Democratic candidates. Now "Democrat" is a code word for "enemy of the people"? Please.
The so-called Republicans display no shame in undercutting the rule of law, and their attempts to tarnish Mueller and the legitimacy of our nation's law enforcement agencies is beyond sickening. They are playing with fire and the very real possibility of anarchy. This extends to the unspeakably subversive "Fox News" comparing the legal process to a "coup."
Folks, this is the most dire threat to our nation and our lives in my 60 years. We need to rise up en masse and vote these traitors from office.
11
If the FBI being "Trumpland" is a good thing, I hope they will explain how it is Patriotic to seek damning information from a state adversary to influence our election, use the media and the bully pulpit to show they knew Russia was involved in leaks and goad citizens to utilize the leaks to inform their voting decisions and their hatred of Clinton, and try to influence Congress to kybosh the investigations. The fact that the Republican party does not want to hold the Trump campaign accountable for aiding and abetting Russia in the hacking of our election says alot about the Republican Party. They are not protecting our Constitution or the American Way, they are only concerned with retaining political power. Greedy, Lawless and Unpatriotic are a few words that come to mind if the Republican Party silences the truth.
3
Does a known mafia boss have a right to be investigated only by people who don't dislike him or what he does. Of course not, and neither does Trump.
53% of Americans have an unfavorable opinion of Trump. Thus, any fair selection of a team to investigate Trump -- one based on the ability to further an honest investigation -- would have a roughly similar percent of its members dislike Trump.
Given Trump's stunning level of dishonesty, his incredible selfishness and vanity, the incredibly thick "smoke" surrounding his relationship with Russian, the harm he has done to America's standing in the world (at a time when that standing is increasingly important as America looses its relative economic and military power), and the fact that Trump's major source of money since his business's major bankruptcies has been from people under Putin's influence or the influence of other autocrats -- given all this -- it is not surprising that any honest, intelligent, well informed Trump investigator would deeply dislike him.
13
The closer they get, they louder the TWIT squawks!
Guess the fake news is whatever the TWIT and his lawyers say to distract people from the truth.
Look at the birdie! Look at the birdie!
Look anywhere else to hide the apparent truth, huh?
7
Langhofer is another stooge in a long line of folks who are just there to put out false tRump narratives for the base and fox newsies to consume and regurgitate .. as with statements from nearly all lawyuers assocaited with anything tRump, there is nothing of legal or ethical substance here. .. just more smoke and mirrors.
2
If Mueller is fired, every Democrat, decent Republican and independent voter will hand the entire Congress to the Democrats in 2018 to impeach Trump.
Make our day...
8
Trump obviously wants to impede this investigation without taking the overt step of firing Mueller. I fully expect that this will only get more desperate as Mueller closes in. I think we can soon expect to see more of Trump's trademarked behavior, including lawsuits, rants on social media, lashing out at the press, etc. Unfortunately, once again, Donald is too clever by half. I'm sure Mueller and his team expected this. With Mueller involved, Donald and his crooked companions will be taking a knife to a gunfight.
6
Criminal investigation. Those two words are the important ones.
Mueller is playing his cards very close to the vest. Expect significant indictments this week.
9
My fervent hope is that about 30 minutes after Trump signs that horrendous tax bill cooked up by his fellow Republicans, Mueller will announce the indictment of Jared Kushner--Take the wind right out from under that despicable blowhard's sails.
14
Let's hope so
4
This “friction” is an attempt by all the incompetent lawyers hired by Trump to have an excuse for him when the fiction they peddled to Trump doesn’t play out.
The fiction being that the Mueller probe will end before year end and Mueller will give Trump a clean bill of health.
In Trump’s make believe world, he can get away from anything: courts, creditors, plaintiffs, public, sexual harassment victims...
I wouldn’t be surprised if he expects Mueller to behave like that phony quack doctor who gave him a glowing medical report that was plainly nonsensical not just dishonest.
After all, Trump was idiotic enough to press Comey to let Flynn off the hook.
The delusion won’t last long as Mueller is unlike anyone Trump has dealt with before. So, the incompetent lawyers are now trying to cover their tracks by telling Trump that something changed at Mueller’s end.
That “nothing burger” we were hearing from the Republicans early on in the year has now been burnt to char with the flames leaping out of the lies mouthed by Team Trump having been exposed.
Next up for indictment: “This is it”, Don Jr?
11
I'd ask for evidence of Don's lawyers' claims but that word, "evidence," is forbidden currently.
Can I use "facts" or "data" instead? Or are those words on the censorship chopping block, too?
7
Mr. Wray has not moved quickly enough to rid the bureau of senior officials who were biased against Mr. Trump and had worked for James B. Comey, the director whom Mr. Trump fired in May.
Conducting political purges of the FBI, DOJ, EPA, and other agencies under the Executive Branch is a gross violation of the Constitution and Bill of Rights protections and an untenable politicization of the core bureaucratic infrastructure of American government. Every single employee of the FBI has political bias. That is totally separate from breaking the law by deliberately skewing the results of an investigation. The facts of the investigation speak for themselves and either they build a case for prosecution in a court of law or they don't. This is not another Republican Benghazi witch hunt in which the facts are irrelevant.
The political "outing" of private text messages between two lovers who also happened to be FBI agents is also very concerning. How did these texts become part of the OPR review process? Were they sent on FBI issued cell phones? It's hard to believe that such senior and seasoned FBI agents would be so careless as to use company infrastructure to send personal communications.
8
Most of the FBI agents I know are very conservative.
1
Poetic justice, is what I see. Potentially, a precursor to Divine Justice -- as in the finest of ancient Greek dramas.
Trump & all who support him spent the better half of two years wailing like banshees about HRC's emails.
Now their own emails are under the microscope. Suddenly, they are enraged?
I don't read the twits, but I am aware of even very recent renewed attacks on Hillary Clinton over those same emails.
Exceptionally fitting to see them damned now by their own words & declarations.
8
I think my favorite Trump statement these days is "everyone agrees there was no collusion" which might just be one of the biggest lies he's ever told.
The FACTS are that "everyone" is definitely not in agreement, and no one knows what Mueller has. And members of the Congressional committees running their own tiny investigations look wide-eyed and respond with "I can't answer that publicly" when asked if they've seen evidence of collusion in private testimony.
Fox can try all they want to protect Trump, that's fine. But the truth will come out.
16
“Mr. Trump also said he was not considering firing Mr. Mueller”
It’s not in his interest to do so. Right now, Trump is able to position himself as the “injured party” subject to a witch hunt by a politically motivated investigation.
As it draws to a close and Americans tire of a drawn out process about which they’ve already made up their minds, Trump – who “colluded” with Putin a couple of times over the weekend - realizes that Mueller’s findings won’t amount to anything.
Why not let Mueller deliver the news.
2
The only way to remedy this is to remove all republicans from the FBI. Now is everyone happy?
3
That would be difficult. I think most of them are republicans. Just not the wild banshee, far right extremist republicans.
Just a bit of a guess that all these politicians and media figures absurdly questioning Mueller's integrity on Fox - a coup? - and calling for the special counsel's work to be shut down on Fox, CNN and elsewhere have been caught on the treasure trove of transition emails Mueller has in his hands.
I would also guess that the post-November election transition was when greedy crooks started really working over their "friends" in the campaign to get in on the gravy train. And conspiring with them for the big payoffs. I also surmise that they did this by phone calls and emails to their transition "friends" - or is that accomplices?
Since January 20, I'm guessing all these accomplices may have started getting their payoffs.
I'm also guessing that this is going to end up being the biggest political financial corruption scandal in US history.
The great thing is that Mueller doesn't have to guess - he knows!
10
"Friction rises?" That's like saying "friction rises" between misbehaving toddler and corrective parent.
1
The President can deny, yell and tweet all he wants, but when the Democrats take over Washington next year, well, he's done.
8
And may I ask what happens to pro-Trump investigators, could they not be biased also? Everyone has an opinion but in this sort of role you move that to one side and do your job as it should be done. No bias.
4
The credentials of Robert Mueller are impeccable, and his Marine Corps service earned him a Purple Heart award. The man is truly a patriot, and those sniping at him and his role as special counsel, are obviously trying to hinder an investigation that needs to be thoroughly worked before completion as there are signs of potentially treasonous acts. The facts, the violations of law, are on Mueller's side, so no amount of table thumping by the lawyers will change the facts. This is just a smear campaign that reeks of fear that more indictments are coming. Let the Special Counsel complete the investigation for the good of the country. We need to know how the Russians intruded into our national security and political process.
11
Mueller's investigators'remarks
about the election was just
"locker room talk". What's the
big deal?
12
Partisan hacks like Cornyn talking about integrity! You can't make this stuff up.
3
What would the gop be whining about if Hillary was President? We all know the answer but I just thought I’d put it out there.
4
“The materials produced by the G.S.A. to the special counsel’s office therefore included materials protected by the attorney-client privilege, the deliberative process privilege, and the presidential communications privilege,” Mr. Langhofer, the counsel to Trump for America, said in his letter, which was sent to the top Republican and Democrat on the Senate and House oversight committees.
But Trump has not claimed executive privilege and as far as attorney-client privilege goes, that now seems only to mean that an attorney was in the room at the time.
2
I've closely monitored government corruption, for over 50 years; much has been exposed, but most has never been exposed, and will not be, except by courageous whistleblowers, whose conscious is beginning to bother them, however unlikely that may be.
Both parties are equally corrupt, and always corruptible, for the right price.
The party in power for the 4 or 8 year stint, is always subjected to all manner of attacks, in an effort to weaken their agenda, and increase the possibility of an upset benefiting the loser, during the midterms, and the next opportunity at the Presidency.
The likelihood of Trump being forced out, or impeached, is nil, and regrettably the attempt to force him out will cause further Democratic loss in 2018, and nearly ensure Trump wins a second term.
I blame the Clinton / DNC corrupt machine for this disastrous administration, and I also blame the Clinton base for failing to acknowledge the unsuitability of Clinton, and her gang, and for failing to elect Bernie Sanders.
A year has passed, and now we see this disaster begin to bloom, and we know the next 3 or 7 years will be no better.
In fact, personally, I'm beginning to believe the entire election process was a carefully orchestrated program, designed and brought to fruition through deeply hidden collusion between the GOP and the DNC.
The fact that Democratic policies of the last 40 years, which helped enrich the wealthiest, at the expense of the poor and the middle-class, is telling.
3
Iam certain Pres Donald is thinking, “where is Roy Cohen when I need him the most, Sigh!”
2
"He added: “So I have confidence in Director Mueller. I would just think he would be concerned about the appearance of conflicts of interest that would undermine the integrity of the investigation.”
You mean like how concerned Trump was with the appearance of conflicts of interest given his real estate holdings and the office he holds. Or the conflict of interest given the new proposed tax breaks to the real estate industry and how much he and his family stand to benefit from them.
The hypocrisy of it all is astounding!
6
Every American has personal political view/support except children and insane. Even the Supreme Court Judges have political view and even they play active political role and we get 5 to 4 decision. Why it is so strange that FBI agents have political opinion? We have to see if their actions are free from politics. Mr.Mueller fired those agents who were not neutral . Moreover, Mueller has been a Republican and FBI director Mr.Wrey is also Republican. Mr.Comey was also a REpublican. AG and deputy AG are also Republican. So why so much uproar from the Republican lawmakers against FBI and special counsel? Let the special counsel work without any hindrance for the sake of our country and for the sake of our democracy.
3
It seems like America is in a crowded movie theater and someone (Trump, Congress, Fox News, Limbaugh) keep yelling fire. Mueller and the FBI like them or not come with good reputations for integrity. On the other hand Trump/Republicans reputation and integrity is trash. The more Trump/Republicans protest the more it seems as if the Russian interference may turn out to be bigger than any American ever thought.
7
As we have seen in the various Senate and House Committee investigations, being critical of Trump and his administration is not an impediment to pursuing evidence of unconstitutional activities and potential harm to America's democratic institutions related to the Russia scandals; being a Trump supporter is such an impediment, however.
1
For Trump, his lawyers and his supporters in Congress who want to play this game at suggesting they examine everyone working on the investigation, do they think this is Russia?
Are only Republican FBI agents allowed to work on this investigation? That would be absurd and Russian-like.
Trump's lawyers and his mouth piece Republicans are the ones whose bias is showing to suggest that Mueller isn't on top of this and is running an ethical investigation.
6
Mueller is doing what he should be doing: he is following the money. And the money trail has led him to subpoena records from Deutsche Bank. The German Bank has already admitted to, and paid fines to settle, DOJ charges that it allowed Russians to launder billions of dollars out of Moscow. Now Mueller is closing in on how this money laundering operation might have involved Trump, who made his properties available to launder illicit Russian funds as the price to get Russian financing when, during the 90's, no else would lend to him. This is a red line for Trump. He cannot allow Mueller to go there because this is where a trove of indictable offenses lie. Hang on to your hats, folks.
DOJ's money laundering division along with the US attorney's office for the Southern District of New York have been investigating the German lender over allegations it missed red flags that allowed Russians to launder billions of dollars out of Moscow using an elaborate trading scheme.Deutsche Bank
3
Perhaps DJT ought to request that the Russians or WikiLeaks discover his emails and reveal those to the American people. If that doesn't suit DJT, then perhaps he might explain to the American people why an action by a duly appointed Special Counsel is illegal or Mr. Mueller's pursuit of 'genuine evidence' so as to determine if there was collusion with Russia, etc., is not illegal.
Call me stupid, but if you accept that nothing that happens in Russia absent the consent of Mr. Putin, and Putin is DJT's boy, why would one believe that DJT's minions failed to communicate and or do the biding of DJT? Sounds like commonsense to me.
1
Do you really think the FBI would take emails in a way that is not legal? Trump's lawyers are simply trying to smear the FIB in the right-wing alternate universe. Any person working for Donald Trump is flat-out crooked, especially his lawyers.
All this means is that Meuller is getting close, and it would not surprise me if more outlandish statements will come soon.
7
IMAGE. LOL. Seriously.
Lock him up !!!
5
Scary. Reports Trump will fire Mueller December 22.
Richard Painter, former ethics lawyer in George Bush's administration, said if this happens, Americans must take to the streets & demand Congress impeach Trump & the Judiciary Committee must help make Mike Pence President by January 1.
A shame for the United States this criminal & moron became President. Hopefully with a relatively 'normal' non-criminal president in place, we can rebuild our devastated government & cabinet departments like State that Trump has destroyed.
We need to restore our once great standing in the world.
As time goes by, I now place significant blame on the alt-right & particularly FOX NEWS but also far right media entities like FACEBOOK, BREITBART, DRUDGE and the GOP for their constant circulation of scandalous false claims in the 2016 campaign. Stories insisting Hillary Clinton committed crimes, the Clinton Foundation was crooked & Hillary was in failing health had a real impact on her credibility - even though none of these claims were true. There was little HRC could do to fight a constant barrage of disgusting lies. Media entities, GOP & Trump campaign - & RUSSIA - all had a hand in this cycling of lies. We're far in disrepute from when the Bush administration's Swiftboaters claimed John Kerry was a traitor.
How do we ever return to honest, ethical campaigning after this? Trump, the GOP, Rupert Murdoch & FACEBOOK have nearly destroyed this country.
All this must be dealt with.
3
Reports from a here? Facebook? Why do we believe so much in rumors?
1
If there is nothing to hide in the emails, then why the concern about them? An innocent person is not afraid of the truth coming out - only someone who does not know what Truth is.
5
You know what is great? Mueller is a very smart man. I am sure he has a "emergency" button ready to push if he is fired.
9
Precisely. Everything Mueller has gathered and the outlines of his investigation's direction are being secretly duplicated and secured so that others can follow in his footsteps if The Orange Creature interferes by "firing" him.
4
In the event that Mueller gets fired, there is an organized national effort underway to respond; you may want to look for rallies in your area:
https://act.moveon.org/event/mueller-firing-rapid-response-events/search...
3
Go ahead. Keep whining and bellyaching. The more you do, the more guilty you look. Keep it up.
4
What else do we expect other then posturing and leading up to creating enough reasons to fire Mueller. This is Trumps well designed slow dance in order to not infuriate the American Citizens.
Trump's lawyers are just as crooked as he is. I don't set a lot of store by anything they say. Lies, lies, lies. Just like Trump. Rubs off on them, I guess.
2
Not long after Fox news launches attacks on Robert Mueller, Mordoch gets a hug and a nod to regulators from Trump on his multibillion dollar deal with Disney. Murdoch seems to have sold out to Russia too. Putin is making deals, both directly and indirectly, enlisting the help of other oligarchs in a coordinated strategy to strangle democracy. Neither is it a coincidence that Rupert Murdoch has jumped on the Trump "fake news" bandwagon too, in regards to the sexual misconduct allegations against Fox News. After seeing the numbers for future elections, Republicans know that the only way they can hold onto power is as a dictatorship, and they know it. Apparently, Putin and Trump have made their fellow oligarchs and Republicans an offer they can’t refuse, continued power and wealth. By attacking Mueller, "they" trying are clearly deploying Russian tactics and recasting the Russian attack on our democracy, as an attack by partisan Democrats. This is an embrace of Putin's support and his financially backed conspiracy to undermine American sovereignty and rule of law. As the world's richest man, Putin is only doing what all oligarchs are doing, attack Democracy, much in the way the Kochs have already weakened ours by corrupting Congress and how Murdoch has been softening up their viewers for years. Coincidentally, most of Putin's legwork has been accomplished between Murdoch and the Koch's. If they aren't working together directly, then they certainly are indirectly.
4
First off Mueller is a Republican.
Secondly, the two "bad actors" moved (in one case) and was moved (in the other) to other posts.
I assume Mueller has done a neutrality survey/check/test of everyone else.
One should assume that the rest of his team has a fair number of Dems, Reps and don't cares, who can still do their job objectively. Their oath is to the Constitution, not a party.
Only gullible and bling GOP party hacks in Congress will listen to the idiot lawyer and then turn on the great echo machine.
"Thou dost protest too much."
4
Robert Mueller is smarter than I, especially in the area of criminal investigations.
It has occurred to me to rig a deadman switch in case Mueller is fired: all the evidence would go straight to the NYT, WaPo, Guardian, etc.
So if it has occurred to me, it has occurred to Mueller. But it occurred to him long ago. And he set it up for maximum detonation. Because he is smarter than I.
6
all of which is illegal, and easily traced back to mueller.....
2
Wondering,
How about you site the specific law. It is not illegal, you just don't like what is going to happen
2
This tarnished administration is at the end of its rope, running scared, pure and simple.
5
The spinmeister Trump is now saying he is expecting a letter from Mueller clearing him of charges of collusion. Children believe in Santa Claus and our president believes he will be redeemed. HO, HO, HO!
3
December 18, 20217
What was never whole in support of determining transgressions to our vital systems of our election process that is at best confrontational and given endless auxiliary digital contamination fractures of intentions - now demands we heal and disclose those that would engage in dark interference to our court of review and protection for what we believe we are as our system of governance - with added changes to defense of liberty for all in service to our nation's heart, mind, and soul.
jja Manhattan, N.Y.
1
Let me get this straight. If a law-enforcement officer or prosecuting attorney has an unfavorable opinion of me, that person is in a "conflict of interest" and is disqualified from investigating me for criminal wrongdoing? How could such a kooky idea ever get traction? Because Republicans said it, and they, unlike the rest of us, are entitled to inhabit a rhetorical free-fire zone. Seemingly, they can say anything, and it will be taken seriously.
6
"If the facts are with you, pound on the facts. If the law is with you, pound on the law. If neither are with you, pound on the table." -- Carl Sandburg
What's that drumming sound I hear down on Pennsylvania Avenue?
7
I assume that those complaining that the Special Counsel's office "partisanship" is inappropriate also agree that Jeff Sessions/Justice Department investigations involving political appointees of the Attorney General and President, and targeting Democrats or anyone other than Republican's will be similarly characterized as less than honest. Sure. The intellectual dishonesty of those trying to delegitimatize the Special Counsel's work is stunning.
5
I have it from an unimpeachable source that Trumpski will fire Mueller this Friday/December 22, 2017. This will become an historic date that will live in infamy.
Its not important to the American people how they were gotten, whats important is .... Are They The Truth? If that's the only defense Trump has for what must be the smoking gun, then just start the impeachment proceedings now. The full court press to demonize Mueller by the conservative universe where its obvious they all got the same memo, leaves an escape strategy for corruption open for anyone who wants to pursue it. That's more than a loophole, its a permanent get out of jail free card. If there's nothing in the emails, there's nothing to worry about since Truth is its own defense .... right?
3
Seems to me that Trump's beef is with his own GSA, not Mueller. Prosecutors subpoena whatever they want -- if something is protected, it's not up to the prosecutor to assert that.
The correct procedures have not been followed and looks like a set up to me against Trump when the emails have been taken unlawfully with malicious intent. You can get any result you want by what you leave in and what you leave out if you are working against the President to get the conclusion you want. Due process has not been followed. Sounds more like Trump is being set up with malicious intent.
1
Do you have a factual or legal basis for this assertion? If not, you’re just stating conclusions, not rational arguments. The fact that the transition attorneys are trying This in the media, rather than before a judge strongly suggests to me that there’s no legal merit to the assertions of impropriety.
3
The only 'transparency' in this sorry saga is that most of us can see right through Trump's charade of 'co-operation' with the special counsel. When Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway claims that “the fix was in against Donald Trump from the beginning...” implying it was not noticed by the brigade of lawyers acting on Trump's behalf from the outset, it sure doesn't say much about the quality of legal advice the President is relying upon. The case for firing Mueller is based on innuendo, a deliberate misunderstanding of the process for gaining access to evidence and a mistaken belief that the President is above the law. Yeah, like we buy that...FoxNews and Alan Dershowitz's opinions notwithstanding. Trump's lawyers are stuffing their cannons with virus soaked rags in the hope something sick will stick.
3
Note the loses:
Scotus strongly conservative and will further dismantle voting rights; tons of new conservative fed judges, two at least of whom can't answer basic legal questions; gerrymandered Congress will be very hard to take back; tax bill will badly hurt those with incomes under 50K; seniors already in dire straits will further suffer; tacism, sexism, misogyny, abti-semitism will continue relatively unabated; plutocracy and oligarchy growing stronger in recent years; corporate state now firmly in place, has us in its grip; USA falling behind domestically and internationally at a quickened pace; more war all the time more imminent; education going down hill. on balance; are one in three obese?; USA more a marketplace than a nation at this point?
3
Team Trump have lied and tried to slime this investigation from the get go. My money is on Mueller any day. More indictments will follow...
4
Ridiculous that the President has to have an active legal team defending all of his dirty dealings in the first place. Didn't this bozo take an oath when he was inaugurated? We're only a year in, and impeachable offenses are piling up.
3
With a national president approval rating hovering around 30%, how could you not have staff disliking a paranoid president who demands North Korea style loyalty?
5
Trump has all his Cronies trying to Smear Mr. Mueller. Looks like the Plan is if the Hammer Falls on this Administration they will Cry Foul, set up. You an fool the American People so long. Have these People have no Shame to try and indicate Mr. Mueller is corrupt? Remember Trump was a Student of Roy Cohen.
2
When Trump calls Mueller “you are a good person” is the time Mueller will be fired and we are not there yet; this pattern of behaviors had been repeated in the dismissal of Flynn, Omarosa, Bannon and etc.
2
It will also likely be on a Friday because Trump is still focused most on 'TV ratings'
I am sure that there were numerous employees in the FBI and various other government agencies during the Obama years, who did not like Obama and did not vote for him. That did not hinder their ability to do their jobs. Both Democrats and Republicans support the US of America and are able to work in government even if "their" candidate did not get elected. Trump's attitude seems to be that everyone has to love him to be able to work in government and that everyone else is an enemy. This is a dangerous attitude to have since most government employees are not fired every time a different party wins the White House. They all support the country as a whole, not necessarily the current inhabitant of the White House. Trump's belief that all must love him is dangerous to our country.
268
That "attitude" developed from the mindset of people regularly found to be in the wrong on subjects near and dear to their hearts and which they know to be right and proper in spite of the results based in reason and fact.
The GOP has been using this irrational belief in things wrong by bigots and ner do well's alike since Nixon was in office and it has progressively undermined our system as it has become more and more open and intentionally destructive of the system that showed their positions to be rationally wrong.
2
What next? Make everyone in the FBI take a lie detector test to determine if they support the president? Career employees can only be fired for just cause. That does not include being a member of the other party. This is very scary.
They're letting Conway talk again? Oh, my gosh, that will surely bring them down.
12
Listen, if they allow Huckleberry Sanders to continue her daily, repetitious, and highly convincing imitation of an ungroomed fire hydrant with a major depressive disorder, Conway could only be a form of comic relief.
3
If the Trump family and their confederates are innocent, they would welcome thorough scrutiny by special counsel. This campaign to discredit Mueller and the FBI demonstrates how much the Trump circle has to fear.
22
Who ever taught you that innocence welcomes scrutiny! It's, "Innocent until PROVEN guilty"; not, innocent until I cooperate long enough for someone to find me guilty. I certainly am glad you're someone else's neighbor.
3
And if that is not enough, the Democratic victor in the Alabama election is now saying Trump should not be investigated for his 10+ sexual harassment accusations -- but does not show the same "sympathy" for actors, legislators, teachers, sports figures who are being exposed by litigation being mounted against them for identical (or worse) charges. So, what is that all about? Is Trump above explaining his abuses? Is he, simply because he is president, allowed to continue to violate the law and persons, without consideration of the rights of those he has/is abusing? When was the US President elevated to a position above the law? Was that an accomplishment of another Republican president, Richard Nixon, who announced that "if the President does it, its legal"? We have sat silently observing an incompetent and mentally unstable President to lie, cheat, abuse, misrepresent, misinterpret, and misuse his office at will, rather than call him to account. What is wrong with us? When it is all lying in smoking ruins, we can beat our breasts and say "WHAT were we thinking?"
2
I sometimes have to remind myself this is not a fantasy book written as an allegory of political and social disintegration. Without a doubt we are in the most corrupt period of our republic. This is a bold statement but given the fact that we have Trump as president and the GOP now emulating his disdain for any moral obligations we will follow the path that will lead us to purgatory. Economic purgatory for sure.
The firing of Mueller is now a foregone conclusion. Once the GOP decided to adapt Trumps posture and dictatorial disdain the outcome of this investigation is already sealed. Not only will Mueller be fired, but there will no action taken to reopen this investigation. The GOP, with this tax plan has announced to the world that they too can be bought.
I find it sad that we can't seem to progress intellectually but instead always allow our emotional side to control the ending script. We are nearing the end and with it a massive economic black hole the likes of which make the great depression seem mild in comparison. The numbness of trump's outrageous remarks along with apathy from an economy with near full employment has sealed our fate. In 2 years time the start of the long dark drop will occur. The Democrats are just as guilty since they are playing a dangerous game of party over people. They will rule the congress but in another great depression. may they enjoy their strategy.
6
Trump and his group clearly are not the sharpest knives in any drawer. A bag of hammers would have more sense than to use government computers and e-mail accounts when conducting a nefarious or illegal activity. The transition team was even advised that they were to expect no privacy or confidentiality regarding their e-mails on the government server and that they could be turned over in an investigation.
He should be impeached not just for the illegality of what was going on but for being so incompetent at covering it up.
Trump and company have essentially left Mueller a roadmap for impeachment and he's closing in a little at a time.
Wow
14
Why were there no complaints from the GOP crowd when Guliani was receiving information from FBI agents in NYC with an anti Hilary Clinton spin.
20
Remember the news this past summer that Mueller and the NY State Attorney General were coordinating? Given what a perfectionist Mueller is, how thorough he is, do you really think that he hasn't prepared for the possibility of being fired? I keep my fingers crossed that much is occurring in his office that we don't see. And if Trump attempts to bring the investigation to a halt, there are others who also hold evidence. And state prison isn't a nice alternative to Club Fed.
20
I am sure he has been preparing to be fired from Day One. And also making sure that parallel state charges can defeat the presidential pardon privilege.
As James Comey would quote, "Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream."
3
An expeditious hearing favors Trump, which may explain Trump lawyers’ rising contention. If there is any consolation in a long drawn out investigation, it is that financial support for the Trump team will run out before financial support for the Robert S. Mueller III team. Having already exhausted campaign funds and RNC support, Trump is self-funding his legal team. Without his tax reports, it is difficult to assess the depth of his pockets, but some suggest that they are not as deep as he boasts them to be and the meter is running on his pricey legal team. With the 2018 elections approaching, he is unlikely to draw a great deal of support from the RNC, unless he joins Republican candidates on the campaign trail, but that can be a two-edged sword for the candidates, given what happened in Alabama and the rise of #MeToo. Because my sense is that an expeditious hearing favors Trump, firing Mueller would only slow things down. He knows that. My belief is that Trump is simply trying to speed things up because the meter is running on his pricey legal team.
11
You make a rather wild assumption; namely, that he's actually going to pay the bill.
3
I wonder what would have happened if President Obama had been as openly insistent in removing everyone who seemed to dislike him? It's incredible to me that the powers that be are allowing this kind of slow march toward a dictatorship. Literally ANY of Mr. Trump's behaviors, done by Obama, would have been the end of his presidency. Get this man-child out of the White House.
39
the "fix" can't be in if Trump isn't even officially accused of anything. Personally I think Trump may be safe it's the people who he hired that seem to have all these "financial" problems.
1
If I had a media platform, I'd stop repeating what el presidente is saying and report exclusively on what he is doing - run headlines on what he is doing an then in the body of the copy, compare and contract what is being done vs what is being said. Let actions dominate the news, not words. Let reality ring, not misinformation. You all need to be strategic. It's the Art of War and the Republicans have your schemas - behaviors - dialed in so they can use you for their gain. This is a game of chess folks, not checkers. Time to think six moves ahead and to assume that the Republicans are not operating out of any higher nature thinking - it's all lower natured primitive thinking that is driving their behaviors, yes, but an intense level of cleverness in doing so that is far from stupid - insane, yes, but stupid, not in their effort to understand how humans behave and use those habits against them.
What's needed is the development of critical thinking skills - so many of your thoughts and decisions and commitments appear more to be premise than proof. In other words, please stop and think about what you are thinking about.
12
Bias by FBI agents against Trump favors Trump, assuming he is innocent. Complaining about bias against him makes Trump look guilty. Either way, evidence is evidence. A bias in favor of clearing Trump would be a very bad thing for democracy, for the USA. A bias against him is a positive thing so long as said bias crosses no ethical lines.
5
A good FBI agent, like a good journalist, has political leanings that are kept out of their work.
If Trump is going after FBI agents on his case who might be Democrats, then he should also go after those who are Republican and Independent.
Of course, he won't.
But to have any legitimacy, that's how this effort would have to be done.
3
Mueller is a Rrpublican......Trump actions never make sense, just another day in the life of a loser....unfortunately, he is “our” President, how long for, is up to us, we are heading for unknown waters if Trump “sacks” Mueller,how many others will resign or be sacked in refusing to do Trump’s dirty work?
Minus the spin, the story of FBI agent Strzok is that Mr. Mueller learned that one of the FBI agents assigned to his team held strong personal political views that may adversely impact the FBI agent's impartiality. Mueller therefore took the correct action of removing that agent from the case. If it weren't for the destructive partisan spin, this would be a "good news" story that shows how committed (lifelong Republican) Mueller is to ensuring that his investigation is completely fair and unbiased.
13
Your interpretation is incorrect. The FBI agent involved was removed to remove the "appearance of" bias not because of his views or the perceived strength of them.
Opinions do not adversely affect impartiality (objective evaluation) unless one does not know what impartiality is or chooses to be partial.
1
That desperate defense of bias on the part of Trump's team is laughable. After this amount of time, of course opinions have begun to be formed. If Mueller's teams opinion has a trend then they're not in the coma conservatives would like to see. Bias is to be expected given this length of time and the evidence piled up. Now if there was a deniability strategy built in from the start the hole in it has to be mined for.
1
The investigation was a way to bide time while pursuing the tax plan. Once the tax plan is done, we shall see the coup realize itself in increased militarization and invasion into the public sphere.
1
As the investigation begins to home in on its target, Trump, there is only one thing that is left for his team to do : Discredit, discredit, discredit.
That is how Trump has lived his whole life - by discrediting others.
So he is simply following a tried and tested process that has seemingly worked for him.
Unfortunately for us as a country, the GOP as a party does not give a hoot what happens to our democracy so long as its politicians can see an election win at the end of the tunnel. It also seems not to have learned any lessons from the Nixon years.
So let us show them the light again by giving them the boot in the 2018 elections.
14
If Republicans want to purge anyone in the FBI who fails to support the leader with unquestioning allegiance there are great models. China and North Kora come to mind.
13
So, Secretary of State Clinton's email is hacked by way of WIKILEAKS and to Trump and supporters that equals: "Lock her up! Lock her up!" His emails are obtained by OUR intelligence agency, and that equals: "Fire Mueller!" Um, the Trumpsters doth protest too much, me thinks, cuz, like, this is super bad. Like criminal, for reals.
13
HRC was a cabinet-level government official, who purposefully violated the Federal Records Act in order to sequester documents from FOIA and other investigative review, and then destroyed evidence after-the-fact to avoid such review. The person she instructed to destroy the evidence took the Fifth Amendment and refused to testify about it (Bryan Pagliano); the person at State who knew about it took the Fifth Amendment and refused to testify about it (John Bentel).
The Trump Transition team was a private organization, not a federal agency, and its documents were thus private property. That is the basis of their objection here.
2
I am a federal employee. There is absolutely no basis for the transition team to have assumed their emails are privileged. The content of computers operated by the federal government belongs to the people of the United States. This is just another example of an administration not understanding how the government works.
Unless Mr. Mueller obtained the emails without following the proper administrative procedures, no issues exist. Any lawyer dumb enough to email their client sensitive information on a work computer, whether it be the government or a private company's work computer, should be disbarred.
333
If they were federal employees, like you, you would be completely right. But there were not. The transition team is legally not a part of the federal government, and the DOJ (and at least one court) has so ruled. So it's a different scenario. Even if control of the data by GSA was sufficient to allow a turn-over without subpoena process, the attorney-client privilege issue would still be real.
1
What we have here is right out of the scene in 2001 where Hal exhorts, "Dave, don't touch that Dave ... DAVE." and the entire conservative universe is harmonizing to the same memo they all must have gotten. Get Mueller.
SRM, what you say is true enough, they were not federal employees. I should have been more clear. Somehow, they were invited to use GSA provided computers and systems. The lawyers should have known, or their lawyers should have at leaast asked, about the conditions of using government furnished equipment (GFE). Even Hillary knew some emails shouldn't be sent via government computers!
2
This is a giant PR game designed to give Congress reason not to impeach him by discrediting incriminating information discovered by Mueller. It could work with Fox pumping out propaganda all day long, The famtasy that Trump isn't really guilty will be spread throughout the country and Trump will get to stay in office. It is essentially the way he won the office to begin with -- by discrediting his opponent who was far more capable than he was.
14
If trump just has the patience to ride this out and not fire and not pardon he will never go to jail he will never be impeached.
The worst that happens is that folks realize he was elected with the help of the Russians, his victory will be tainted, but they can't find that smoking gun as far as the president himself
Those close to him will likely see the actual charges and convictions..
That's a big if above
2
In our new empire with little regard for truth or the Constitution, my greatest fear is that somehow Trump, with the assistance of the GOP Congress, will find a way to eradicate Mueller and bury the investigation. We are a country of over 300 million....VOTE!!!!!!!!
17
We can't overstate that possibility. How our country has come to a place where all of the Republicans and then some can collude with the game plan. $ is one thing, destruction of our nation is something else. If they can thing of it...the tax plan....they will will put it into the fine print of the next step to disassemble.
I cannot possibly be the only American who's enjoying the heck out of seeing Trump and his minions (no, they're not the cute kinds) scream their heads off about e-mails.
Boy, wait'll Hillary starts looking into the birth certificates. They may achieve polar orbit.
9
Hillary always WAS the go-to expert on birth certificates, with her crew originating the birther meme about Brittle Barack.
2
god almighty--will the NYT do a better job? The arguments by the Trump lawyers that the materials should not have been turned over is a farce--does the NYT not vet these claims with people with knowledge? This is exactly how Trump manipulates the news. When you use a server owned by a third party(ask any employee about using his employer's email) loses any privileges and rights to privacy. Also, even if the GSA mistakenly turned over info(and it made NO ERROR), evidence and proceedure 101 holds any privilege is deemed waived (ask any lawyer who mistakenly disclosed client confidences) The headline should be "TRUMP ATTYS GETTING DESPERATE BY MAKING NONSENSICAL AND FALSE CLAIMS". Get it together NYT- every high wing organization will be quoting the claim not the truth
14
Attacks on Mueller -- what a surprise? He must be closing in on this international crime ring and its Criminal-in-Chief.
Republican attack dogs need to back off unless you are un-American, which is not so far off. You are now in the picture with the rest of this dictatorial squad.
3
If your job is to investigate a crime, do you mean to tell me that a professional will not be biased in doing whatever is necessary to obtain proof that the crime was committed. Any investigator that would hide the facts so that the criminal can go free is corrupt and should be exposed. What we are looking at is the opposite where it is expected the FBI will not do their job and stop investigating, and where investigators will not share views with colleagues, but keep opinions to themselves. Remember this is the era of Trumpism where logic is being challenged by lies and in many cases is winning.
2
If Trump fires Muller and the GOP does nothing, I think that would be the time to organize a massive nationwide march on Washington D.C.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
13
Not only a match bit a peaceful occupation.
If you march and go home, they will just laugh at you.
Trump is pulling his usual stunt.
He sends out lawyers to clean up his messes and then will blame them for whatever happens.
What a coward.
5
If Trump stupidly fires Mueller, then Trump and his whole bunch are toast. If Mueller and his team complete their work, then Trump and his whole bunch are toast. Whatever happens, the country wins.
And may the United States of America never elect another treacherous, know-nothing, lecherous fool as president again.
10
There are two other choices.
3. Mueller eventually exonerates Trump. A definite possibility.
4. Trump is guilty, so he and Republicans use anti-constitutional means to keep Trump in power, a political coup.
Trump might start a war, declare the FBI corrupt and dismantle it, declare martial law, suspend elections, etc. We could be looking at civil war.
Looks like a change in legal strategy for the Trump team from docile cooperation to the Roger Stone classic play of discredit and attack.
Wonder if DJT knows that once he signs off on the stink bomb of a tax bill, Congress will have no more use for him, thus the freak out strategy ensues.
2
“Not looking good, it’s not looking good — it’s quite sad to see that, my people were very upset about it,” Mr. Trump said.
In Trump's view, to accuse him for having done something wrong is to attack him. He'd sue the city for a parking ticket, rather than pay it, on the grounds that the issuing officer was slandering him by suggesting he'd be the kind of person who either can't read the "No Parking" sign or would willfully do something wrong since he can read it. Trump uses the opportunity to reinforce the idea that he is a victim and that he is a part of a minority that is under constant threat of the government. Laws, are of course, a product of a monopoly of legal power that resides in the hands of majority and Trump will not submit to the rule of the majority.
5
So, Trump and his team did not know what any of Trump's employees is told: You have no privacy claims on anything in company computers, servers, email accounts.
If the GSA had it to turn over, it is because they were the owners of the material.
Remember candidate Trump going on about how you don't use email because Barron can hack anything. He should have asked the kid for legal advice.
1
Political move not a legal move.
Mueller may be approaching the lion's den.
1
If you ask me this is just more communist methods and practices to undermine our system and accomplish their goals without regard for the harm it does short or long term.
“I can’t imagine there’s anything on them, frankly, because, as we’ve said, there’s no collusion, no collusion whatsoever.” I guess he's forgotten that Jr. has admitted to it and gave us all the emails that proved it and that his son in law was fully involved?
No one from the Obama admin should ever say "red line" in any context again. Or do you forget why?
"Kellyanne Conway, said it was evidence that “the fix was in against Donald Trump from the beginning.” You just cannot help yourself Mrs Conway can you? Are you that bad of a lawyer or is this just more of your contempt for us and our system of government?
I have to wonder that Mr Cornyn is willing to sacrifice himself for this effort at further undermining confidence in the government. I get that he is republican and hates the US but to further undermine confidence in our people & systems when they have this tax giveaway to pass seems stupid from the republican POV. Of course it is reckless everything the republicans have done since reagan has been intentionally reckless. As far as they are concerned anything that breaks as the result of their actions is proof that the government is the problem.
2
Why can Republicans understand that if Trump were gone they'd have President Pence, someone who knows how to get thing done?
Wouldn't that help in history's greatest transfer of wealth from the middle and lower classes to the highest and richest class? It might also save us from a stupid war in the far east.
Perhaps they really are stupid...
1
I love the fact that a few months ago everyone (of both parties) said Robert Mueller was an upstanding person with integrity. And now-- when it looks like he is uncovering things the president doesn't like-- he has become a partisan idiot.
2
It is up to journalists to play the old tapes and the new statements back to back so people can see who contradicts themselves.
A reminder folks... this is just ANOTHER attempt on Trump's part to divert our attention from what really matters. And I must say, he is often successful at doing so. Keep the FOCUS on what is true and what matters. Trump is racist and a misogynist, corrupt, a sexual predator, he is a pathological liar, and he colluded with the Russian government against Hillary Clinton. This man does not deserve to be our President and he NEEDS TO GO.
2
Hmmmmm. It appears that Liberals have taken over the DOJ/FBI in the past 8 yrs and we are not concerned that they protected mrs clinton, allowed the destruction of evidence and have wasted our time and money lying about Russian collusion?
This is nuts
2
Mueller is a Republican that was Bush's FBI director. You have no evidence-only wishful thinking.
Mueller removes agents from the Russian investigation this summer immediately on hearing members of his team showed bias against Trump.
Rex Tillerson calls Trump in a show of animus a “[expletive] moron” at the Pentagon last summer yet remains as Secretary of State.
The Trump team needs to think before they act.
The emails by investigators reflected what many Americans, perhaps most, think of Trump -- a loathsome idiot. Indeed, a Quinnipiac poll last week asked people to name a word they would associate with Trump and idiot was at the top of the list. If we found an FBI agent texting someone else that he thought the mob boss he was investigating was loathsome or an idiot, would we have some sort of public outcry? A lot of people the FBI investigates are loathsome. Some are idiots. I would be more concerned if the FBI agents were blind to Trump's loathsomeness or idiocy -- that would show an FBI agent who is not very good at seeing facts in front of him.
2
What a misleading title: There has been no cooperation from the White House with Mr. Mueller. The "friction" is all one-sided. Please NYT writers- stop the equal attributions.
1
Donna:
The White House has been cooperating with the Special Counsel -- how do you know they haven't? You may not be aware that prosecutors are by nature aggressive, and often need to be pushed back, especially on tactics. The attorney-client privilege claims are going to be hard to ignore, regardless of how Mueller received them.
1
Trump may arrange for the firing of Mueller on Friday, Dec 22, the start of a three-day weekend in which the public is distracted by Christmas. Some Trump associates are already cheering on this prospect and few Republicans are publicly opposing this firing. Most of the persons who will protest the firing already oppose Trump. Bannon may view this opposition as containable, as was opposition to other measures such as the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the travel ban, tax cut for the rich, deportations of non-criminals, etc. I assume Bannon and others view the investigation as hitting too close too home and want it stopped before more persons are indicted. Further, Trump could do another outrageous act that would detract from a sole focus on the firing. If this speculation proves correct, we won't have long to wait. Trump's denial that he intends to arrange the firing has the same validity as his other utterances: zero.
10
If Mueller is fired, there needs to be a march on Washington so large that it is heard around the world. If we don't, that would, unfortunately, resonate even louder.
4
I don't think 4 days is enough time. He has to order Rosenstein to fire Mueller. Rosenstein would refuse, so Trump would have to fire Rosenstein and carefully vet his replacement to make sure he was dishonest enough to do Trump's bidding.
1
What do you think his weekend gesture to the FSB was all about?
Trump is fooling no one! Does he think the rest of the world can be conned like he has conned his small group of so called supporters?
7
Trump would probably agree with Adlai Stevenson that educated and insightful people form less than a majority in the US.
1
The good news is we know what Obama administration 'Absolute Red Lines' mean, just ask Assad. What a shock Mueller doesn't bother with little details like getting subpoenas, he just has his buds in government hand stuff protected by privileged over.
2
I am astounded by the uniformly juvenile sulking that comes through in the postings of Trump supporters here. He seems to have energized every case of arrested development in the US.
4
“When we have obtained emails in the course of our ongoing criminal investigation, we have secured either the account owner’s consent or appropriate criminal process,”
What don't you understand?
2
Get your facts straight. The transition team was told not to expect any privacy or confidentiality when it came to government e-mails. They were told they could be handed over in an investigation.
If Trump has nothing to hide why is he concerned about the e-mails. He's probably concerned because the transition team was dumb enough to put their nefarious activities in e-mails using .gov. Idiots the whole lot of them.
1
Muller has already come out and unequivocally denounced the fake news accusation from Trump that they obtained emails improperly.
So far, not one critic of Muller has been able to point to any bias in the inditements that have been handed down thus far, nor have they been able to point to any area of specific bias in the investigation.
This is all classis Trump. Fire off lies, and fake facts and call it the truth. This man is a total disgrace to the nation
14
Of course we knew Trump was going to fight this kicking and screaming. What's really troubling is all the members of the Republican Party who seek to obstruct justice and potentially ENABLE TREASON in order to protect Trump.
We need to look at what members of the Republican party are doing to prevent due process and make sure that any found breaking the law on behalf of Trump are justly punished.
11
If Trump says he won't fire him, why would he tell a lie?
2
According to the administration, no one who has a political opinion is allowed to work at the FBI (or any other agency it seems) unless those opinions mirror the republican line. And yet they are claiming bias? I get it-it's bias when they don't agree with you, but when they do it's nothing to worry about.
7
A transition team that set up shop in a GSA facility, using GSA 's physical and technology infrastructure, that agreed in writing that use of the GSA's technology infrastructure is agreeing to government access of the content, now claims illegal access to that content ? Who are the legal advisers to that team ? Second, where is the harm, if nothing damaging is to be found ?
6
This "friction" is being created by "Faux" News.
The only coup d'etat I can see is the one that is being beamed into the homes of Trump's base.
6
"The first thing we do, lets kill all the Lawyers"-Said Dick the Butcher ,the Steve Bannonesque plotter who seeks (by fair means or foul) to replace the rightful means of succession and to instead install his patron as the King of the land, in Shakespeare's Henry VI.
4
More gas lighting. The idea that emails sent to/from a .gov address are private is too stupid even for this weak-minded crowd. It's laughable that Team Tweet wants to claim privacy, but they know their media propaganda machine and Party-Before-Country followers will seize on any excuse with zero scrutiny.
7
Since the FBI field office in NYC was a hotbed of anti-Hillary leaking to Rudy G and others, it's just another notch in the hypocrisy belt of the GOP to complain about a couple of people in the FBI who actually preferred her.
216
The New York Times published a great deal of this anti-Hillary gossip from anonymous current and former FBI officers beholden to Rudy Giulliani. I remember stories quoting these anonymous sources as saying they'd investigated and there was nothing to the Trump-Russia connection, which turned out to be laughably false on multiple levels. Perhaps the New York Times should revisit its policy on anonymous sources, exposing those who supply them with blatantly false stories.
2
Your comments don't matter. Fantastical perceptions spread by republican spokespeople will be the reality.
Yes, and I personally overhead an FBI agent (showing his badge) to a TSA agent at Newark airport in the spring before the election and saying, "Don't worry. We got her."
Bob Mueller seems to have deep sense of duty and patriotism, and he probably hired staff that share those. Which of course explains why they were horrified by the idea of Donald Trump becoming president.
I expect them all to do their jobs to the utmost -- right until 4:30 pm this Friday December 22, when Trump fires Mueller on the day least likely to kick up a big storm.
11
Everyone here is hoping Trump fires Mueller. To the everlasting chagrin of Democrats and other Trump haters, letting Mueller complete his investigation with no "collusion" ("criminal conspiracy with Russia" is the technical term) is the vastly preferred course for President Trump. So don't hold your breath, but you too can dream on in these posts and editorials.
2
Hoping, not hoping, is irrelevant. But whether or not trump is a liar?
Undeniable. Whether he will fire Mueller? trump is none-too-bright about what is best from a legal standpoint (see firing James Comey) and my suspicion is the only reason Mueller is still around is because trump's lawyer's have talked him down from firing him, so I wouldn't hold your breath either. But know this, when, and however, the end comes for trump, whether sooner or if necessary 2020, it will be very sweet to see him go.
1
You must live in a cave if you think Trump wants the investigation to continue considering he already fired James Comey because of the Russia investigation - which TRUMP ADMITTED on TV. Trump has shown over and over against exactly the kind of person he is. Anybody who doesn't understand how crooked and immoral Trump is by now is simply refusing to accept reality.
if donny is not guilty - why is he paying a team of millionaire lawyers $50,000/day?
9
"A lawyer for Mr. Trump said investigators improperly acquired emails"....the public complaint was made to Congress, not to a judge. Are Trump's lawyers practicing politics or law?
23
They may be as deluded as their client/dear leader
Discrediting internal investigations have always ended badly. This time it could very well end it all. The swamp should tread carefully here. Any inkling of closing down the Mueller investigation during the holidays will be seen as a coup by elitists and the Pretend King Trump to overtake our government. Ah, it was never going to be easy to live by those words written in the Constitution.
Image is everything in America. Things can go south faster than these fools understand. Mueller's misstep is what they have been waiting for but these accusations of political bias are at subordinates. Mueller's team cannot afford a legal misstep, the social media realm is ours to deal with. Let the Pretend King Trump's lawyers and minions dish out their false images, we are now ready for the storm, we have adapted.
12
Email correspondence sent on a GSA server are property of the people, plain and simple. Any attorney exchanging emails on a government server has no intention of client privilege rights using a public server and ought to know better.
22
If this Republican-led congress lets Trump fire Robert Mueller with impunity, there will be a public outcry they've yet to see in this country.
No one is above the law. The American people will not let the GOP turn our country into a fascist state.
24
Let's hope so. It may take more than tweets and likes.
2
Chris Smith, Yes, social media cannot stop a political coup, especially with net neutrality overruled so that political speech not favored by global corporations can be squelched.
We will need tens of millions of citizens surrounding the Whitehouse if Trump tries to fire Mueller.
How much inconvenience is your republic worth?
1
If you don't believe our constitutional democratic republic is under attack, you need to look a little harder. One of our two major political parties is working to undermine the investigation into an attack on our country by a foreign government, and party insiders, by using the G.O.P. sponsored media outlet (FOX News) to sow disinformation by propagating lies and deceit. It threatens our government and the Constitution it runs on. It is nothing short of treason in the name of saving the party. It needs to be dealt with swiftly and without reservation. This game Republicans are playing must stop now or the consequences may be irreversible. If you think this sounds alarmist, you don’t know Washington.
28
Bob Bascelli, Yes, and if you don't think that democracies cannot be turned into violent unconstitutional dictatorships that actively hunt down, torture, and murder critics of the government, then you missed the entire history of the 20th century.
I would list all of the governments that started out as democracies and turned into thugocracies (many with the help of the US government) but I don't have enough space.
Democracy cannot defend itself. Only the people can make sure the republic and constitution survive this test.
And by the way if the Mueller investigation were to try to railroad Trump out of office without extremely good evidence, I would protest that too.
The constitution is what makes us a republic. It is more important than the flag or the anthem or a president or a party.
The audacity of it all....the blatant insult...the dishonesty...the deja vu....Richard Nixon, watergate investigation...firing of the special investigator...ANOTHER ATTEMPT to obstruct justice is in the works. Trump is guilty of something, he wouldn't be doing all this to impede the investigation if there wasn't it. It's as simple as that. Rarely does one act so guilty when they're not....and, I highly suspect...that's why Trump does the things he does...
17
Yes. And if Fox delegitimizes the FBI, everyone prosecuted by the FBI has grounds for appeal, including murderers and terrorists.
Fox is playing with fire, and could burn our constitution.
2
Mueller's investigation obtaining the Trump transition e-mails is much to do about nothing. These e-mails end w/ ".gov" and are government property. It's perfectly normal for any federal investigative agency to obtain gov't e-mails for any investigation including and especially if a hostile foreign power has interfered in our domestic election for president to help elect one candidate. My biggest disappointment is many Republican House Members have decided to put partisanship above patriotism by attacking the Mueller investigation and the FBI. I will remember these traitors come the next election and contribute to their opponents.
14
As other commenters have said, FBI agents are entitled to their political opinions, and law enforcement officials generally tend toward the conservative end of the political spectrum. With respect to John Cornyn's comments, if FBI agents who are unduly biased against President Trump should be removed, then agents who are unduly biased in favor of President Trump should also be removed. The FBI is supposed to be a neutral and impartial agency.
I have confidence that Mueller's team of capable attorneys obtained the emails legally. They know that if they did not, their entire case could collapse. This letter seems to be an attempt by some scared individuals with something to hide to stop Mueller's investigation.
13
The noose is drawing tighter and the Trump team is feeling its pressure.
Its starting to look a lot like Christmas!
13
The emails are apparently GSA property and people who used the system signed privacy waivers. Why isn’t the exposure of Republican distortion of the issue an element of this story?
9
Yes, why does Global Corporate Mass Media keep repeating Republican lies without reporting the obvious facts that show them to be lies, clearly and immediately.
The job of the press is to keep politicians honest, not balance one party's lies against another party's lies.
It is not the job of journalists to repeat lies and innuendo without criticism.
There is an objective reality behind all of these subjective stories, and the job of journalism is to find and spread that objective reality. Statements that do not fit objective reality need to be labeled as such, and those that refuse to stop making these statements must be called out for lying.
One of the most important advancements made by the enlightenment is the mathematical system for discerning what we know from what we don't know, with a known margin of error, called the scientific method.
Use it.
Looks to me like the Trump administration is preparing for a nightmare scenario. They play it up big that there is nothing to see and Miller is about to wind up his investigation, when in fact he may be at the beginning of fishing for the big fish, this will result in an outcry that any delay in ending the investigation is a witch hunt wasting taxpayers money. Clever, but I assume Meuller is prepared.
6
This article does not address the point raised by a buzzfeed article yesterday, which is, that the Trump transition team was using. Gov email addresses, etc during the transition time. The GSA official and lawyer for the GSA explained that everyone using this designation is informed that the contents of emails and other materials is not private and belongs to the government. It can be accessed during investigations and is confifential. If buzfeed is correct, it would appear the New York Times needs to do a little bit more research on these types of articles. It would also destroy the argument of Trump's lawyers, and further bolster the legality of Mueller's actions.
8
Mueller was foolish not to choose a politically-balanced team of investigators.
Of course, it's somewhat difficult to find Republicans in the Washington, DC area - but now the outcome of his investigation will understandably be tainted by credible charges of bias.
From Southern California - Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, or whatever holiday the reader chooses to celebrate.
2
Robert Mueller is himself a Republican. Why don't you try paying attention?
1
How do we know that the team is not balanced. We only know about a couple people on the team. The FBI is not exactly a hotbed of hippies and anarchists. The FBI is by nature a conservative organization full of conservatives (at least in the non-political sense of the word.
1
Sad when the very country that preaches democracy across the world has evolved into an autocracy.
5
Everyone has political views. People with integrity and who are professionals can have an opinion and be unbiased in their work.
Trump and his cronies can't understand this because they have no integrity and they're incapable of doing so themselves, so they assume that no one else can.
9
Yes. Consider how judges have biases and political views and make reasoned judgments every day. The lawyers for either side do not make their case by impugning the judges' integrity as they commonly do for witnesses.
1
This is all outrageous ranting by minions of a despot want-to-be! So, no one who thinks trump is dangerous or a hortible thing to have happened to our country should be allowed to serve? That would leave only those seriously compromised in the areas of intelligence, objectivity and/or morals to serve! Everything from DT’s candidacy to today has been one HUGE nightmare for not only our country but the entire planet!
7
US will be Banana Republic by the end of Trump's term whenever it comes.
3
Some background on this matter, for some of those posting here unaware of some of Trump's background.
In 2015, the Taj Mahal was fined $10 million—the highest penalty ever levied by the feds against a casino—and admitted to having “willfully violated” anti-money-laundering regulations for years.
The Russian mafia, some of whose members are actual acquaintances of Vladimir Putin, an actual Trump patron, have been working through Trump enterprises for decades. The FBI is award of this, as is the CIA. And its been well documented.
https://newrepublic.com/article/143586/trumps-russian-laundromat-trump-t...
9
Yes. How did a man whose organization was repeatedly cited for money laundering become president of the USA?
Why was this so seriously underreported last year?
DJT,
The entire world wants to know why your whole staff and all your lawyers are just freaking out, if as you say there's "no collusion whatsoever".
If you try to eliminate Mr. Mueller, you are toast, Donald.
26
On the twelfth day of Christmas Bob Mueller sent to me:
12 ‘dictments Dooming
11 Peeps a Probing
10 Liars a Leaving
9 Dems a Dancing
8 “Malts” a Melting
7 Senators Swooning
6 Staff a Lying
5 ...Russian Stings!
4 Bailsmen Bonds
3 Fed Pens
2 Hands in Cuffs
Donald Trump to the Penitentiary!
45
If Trump has nothing to hide, then why are all his surrogates freaking out. As Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet,"... doth protest too much, methink".
36
How would you sleep at night if FBI started an open-ended investigation on you and everyone in your family? You will say there's no reason FBI will look into you but it was the same in Trump's case.
If there was any Russia collusion into the elections, it happened under Obama's reign and he re-assured us time and again that the elections were safe. This investigation reeks bogus. Even if Trump is cleared of wrongdoing in Russia collusion, Mueller will uncover lots of dirt and that's never good.
FBI can find dirt on anyone, it's just a matter on finding a pretext to start an investigation.
2
Michael Nicula, then maybe trump shouldn't have provided so many pretexts, like calling for the head of a hostile intelligence service to hack U.S. Government emails on national TV.
And Democrats, be careful. This sometimes seems all too easy. Trump knows how to manipulate the media and he may be creating a lot of smoke around Russia, precisely because he knows there is no fire. If all of your eggs are in the Russia basket and the investigation turns up nothing, Trump will be insufferable and it will be almost impossible to investigate anything else.
Protect Mueller but don't get ahead of yourselves.
Mr. Langhofer was quoted, (11/16/2015 in the Arizona Times) as remarking:
“I am not a fan of government.”
Does that indicate a potential reluctance to impugn Trump? Or Mueller?
###
Langhofer can’t have it both ways: his hourly billable hours for this case are undoubtedly stratospheric.
Just another Trump affiliated opportunist.
16
Are you kidding with that headline? Its not April fools NYT.
Never has there been a time that the american public ever felt any form of working together was occurring.
What a joke of a story and a massive waste of cyber ink.
4
I think you'd be hard pressed to find any honest (which excludes the vast majority of Republicans in Congress), educated, thinking person who isn't Bible-brainwashed who wouldn't see through Donald Trump and recognize what a threat he is to our democracy. So it's no surprise that an FBI agent privately texted someone how he feels about Trump. That in no way means he lacks integrity or would falsify anything.
16
Trump is guilty of collusion, obstruction. Money laundering, even treason. Everyone know it an Mueller knows it and is gathering the evidence to prove it. The Alt right is using all their influence with the Republican Party to discretic the investigation.
It is the most important investigation in America history. Are we a nation of laws, or a banana republic with a dictator making his own rules. The trump administration is a criminal enterprise. That must be eratercated. And all of his Republican enabler‘s voted out of office.
19
Of course the investigation is biased and politically partisan. The desire to overthrow Trump is so strong that investigators will do anything to indict the president.
Imagine what will happen if charges aren't brought. The president will crow about his acquital for the next seven years. That's right, the lack of evidence and clearing of wrong doing will be used by Trump in his reelection campaign and will further strengthen the view of his supporters that Trump is being persecuted unfairly.
Mueller is in a tight spot. Come up with something, anything, or risk saddling the country with Trump for would could be two terms in office.
1
Uh..he has guilty pleas and indictments That is "coming up with something" Peter W. Just wait and watch. The wannabe dictator is going down.
2
Money laundering for the russians by trump has already been shown by investigative journalists - on that score alone - its just tying up loose ends and getting bank records from the overseas laundering banks. The danger of only believing fox/faux news - is delusion. trump and now his family are the ones in a tight spot. Mueller has free reign now.
What other president has spoken through their lawyers this much? Where does the buck stop?
8
The buck stops anywhere else but Donald's desk. He pretty much tries to blame everything on Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Shumer, and even Hillary Clinton.
He supports Luther Strange, and then said he knew he wouldn't win. Then he supports Roy Moore, and then said he knew HE wouldn't win.
The only person in the world he seems to like is Vlad Putin,
This Trumpian propaganda machine is inexcusable. Is no one going to stand up for our country, is democratic tradition, its rule of law? The integrity of the Mueller investigation is apparent for all to see except for the cloud of obfuscation blowing in from Trump's minions. Stop it now. NY Times, you must refute this nonsense. You must damn this and dam this propaganda.
12
I don't believe Trump, even for one second, when he says he is not considering firing Mueller. He lies through his teeth, ALL the time. The more he says he won't fire the special prosecutor, the more I am inclined to believe the opposite is going to happen. I think folks should start preparing, planning, now, for the day when he will fire Mueller, the next steps we need to take, be it peaceful, countrywide marches/protests and more, a lot more.
11
Folks are planning.
https://act.moveon.org/event/mueller-firing-rapid-response/search/
1
Yes, there will be marching in the streets and a call for impeachment for such a nefarious and unlawful act. Remember, this kind of desperate move was the beginning of the end for Nixon.
1
Trump does not have the authority to fire Mueller. Only Rod Rosenstein can do that. Of course, Trump can fire Rosenstein, but then we'd have the Friday Night Massacre (as rumors say all this is coming on the 22nd.) So, will Noel Francisco become the Robert Bork of 2017?
One can only assume he will.
It kind of looks as though Trump and his advisors are happy with this investigation as long as the people doing the investigating are totally in Trump's camp. As long as they never voted for a Democrat or disagreed with anything that Trump wants to do, they're fine. What a way to run an investigation!
4
Money laundering trump can not escape the consequences of his actions - bye bye don don.
6
News for @GOP. Thanks to you - there isn't a non-partisan with a functional synapse left in this country.
fwiw - Mueller is a Republican. FBI is "Trumpland" conservative - always has been.
That this very conservative FBI is now seeing a threat with the Republican squatter in chief says volumes.
11
Mueller did the right thing by removing the F.B.I. agents who sent the emails. If he had not removed them, then the GOP and FOX attacks on Mueller might have merit. He is being attacked for taking appropriate action. Mueller's credentials are impeccable and the Trump administration will have a very difficult time showing cause should it move to fire him. The firing would then be one more piece of evidence in an obstruction of justice charge against Trump.
8
Don't we all just assume Mueller will be fired Friday or Saturday when the focus will be on Christmas?
The Republicans will hem and haw and do absolutely nothing. They are happy to betray our country if it keeps them in power.
10
I think you are, unfortunately, exactly right. I am thinking that Christmas news cycle timing on a Mueller firing will be perfect for the Trump liar in chief.
Sadly, we know all too well what those red lines from the Obama Administration mean - nada.
The investigation needs to speed up a lot. Time is running out and the Trump Conspiracy is circling their wagons.
2
Reporters haven't learned the key lesson from Watergate: Follow the money. Donald doesn't care squat about Mueller finding out whether Russia's hacking affected votes in 2016. Donald is panicked that Mueller will find out and disclose to the public that Donald and Jared's business operations engaged in laundering money for Russian billionaires whose bank accounts were frozen during the Obama administration. In violation of federally-ordered sanctions, hundreds of millions of dollars of illegal loans came from Russians to the Trump Organization and to the Kushner Companies. Donald had Jared move from New York and into the White House in the hope he could bury any inquiry into their violation of sanctions. This was accomplished by Donald focusing repeatedly on collusion, manipulating the discussion to hacking even in the face of consensus that the Russians meddled. Donald keeps demeaning Obama because, if the Mueller investigation follows the money, Donald can claim that the Obama sanctions were illegal. Donald's abject and continuing refusal to release his tax filings is because those records reveal that he illegally laundered Russian money. The election hack issue is a deliberate diversion.
14
If Trump is innocent, why is he trying to block Mueller?
12
Trump knows that he was elected with 1st hand help from Russia and he fears what Flynn has been telling the special counsel. Innocent people don't act like him and those around him.
1
Trump might suspect that Mueller has the same information Putin has been using over him to force Trump to fight for Putin's interests. Strange the only leader or public person Trump has failed to critique is Putin. Siding with Putin over our US intel trashing the FBI investigating his regime seems odd unless he is compromised by that wily KGB trained Putin. Trump is an old style money grubbing con artist and has been dirty dealing most of life with Russian mob connected folks ,organized crime ,casino biz ,TRump university fraud schemes etc. Trump cannot identify with his working class base he is a NYC billionaire living in a gilded triplex on 5th ave and a resort that charges $200,000 to rub elbows with him and his family . That swam he was to drain is now a cesspool in a gilded Washington DC hotel and a pay to play resort in Palm Beach for the rich not the forgotten man.
4
Ken Starr who was the extremely partisan right-wing conservative Independent prosecutor who relentlessly pursued President Bill Clinton on any front he could and back then it was considered OK if not preferable that a partisan was investigating because that meant he'd not be swayed to go soft.
Now we have a Republican prosecutor again, but this time he's investigating another Republican and all of a sudden the credibility is being attacked by Republicans that Mueller and his team can't be trusted because they are partisan!
If the Democrats wet-noodle this like they have everything else of matter and consequence, then I will lose any confidence we have any leadership qualities among our so-called leaders. Democrats always equivocate, always get burned trying to find false-equivalencies to reach compromise, they get run over when they try to cross the aisle, they are renowned for being pushovers, and now they're letting the Republicans walk all over them again. It's a disease!
6
If you recall, Trump was the Hispanic US District Judge overseeing his case was biased because of his background.
4
The whole chorus is shouting “GUILTY”!
4
This is clearly a politically motivated witch hunt by democrats that is costing taxpayers millions of dollars.
1
There were 6 investigation of Benghazi, millions were wasted and nothing came out. If Trump is innocent as he claims (believe me), then he has nothing to worry.
2
A pittance, compared to the cost of those numerous golf outings - and money well spent. Either to clear those serious allegations, or to confirm them.
2
As the Wall Street Journal pointed out this morning, “the Trump transition team lawyer “cited a Justice Department document from 1988 that found that presidential transition teams ‘are not federal agencies’ subject to the federal Freedom of Information Act as well as a 1983 case that found transition documents were “personal records” rather than “agency records.”
https://www.wsj.com/articles/mueller-probe-faces-new-challenges-from-tru...
Trump started this 'fake news' as a propaganda machine to discredit his perceived 'enemies.' Unfortunately, what he has done is simply created chaos, uncertainty, ambivalence, fear, and anger. This is not the United States I know. He has fractured America's heart and soul, and I can only hope that there are some wise leaders who can repair the damage.
28
Some of the damage can be repaired, but when you cross as many lines as Trump has crossed, there is no turning back. For example, when a President can disrespect his opponents and get away with it, it is hard for any future President to not do the same. Or when you call legitimate journalism "fake news", that term will stay out their and be used against any reporter whose story is damning.
The GSA emails are critical for Mueller's team to substantiate Trump administration testimony & list any 'inaccuracies,' which may also include unknown-to-date intrigue[s]. KT McFarland's emails are a case in point.
The public needs to pay attention to Republican Congressional leaders & individuals such as Fl. AG Pam Bondi who have made strikingly strange complaints ref: Mueller's examination of GSA emails. Did Bondi correspond on the GSA system ref: The Trump University lawsuit? Florida news reported a tidy donation by the Trump campaign to Bondi's reelection.
Bondi told Fox the whole Mueller investigation should be basically swept away & restarted … [Ms. Bondi, shall the investigation be headed by someone else other than Mueller?] She claims the negative Trump emails were so egregious that it was shocking. Ms. Bondi, has the President ever twittered, emailed or ascended his soapbox for any less egregious or shocking remarks? I think not.
How many of the Republican Complainants used the GSA email system to correspond with the Trump Administration? Any concerns as to how their own emails may be viewed by the public? Let’s keep track of those Republicans with the most strident complaints. Should the public be allowed to see all the GSA email content except for matters of national security?
Why not.
9
Donald Trump divides our country and now he is divides our government , as if the justice department is part of some other government that is not part of the United States. Congress has a job to do and it is to protect and defend the Constitution, the rule of law and to preserve our democracy. If Congress does not honor its oath of office then it is incumbent upon the people to protect and defend their democracy, resistance must become rebellion.
12
Mueller is the 'Insurance Policy' of the corrupt #FBI. Trump got elected so they moved to throw a monkey on his back so he can't exercise his duties and power. This bogus investigation will drag on for most of his presidency.
The plan started with the Steele dossier sponsored by FBI, fed through to DoJ via Ohr's wife, disseminated all over. a salad of legit concerns that any well-off person would have, plus some fake allegations.
Then they forced Trump's hand to fire Comey, which nobody liked anyways, and used that move to trigger the Special Counsel investigation.
They moved AG Sessions aside so easily, that guy is a meek tool, Trump was right to be angry with him. But he can't replace him at this point.
Rosenstein is part of the coup. He's the ringleader.
When you start investigating a person with the business history and persona like Trump, you will uncover a lot of things.. Nothing good can come out of this investigation, and Mueller will find some dirt for sure. It won't be Russia collusion, but who cares. Damage is done and irreparable. Trump will most likely be forced to resign or will lose the next elections badly.
Well done FBI.
Trump was a novice, he underestimated the power of deep state resistance. He should have fired 3-5 layers of bureaucrats from every governmental agency and promote young people. It's too late now.
2
Well, my goodness. A question: if the Conspiracy is so vast, so clever, how come you know all about it?
1
And, Trump, in his breathtaking ignorance didn't have the faintest understanding of the FSB (the former Soviet KGB). Trump is a danger to all democratic nations on this planet .... and that doesn't even take into account his mental incapacity, instability and illness.
Funny how not a single Republican thought anything was biased against Hillary with the Benghazi hearings.
Even after the first investigation found nothing.
And the second.
And the third.
And the fourth.
And the fifth, etc.
Sure, it was unbiased with people that all supported Hillary.
14
You can be biased on personal views and unbiased at your job. It is not possible to be totally unbiased when dealing with political views.
Does it never occur to the Republican Protection Racket that is The Congressional majority that perhaps there are as many - or more - Republican partisans in Mueller’s Office and the FBI than the two they have zeroed in on? I’m sure it has, but principles never have stopped them before, that’s for sure.
6
After watching the majority of the Republicans vote for a health care bill that no one wanted and all of them supporting a tax package that we absolutely disagree with, I have no faith that this congress will do anything to Mr. Trump. The next Congress will.
12
What is most interesting is that it no longer matters what the people want or how they feel about laws that affect them directly. It's all about what the President or Party wants.
1
Is this the age a McCArthy and Hoover:
"But two people who have spoken to the president recently said that he was far more frustrated with the attorney general, Jeff Sessions, and the F.B.I. director, Christopher A. Wray, than Mr. Mueller. Mr. Trump has said that Mr. Wray has not moved quickly enough to rid the bureau of senior officials who were biased against Mr. Trump and had worked for James B. Comey, the director whom Mr. Trump fired in May."
Oh, and by the way, if there is no collusion, he should call off the lying, ill-informed attack dogs.
4
Lets say that there is some bias in the FBI towards Trump. Does that mean we look the other way and ignore all the evidence? Regardless of party affiliation, evidence and facts are what it is. Screaming about bias doesn't change what has been found.
10
Did/does the transition team have an IT person on it? If not, perhaps it should. Email on a government server belongs to the government. The government can do what it wants with it. When I was a corporate IT manager, I drafted memorandums informing the employees that their email wasn't private; it belonged to the company that owned the email server. This isn't Gmail or Yahoo mail which are public free email services & the acct. holder owns the messages (except in the case of a legal subpoena).
8
When I was a government employee, I was well aware that if I sent anything personal through my work email or even used my personal cell phone for government business that every communication would be subject to public disclosure.
I never would use my personal phone for government work purposes and I treated emails as "so would I want this on the front page of a newspaper?"
Even my interns knew better.
1
As much as I disrespect the people who voted for Trump, I disrespect those who are neutral almost as much. Anyone without a bias is hardly suited to work anywhere, let alone on Mueller's team. Does anyone believe that everybody on his team doesn't hate trump. They're extraordinarily intelligent people.
6
As an American citizen, I fully support Mr. Mueller and his investigative team.
I also fully support and stand behind the FBI.
I DO NOT support the White House. I DO NOT support the president who obviously suffers from severe emotional and mental health issues. At some point, American's need to say "You're Fired" to Donald Trump.
14
More obfuscation and misdirection from this administration. Will the drama ever stop?
8
I don’t get it...if the Trump administration has nothing to hide, then what is all the fuss about?
9
If the trump DICTATOR rids us of the second investigator, then we the people need to rise up. It is a tell-tail of a dictatorship that is desperate to rid itself of exposure!
9
It's a classic strategy: when the message is going against you, try ot impugn the messenger.
276
You mean like what Hillary said about Comey costing her the election?
Now, the question is if it would work?
i believe, this classic strategy would still work in America.
Trump won't fire Mueller, he'll let Mueller's investigation show no collusion had occurred and the den of crooked FBI employees, who thought they were going to turn the election, shown for what they are.
20
Wow Kurt, you have really sipped too much Fox and Friends tea. I trust Mueller because he is trustworthy and I distrust POTUS Trump because he has shown himself to be a world-class liar and someone with extremely poor character (see Trump's years long birther lies, etc. etc.). Sad that a fellow citizen believes disinformation to such an extent that you claim our FBI is made up of a "den of crooked FBI employees" without a shred of proof. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof and you provide none. On the other side of the equation you have members of Trump's campaign and administration who have pled guilty to lying to the FBI about their dealings with Russia. Also, there are so many proven lies swirling around POTUS Trump it is impossible to keep them straight without a spreadsheet.
12
This is obviously the Fox News party line. Trump is not only worried about the political collusion he's worried that the investigation will reveal all the MONEY LAUNDERING Trump has been doing for the Russians for years.
Trump is a crook. The sane people in this country are well aware of Trump's long history of dealings with mafia types, his refusal to pay his debts, his bad credit except from, suspiciously, Deutsche Bank AND his love of Russian oligarchs.
Ignoramuses and racists voted for Trump, and he is exactly the kind of person you would expect ignoramuses and racists to like. And thanks to our out-dated electoral college, ignoramuses and racists got their way.
9
Right. So, why doesn’t mr. “there was no collusion “ just sit back, relax and watch the show? I mean, “what, me worry?”, right?
8
It took awhile for the title to sink in. C'mon: what image of cooperation? The attorneys- Trump's personal risk pool managers - have been salivating like rabid dogs lately, but since before Trump fired Comey, it was clear he and his cohorts would resort to any strategy to protect him - not simply from in being investigated,, but from having to reveal anything too private - such as his tax forms, and the source of his income.
Perhaps the hope is, now that it has become clear that the country is run and owned by oligarchs, that Trumpco sees a tremendous opportunity to fill every possible appointment with incompetent but obedient toadies.
No one should even be discussing the political beliefs of Mueller, who has in no way expressed any of them.
What is of concern is the President's - and his minions' - continual unwarranted attacks on functioning parts of the government, ignoring our system of laws. I have a forlorn hope that this lawyers will get hit with some sort of punitive action for making false claims.
13
Trump, Clinton, FBI agents.....how can it be that such important people fail to understand what most normal people know:
Anything you send over the internet can become public knowledge.
Anyone have an explanation?
10
Your premise is understandable and what Trump et al would like everyone to think is the case here. This feeds the "He's just this guy trying to do a new job you know..." idea of him being a well meaning innocent caught up in things over his head.
The point that needs to be made here is that as I read in another paper his team of lawyers had already gone through and sanitized the transition emails (why is it OK for him but not HRC?) and were waiting for Mueller to ask for them. It took them by surprise to find out the ISP (A government provided service for all transition teams) had already turned over all of the emails.
1
Hubris and arrogance comes to mind.
1
They do now.
The FBI should be just as concerned about te appearance of conflicts of interest on the part of the New York office of the FBI in attempting to protect and deflect against Democrats on behalf of Republicans.
7
The de-centralization inflicted upon us by the GOP over the last 40 years as they slowly kill our government has left regional offices in a state of being entities unto themselves. The normal rotation of people and the stationing of people in areas they did not grow up in to avoid conflicts has been circumvented.
Trump and his lawyer and other propagandists will say whatever they want to try and stop this investigation by Mueller, particularly as it gets closer and closer to Trumps inner circle. Of course the FBI is out to get him, that's what their job is to investigate criminal activity in our country. And the president is a role model for kids, lying will be the new norm.
12
The Trump Campaign solicited the release, on national television, of Hillary Clinton and the DNC's emails stolen by a foreign, adversarial power, Russia. Donald Trump, Jr. also requested them in his famous email exchange stating "I love it." There was zero outrage from the GOP when they were released by WikiLeaks only days later after Mr. Trump's "request."
Yet now we have emails that appear to be legally obtained from a GSA server, despite the fake news to the contrary, and the GOP is in high dudgeon. If we needed any further example of the GOP placing its party's interests over our country's, and more's the pity that we do not, this faux outrage at Mueller would be the seminal one.
23
So if a government employee who makes a negative comment regarding Donald Trump in a private email should be disqualified to do their job, what to do with those who made PUBLIC statements? I'm asking you: Paul Ryan, Lindsey Graham, Mitch McConnell, John McCain, Ted Cruz, Mario Rubio, Rex Tillerson, to name a few.
27
And what about those who have practiced sustained undermining and disparagement of HRC for 20-plus years? Are they fit to do any job in public service?
That would disqualify about half of Congress right there. Among many others in federal and state roles.
1
When all this is said and done, Trump and his lot are all in jail, and the world in then a perfect place, what do prosecutors do with themselves? Then the ugly stuff really begins, I’m sure.
2
anything mueller has come up with and anything more he may find will now be seriously tainted by revelations of probable dirty cops in the fbi and corruption at doj; at this point there's far more circumstantial evidence that there was a conspiracy at fbi and doj to prevent trump from becoming president and exonerate hrc.
it's pretty funny that there's a good chance this conspiracy was hatched by dirty fbi cops and a few corrupt doj officials but in the end they are the ones trapped by it.
in any event mueller's credibility is now doubtful which basically ends his investigation.
No, not even remotely.
3
Huh? The FBI director went on national tv 5 days before the election and implied that HRC may still be a criminal, effectively tilting the election Trump's way. Experts from all sides agree that Comey's announcement likely decided the election. Even he fears it. He's a Republican. Trump's campaign workers have admitted being paid by Russians. And pled guilty to crimes. I know you really want this to just be imaginary, but it's real, I'm sorry. Not opinion. Just the facts ma'am. Robert Mueller is among the most respected men in Washington and a text by an employee isn't going to change that. Ever.
4
This was the first blunder by the Mueller team. They should not have publicly responded to the complaint of Trump's lawyers because an argument in the press was exactly what they want. If Trump's lawyers have any valid complaints, at the appropriate time, they can tell it to the judge.
103
Well meant comment, above, however, mis-informed. There comes a point where the organs of justice must counter attempts to discredit them in public. When constitutional norms are being violated in the White House, you can't sit on your hands. Trump is conducting a smear campaign against the police who are investigating him. The longer the smears stand uncontested and repeated, the more successful is his subversion of America.
5
Maybe but I don't think so. Trump is waging a PR campaign against the Mueller investigation. Republicans won't respond and Democrats can't respond without making things worse. Really, the special counsel's office is the only messenger capable of credibly denying the allegation. If Trump's lawyers chose to make the issue public now, that's their problem.
I would actually suggest the mistake belongs to Langhofer. He showed his hand for publicity points. Mueller now knows one of the defense strategies the Trump legal team was planning to use. Rookie mistake. You want to blind side your opponent with winning plays, not give them the playbook. The best explanation is that Langhofer already knew his argument was useless. He's attempting to gain something for the billable hours he wasted in a defeated pursuit. That's my guess.
2
I would guess Mueller is more concerned about integrity and thus willing to take the PR 'hit', whereas Trump's team thinks in close to the opposite way.
If you disqualify anyone who has a bias against trump, you disqualify the majority of the population.
Having a bias against trump does not mean that an individual lacks integrity, and honesty. In fact, it's a strong indicator that the person does in fact have those qualities.
This whole manufactured screeching on the part of trump's minions is ridiculous, and in stark contrast to the dignity and integrity of Robert Mueller and his staff.
551
The process of the system itself is meant to take into account biases. As long as the biased party does not manufacture evidence everything is kosher.
There's a difference between "bias", and texts that sound conspiratorial against Trump and his election. And these FBI agents were the ones who questioned Clinton, and changed her handling of the e-mail server from "gross negligence" to "extremely careless". I'd say it's more than bias--it's abuse of power.
They have sunk from deplorable to despicable and are headed lower still.
The alleged meddling. And its hard to see where there is any meddling except in the imagination of the failed Clinton campaign. Soon enough the NYTs and the Democrats are going to have to admit that there is no case to be made. This will be a terrible blow to the NYTs journalistic reputation. This in turn will help Trump claim that anything the news media says about him that shows him in a bad light is fake news. With the growing economy and this fiasco of a Russian investigation this could put him in a strong position to win a second term. One can always hope that Trump's well documented unbelievably wretched behavior will bring him down.
1
Where to start?
So you missed that Flynn pled (yes that is the correct form of the word) guilty? That Jr. and Kushner admitted to conspiring with the Russian in Trump Tower and provided the proof of it while using republican double speak to claim it was nothing?
3
Don Jr.: If you have dirt on Clinton, I would love it. And then the meeting with Don Jr., Manafort, Kushner and the Russians.
Patience: Mueller is not nearly done.
The NYT and Washington Post have been outstanding in their investigative work. Flynn would still be in the WH but for the Washington Post.
Keep telling yourself whatever it takes to justify your complicity in electing this inept, agent of Russia.
1
What are you hiding, President Trump.
Why are you so afraid of Robert Mueller, President Trump.
Why were you fine with Hillary's emails being hacked, President Trump.
Why are you so upset that your emails will be revealed, President Trump.
What are you hiding, President Trump.
83
1. He fears his crimes will be uncovered.
2. He fears Mueller will uncover his crimes.
3. because it was not his own hand getting bloody
4. Because it will reveal things that may be crimes or lead to crimes.
5. Crimes
The real problem at this point is his effort to undermine faith on how our system works. It is as if no one realizes the design of the system is meant to control for people with an agenda prosecuting the innocent. The more he convinces people that is not the case or not possible the more he undermines it. Of course the GOP model of governance has been to assume corruption in all things that show them to be choosing the wrong path or provides irrefutable proof they are wrong.
2
Trump doesn't use email (probably doesn't know how), which gives him a shred of plausible deniability.
He is a traitor. That is what he is hiding.
Let's see, first attack the free press when it criticizes you, then attack minority groups and others that do not fit your view of who should have a voice and even a place in the population, bypass long-established standards of ethics by claiming invasion of privacy and of decency by claiming your accusers are liars, sidle up to authoritarians around the world and soft-peddle it as promoting friendly ties to make the world better, dismantle and remake our government agencies to force them to promote a narrow agenda that does not threaten the string pullers, start attacking the very core of our means of expressing thought by banning inconvenient words, and finally, begin the process of eliminating our justice system by attacking its credibility so that you will not be held accountable for your crimes.
This is not making American great again, it is making America into an authoritarian state that serves the interests of the plutocracy. Any other countries like that come to mind?
67
Trump wants nothing more than to turn us into an authoritarian state, he's taking every textbook step. How his "base" can't see this and still follow him AND consider themselves Americans is dumbfounding.
3
There’s nothing wrong with attacking the press. Stalin did it. Mussolini did it. Hitler did it. Francisco Franco did it. Now Trump.
1
Beautifully put.
1
What we want in an FBI agent is someone intelligent and objective who has the best interests of the country in mind at all times. Any agent who would support Trump in the face of his relentless lies and patent ignorance should be culled from the investigation, if not booted out of the agency entirely.
25
I like that idea!
1
I find it interesting to see the number of people asserting "Meuller is a Republican". How they know his actual, current political views is a mystery which they should perhaps clarify. Having been appointed by former President Bush is irrelevant for the office of FBI Director is not a political appointee like someone working in the White House. If merely being appointed by a president of one party is "proof" of on going political loyalty and position, then are we to assume than every single Obama appointee is/was a Democrat? Wouldn't such appointments, based largely on party affiliation, run afoul of ethical or perhaps legal requirements for such appointments?
3
“the office of FBI Director is not a political appointee like someone working in the White House.”
Of course it is.
1
It is common knowledge. But I admit it is amazing to find a intelligent Republicans still out there.
Good point. The Republicans of Mueller's youth, which was likely when he formed his party affiliation, bear little resemblance to the current Party. They had principles, and sanity.
2
If Mueller is fired, does he then become a private citizen who can speak out about whatever he knows or suspects? Interesting to contemplate.
14
He can never reveal confidential information. The attackers know that - it is probably the one thing about his integrity they rely on. He will be free to give his opinion.
2
From what I've read this is another sparkly look this way attempt - they have been obtained legally from what I can see and yeah for someone who is not owned.
8
Want to know whether Trump is nervous about the Russia investigation? Just check his tweets. Very tame ever since his last one about Flynn.
7
With decades of infusion of Russian money into Trump's businesses via the acquisition of condos in his buildings. Trump's conducting the big beauty contest in Russia, and the numerous verified meetings between all kinds of principals and Trump's admiration of Putin and his style of governing, a bit of cooperation during the election would be the most normal stuff to have occurred.
5
It's disturbing to read the comments here that conflate the possibility that Trump and/or his advisers were/are acting as agents for a foreign government and the passing of a tax bill that commenters don't agree with. There is a difference here. The tax bill, for all it's flaws, is the product of a legislative process. There are winners and losers. But the idea that the executive branch has owed or does owe favors to Russia is downright scary. The problem with the media and political landscape is that everything gets elevated to the highest threat level. We need to understand the differences between things that are actually terrifying and things we don't like.
3
Yeah the process was to not include Democrats at all.
1
The tax bill is most certainly NOT THE PRODUCT OF THENLEGISLATIVE PROCESS! It is the process of secrets, lying and corruption. It is another attack on the American people and our country as a whole. Krushshev once opined that Russia would not have defeat us from the outside as we will destroy ourselves from the inside. I think he had Trump and the GOP in mind when he said that!
1
The Trump tyranny is not going to just go away because of its criminal activities, and you shouldn't expect fair elections in the future. Decent people will either have to overthrow the corrupt government violently, or else they will have to leave it.
Get out of the Divided House before it collapses. #calexit
3
"#calexit" well that says it all.
1
Perhaps the House Judiciary Committee should weigh their concerns with Mueller against the following items for which the President has already been found culpable:
- Objectifying women and admitting to serial sexual assault
- Undercutting US allies while openly admiring and cavorting with rogue dictators
- Discrediting the FBI while laying the groundwork for a private police force
- Pandering to the US military while provoking nuclear instability
- Appointing unqualified and biased federal judges while ignoring his constitutional obligations
- Further enriching the aristocracy with tax cuts paid for by the poor and working classes
- Securing big corporate buy-in by selling the internet to an oligopoly
- Stoking class divisions with patently racial demagoguery
- Denying science at the expense of us all while blowing a golden opportunity for the US to lead in green technology “deals”.
- Lying to a base that will believe practically anything, the most dangerous of which, that there’s an invisible man in the sky to whom we should all answer
- Labelling journalism as “fake news” while averaging 5 false claims per day
As an aside, for those among us who think he’s a passing joke and hasn’t done much, think again.
16
Found culpable? That's a joke, right? In what court?
1
It seems like trumps lawyers don't know what to do and have just started ripping pages out Nixon's handbook. Discrediting the investigation didn't work for him either.
369
sounds about right part of his team used to work for tricky dick
Well then, let's hope they keep it up.
These FBI agents might have ruined the entire operation.
The texts and emails showing clear animosity towards Trump are a COLOSSAL unforced error.
Because in the end, it's not Mueller who will determine whether or not Trump is actually impeached. It's the Republicans in Congress. And if the polling in their districts show that a majority of Republican voters have come to believe (after months of Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaug reading these texts verbatim on air) that the investigation is tainted, then Trump stays.
Feel The Bern - 2020
35
Are you Russian, Luciano? Or one of the Robber Baron operatives? Bernie Sanders helped The Con Don and his Robber Baron brethren take over OUR governments at all levels. I feel the "bern" all right but it's not the kind you are promoting.. I consider he and his "supporters" who knew the Russians infiltrated their facebook pages and said nothing traitors.
11
I guess you are assuming that the Dems don't win control of Congress in the mid-term. If they do then all of this Republican bluster is more fodder that he is unfit for the Presidency.
5
You are thinking of this Congress and not the one that is about to follow. Have hope.
1
Undoubtedly Trump hires lawyers that are as corrupt as he is. Mueller is undoubtedly an upstanding and honorable investigator.
Whatever comes of this Trump threat we will never trust him because he is a devious liar, sexual Predator and a traitor to the USA. We the majority of Americans want him OUT of office. He is the most scurrilous president we have ever had and probably deserves prison time.
23
And if Mueller concludes his investigation by stating there is no evidence of collusion or anything like it, you will not believe him. You and millions of others will cease calling him honest and honorable. Undoubtedly.
Trumps entire attitude about law and the US legal system devolves from Roy Cohn.
Of course the crime lord and his capos will attack our justice system when it has the crime lords in its sights. This destruction of the US justice system is entirely on the Guardians of Putin's watch.
9
When garbage day arrives, and surely it will, there will be mountains of trash at the curb outside both the WH and Congress. Bring 100 trucks and all the disinfectant on the east coast.
8
Trump resides in a delusional bubble of faux news and propaganda. As Trump the incessant liar peddles a false front of unconcern about as he says, "Russier" we can be one hundred and ten percent certain that in reality utter hysteria is gripping them. At Faux News they are literally shrieking as Mueller's grip tightens and squeezes Trump's co-conspirators.
One would think that Trump's paternal concern for Mike Pence has been rewarded, right? Pence, both a traitor and coward probably has a sore throat from all of the singing. Trump is going down and maybe even Pence.
5
Trump is a proven liar again and again. What credibility does he have left? Crying wolf will only make us disbelieve him even more when it comes to the Mueller probe.
10
It's the height of hypocrisy for Trump, who publicly invited the Russians to steal Hillary Clinton's "30,000" emails, to claim illegality in Mueller's team's acquisition of emails related to the probe.
19
Robert Mueller:
• Born August 7th, 1944 in Manhattan, graduated Princeton with a degree in Politics in 1966, graduated NYU with Masters in International Relations in 1967
• enlisted in the Marines in 1968, attended Army Ranger and Army Jump School
• Was sent to South Vietnam where he served as a rifle platoon Commander, earned Bronze Star with Combat V; Purple Heart; Navy and Marine Corp Commendation Medals; Combat Action Ribbon; National Defense Medal, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross…and several others
• earned his law degree in 1973 from Virginia Law School, worked 12 years in the US Attorney Office, rose to chief of Criminal Division
• Prosecuted financial fraud; terrorism; public corruption; narcotics conspiracies and money laundering
• Joined the US Department of Justice working on national security
• Worked on the following cases…Manuel Noriega; Pan Am Flight 103 and the Gambino Crime Family
• Bush (W) nominated him for FBI Director in 2001 and he was confirmed 98-0
• He remained in office for 12 years…the second longest term in FBI history
• This long term required Senate Approval
• He was replaced at the FBI in 2013 by James Comey
• He had been teaching, speaking and consulting since 2013 when he was asked to run this investigation into Russian collusion.
26
My goodness. To attack the integrity and character of this Mueller, on behalf of a man like Trump. The Republicans have no honor left. No decency.
3
Thank you! I'm saving this to send to Ryan and McConnell.
Can you now post a side by side, contrast and compare to DJT.
1
Now you see why Hillary set up a private server... It is a police state, but with good reason corruption abounds. Left, Right, Center
1
Positions of authority come with accountability. Any corporate employee knows they have no right to privacy on company owned computers. Government officials should be held to a standard just as high if not higher.
DR casts one vote for the police state, apparently presuming the police (FBI / DOJ) are somehow less subject to corruption when given unfettered power to investigate with an unlimited budget.
It is all too human, and there is no simple solution.
1. It is ironic that a White house that has been so obsessed with reopening a twice closed investigation into whether Hillary Clinton acted criminally when she chose to use a private server is now claiming that it was unethical for a government agency to turnover their emails to a criminal investigation.
2. If the White House counsel or any defense lawyer failed to consider the probability that the Mueller team would have obtained Transition Team (or its members) emails before idiots, those attorneys should consider a new area of practice
3. If the White House truly wants to "claw back" any emails on a claim of privilege, there are procedures for doing so. Writing a letter to Congress, is not one of them.
9
"...no collusion, no collusion whatsoever.” As well as there were no pre election meetings by anyone on his election staff; Donnie Jr never had any Russian meetings,; and Kelly Anne Conway is intelligent. Lies.
9
Just to be clear only 33% of the American populace is biased in Trump`s favor. And that cohort is mostly dumber than rocks and therefore not qualified to investigate anything whatsoever.
3
Looks like a case of you reap what you sow.
2
Republicans spearheaded and dominated investigation after investigation of Hillary Clinton to hurt her enough in the polls that she might somehow lose in 2016.
Three different prominent Republicans, including 2 Congressmen (McCarthy and Hanna), volunteered that the whole reason for Benghazi investigations was to hurt Hillary in the polls.
They began immediately after Obama won in 2012 and they repurposed Benghazi -- initially propagandized as Obama's fault -- as something they could pin on Hillary in the court of public opinion with enough bad press, willingly provided by official He-Man Wuman Haters Club members, the pink-faced piggies such as Rupert Murdoch, Rush Limburger, Steve Bannon and Alex Jones.
When found free of guilt again and again, she was ultimately tried in a more official court of public opinion by FBI Director (another Republican) James Comey, who despite knowing there was no way in heck she could be indicted and tried, made it dang sure -- on the eve of that election -- that everyone have the impression that she was NOT innocent.
Look at Hillary's poll numbers. Starting in November, 2012 (election time), her approval precipitously dropped a couple dozen points from years of over 50%. THAT was a witch hunt.
Now we have an investigation into an actual crisis, started by Trump's own DoJ, and headed by another Republican, Mueller.
Mueller's team has been expunged of players revealed to have political leanings.
This is the opposite of a witch hunt.
7
It is ironic is that the "transition team," are the people trying to discredit Mueller, shut down the special prosecutor's investigation since they, themselves, are part of the investigation.
That certainly explains their fiendish attempts to subvert the investigations.
See a partial list below of transition team members:
Steve Bannon
Rep. Lou Barletta
Rep. Marsha Blackburn
Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi
Rep. Chris Collins
Rep. Tom Marino
Rebekah Mercer
Robert Mercer.
Steven Mnuchin
Rep. Devin Nunes
Reince Priebus
Anthony Scaramucci
Peter Thiel
Donald Trump Jr.
Eric Trump
Ivanka Trump
Jared Kushner
Jeff Sessions
Mike Pence
Rep. Sean Duffy
Rep. Trey Gowdy
Rep. Dennis Ross
8
You gotta know Nunes is a special target after injecting himself into the fray with that stunt earlier in the year. I can't believe his people have not recalled him. So openly criminal he may got to jail even if there is no evidence of Trumps hand.
2
Mr. Gowdy was a member of the Trump transition team. The very transition team that Mr. Mueller is investigating. How in the world is he allowed to participate in the Congressional investigations? The conflict of interest is huge. Gowdy himself could very well be indicted.
2
Republican senators and representatives and the Trump team are treading on thin ice. If they are acting for the best interests of their political party, or themselves, instead of the country in this investigation, they are acting as private citizens and not as public officials. Any attempt to impede, obstruct, or tamper with the legitimate investigation of Special Counsel Mueller exposes them all personally to criminal liability.
Maurice F. Baggiano, Member of the Bar of the U.S. Supreme Court
8
the investigators are in a bit of a bind if they shouldn't be against trump. any sane and smart person opposes trump. the investigation should be done by sane and smart people. therefore if no one opposing trump should be in the investigation, then the investigation will be carried out by illogical and irrational idiots. again, if you rule out anyone who personally loathes trump from carrying out the investigation, no one competent will be left.
5
Trump can only stand his own puppets; he scorns Democratic "puppets". It's now becoming clear that Trump rules by SLANDER, defamtion, according to the Roman saying "semper aliquid haeret" -- something will remain sticking!. Time to get this cretin out of the people's house and back in the outhouse he came from.
A scenario for Shakespeare, Wagner, Verdi: Trump's lawyers show up at Mueller's office to fire him, while Mueller arrests them for high-crimes and misdemeanors. Richard Painter (former ethics admin) said it (before CNN switched him off: we're heading for a Constitutional Crisis: if Mueller goes, Trump goes! This would be Trump's BIGGEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT TO ALL OF US, to THE ENTIRE WORLD. Go for it, Don! Don't let anybody stop you on the way down.
3
This embarrassment of a human being, trying to become a dictator would be hilarious in a cartoon. The tin pot fraud, racist, traitor will be marched out soon enough. Snidely Whiplash and Boris Badanov the two most evil cartoon characters ever, can't hold a candle to trump's depravity.
3
Nice to remember that Trump is also a loser: last March a Federal Judge approved the $25 million settlement from Trump who lost the case regarding the fraudulent Trump University. Keep on keeping on, Mr. Muelller!!
25
Equally so start the investigations into Clinton.
The vast majority are crooks. The people work and the government eats.
Hillary Clinton has been investigated over and over, in depth, for the past 25 years. Continuing to do so would be utterly ridiculous, a waste of time and money.
1
Firing Mueller would almost certainly bring people out into the street, flip Congress next November, and lead to impeachment. Bring it on.
27
It's pretty clear the Bob Mueller's bias for unadulterated truth is what the White House and its current occupants really have a problem with.
Truth will out.
26
The federal government has what seems to be a very strange criteria to how they determine which cases require only a relatively very short time till they reach their conclusion on whether a crime was committed and file charges, and which matters warrant years till they deem their investigation complete and ready to present their conclusions.
A perfect example of a case that in the eyes of the federal government requires years of work is the matter of Kahlid Sheik Muhamad, the Al Quida mastermind who declared that he was responsible for 9/11 "from A to Z". And this is in addition to the fact that he has been fully cooperating with the investigation into him, answering all questions and providing all the information the federal authorities need.
All that is needed to earn him a life sentence, or possibly even a death sentence, is a simple charge of conspiracy to commit a terrorist act that resulted in loss of life. Yet the investigation has been taking years.
On the other hand FBI agents routinely complete investigations into complex white collar financial crimes in a matter of weeks.
It would seem that at least one major factor that determines how long an investigation takes is on what level did the crime make its impact on society. Was it just a bank that was impacted by the crime or was it the whole of the US that was impacted by the crime.
According to this theory Trump will be looking at an investigation that will not be ending any time soon.
3
Due process is more powerful than any one president. Trump doesn't seem to realize its purpose is to protect the individual, but he is determined to reign over the definitions of legality and legitimacy. He cannot be allowed to bastardize the legal balance and thus the truth.
13
Nobody on this planet is a bigger beneficiary of other people burying their heads in sand than Trump.
If any judge or prosecutor is reading this, remember will I receive the same protections if I am on trial? or is the US justice only for the Few.
6
I'm sure that no one is surprised by anything the White House puts out theses days. Trump has long been creating his own fake-"reality" and his parroting-toadies (my apologies to the animal world) swallow every ounce of integrity and credibility they ever had in order to affirm it to the public.
The prez and his cohorts are under investigation because of their own, at the very least questionable, if not criminal, activities. They've created their own problems, and it is in our nation's best interest to find out what has been going on. Anyone who believes there is any real concern behind their complaints about how much this is costing us might wonder why money is now an issue, the tax-payers having paid millions so Trump could golf and travel between NYC, Mira Lago, and D.C. And complaints about the techniques for gathering information sound rather hollow in light of how difficult it has been for investigators to get data when they have asked for it through-out the investigation.
The more noise I hear from the White House about Mueller and the investigation, the more I believe there must be something they're hiding. If Trump tries to fire him, I'll be sure of it. Trump, et al, need to get to work on the needs of the country (which they'll never convince me includes tax cuts) and let the investigators do their job.
11
Once we the tax filings of 45th, all skeletons in the closet will come out. It is as simple as that. So why delay.
8
Eric Holder said that Trump firing Mueller would be an "ABSOLUTE RED LINE."
There are other ways Trump can stop Mueller's investigation:
* defund it
* gov't shut down
3
Trump and his enablers are grasping at whatever they can because they know the likely outcome. Republicans had no problem with Whitewater going to Monica, but will spin whatever they can to prevent Trump's illegal dirty dealings from being unearthed.
How a supposedly intelligent businessman thought being President with all the skeletons in his closet was a good idea is beyond me.
12
It's beginning to look like Bill Clinton and Ken Starr all over again. This time, though, it's the right-wing nuts who can't take the heat, but they must be made to do so. The Mueller investigation must be allowed to continue to the very end, whether that occurs next month or two years from now.
6
The Starr investigation was a rightwing attack by a puritanical hypocrite who was fired for protecting athlete-rapists at Baylor. Does that sound anything like Mueller or his investigation?
Ken Starr was a Republican investigating a Democrat. Market is a Republican investigating a Republican.
The Star investigation was into the activities of a law firm, and found nothing, except that Clinton lied about sex to the prosecutor. Personally I think he should have been impeached for lying under oath.
Trump is being investigated for conspiracy with a hostile intelligence service. That would be treason. Nothing the Clintons were accused of rose to the level of treason.
Protect your investigation into possible treason by the President of the US.
It is worth risking offending the rudest person in the country to make sure he is not a traitor.
The Democrats hope President Trump will fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller because the firing might trigger impeachment proceedings, as did President Nixon’s firing of Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox during the Watergate scandal. But the situations are not analogous. Unlike, Mueller, Cox was investigating actual crimes. Nixon was accused of covering up crimes committed by Committee for the Re-Election of the President, or CREEP, which was run out of the White House. During the 1972 election campaign, CREEP wiretapped and burglarized the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex. Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein appointed Robert S. Mueller III to serve as Special Counsel to “oversee the previously-confirmed FBI investigation of Russian government efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election and related matters.” But Rosenstein noted that “My decision is not a finding that crimes have been committed or that any prosecution is warranted. I have made no such determination.” After a year and a half of investigation, no one has been able to designate what crimes the Trump campaign might have committed during the 2016 election. No one has seriously alleged the Trump campaign was involved in the hacking of DNC email.
20
Mueller is not in the habit of discussing his findings. He will release them when even Breitbart can't dispute them. He understands the nasty environment that exists.
11
And what crimes were committed when Ken Starr was named to investigate Bill Clinton. Your argument is hallow because 1) a crime HAD taken place in the hacking of emails and Russian interference in our elections and 2) investigations take place because we need to find out who was involved and bring them to justice. With Starr there were NO crimes committed yet the investigation ensued for years. I would add a third based on the Starr investigation and that would be to determine whether crimes were committed. We certainly have proof that DJT, Jr. admitted to having a meeting to collude with the Russians in finding dirt on Hillary Clinton. That enough probably broke election laws. To say there is nothing is just plain wrong.
6
That's a good one -- "Unlike Mueller, Cox was investigating actual crimes."
Mueller's already got two guilty pleas (to actual crimes) and two people under hefty indictments (for actual crimes). And the evidence of any crimes by others, including Trump, is being kept under wraps. The reason you haven't seen it is that it's not public; the investigation is ongoing and might continue for months or years. What is the source of this belief of yours that if something's not described in the papers, it doesn't exist?
14
The White House's cooperation was always joined to an implicit condition--that the investigation terminate by year's end, which of course was never a reasonable expectation. Therefore, it was always intended as a pretext for Mueller's eventual removal--but not before this artificial time limit had been reached. So you're still seeing faint lip service being paid to cooperation. Yet there can be little doubt about what is coming. When the Treasury secretary, who surely has other things to occupy him, joins the 'End Investigation or Fire Mueller' chant, you know you're witnessing a significant effort.
3
“Mr. Trump has said that Mr. Wray has not moved quickly enough to rid the bureau of senior officials who were biased against Mr. Trump and had worked for James B. Comey, the director whom Mr. Trump fired in May.”
No bounds with Trump for whom political fealty is the absolute litmus test of who is and who is not qualified to serve in the ranks of the Bureau, which has been characterized by the President as in terrible shape and in need of sweeping reforms (of an entirely unspecified nature).
Quintessential DJT — when confronted, or attacked, or accused you automatically demean, discredit and trash the source by any means possible — all the earmarks of out and out despotism.
6
If Mueller is fired by this administration I believe whole-heartedly that all Americans need to take to the streets and march against this President.
This needs to be the last straw. Apathy, especially with millennials, needs to turn to outrage.
If this administration can do this with ZERO repercussions what does America's greatness mean? We have already been made into a joke around the world but by firing Mueller we would turn into a Banana Republic.
6
If the Trump White House was fully cooperating with Mueller’s investigation, it would have turned over all of the emails in question. Assertions of bogus legal privileges to shield communications is not cooperating.
Moreover, cooperation has now turned into antagonism. The Trump White House could easily call off the Fox Propaganda Team in their shameful attacks on Mueller and, by extension, the Russian investigation. But they are in full attack mode with KellyAnne Conway leading the charge.
These are not the actions of a team confident of exoneration.
I do agree with Ms. Conway in her thinking that Mueller has been biased from the start. Biased in favor of the rule of law and against those who would subvert it.
The whole “Deep State” meme is simply a way to get people to support disregard for the laws.
9
The Deep State as a concept is also being twisted by Republican propaganda.
The Deep State is not the career employees in the institutions of government created by the constitution and constitutional laws.
The Deep State is the unconstitutional influence on government by private interests through POLITICAL APPOINTEES, who are both shareholders and heads of government at the same time, profiting from policy that they make.
A good example is Cheney, Rumsfeld, and other Neocons who twisted intelligence provided by career intelligence personnel, leaving out all of the caveats, doubts and contradictory intelligence, to start a war based on lies to profit defense and oil corporations they have stock in.
Cheney and Rumsfeld were also behind the privatization of vast swaths of the military and intelligence services, giving massive contracts to Halliburton and other forms they have deep financial ties to.
The Deep State is not union employees as Fox would have you think. It is the global corporations and their lobbyists working for politicians to overrule the union employees, who are trying to do their jobs.
The Deep State is attacking the FBI and Mueller as we speak.
“Transition documents are private property, not government records, the organization contends. The letter invokes federal law and decades of precedent to argue that Mueller overstepped.”
Those documents are records of the transfer of OUR government from the Obama Administration to the Trump administration. There was nothing concerning any security issues because the federal Agency, the General Services Admin, GSA, had control of them, not one of our Security Agencies.
“The transfer of transition documents is “unlawful conduct that undermines the Presidential Transition Act of 1963,” the letter said, “and will impair the ability of future presidential transition teams to candidly discuss policy and internal matters that benefit the country as a whole.”“
This just begs an answer to the question: What is Trump trying to hide?
7
If the transfer of documents was illegal, why are they going to politicians instead of judges for redress?
Reminds me of the days of George Steinbrenner and Billy Martin or for that matter, when any team owner says he is not going to fire the head coach or manager.
3
Coaches do not have independence from tan owners.
Trump doesn't own he team. He is an employee. Mueller had independence from Trump, because or laws say he does.
Nope, Trump is the owner or so he thinks he is. I know it because whenever somebody discusses anything about policy, he says "What's in it for me." Do you think Flynn was negotiating a nuclear deal with Iran on his own? In Trumps world, he wants a cut just like his buddy Putin gets. He is taking a chapter from Putin's play book in how to become worth two hundred billion dollars or more. Noting for America. Only Trump.
Only someone who has committed serious and damning transgressions for which they fear being held accountable behaves this way.
Team Trump would have us believe that every newspaper, every TV station except for Fox, every website, every piece of evidence stacking up against them is fake news. They have spent every second of this presidency reinforcing the duping of their base and undermining every democratic institution trying to prevent the public and the truth coming together.
Innocent people would embrace the investigative process so they can be cleared. Guilty people avoid and undermine because they know they will be caught.
7
Each and every day Donald Trump and his loyal supporters declare that he has done absolutely nothing wrong, and that he will be vindicated. However, each and every day Donald Trump, these same individuals, and many conservative Republicans in Congress try to undermine and sabatoge the work being done by the Mueller team.
If members of the Trump administration have done nothing wrong, why are they actively engaging in actions intended to put a halt to Mueller’s investigation? Shouldn’t they be happy that Mueller will find no wrong doing? Surely the reason isn’t cost because Gowdy and other Republicans spent years and millions of dollars investigating Hillary Clinton - and finding nothing illegal in the process.
There is obviously something that Trump and his minions want to conceal from the public, something so damaging that he will be forced to resign, or be impeached, or be prosecuted for money laundering with other members of his family.
8
Why would there be any privileges granted those who may have been involved or supported treasonous endeavors in willfully soliciting a foreign power to disrupt our democracy and issuing directives to foreign powers with no license to do such, as a private citizen? These people are under criminal investigation. How do they get the idea that they can have any control in any part of it? They are NOT the law, nor are they ABOVE the law.
5
It appears that "They doth protest too much"...
In the end the truth will prevail. No third rate political hacks can stop the truth. This "reality show" will have a good or bad ending depending on where your loyalty sits. If you are a true American and a patriot, you will be rewarded with the truth and the consequences will fall on to those who are deserving. If you are an individual who sees only personal gain as an opportunist or who have been lulled into fantasy land, you will be disappointed. You will be prosecuted and/or go down in history on the wrong side of it. Either way, this is America and even though we are in trouble right now, we will prevail, heal and come back eventually to our center. The law of the land will save us from ourselves once again. Our forefathers made this possible and we will survive by their genius. Any other option is too disastrous to contemplate.
5
“… included materials protected by the attorney-client privilege, the deliberative process privilege, and the presidential communications privilege …”. Such privileges need to be asserted by Trump the defendant or Trump the President. He has not even attempted to assert executive privilege to block testimony by his underlings, commonly the first gambit, probably because at this point the potentially criminal acts occurred before his election. Unknowns include the true scope of the investigation, whether one or more called witness has invoked his/her Fifth Amendment protection, whether immunity has been extended to anyone in exchange for grand jury testimony, or whether one or more Trump operatives have stepped forward voluntarily and secretly to assist Mueller. These possibilities must have more than a few people rattled and distrustful of their cohorts.
2
Flynn is just the first of many to get caught in this scheme and as Mueller uncovers more to connect the dots between Trump team and Russia we'll see a mounting tide of evidence. Keep up the pressure.
Who's paying Trumps legal team? I sure hope it's not us taxpayers.
3
It seems pretty obvious to me and many others that if Trump and his team didn't have something to hide they would not be protesting as much as they are and what about Putin having the same talking points as Trump? Since when does Russia have something nice to say about our Presidents or system of government - that would be never before Trump.
Even Nixon had enough respect for the office and himself to resign before being impeached. Granted Trump has not been impeached yet, but if he and his legal team stay down this path of obstruction that will surely come and the sooner the better for the sake of this country and our democracy.
1
One of the great achievements of American democracy was the adoption of the civil service system which protects federal workers from being fired because of their political beliefs. Previously Presidents filled government ranks with party flunkies who were loyal to them, not the country. Trump's claim that government employees are biased because of their political beliefs threatens, once again, to bring us back to the 19th century by undermining the whole civil service system.
3
I wonder if anything--anything at all--would ever convince the Fox News viewership of the inestimable damage the network, with its amazingly successful, ongoing campaign of misinformation and lies, has done to our country. Ten, twenty, thirty years from now, if we still have our republic and if the press is still relatively free, will there be one thing that can be pointed to as being more responsible for sowing hate, bigotry and division, than Fox News? They are essentially attempting to set the stage for civil war if the Mueller investigation brings down Trump.
3
There is a principle that is being developed here that goes far beyond Mueller's investigation.The members of the House Judiciary Committee seem to be of the view that law enforcement must be purged of all of those who do not show the proper support for the dictator. The FBI is to be turned into a wing of the GOP while those of us who hold alternative views much watch what we say or write lest we too be thrown into the darkness due to a post like this one. As the darkness falls we still do nothing.
2
Mr. Trump and his lawyers should clearly understand something before any actions are taken against Mueller. A large portion of the voters in this country, approximately 70%, are hanging on by their finger nails because of the incompetence and dishonesty of this administration. They want to know the truth about the last election and Russia's influence on the results. The Mueller investigation is the glue that is holding this country together. It is also the only hope that Trump has for a possible exoneration of charges of collusion. If he fires Mueller, Trump will forever be guilty in the eyes of this country. If Trump fires Mueller he will unleash a backlash that will be unprecedented in the history of this country to the extent that this country will be ungovernable under this administration. No amount of Republican enabling will heal that wound. My suggestion to Trump, his lawyers and his followers is to cool the attacks on Mueller. Let him do his job, let the county benefit from the truth.
3
Notice that as soon as the Deutsche bank subpoenas went out, all pretense of cooperation instantly died.
My money is on money laundering.
5
Then there are the subpoenas to find out what the campaign did with its data – meaning did it supply any to the Russians? That's what really turned up the temperature.
1
Trump’s protests seem rather rich, and ironic, after he publicly called on Russia to release Hillary Clinton’s emails. Mueller will NOT be dissuaded from getting at the truth regardless of how Trump tries to spin it as ‘fake news’.
3
You can lay odds that when Trump says that he isn’t considering something, in fact, he certainly is! All of the slime throwing and the innuendo by T’s lawyers that the investigation fraudulently obtained records is part of the on going effort to discredit everything done by Mueller and then to get rid of him. Meanwhile, Republican Congress people are silent. Their silence in the face of T’s Tweets, his name calling, his personal attacks on people, his democracy destroying Cabinet appointments, his pathetic inability to sound presidential when what comes out is inarticulate ad slogans make them the greatest enablers of authoritarian takeovers in American history. Think they will do anything when T. inevitably decides we need martial law? Think again. And all those red state gun owners are so besotted by this fake President that won’t lift a gun to do anything when it happens. The water is boiling and our lobster Democracy is rapidly getting cooked by this sociopath and his enablers.
2
As an Xmas gift to us, DJ Trump is "not considering" firing the detectives investigating DJ Trump. Such charity is uncharacteristic for this family, whose tradition for Christmas is to fly to Africa to shoot elephants on a game farm after a round of golf on a lot stolen from subsistence farmers.
1
If Mueller gets fired and nothing happens then you will see departure of all educated immigrants.
They're all here for quality of life. And now in the days of computer and free internet(out side of USA), they can work from pretty much any where.
I hope we keep the smartest around.
Regardless of an indiscreet FBI employee who should have kept his political views to himself, it's clear that Mueller is a consummate professional.
1
It really is amazing how comprehensive lying becomes in a nation that imagines itself to be a divine creation.
4
The more important the job, the bigger the fool Americans will put in it.
They are indeed entirely transparent when you just watch what they do and ignore what they say.
1
My take from this is that only RWNJ's are allowed to work on the investigation. Got it.
2
Does anyone really expect that Trump or the Republicans will actually allow Mueller's findings come to light? This is the most corrupt Presidency and Congress since U.S. Grant. How can representatives who have sworn an oath to defend the Constitution and our country from enemies foreign and domestic, not only stand by and allow a foreign country interfere with our democracy, but also turn a blind eye to potential treasonous acts committed for, and perhaps by, Trump? I certainly have no faith that our lawful means of dealing with this travesty will even be allowed to work.
I shudder to think what it will take to get the People's voice heard.
349
"Does anyone really believe that Trump or the Republicans will actually allow Mueller's findings come to light?"
Yes - In Mueller We Trust!
Here's a fun fact that should scare Trump and every tainted member of his transition team and complicit Republicans witless:
Mueller's prosecutors have a 93% conviction rate.
3
Actually Kingfish, while Grant had many corrupt officials in his administration, almost all recent biographies conclude that Grant himself was scrupulously honest and a much better President than prior generations believed. In addition, you don’t have to go back that far to find a comparable corrupt President; Warren G Harding will do just fine.
2
"How can representatives who have sworn an oath to defend the Constitution and our country from enemies foreign and domestic, not only stand by and allow a foreign country interfere with our democracy, but also turn a blind eye to potential treasonous acts committed for, and perhaps by, Trump? "
I can answer that question in two words: money and power.
An oath only gets its strength from the integrity of the people who swear to uphold that oath. Unfortunately many people have the misunderstanding that our representatives should and do represent the people, the majority of them don't. This is true not only with the most Republicans, but also some Democrats as well.
When you can start writing checks with five or six zeros after the first digit(s), then you can have your voice heard. Unless and until we get our Republic back from Citizens United and require term limits for members of Congress, we will continue to get the worst kind of government money can buy. There are no better examples of these facts than President Trump and a corrupt GOP controlled Congress.
Like you, I find it disconcerting that other alternatives other than voting could be needed to have our voices heard. Although when it comes to our Republic, we the People should protect it by any means necessary as is our right.
1
First of all..Mueller is a republican.
If Trumps emails were illegally obtained Trumps lawyers would petition a Federal Judge to rule on the matter. But, isn’t it ironic Trump went after Hillary’s emails through Wikileaks, but doesn’t want his looked into?
Mueller has 7 members of Trumps inner circle under Federal criminal investigation, 4 indictments and 2 guilty pleas. Yeah, that’s why Trump hates Mueller, FBI & DOJ.
667
In addition, I thought that Trump does not use email to communicate. If so, the emails at issue, are not hismto protect in any event.
Given that Mueller is a Republican and the late hour at which this has become an issue, methinks I smell a rat!
I would also say there are two issues at stake here:
1.) Do we have legally permitted evidence gathering for a prosecution on individuals; but more importantly, we have
2.) A serious question regarding whether the current President received aid from a foreign power to get elected - a/k/a Treason. While this is a legally actionable offense, perhaps the more important issue is whether he needs to be impeached. And when? And is his entire Administration and the country compromised?
Mueller went after emails that did not belong to the government. Hillary’s did.
More smokescreen to try to keep OUR minds off the horrendous tax heist for the wealthiest that they plan to vote on Tuesday and Wednesday. John McCain has said he will not be there to vote. Are there at least two republicans with any kind of a social conscience who will vote this attack on the poorest and middle class in America? At least two who will refuse to let The Con Don and his Robber Baron brethren to destroy democracy in America?
Bloomberg ran an article today that shows a "secret" tax break for developers that will directly benefit The Con Don and his Robber Baron brethren. Senator Bob Corker said he didn't know about it. He said earlier that he is opposed to more debt but this tax heist adds at least $1 TRILLION DOLLARS to OUR debt. The Robber Barons will benefit immensely because they get the government contract to spend the money and line their pockets.
Are there any I-Love-America republicans who will have the will and courage to vote NO?
Call, e-mail, tweet and write today and tell your U.S. senator/house member to vote NO. NO. NO.
https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
https://www.house.gov/representatives
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-12-18/trump-real-estate-inv...
9
Obviously they're counting all the cleanup costs after climate change disasters when they tout how fast the economy is growing.
Wow--career FBI employees who do not support Trump and previously worked for Comey (newsflash, employees generally do not have a choice who their boss is) should be removed. In other news, federal agency employees who have expressed anti-Trump opinions are having their emails scanned.
It seems as if Trump and the people he chose to run Federal agencies are subjecting their employees--ordinary civil servants, in many cases--to loyalty tests, and anyone who is not a full throated supporter of Trump is now suspect.
That sounds scarily like the way a dictator runs his country.
86
Loyalty tests run rampant in the corporate world. Why should anyone expect it to be different in governmental agencies?
1
Because it’s illegal in the government?
The deliberative process privilege? How does that apply to the transition team -- they weren't a part of the federal government yet.
9
Check the statute. Yes they were.
They have government email accounts and besides are, like everybody else, expected to obey the law.
1
There is no such thing as the deliberative process privilege. Pure nonsense, made up on the spot. But Trump supporters wouldn't know that. It sounds good.
1
I think Trump is synchronizing the signing of the tax bill with firing Mueller.
4
I'm thinking Christmas Eve when nobody's paying attention to the news.
1
Oh Carol, you are so right! >sigh<
The FBI has been investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election since July 2016. Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein appointed Robert S. Mueller III to serve as Special Counsel to “oversee the previously-confirmed FBI investigation of Russian government efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election and related matters.” In making the appointment, Rosenstein said, “My decision is not a finding that crimes have been committed or that any prosecution is warranted. I have made no such determination.” After nearly a year of investigation, Special Counsel Robert Mueller should at least tell us what crime or crimes related to the 2016 election he is investigating. It can’t be “collusion.” Collusion is a crime only if it is part of a conspiracy to commit a crime. When people allege that the Trump campaign “colluded,” it because they can’t think of an actual crime to pin on the campaign.
2
if they didn't think they were doing something wrong, why did they all lie?
3
We don't need any artificial timetables. This is actually playing out very quickly. Stop attacking the messenger.
2
too late now - the cat is out of the bad - the massive corruption must now be investigated.
2
That's rich. The same people who were rubbing their hands together and cackling with glee over the hack and dump of emails by a hostile foreign power are now reserving the right to cherry pick which emails they will divulge to an investigation? And as for "the fix" being *against* trump, hello Kellyann...he WON, or didn't you notice?
The Wikileaks dump ultimately revealed nothing criminal irtHRC, but there is obviously indictable stuff from the trump team, or they wouldn't be scrambling to cast doubt on Mueller. I predict trump will fire him, probably the way he fired Comey, in a fit of pique. Then we will see whether we actually have a government of laws.
18
That's exactly what I was thinking: NOW they're concerned about who can read emails?? Karma, thou art a delicious dish.
Yes, content of emails may be incriminating. Republicans made a big issue out of emails in their Hillary Clinton investigation.
If emails were illegally obtained by Mueller, they should have objected to them long before now, but didn't because they were public documents not protected by any privilege. But this is just another political ploy to take the country's attention away from the secretive one-sided tax plan they are pushing through. For the moment, I can't remember what the GOP's position was when crooked Richard Nixon's tapes were discovered. I'm sure they backed him in his claim of presidential privilege on the tapes. Republicans will stoop to any low to protect their oligarchs' right to continue to funnel dark money to them for their election campaigns. Wasn't it our great president Trump who said that a judge with a Mexican heritage had a conflict of interest because of Trump's Wall plans. There is no end to Republican lies to protect their connections with the oligarchs' money.
11
Wow. Even in the days when Nixon was trying to wriggle off the hook, no Republicans were calling for the dismantling of the FBI. They were the staunchest defenders of the agency, which had done plenty of spying upon left-wing groups as part of the US government's efforts to weaken and discredit the left.
In those days, the left complained about government overreach a lot, and the right consistently came down on the side of what they termed law and order (which mostly meant quashing all left-wing tendencies by any means necessary, including instrumentalizing the FBI).
How times have changed. It really makes me wonder what on earth the Trump administration is trying to hide. Is there something it has done that even Trump's fervent base won't be able to stomach?
13
It's highly unlikely that anything the campaign did would meet with disapproval from its base. However, Republicans in the house would be hard-pressed to ignore evidence of treason.
The Mueller team did not steal the documents. They received them. Is it relevant that the General Services Administration is an executive agency? In that light, is it not true that it was President Trump's Administration's agent, GSA, that transmitted the documents to Director Mueller? Doesn't the Mueller team have the right to assume that GSA was prudent in choosing what to deliver? If anything about that action is incorrect or improper, it would seem that the Transition Team should be focusing its opposition on GSA, not on the Special Counsel.
2
If I'm reading this correctly, Trump and his team - and I'm including a complicit media in this - are so desperately terrified of what Mueller has discovered that they've basically thrown reason, dignity, the rule of law, precedent, sanity, honesty and shame out the window as they frantically chuck everything at the wall hoping something - ANYTHING - will stick.
12
It is so predictable to see what's the motive behind all these--discrediting Mueller's team, badmouthing on Faux, congressional hearing giving false impression that Mueller's team may be partisan....
Anyone follows the news should know what's the motive behind all these.
5
If Mueller or the FBI or Justice Department start firing people who seem to support, or have in the past, supported Hillary or Democrats, I presume they also should be firing anyone who supported Trump or Republicans. So anyone who ever voted or voiced a political opinion should be gone, right?
Clearly that would lead to the death of the Justice department and the FBI. Which actually sounds a lot like what I believe the Trumpistas are trying to do across the board -- hollow out our federal government agencies until there is nothing left but a bunch of shells. That is the perfect precursor to a dictatorship.
And if you think Trump's highest goal is not to become our Dear Leader, I'd suggest you think again. Where else do you think the hollowing out of all these agencies will lead, if not to a supercharged imperial presidency?
7
As the cooperative stance of Trump's legal team was strategic so is the hostile stance now. Reflecting the same confusion and studied ambiguity when Trump denies any plan to remove Mueller from the investigation, it could only mean he's in fact planning such a move. There is always a method to Trumpian public posturing that is often rejected in private.
I think the tax bill is morally and ethically wrong in so many ways. Yet after reading this article, I’m starting to hope it passes. Firstly, because I think it’ll hurt the republicans in the long term, but more importantly—it’s presumably the reason that republicans have been backing trump for so long. This was always the GOP faustian bargain...but bad legislation can be undone. If passing a tax bill is what it’ll take for republicans to finally let go of Trump I think it’s worth it
1
Sadly—they would also like to get rid of Medicare and Medicaid. Don’t count on these chumps to do the right thing.
1
trump has changed his tune in recent days, from how put upon he is by this mean investigation, to a sunny, carefree i'm about to be exonerated note. has something happened? did somebody tell him something? my personal feeling is that he is innocent, and knows he is innocent, because he is so naive and so easily manipulated the people around him can get him to do what they want without ever letting him in on the deal. and that's why he thinks he'll get off.
2
He isnt innocent, regardless of what you think.
1
The great and obvious irony here is that the transition team appears about as concerned about concealing their emails as Congressional Republicans were about revealing Hillary's. I jest only in part in suggesting that perhaps Mueller should apply the Trumpian tack and call on Wikileaks to release emails of the transition team (and of certain Congressional committee persons; e.g. Jim Jordan), at a propitious moment of course, all on behalf of nobly exposing and rooting out political bias.
2
I am sure that there are Private Groups investigating the Russia Collusion problem. Trump needs to give it a rest since he should know that if he causes problems for the USA Government investigation, that that only adds fuel to the fire and encourages these Private Groups to "research" more heavily.
There is a law that was championed by Republican senator Orin Hatch, that says that law enforcement officials have a right to communicate their private political views, as long as they do not affect how they do their jobs. No evidence has been even alleged to show that anyone in the Mueller investigation did anything improper. Mueller went above and beyond the law to fire an investigator for having political opinions. His extra care in running a squeaky clean investigation has been twisted by liars to say the opposite.
According to PoliceMag, The Law Enforcement Magazine, last year 82% of police around the country supported Trump. I would be surprised if a majority of FBI agents didn't support Trump. Last year Trump was bragging that the FBI loves him. Where's the concern over that bias.
The idea that a former Republican FBI Director is on a politically motivated "witch hunt" against a sitting Republican president is ludicrous, and should be treated as such by anyone who hears it.
We may see a constitutional crisis that rivals the civil war. If Trump is guilty of conspiracy or obstruction of justice, be prepared to save your republic with more than a trip to the voting booth.
4
Wasn't it the FBI that waded into the 2016 election against all precedent, introducing confusion and doubt at a crucial moment and quite possibly swinging it in the direction of the current administration? How is the FBI suddenly partisan against Trump? That we appear to be seeing a truly non-partisan, thorough, and dogged investigation of an incredibly manipulative and slippery administration is miraculous, really.
4
A Republican lawmaker having trouble with an FBI agent that supported a Democratic candidate only proves the partisanship of the lawmaker. It says nothing about the objectivity of the agent.
2
Former Attorney General, Eric Holer, says that firing Mr. Mueller would be crossing a red line. I agree! We hear that it would cause a Constitutional Crisis.
But then what? Who’s going to act? The Republicans?
I fear that we are powerless to remove Mr. Trump from office because no responsible people can or will act. Those who try will, most likely, be stymied by Trump’s legal team, drawn into a protracted battle, while the fraudulent president remains in office.
5
By now we should all understand Trump's psychology. He WANTS to fire Mueller (despite his asserting the opposite), but he wants to be able to cast the blame on others (his people., the FBI, Mueller, etc etc) so as to appear to be lilywhite and above reproach. Expect the following tweet hours after the firing: "I didn't want to do it, but they made me do it. I had no other option."
2
After 18 months of nonstop Congressional investigations that came to nothing, chants of "lock her up" and "Crooked Hilary" a Republican Special Counsel is inside the oval office. This is a criminal investigation in which the former chairman of Mr. Trump's campaign has been charged with, "crimes against the United States." This is a criminal investigation in which the former chairman of Mr. Trump's campaign has been charged with, "crimes against the United States." The former chairman of Mr. Trump's campaign has been charged with, "crimes against the United States" and money laundering. But that is not the real scandal, the real scandal is Robert Mueller. According to Republican lawmakers, Mueller is compromised and cannot be trusted to operate with impartiality. That the GOP would roll over so completely and with barely a whimper provides new evidence how hollow and without any redeeming qualities it is. The President has been compromised by a hostile foreign power and those that facilitate the shuttering of Mueller's investigation are complicit in it.
10
Just as a passing legal question, when an innocent person is suspected of a crime, heartedly pursued and runs a stop sign in the process and thrown in jail for that, the streets then become safer as a result?
@Iver Thomson: If the guy is so innocent, why is he trying to run away from being questioned?
If he were really a good citizen, wouldn't he cooperate fully in the investigation of suspected crime, instead of racing through the streets, running stop signs and endangering others in the process?
2
No one is ever thrown in jail for running a stop sign.
I'm not a lawyer, but my guess is that following a police chase such as you described, the charges would likely be be unlawfully fleeing an officer in a motor vehicle, obstruction of governmental administration, and possibly reckless endangerment, reckless driving, and speeding.
Yes the streets would become safer as a result.
I've been driving for 45 years and I've only gotten tickets for running a stop sign.
And I don't see the relevance of your analogy.
3
Perhaps someone should remind the complaining republicans that facts don't have a party affiliation, perhaps a difficult concept for the party that does not believe in or understand science.
10
A subpoena was issued by a judge allowing Mueller to get the emails from the GSA, that means it is legal.
11
Please, this investigation should continue! Attempts to stop it just prove that there are things that some people do not want revealed. If outcomes prove to be all smoke and no fire, then the Trump team is exonerated. Otherwise, the public needs to know the truth.
2
"Republicans have seized on Mr. Strzok’s text messages, saying that they were the clearest evidence that the F.B.I. had been out to get Mr. Trump and that Mr. Mueller’s investigation was filled with partisans."
No, Mr. Mueller's investigation is filled with individuals with an IQ significantly above 100. If that's the issue for Republicans (and what else could it be) they have a tough road ahead.
5
The administration, and more and more Republicans, are challenging Robert Mueller, whom they praised just 6 months ago, from every angle. Even expecting the worst, I'm guessing that the width and depth of malfeasance among the Trump clan will still be a shock.
Stand fast America-support the Mueller and the independent council. We do not deserve crooks, and possibly traitors, in the White House.
4
Republicans need to defend their fellow Republican, Robert Mueller, or be condemned by future historians as traitors.
Trump isn’t forever. Trumpism will not continue beyond him. But honor and integrity are forever, and if you are religious, please consider your soul as well.
6
Sadly, Republicans are determined to protect any unsavory activity , outburst twit Trump does, regardless of how adverse the consequence, as long as they remain in power.
4
Robert Mueller is not an ignorant and childish businessman trying to conceal his crimes with lies. Something tells me this intelligent patriot prepared for his possible firing his first day on the job. Yes, I believe before he gets too close to Trump's family (Kushner) he will be fired, but I also expect to find that all the evidence has been organized and ready to go to further investigation or trial.
5
So let me get this straight: Junior said that he would love to get dirt on HRC from the Russian government, and the Trump campaign used the Russia-hacked emails against HRC, but federal government investigators aren't allowed to see the transition team emails?
7
When (not if) Trump fires Mueller, people must go to the streets and protest every day.
4
So every FBI agent has personal political opinions - we all do. Either for Trump or against Trump. So we are going to fire all those with personal political opinions against Trump and replace them with Trump supporters? Isn't that the definition of "bias?"
723
I believe that's the definition of "dictator."
5
So if you were being investigated you wouldn't mind if lets say your Italian and members of the investigative team didn't particularly care for Italians. And texted their dislike before and during an investigation. Really?
I'm amazed how so many people lie to not only others but too themselves as well. Just as you do............
The definition of "bias," to the Trump Crown is, "saying mean stuff about the beloved Donald." You might say they have a bias against bias-bias.
By now most people have deduced that when he says one thing he means another. So this is his way of telegraphing his intention to fire Mueller after the holidays.
21
We deduced that decades ago, the ones of us that lived in NYC have always known he’s a scammer.
Justice Department took the unusual step of releasing to the news media anti-Trump text messages
How is this legal?
13
When will they release the pro text messages?
Only fair.
2
They used a Government email account. We (i.e. the People of the USA) are the government in the US, remember? That means they used our equipment and we get to see how our equipment is being used.
Remember Hillary Clinton's emails? They were released too. By Wikileaks/Russian; DJT blabbed about it all the way to the WH. Did you have a problem with that as well? A foreign agency/enemy released those emails and they were broadcast across America.
How is it illegal?
So having a poor opinion of the subject of a criminal investigation is a "conflict of interest" if the subject of that criminal investigation is a Republican. Good to know.
50
Yes, apparently that would leave out about 70% of America.
Bias among special counsel members is not a significant concern unless their is a conflict of interest. For instance, when Kenneth Starr was prosecuting the Whitewater case, he was simultaneously representing tobacco companies against the Clinton administration's efforts to crack down on the industry's deceitful practices. Starr had also filed friend of the court briefs on behalf of witnesses he would later feature in the case against Clinton. None of that mattered to Republicans and the Democrats did not derail the investigation.
Where political bias does matter is when it exists within a judge who is hearing a case relevant to the leanings of the jurist. Neal Gorsuch, for instance, maintained active participation in far right organizations and was a paid speaker for one of them at a Trump Hotel, even as Trump properties are at the heart of money laundering and Russian influence via the Emollients Clause in the case being investigated by Mueller. Nonetheless, all of the Republicans voted to approve seating him on the Supreme Court.
Not only are the facts not supportive of the bias charges being leveled at Mueller, but the precedents for tolerating much worse bias in much more critical circumstances show those who are complaining to be utter hypocrites. If there is bias that unduly influences the case, the judiciary can sort it out -- except for judges that should recuse themselves.
49
Nothing new in the hypocrisy of Republicans. They give it new definition on an almost daily basis.
They are desperate to give their supporters an excuse to attack the investigation and to refuse to believe any results that come from it. Facebook is being flooded by trolls posting unsubstantiated stories about Democratic involvement, or questioning Mueller's motives. I am sure there are some Trump supporters who think Special Counsel Mueller is a Democrat, picked by Hillary Clinton to run this investigation. That is how deep the ignorance an bias runs with his supporters.
Fortunately the law is with Mr. Mueller and the evidence of his professional approach to this investigation is seen in two plea deals resulting in convictions. More will follow, he should not be rushed, he should be supported by both parties so he may find the truth.
Mr. Trump says he want's to cooperate, so he should tell his transition team to get on board and stop attacking the investigation. Otherwise it looks like the Trump organization is once again trying to obstruct justice.
40
When Nixon said “I’m not a crook,” everybody then knew he was guilty.
Trump is doing the same thing. Everyone is interested in possible Russian election meddling. But, Trump tried to hush Comey up and now Mueller.
People aren’t that stupid. They’ve seen this on TV. He looks so guilty.
21
And I like to think Nixon is somewhere going, "Wow....now that's a crook!"
2
When will this waking nightmare end?
I, for one, am petrified at the prospect of Trump firing Mueller. If that happens -- and it could happen any minute -- our country will be facing the most serious constitutional crisis in the last 100 years.
24
It appears as if the POTUS or his lawyers are simply not allowed to even question the process.
This alone indicates he's guilty. Perhaps he can be caught trying to show the illegitimacy of the investigation?
3
It is hard to justify questioning the process when there is zero evidence of impropriety. Innocent people would point to the evidence, or lack thereof, to exonerate them.
he'd love to. if only he could find a way.
As long as Trump does not fire Mueller it should be okay. At the same time Mueller needs to not drag on but wrap up his investigation to answer the basic question for which he was appointed. Was there any Russian attempt to subvert the nationaL SECURITY OF THE USA either by Trump or Clinton?
4
No one seeks to recall at the moment that Kenneth Starr took years in his investigation of Bill Clinton, which morphed from a Whitewater inquiry all the way through Monica Lewinsky, Linda Tripp et. al. I don't recall Republicans fomenting anger about that lengthy investigative delay.
1
I think the question was did the Russians subvert the ELECTION and did Trump and company collude with those efforts. It would seem you are trying to mislead.
1
Everyone who has more than two working neurons and watched the behavior of Donald J. Trump since he began his run for the presidency has an opinion about Trump and how he has conducted himself since the beginning of 2016. That is simply human nature; and even FBI agents are humans. So, it is not surprising that there were FBI agents who thought Trump was unqualified to be POTUS. No surprise there. Nevertheless, It is amazing that in 2016 there were still FBI personnel who were not aware that anything that you entered onto the internet might come back to haunt you later. (Of course no one back then thought that Trump would win the election). The emails showing bias against Trump did surface and Mueller immediately removed his otherwise trusted associate from the investigation. So Mueller did the right thing. Why can't Trump and his team of cry babies quit whining and get back to the real business of governing? Or is that asking too much?
22
Of course it is; the base has to be fed propaganda on a daily basis. If every institution of government and democracy has to be bashed, then so be it. There is no truth - the truth is what Republicans say it is.
2
Attacking the investigators for being biased is patently absurd. All they are doing is collecting evidence. If one is seeking the truth, who better to perform due diligence? When it comes to a jury we want complete objectivity, when it comes to collecting evidence we should want people that will leave no stone unturned. Besides, this could have all been avoided if Trump had shown us his taxes. Any excuse for him not having done so is weak at best.
22
Right on!
"Improperly gotten emails..." - Really? Wasn't it Donald Trump who was praising Wikileaks for acquiring the DNC's "improperly gotten emails?"
44
If the Trump model holds, then Mueller should hand the emails over to WikiLeaks.
3
It's the old jury conundrum--if you can find a panel of 12 people who know nothing about an infamous case, aren't these people basically uninformed when they ought to be, and are they really fit to be jurors? And if you can find someone in the FBI who has nothing critical to say about Trump, does that person really have the good judgement to be an FBI agent? Statistically speaking, the vast majority of people anywhere, including in the FBI, are critical of Trump. It's not a parallel universe out there, children...
10
Seems to me person who pleaded for foreign government to steal and release his political opponents emails does not get to cry foul when his emails are legally obtained by his own government.
28
The rules don't apply to Trump, especially when there are no Republicans around who will enforce them.
Surely in a country as undivided as ours, where the election was won in a historical landslide, we can find intelligent, unbiased investigators. Just eliminate from the pool all Democrats, Independents, dissident Republicans and conservatives, critical thinkers, appreciators of reality, legal experts, and stack the investigation with partisans who will listen intently when the anti-American "president" says "there's nothing there," and we'll have an unbiased investigation.
7
What landslide? Trump lost the popular vote.
2
"Appreciators of reality"
I'm stealing that for my online dating profile!
Oh no's. The FBI is reading the Trumpies' emails. No one has ever done anything like that before! And what if the Russians put them on Wikileaks? That would be wrong!
9
If Trump has nothing to hide, why all this fuss?
Oh, maybe he DOES have something to hide!
Obfuscate, obfuscate, obfuscate and then lie! That is the path to impeachment.
13
I cannot help but wonder what Trey Gowdy would be doing now if HRC had won the electoral college ( we know she won the election)
How many investigations into emails? Into the democratic party and bernie, benghazi, Clinton foundation and perhaps in these times even revising Bill's dalliances.
Treason? Not on the agenda at all
The republicans today are the most unAmerican party that has ever existed - more so than even the russians!
13
Whine whine moan moan, feel the pain Hillary felt. PS I am no fan of the Clintons but the GOP fixation with HRC is a huge waste of money.
5
Any Republican attempting to undermine the integrity of Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller's investigation by stating the investigation is slanted, biased or tainted in any way should look no further than the recent firing of an individual who was part of the investigative team and was caught texting anti-Trump remarks to someone ...and immediately and promptly fired by Robert Mueller's team.
That episode (from last week) ought to make it clear to everyone - Democrats and Republicans that Robert Mueller is conducting an unbiased investigation and will fire anyone who compromises that integrity.
Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller is a patriot and the investigation will continue unsullied until completed.
945
Strzok wasn't fired for his texts - he was fired because he got caught.
That was not recent. It was in the summer. And the prosecutor in question was not fired, he was just taken off this case. It is standard procedure. You are right, FoxStateMedia is making up an entire fiction based on the facts that actually show how even handed Mueller is being.
2
One in the same. And a cautionary tale for anyone else who thinks that is a wise idea!
1
Mueller should expand his investigation to Republican members of Congress trying to shut him down, since they too are equally guilty of obstruction of justice. And Fox News should be given a warning in that regard.
97
Two points especially troubling to the Trump team that have been under-weighted by Jeffrey Toobin New Yorker, in the Times, that seem to be driving the hysteria in the White House:
1. Conspiracy to commit & implementation of systematic money laundering schemes by Trump for well over a decade. These have continued into his Administration and the White House. (This is aside from any issues of collusion with the Russian government, or sales of influence, decisions, etc. through emoluments violations).
2. High Treason, fitting the criteria for the ultimate punishments outlined by Article Three of the U.S. Constitution §110.
Use of "Trump Properties" here, & through licensing abroad pursued by Trump & family appears to have been carried forward with the goal of soliciting illusory sales for the purpose of providing a utility for the 'sanitizing' and relocation of assets by criminal-corrupt entities and those seeking to export their funds in order to evade taxes and claims that might be exercised by their governments or investors. The Cocaine Tower of Panama, or the Baku Tower as well as the Soho Grand are simply the most visible of such Trump properties, dozens of properties are implicated and traceable through the Deutchesbank documents possessed by Mueller .
Flynn and Kushner and aides can provide 2 or more witnesses to Treason: Trump exposing FSB CIA assets who were instrumental in conveying info re the Trump/Russia assault the U.S. election on Trump's behalf.
36
It must be said over and over, since the Fox News propagandists are trying to get Trump to fire Mueller and end the rule of law in this country: Mueller is a Republican. He was appointed head of the FBI by George Bush. Newt Gingrich applauded his appointment as Special Counsel in this investigation. It is beyond absurd to claim he is some kind of liberal shill out to get Trump for partisan reasons, as they are doing over at Fox. He is doing his job, and he MUST NOT be fired. If Trump fires him, it's clear the Republican-controlled Congress will do absolutely nothing; it will be up to US to ensure this country doesn't turn into a banana republic with a demented strongman at its head.
68
NO, that's the rumor started by the Congresswoman from Florida based on absolutely nothing. Trump has NEVER said he was going to fire Mueller. However, someone needs to be looking at how he has illegally obtained information.
Sorry, John. Trump has given hints about such an approach, and that he is even entertaining it says all he needs to say. His minions, we know, are certainly disparaging the Mueller team's work.
Our system is messed up. When the tail wags the dog...we have big problems and yet the self-serving Congress lets it slide. "T" is interfering with the process. (by "the process" I really mean ANY process) Everyone knows he and his pets are trying to influence the public and discredit Mueller. Clearly he has a lot to hide. He is continuously allowed to slander anyone or anything - Never providing valid proof. The damage he is doing to the moral of this country is horrendous - My Christmas Miracle would be him simply shutting up.
12
Trump's lawyers thought you need to get emails from Wikileaks.
22
E-mails obtained illegally used as political tools? Where did I hear that before?
E-mails on public servers are not private. E-mails on private servers should be. Hillary Clinton was just protecting her privacy, as she was entitled to do.
The persons who should be "LOCKED UP" are the ones who illegally obtained the Wiki Leaks e-mails.
The whining begins from the Trump team! Talk about Karma!
28
Of COURSE he plans to fire Mueller! Everything he says is a lie and every accusation is projection. And when he does, all the mainstream media will look around concernedly wondering if the Republicans will do anything about it. They won’t so the media will shrug because they always believe what Daddy GOP tells them.
18
The whole affair is a sham. Of course, If Hillary was elected there would be no investigation
1
The media cares about nothing besides delivering eyeballs to advertisers, and they are more desperate to do that than ever, because most advertising revenues have migrated to the internet.
Can you name any individual on this planet who has endured more investigation than Hillary Clinton?
The whole US is a sham now, a pathetic enabler of a present hedonist with the intellect of a gnat.
All of you who think the next step in opposing the Trump administration's dismantling of our republic is the 2018 elections are being far too optimistic.
Everyone in this country that believes in the rule of law and the constitution may be needed to protect the Mueller investigation if Trump decides to end it prematurely.
If Trump tries to fire Mueller (a Republican and Director of the FBI under Bush) it will be tantamount to an admission that he conspired with the Russians to manipulate the elections and change U.S. policy for Putin.
But Fox News and many Republican congress people, etc, are directly attacking both the Mueller team and the FBI.
I've criticized the FBI for spying on protesters (with evidence coming from declassified documents), but as radical as I am I have never called for dismantling the FBI, as the right is doing now.
If Trump is guilty of conspiracy with Russia, we are heading toward a constitutional crisis bigger than Watergate, because at least with Watergate the majority of Republicans were more interested in saving the constitution than the president. That may not be true this time.
Get ready to save your republic.
36
There is no government on Earth that is not under pressure to dissolve in favor of international plutocracy.
This has become a political circus. Most of the members of Muellers team have donated money to democrats campaigning for office and zero to republicans. To be fair anyone involved in this investigation should be one that never donated to any party. Maybe even never voted. We need a team of lawyers from New Guinea.
3
Did you have the same concern in the HRC investigation?
2
Americans don't lose their civil rights when they become FBI agents. Professionals don't let their personal beliefs affect their job performance and the FBI is as professional as law enforcement gets. Being anti-crook is expected of them, even when the crook is in the White House, your authoritarian follower bias not withstanding.
You won't find anyone who hasn't formed an opinion about Trump, except maybe in central New Guinea, or the Amazon river headwaters.
Trump's legal team is constrained by one of the oldest and more persistent legal handicaps in the book - they are representing a petulant, unpredictable, and untruthful client who is convinced that he is smarter than they are.
22
The only lawyers who work for the likes of Trump are Roy Cohn types.
I appreciate the excellent lengthy and well researched analysis that op ed writers have put out about the President. But for the sake of understanding a Twitter guy’s operational style in twitter brevity’s beauty,
1.If you have the facts on your side, hammer the facts.
2. If you have the law on your side, hammer the law.
3. If you ( are President Trump and ) have neither the facts nor the law on your side, hammer the table.
19
"...the F.B.I. has handed them fresh ammunition to claim that the agents investigating the president may be biased."
Since when is such bias of the prosecutors an issue? Ken Starr, a staunch Republican, investigated Clinton, and few saw this as disqualifying. We want prosecutors motivated to dig deep; what would be disqualifying is if the prosecutor were a supporter of those being investigated.
12
None of this bothers Mr. Mueller. He is laser fixed on what needs to be done. This is all a bunch of political hot air. I have great faith, hope and trust in Mueller's team. Keep going. Oh and by the way.....any .gov website has no expectation of privacy, and I would imagine, anything that is labeled atty client privilege they will set aside. Yay, Mr. Mueller you got these guys on the run.
25
Mueller removed the agent. He acted appropriately in a timely manner.
Contrast this with Trump keeping Flynn around for 18 days after Yates warned that he was compromised. I'd bet biggly that the transition emails prove that Trump, Pence, and everyone else were knowingly lying about Flynn.
Also contrast team Trump being upset about potentially inappropriately obtained emails (I'll bet on Muller again here) vs Trump asking Russia to hack DNC to get Hilary's emails.
11
It's not as if we shouldn't have expected this, but what is truly frightening is that we have a major news outlet with millions upon millions of believing viewers actively running a propagandized assault on a bi-partisan inquiry led by a life-long Republican. And they're too in the dark to see that having qualified people from BOTH parties represented on it, is a GOOD thing. This is getting way beyond Watergate. Nixon and the GOP of the day at least were capable of feeling shame. Trump is quite another level of corrupt. Personally, I'm trying to reach all of my friends who listen to the drivel from Fox and other, and help them see what a danger this is to our society--ALL of it. That's the only way this is going to be corrected.
13
Don't forget that if Clinton had won, partisan Republicans would have made full time work of trying to destroy her. Look at Congressman Chaffetz - he simply resigned so he could rant elsewhere. What goes around comes around.
11
What a fantastic negotiator Donald J. Trump, friend of Vladimir Putin, is! Come out with a laughably ridiculous demand, hoping to walk away with something - anything will work - in order to claim victory.
Yes, Donald, all business school students should study your style and copy it in order to become a success.
2
Don't expect anything truthful out of this White House or from the Republican establishment. The latter agreed to sell its soul and support an alleged pedophile in order to hold onto a Senate seat. These boys are crass partisans. Meanwhile, the bleating from rightwing media gets louder all the time as Murdoch, Koch and the rest of that crowd seeks to push its agenda forward. They just got the tax giveaway for corporations and the super-wealthy. Next on the list: Shred the social welfare benefits that Americans have received since the 1930s.
Watch. The battle is only beginning.
9
It's a safe assumption, that all the attorneys working for and under Trump are as incompetent and unqualified as the rest of his staff has shown us to be.
Sekulow has never impressed me, and that other loose cannon, Kasowitz, wasn't anyone I'd like representing me either. In comparison to those we can expect work for Mueller, these guys are amateurs. Giving amateur advice.
5
“Peter Strzok, after the discovery of text messages between him and a colleague in which they described the possibility of an election victory by Mr. Trump as “terrifying” and said that Hillary Clinton “just has to win.”
Good Grief! The same though process was manifested by millions upon millions of Americans.....me included and from people all over the world. To even suggest that the FBI is bias in its investigation is overreaching…..where is the evidence? Whatever happened to free speech?
How ironic….this President lies and divides at will and gets away with it. This is just another ploy from the Trump administration to detract from the truth.
10
Kellyanne Conway says "the fix was in against Donald Trump from the beginning". This is the same woman who said microwaves can be set up to spy on anyone, talked about "alternative facts" of the size of Trump's inaugruration attendance, and talked about the "Bowling Green massacre".
8
Modus Operandi for Trump is to throw out suggestive tweets, cower behind the White House, call up his congressional allies to defend him, and then have his lawyers attack credibility. Look through the dirty haze and you see a man who has a lot to hide. There is an old saying that lazy people work twice as hard. I would like to say this...guilty people work twice as hard.
7
As Mueller and his team get closer to the truth the more trump and his crowd of liars want him to go. Please proceed Mr. Mueller. If trump was smart he would do the same thing that Nixon did, resign.
5