There is no point in hoping for some sense of sanity ever to come out of the Trump Administration.
Hoping that people with whom Donald Trump has surrounded himself will somehow miraculously answer a higher calling and do the right thing is a pipe dream.
Those who have made that decision - putting country over loyalty to this man - have already left his administration.
We are left with the Boltons and Millers who have Trump’s ear. I do not find that a comfort.
Let us all hope that in Trump’s remaining time in office we will not engage in a war with Iran or North Korea. I am losing precious sleep thinking that this man has access to the nuclear codes of the most powerful military the world has ever seen.
58
Glad that this witch hunt is being investigated. Let the truth come out.
10
After this 3rd investigation, 4 more and they can tie the Bengazi investigations. Maybe the Republicans will make Trump sit in front of them for 12 hours answering questions. You think?
8
Gosh, we have short memories! Under the Republicans, the House Intelligence Committee released a memo, supposedly documenting FBI malfeasance in the issuance of the Carter Page FISA warrant. Remember the Nunes memo, that was going to blow the lid off the whole thing? Remember how that went? If you've forgotten:
https://www.lawfareblog.com/irony-nunes-memo
This looks to be going the way of the lebendy hundred Benghazi investigations. But hey! Keep digging! There's gotta be a pony in there somewhere!
5
Barr is simply embarrassing.
6
Pretty sure it will go as well as the investigation into the election fraud. Mus the entire country bend to the will of T's self-interest?
2
This investigation, it’s origins and motivations should be viewed with the deepest of concerns at a time when the Trump juggernaut spits out more decisions every day.
1
May 15, 2019
Yes all efforts to clarify election melding and intrusions by Russia or other actors must be top priority for the strength of our election process for our welfare and honor.
1
Dems are gonna sweat now. All the upper echelon management of the FBI who considered themselves to be part of "The Resistance", might possibly consider early retirement or they might end up like Andrew McCabe, fired and with no pension.
5
This is not about Donald Trump and his taxes. Also not about the Russians, or Trump's family, his business endeavors, his lawyers, Attorney Barr, or myriad other dreams that the left hope will prove to be true. This is about corruption that was fostered by President Obama and the Clinton Presidential campaign. This was swallowed hook, line, and sinker by the fake news purveyors. And now, after an exhaustive $25 million dollar investigation, President Trump has been found to not to have colluded with the Russians. And predictably, Robert Mueller is no longer the darling of the democrats. Quite the contrary, as is AG Barr. Now that Mr. Barr has focused upon the origins of this hoax, the democrats have no choice other than to try to destroy his reputation. I'll put my money on the Attorney General. The democrats continue to make themselves look foolish. The chickens are coming home to roost. And the democrats should be very worried.
8
James Brennan has already named the game the Trump gang is playing here. They will look into the wording of every FISA warrant and all associated notes and paper work. Unlike the democrats, their access to documents will not be restricted in any way.
They will find some wording to quibble about and then Trump and his spinners will take flight from there misrepresenting the quibble as a persecution of the poor innocent victim, the so called president Donald Trump.
You know this is what they are going to do. They just want to muddy the waters enough to allow this cultist followers to keep supporting Trump as the injured party here, instead of the bully and aggressor he shows himself to be every single day.
Investigating the investigators is their latest scam, and firmly puts Lindsey Graham in the Hypocrites Hall of Fame. The facts are that none of the myriad contacts with Russians by Trump associates -- not one of them reported it to the FBI as they are supposed to do. Why did they lie about it? Why did they all try to hide it?
And this is the witch hunt? Please. The real witch hunt is this fishing expedition to get the pretext to say the FBI did something wrong in their legitimate counterintelligence investigation of Russian interference in our election.
This is a fool's errand and does repubs no honor. In their calumny with Trump they have sunk to depths of hypocrisy that knows no bottom. These are corrupted individuals that need to be turned out of office.
6
I love it. The FBI initiated an investigation into a candidate, kept it secret, used information provided by the other side (Steele dossier), sent memos back and forth among the higher ups about stopping this candidate. They illegally obtained FISA warrants. Then at the behest of the President at the time, the intel agencies hastily put together a report stating that the Russians intervened in the election to help Trump -- just as he is about to take office. Then someone leaks the Steele dossier, full of unverified salacious materials.
Following that, we sit through two years of Mueller's investigation with the MSM and left bubbling over with hope that there will be change -- Mueller will find collusion, Trump is a traitor -- on and on. Except -- Mueller finds no evidence for collusion.
So the sitting president was undermined for two years because of an investigation that was started with no evidence of a crime or conspiracy and pushed by the MSM and dems.
And the commentariat and the EB thinks we don't to investigate what happened? Please.
Something very odd occurred with our intel services, the FBI, and the Obama admin. We need to know. If there was an attempt to undermine a candidate, then president, by public officials who used the power of their office to do so -- we need to know. That's much more important than a few facebook ads.
11
@Ralphie
False. The Steele dossier was not used as evidence for any of the FISA warrants.
4
@Ralphie
No evidence of a crime? You think that little of our election process that there should be no investigation into the possibility the process was compromised in favor of a candidate over the other?
That's amazing, for if the Intelligence Community did not investigate the possibility they would have been neglecting their responsibility. Then what?
I thought until recently that I possibly suffered from Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) then I realized that I am really suffering from Trump Overdose Syndrome (TOS). I couldn't believe anything that came from Mr Trump or his camp, the constant stream of blather that made no sense was chipping away at my faith in my country.
I truly hope most of my countrymen wake up and use their brains ( you know the one G-d gave us) to see what is happening. But I fear that may not happen...
3
Waste of time and money. Good luck with that, trumpsters.
4
@-APR
Individual-1 is pretty good at wasting $100 million on the 175 golf outings in the last 28 months.
3
This investigation is just another warning from the Trump Administration to FBI personnel not to look to hard at Trump's dealings if they value their careers and even perhaps their freedom.
6
The extreme left calls the Trump team the right wing totalitarian gang. The extreme right calls the extreme left the "deep state." Both terms seem to point to the same kind of behavior.
My issue is no one believes anyone anymore. Mueller worked for two years drew conclusions but the conclusions were not what some liked so they keep going. Now those who think they were exonerated what to investigate the investigators. Will anyone believe any of the conclusions that the new investigations uncover except through the lens of their bias. I doubt it.
Meanwhile back at the ranch we have an immigration system that needs amending, our health care system needs help, infrastructure is crumbling and our Social Security and Medicare bills keep growing.
Now that is effective government. Good luck with all your investigative work!
2
@Dante
Right I think you hit a major nail on the head!
That's truly scary!!!
Barr believes in singularly unchallenged authority of the POTUS.
I am betting that Barr will find someone within FBI to blame and charge for conspiracy to illegally spy on Trump campaign.
Afterall, he needs to wag his tail to his Dark Lord.
6
@Assay
I truly hope that's wrong but I fear you could be right.
Rather than continue to conduct what seem to be endless investigations and counter investigations, the FISA warrant applications in question and their underlying documentation/decision trees should be declassified and made public. I would seriously doubt that there are any smoking guns (exculpatory to Trump) in those documents otherwise the President would have declassified and ordered them released shortly after he came into office. Instead, the public waits and waits and waits for what will likely turn out to be much ado about very little.
1
I believe this strategy is covered thoroughly in chapter 2 of Dictatorship for Dummies. Chapter 1 of course being How to Steal an Election.
6
So, when Barr is proven to be more of a Trump Toadie than we have already seen - when his Trump-ordered investigation reveals nothing - will he resign for abuse of power or do we have to Impeach him too?
I don't see him using the DOJ to do ANYTHING about present and anticipated Russian and Chinese election interference, perhaps th greatest problem this country faces after Trump.
My guess is that this administration covets Russian assistance because they will not win in a fair fight - something that Trump has never done in his life. THAT IS TREASON and I don't see anyone except Democrats trying to stand up for the freedoms and rights of ALL Americans. Consider that in 2020.
5
A lot of commenters appear to be terrified that everything they want to believe might not be correct.
Having seen a number of federal and state prosecutors use the immense power and near unlimited discretion inherent in their offices somewhat questionably, I see no problem with occasionally reinforcing the notion their acts can be reviewed like those of other Americans
10
@Tim
What you have said makes sense but where do the investigations into investigations stop?
That seems to be never-ending. At some point you need to believe the conclusions (or what is in the report) and stop the foolishness to realize what is discovered is correct.
If constant investigations are the norm then who can be believed? Or is that the point?
We have Mr Trump who constantly complains he is being victimized as POTUS and his former challenger to POTUS is the Queen Empress of Evil of the Universe.
Sheesh!!!
It's an election gimmick--divert attention away from him to his opponents--"lock her up, Lock her up". The strategy worked before. I'm hoping against hope that it will not this time.
4
Your concluding statement “...ensuring the sanctity and security of the nation’s ballot boxes,” is where the problem lies. If we indeed had actual ballots and boxes the Russians would have much greater problems messing with our elections.
5
The Justice Department IG is already investigating the investigators. What is the purpose of launching a second investigation before the first one is finished?
4
If a businessman like Trump has 'contacts' with Russians in connection with investing in a project there that is perfectly acceptable. Mueller vindicated him of any nefarious acts in connection with elections.
Case closed.
Durham must investigate the FBI under Comey.
Tremendous bias against Trump by Comey & Co.
7
@Tuco
Individual-1 could shoot someone on 5th Avenue and his supporters would cheer at the funeral of the dead.
1
AG William Barr knows no shame. Does he really want the job that bad?
3
@gmt He has sold his soul.
This inquisitor isn't there to find anything. He's there to do what the GOP has done since Gingrich: try this in the headlines, and make investigation the talking point, not the findings.
They tormented the Clintons for years with malicious inquisitions and used them, not the findings, to their advantage. Fox News will follow the usual story: the investigation hasn't found anything yet: the absence of evidence is evidence; the Deep State is covering up and obstructing justice. It's a shameless betrayal of what DoJ is supposed to do.
10
Mr. Barr reveals his allegiance to Trump, Trump's lies and distortions, Trump's end runs of the actual law, and Trump's conspiracy theories. Barr's Pledge of Allegiance must read quite differently than the one the rest of us use.
3
I agree with the overall assessment made by the New York Times Editorial Board, however, I see no downside to looking into these issues. I am someone who reads a lot of political articles and always look at both sides of the issue to see if there is a rationale for their thinking. In this case I believe there is a rationale to ensure that all was "kosher."
I am concerned about the use of the "Steele Dossier" as a factor in getting the original FISA Warrant. Everything I read indicates that either it was used wholly to justify the FISA or it was used sparingly or as a contributing factor. Let's open this up and have a look at it. No harm there. If it was used sparingly then no issue. If it was the basis of the warrant then this is a serious concern that should worry everyone of all political stripes.
My understanding is the US Attorney from Connecticut is working in tandem with Michael Horowitz. I think that's great. Let's put this issue to bed once and for all. If some people did wrong and if it was criminal then bring them to justice. If not, let's please just move on. We have a very important election coming up.
Enough is enough. Get it done!
7
@Rosie James
The Steele Dossier was not used as evidence for the FISA warrants.
btw Much of the Steele Dossier has been verified.
2
I guess the the president may have already "suggested" the answers to be returned by his high powered collection of his administration's lackeys (viz. Barr). My guess is that the net result may be a belated but not unsurprising finding that the first investigation really wanted a "full exoneration" but was tainted by democratic investigators. Expect that the required results will be forthcoming quickly, being delayed only by changes in the "suggested" findings as his mind continues spinning around how to impress his base regardless of the facts already presented.
Kind of makes one wonder why organized crime isn't given the option to re-investigate FBI investigations after crimes are identified.
5
If Republicans are able show even one minor infraction in the investigations they are investigating, they will claim victory for the rule of law. Trump, however, will claim victory no matter what.
4
Trump clearly thinks EVERYONE is out to get him, the most common symptom of paranoia. Literally everything he does and says is a reflection of that single symptom.
2
This is just another way of saying "Nothing to see hear, folks!", or "Look over there. Squirrel!" It's a ploy often used by people that have LOTS to hide.
Oh, and "predicated spying"? Another term for that is "investigation".
Honestly, if they are so certain of Trump's innocence, then why are they trying to hard to bury everything? They couldn't look more guilty if they had tried.
5
This editorial perpetuates the myth that Trump will do anything to prevemt Russian interference in our elections.
How difficult is this to grasp? As he told the NRA, "You came through for me so now I'm coming through for you." Russia, if you're listening....
2
“Donald Trump is behind Barr’s actions”. Oh, for that sentence to be one word shorter!
3
@Keven
The Barr probe is a criminal investigation trigger by a Inspector General internal review of the Justice Department and FBI that Congress requested in March 2018, nearly a year before Barr became attorney general.
The IG report is expected to be released in a few days. Barr has appointed a federal prosecutor to expand on the IG findings and determine if criminal indictments are in order.
4
@William Case
False. AGAIN.
1
What this really is, is performance of due diligence that should have been done a long time ago.
If no improprieties are detected then it will go away quietly.
I wouldn't bet on that.
I think the most likely outcome is the indictment and conviction of several actors, all motivated by a quest for poliical power, personal bias, or just arrogance and hubris.
9
The FBI inquiry into the Trump operation began as a counter intelligence investigation.
Where are the results of that investigation? The Mueller Report said nary a word about it. Is that cointel operation ongoing? or has it concluded? and what have we learned?
And is the FBI Director currently under pressure to sit on it?
1
@Occupy Government
The Mueller report conduced Russians engages in a conspiracy to influence the 2016 election. Dozens of Russian nationals have been indicted.
The Mueller report also found no evidence that Trump campaign members or associates were involved in the conspiracy.
5
@William Case
Absolutely false. As usual.
More than 140 meetings between Russian agents and the Campaign personnel of Individual-1 proves the falsity of your comment.
1
Republicans learned a long time ago, with the Whitewater investigation, that they need not have an serious investigation that ends in trials and convictions, but a "news" investigation, that served to keep the "scandal" ever-present in the public eye, on talk radio, and in the nightly news. They did this for years playing up Clinton's scandals, leaking info from the investigation to the press (Barr and Kavanaugh were both involved in the effort). It was so successful that, like a TV show, there were spin-offs. Lewenski, Benghazi, Her Emails, and etc. Were any of these crimes that rose to the point of trials and convictions? Nope, but that was never the point was it?
The point was, is , and will be always to bamboozle a public that doesn't really pay attention, and keep those nightly news headlines coming. What do want bet this investigation, unlike Mueller's will leak like a sieve. What do you bet that you'll be hearing about it nightly from Fox, Brietbart, Rush, and Hannity. What do you bet that it will coincide perfectly with the 2020 election campaign cycle?
This is exactly what happens when you hand the levers of power to men like Trump, Barr, and McConnell. I hope the good people who are left and the ones who are paying attention understand the depth and breadth of the crisis we are in, and send the Republic party straight to the history books in November of next year., but I wonder if we have the bravery and the strength.
..."A Republic, if you can keep it" indeed.
4
Twice I have heard John H. Durham described as "slow." Not unintelligent, but deliberate.
I suspect his report will be released, as Chris Matthews suggests, on the day after the election.
2
@Occupy Government
Though there will be many ‘leaks’ during the Campaign season that are detrimental to the Democratic candidate.
1
The attempted coup will be revealed.
The whole investigation was just an attempt
to delegitimize the Trump presidency.
The tables have been turned and the Democrats
will now be subject to investigation.
11
@Art
FYI
ALL the upper echelon of the DoJ careerists and ALL the upper echelon of the FBI are lifelong Republic Party supporters and conservatives.
Name a Democrat who had anything to do with the Russia report being initiated, managed and revealed.
The Trump administration could care less about the sanctity of American elections especially when they benefit from the Russian interference.
Trump campaign officials had meetings with Russian KGB, but they don’t think that is probable cause for an investigation. They want to investigate and even lock up political enemies with less probable cause and without investigation.
Trump claims that he as President has the right to investigate anyone he deems warrants an investigation. By that logic, Obama had the right to request an investigation of Trump even without probable cause.
4
As long as the actions of the FBI New York Field Office, with its multiple leaks of confidential information regarding Hillary Clinton to Trump surrogate Giuliani during the 2016 presidential campaign, are likewise investigated.
7
Does anybody remember the Cold War? When the Rosenbergs were convicted of illegal surveillance for Russia? And when fiction and film celebrated the exploits of super-surveillancer, James Bond?
Did I not read that there are 29 ongoing investigations regarding Trump? Appears to me with 29 investigations that there is substantial evidence that this President needs to be "spyed" upon.
Lock him up!
7
Sounds like we need to investigate the investigator of the investigators. Either Bill Barr is a double agent or he fell off the rocker. Hoping for the former, but expecting the latter.
1
When a faux-Attorney General refuses Constitutional oversite requests; that AG is in contempt of the Constitutional.
When a candidate for AG answers questions during the respective confirmation process, and lies, repeatedly, that would disqualify that canidate from such a position.
If the President of the US was to be above investigation, as Barr seems to believe; then the Presidency would have been described in Article One of the Constitution, not Article Two.
Barr is a evangelical zealot, who has allowed rationalization to replace legal precident and reason.
All actions by this man, are corrupt. As was the process that allowed his faux confirmation.
One last point of order; Can't confirm a person to a life-time Judgeship by a simple majority vote.
See Article 2, Section 2, paragraph 2, first semi-colon...that semi-colon is where Mitch McConnell has corrupt the confirmation process.
..."provided two thirds of the Senators present concurr;"
That semi-colon requires the eight words that proceed it be applied to all the following categories, not just for Treaties.
That simple corruption of the Constitution, has been the rationalization used by Mitch McConnell to corrupt our Court system.
Every judge that has been confirmed under the "Mitch" rules, is illigetimate.
Further, any judge, that identifies themselves as a "conservative judge", betrays an inheriant bias.
As to the Federalists, what a bunch of Judicial Arrogance.
5
Mr. Barr came to his job as A.Gthrough a dubious memo regarding mueller investigation upon which he was nominated to the job.
His efforts since receiving the report speaks volumes about his efforts to please the boss
Barr seems to be the lost soul Trump was looking forall along, and now we have an attorney general whose job is to protect the president not the country.
3
You lost me at the first sentence, by calling one of Trump's enduring lies an "enduring belief."
Trump is a habitual liar and a con artist. Every quote attributed to him should include that warning.
5
"So once the Trump administration is done investigating the investigators, it should turn its attention to ensuring the sanctity and security of the nation’s ballot boxes."
Not a chance. How else could he get re-elected? Or any other Republican for that matter?
4
Barr is betraying his staff because he is a Trump political lackey. A liar and a perjurer has no business being the country’s top law enforcement official. This Republican Administration is the most corrupt in US history.
6
What assurances do we have that Donald Trump will even accept the results of this investigation if they don’t fit his preconceptions? If it turns out that the FBI investigation was legally sound and completely justified, I don’t see him simply shrugging his shoulders and moving on.
3
I didn't read this article. However if this investigation proves that Mr. Barr is a honest man, then it will be worth the time and money.
1
@Islander
Barr engineered the pardons of the Iran-Contra criminals during the Bush the Major Administration. He ain’t honest.
3
The NYTs has made the surprising that Barr's investigation has no evidence. McCabe on 60 minutes claimed that the FBI investigation of Clinton emails was a sham. It has been well known the FBI spied on Trump. They certainly misled a judge concerning the origins of the Steele Dossier. As the case moves forward it seems likely that origin of Mueller investigation was started under dishonest pretenses. The anti Russia hysteria of the never Trump crowd in the national security apparatus and media was based on zero evidence.
11
If I was being paranoid I would say this is an attempt on the part of Barr to establish equivalency with the Mueller report in the sense that when the FBI probe comes back with no illegal conduct found the Republicans will accept the findings and move on and then immediately ask why the Dems can do the same the Meuller report.
2
Interesting how Trump and his supporters always think he's been the wronged party. He's never at fault, never makes a mistake, and never ever has to say he's sorry. I think that says more about Trump and his supporters than it does about any of the investigations so far. In fact, Trump and his team of bunglers have done more to obfuscate the issues and obstruct the process than any other administration in modern times and that includes the Nixon administration.
If Trump can't handle the pressure of being in the public eye he ought to resign for the good of the country he claims to be serving. Otherwise, he should keep quiet and serve us rather than his rich cronies.
5/15/2019 11:38am
6
"So once the Trump administration is done investigating the investigators, it should turn its attention to ensuring the sanctity and security of the nation’s ballot boxes."
The purpose of this "investigation" is not to determine any facts. Indeed, whatever facts come to light will be pooh-poohed, and ignored.
This is being done to slow the inevitable uncovering of the facts that show that the Trump administration has been acting in bad faith all along. The reason is to confuse reality enough that the electorate can't definitively determine that Trump is a bad actor, and keep the those facts from coming out soon enough to destroy his chances of re-election.
2
@Don
And I got off the track.
This is also a red herring. The Trump administration doesn't want to bring attention to the fact that they're not doing anything to keep the Russians from interfering with the 2020 election.
3
"Robert Mueller’s report on Russian election interference detailed at least 140 contacts between Mr. Trump’s campaign and Russian nationals, WikiLeaks or their associates, but it did not establish a criminal conspiracy."
Jr. (I love it) wanted to conspire.
Also, when the Trump Organization went belly up in the mid 90s, Russia began shoveling money to Trump. Wonder what that was all about??
5
"...once the Trump administration is done investigating the investigators, it should turn its attention to ensuring the sanctity and security of the nation’s ballot boxes."
They've already rejected that, instead seeking to corrupt and steal the 2020 election via Ukraine. Election fraud happened in 2016, and they're plotting and scheming to do it again.
3
Nancy Pelosi, Speaker has said that William Barr, Attorney General, lied to the Congress.
Christopher Wray, the FBI Director has said 'spying' is not the term he would use. Why did Mr. Barr use the term 'spying'
We are all concerned of all this news regarding Russian interference in the 2016 elections. What safeguards do we have in place for the 2020 elections? The Governor of Florida is reporting of Russian hacking in his State.
Is Mr. Barr looking into this?
1
From the comments I see here it appears Trump succeeded in his self-defense-by-turning-the-question-around ploy, a legitimate tactic in about one in a thousand cases but which Trump uses in almost every case. If people buy into this desperate logic of his, I have swampland in Florida for sale to them. The FBI is probably the most professional organization in the world, but apparently is open to unfounded smearing by anti-government tropes.
2
"So once the Trump administration is done investigating the investigators, it should turn its attention to ensuring the sanctity and security of the nation’s ballot boxes."
This is sarcasm I hope. Trump should be turning his attention our election security a year ago. He has his priorities completely backwards. The crime was committed by Russia, not the FBI. It just so happens that Trump was mixed up with a country that was cyber-attacking us, an act of war. And Trump has not behaved like a patriot in regards to Russia since the cyber-war revelations. He is scolding the FBI for fighting back against the Russians. Also, his guy Rosenstein called for the Special Counsel, so what are they investigating? His ego is so bruised that he has to gaslight and turn the tables on the FBI,no matter how illogical and disruptive. The war is against Russia, Mr. Trump. not the FBI.
2
It's ironic that the head of the FBI utters this phrase "he had seen no evidence of illegal surveillance of the Trump campaign."
I think he is splitting hairs. If his warrant was obtained under dubious circumstances, than the surveillance is tainted.
5
Hopefully anyone requested to appear before Congress, or even subpoenaed, in this “investigation of the investigators “ will take a lesson from the GOP playbook and just not show up.
2
The investigators are getting nervous as they start to point fingers at each other as reported in the news. How high will this go and will Barr allow it to go all the way to the top. This is going to be fun to watch.
2
Unacceptable. Clearly, the message here is that the top of the DOJ will come after you when doing any investigation into Trump's administration.
Way down we go.
2
There is only one problem with waiting for the Trump administration to finish investigating the investigators: they will never finish. It is too convenient a distraction from their own high crimes and misdemeanors for them to ever stop.
In the meantime, Trump will keep crowing "no collussion", his enablers will say there is nothing wrong, Russian operatives will keep hacking our elections, and Trump will keep saying he believes Putin that Russia isn't doing anything despite the assessment of all of our federal intelligence agencies.
2
I doubt we'll discover that anybody deliberately did anything wrong during the investigation. However I do think we will learn that the investigators were tricked and manipulated by Russian intelligence via the Dossier. The "pee story" was a dead giveaway and points to Russia's interest to add fuel to the whole collusion story. So, aside from interfering with elections, we need to be more conscious of Russian efforts to sow confusion, chaos and division in order to weaken the USA. The two years of collusion-mania we put ourselves through was a dream come true for Putin.
1
Again, we need to go back to the root of this problem - Russia was trying to manipulate our election. The Trump campaign was having meetings in hopes of getting “help” and was forwarding polling info. If it had been the Clinton campaign, wouldn’t we have wanted the FBI to do the same due diligence?
2
Of course our government should find out why this Russian thing started. All this interference by Russia and election questions happened under Obama. Why was he not questioned by Mueller? It doesn’t make any sense not to examine the previous administration as to motives, evidence, originating materials, etc. If our government is dirty, then try to find the smell. Trump is clean.
2
A corrupt Donald Trump and his contemptible Republican minions in Congress, along with Trump's personal lawyer masquerading as the Attorney General, will turn this into multiple Benghazi-length investigations to rally their base while singing the "witch hunt," "no collusion," "no obstruction of justice," "total exoneration" refrain over and over again. The hit job on US intelligence officials and institutions will be fierce, unrelenting and extremely damaging. Trump and Republican stonewalling, ignoring of subpoenas and general flouting of the Constitution will run roughshod over any investigations attempted by Democrats. Meanwhile, a feckless Democratic party holds meetings to vote on just how threatening they should sound without actually taking any action for fear of upsetting Trump's base. Even the remotest chance of Trump being impeached for several instances of obstructing justice detailed in the Mueller report, will be forever lost
It is so devastatingly dispiriting to see criminality and corruption currently so entrenched in at least two of the three branches of the US government. As Trump and congressional Republicans continue to stack the deck in the judicial branch with judges and justices who reflect their values, democracy in America appears to be officially dead.
2
No wonder Barr mumbled, stumbled and never answered Sen.Harris' question to him recently about Trump "suggesting" he investigate others.
Barr presented himself as a man of integrity. He's turning out to be Trump's attack dog.
I wonder what Mueller thinks of Barr today.
3
AG Barr released a mislead "summary" of the Mueller report three weeks ahead of the redacted version's release, with a press conference to reinforce the exoneration narrative for good measure.
In his initial congressional testimony, he used the term "spying" without any of the nuances that he applied to the term during his second testimony. He intentionally let the word hang in a pregnant pause for full effect under Republican questioning. Just like with the Mueller report, he let the connotation of spying get sufficient public traction before he bothered clarifying his remarks.
It'll be interesting to see where this goes considering that subpoenas are seen as merely a suggestion these days.
What if they had an investigation and nobody showed up?
@BC
I know right? I saw on NBC this morning where they said DT jr has "decided" to appear as if it were a choice on his part to do so! No mention of the subpoena at all.
2
One cannot help but believe that the genesis of the "fruit of the poison tree" theory was Trump's own imagination. From there, Fox and other right wing media took it to another level by uncovering the identities of those directly involved and smearing them with unsubstantiated allegations. There is also willful ignorance of the fact that origin of the Steele dossier opposition research commissioned by a GOP primary candidate, most likely Jeb Bush.
Most of all, the investigate-the-investigatoors crowd refuse to acknowledge that the targets of the investigation were Russians -- and that the Trump people repeatedly entered the crosshairs via their own multiple contacts with those Russian targets.
2
Republicans have given up on the American democracy and have decided a one party system, the republican , alt-right, party controlled by the rich and strongly influenced by Trump's favorite person and role model, dictator Putin. The rule of law is too much of an inconvenience for the rich, so as a party the republicans ignore it. We have become Germany of the 1930's, God help up.
5
I'm all for investigations, when they are used to:
(1) For cause: e.g., something illicit has happened, but we need the details in order to ensure Constitutionally guaranteed due process, among other things
(2) For 'potential cause': when there are valid reasons to be suspicious (something illicit probably happened, or at the least can't be ruled out) - again to serve due process, but also to clarify the record
(3) for oversight, particularly related to monitoring for overreach / abuse of power
Ostensibly, this investigation is for reason 3 above. Realistically, it's hard to believe it's anything other than a key component in Republican strategy to discredit their opponents, at least in the eyes of their base.
This investigation fits perfectly with the narratives of the Republican propaganda machine, that "there's a deep state that views Trump as the enemy".
Their intent is not to prove foul play, but rather to sow seeds of doubt regarding the facts.
...and they are doing this masterfully...
Republican messaging strategy (when combined with their propaganda machines) are in a totally different league compared to the Democrat messaging strategy (or lack thereof).
1
Obviously, the investigated should welcome it.
After all, according to the mantra, only those who have something to hide do not welcome investigations.
99
@Dakota T
Guess Trump must be guilty.
36
@Dakota T
No that is the mantra of the corrupt.
Honest people just go on with life without making a big deal of things.
11
@Dakota T
You have made the classic argument for the unfettered surveillance of its citizens by a totalitarian state.
28
I can't believe how naive this opinion piece is. This investigation is overturning the rule of law and the justice system of the United States by putting all power and all decisions solely in the hands of the President,
AG Barr is a partner in this crime.
219
@MCRaven
We no longer have three co-equal branches of government with powers and obligations assigned to each of the branches as defined by the U.S, Constitution.
AG Barr and Pesident Trump are ruling that the President's commands over-ride everything else, including the right of Congress to issue subpoenas. There is a stead erosion of the rights of Congress everyday.
Republicans in the House and Senate are complicit by quickly saying they agree with the President.
Democrats in the House should be outraged and headed to the Courts. Oncer a power is usurped, it may be impossible to recover.
Demorats in the Senate are impotent because Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will not bring any legislation which Democrats seek - such as measures to fight global warming, even when there are a majority of votes in the Senate, including some Republicans, who want the legislation.
This is a slow moving coup which has been going on for 2.5 years and is close to completion. Our media doesn't even write about it. The NY Times has a fabulous grahics department. The Times should ask its brilliant graphic artists to supply updated graphics which picture the coup and what few powers remain to the Legislature and Courts, and which powers are being fought by steps in the courts.
Wake up, America, especially our hard working media. You have been at this battle of wits and bits so long that you can no longer see the motion.
28
@BSmith
How quickly you forget! A Democrat as president, a majority of Democrats in the House and the Senate and handfuls of EOs. Hey BSmith remember the mantra, elections have consequences?
5
@Tired of hypocrisy
President Obama had control of Congress for about 7 months in 2009-2010. Remember when the World economy was headed for the 2nd Greater Republic Depression?
3
While Mr. Durham might prove to be an impartial investigator, we need to remember that Mr. Barr was also viewed with only a modicum of trepidation when he was named AG. He then proved himself to be an enabling toady of the highest order.
668
@Alex
Actually, there was considerable trepidation, Barr was involved in all the pardons for Iran Contra in a previous criminal administration.
102
@Alex Mr. Durham may well have a sterling record, but before accepting this assignment should have been sufficiently circumspect to realize that those who have thus far associated with the Trump Administration have had their reputations permanently tarnished.
54
@Jennie
Barr was also involved in attempting to push an DOJ investigatin of the Clintons in WHitewater. It was only a Republican US Atty in Arkansas who refused that prevented Barr from creating another phony inquiry to ginn up public opinion
14
The autocracy is now moving to reduce the F.B.I. from the nation's chief law enforcement agency to Donald Trump's version of Putin's Federal Security Service. There are already two investigations underway, but this third one by Barr has all the marings of a set up to allow Trump to once again decapitate the F.B.I. and turn it into the T.B.I., Trump's Bureau of Investigation that will legitimize investigations of both Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton as well as any other politicians and reporters of his choosing. This is the ultimate step in creating authoritarian rule and the lack of outrage is striking.
2
"So once the Trump administration is done investigating the investigators, it should turn its attention to ensuring the sanctity and security of the nation’s ballot boxes."
Dear Editorial Board,
Keep dreaming!
2
All good stuff in my opinion. Though he's not my choice, your head is in the sand if you cannot see the coordinated smear against this President from select members of the intelligence, mainstream news and some members of Congress.
But primary focus of DC Politicians should be to fix the Healthcare system, deal with entitlement issues, opiate addition, homelessness, infrastructure etc....etc...etc...
They are all sleeping at the wheel and mired in their own political biases and small mindedness. They are all on ego-trips!
4
The former Republican Party supported the intelligence and law enforcement community. The Trump Party rejects that notion leaving us vulnerable to our enemies and exposed to criminal behaviors in the highest office. Such hypocrisy is more than regrettable, for this voter it is unforgettable.
2
@JLM You used the name "Trump Party" perfectly. The Republican Party we know no longer exists.
1
The many contacts between russians and trump campaign officials provide overwhelming evidence of a conspiracy. Just because no one said we are conspiring doesn't mean a conspiracy didn't exist. Mueller let the country down.
1
True, Durham does not appear to be a toadie, crook or incompetent like most appointees in this administration. However, in tapping him, Barr knows he is giving life to Trump’s absurd “spy” narrative and helping to deflect attention from the damning Mueller report.
Further, the IG is already “investigating the investigators.” Why investigate again if the goal isn’t to get the answer you want? Or at least an answer Barr can misrepresent and whitewash as he did the Mueller report?
The alarming reality is: Russia interfered in our democracy to elect Putin’s guy Trump and will do so again now through 2020, likely more egregiously. Any evidence of this interference in 2016 demanded FBI and intelligence follow up - which in turn exposed the extensive contacts between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives.
There is no plausible scenario where the FBI et al. were wrong to investigate Russian election interference and attempts to engage Trump operatives in their efforts.
5
"The F.B.I. has well-founded concerns that Russia will continue to meddle in American elections. So once the Trump administration is done investigating the investigators, it should turn its attention to ensuring the sanctity and security of the nation’s ballot boxes."
Except they won't. This administration does what it wants to do. If what it wants to do is also what it should do, it is no more than a coincidence.
This is the state of our governance.
6
I don't believe that Trump really believes any of this. I do believe that he is creating another issue so as to just change the subject and keep the Republicans going after the Democrats. What a guy. Not.
5
I think that someone should be investigating Barr to verify if he did not run afoul of any rules or protocols when he mislead Congress and the public on the Mueller report. His accusation that his own department was "spying" on trump sounds like a Miller sound bite. His refusal to answer Senator Harris when she asked if the White House directed or suggested that he investigate anyone is also telling. It would be nice, essential even, if we could trust the Attorney General to be dispassionate about his work, but he seems to have joined the same group as the republican senators in their unquestioned covering up of the misdeeds of trump and his administration.
6
The risk that an incumbent administration might use federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies to manipulate the outcome of a presidential election is far more alarming than the prospect of election meddling by a foreign country.
Congress asked the Justice Department to look into the possibility that members of the Justice Department and FBI worked to influence the 2016 presidential election. The Justice Department's Inspector General's Office began the investigation in March 2018, nearly a year before William Barr became attorney general.
Barr’s appointment of a federal prosecutor indicates he knows what is in the inspector’s general report and expects it to generate criminal indictments. The report is scheduled for release this month.
7
@William Case
Why would you think that more alarming?
This has been the way of some of those in positions of authority from the founding to this day. We handle it just fine. Its the Citizens who worked with a foreign power to manipulate and control our government for the last 50 years that you should worry about.
The Russian interference it needs a severe and painful response. Something that will take them 2 or 3 decades to recover from just to make the point never to do it again.
If Barr knows what's in the IGs report, and he is doing his own investigation, then it follows that the IG found that the Steele dossier was largely legitimate and that the FBI acted appropriately, which is not what the GOP is demanding. Barr is simply going to make everyone in the DoJ keep writing reports until he gets one his clients like. That is the Republican way of doing business.
3
@magicisnotreal
I think you are too young to remember J. Edgar Hoover if you think foreign meddling in U.S. election is more dangerous than domestic meddling by federal agencies.
The primary effect of alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election was the WikiLeaks exposé of dirty dealing within the Democratic National Committee. The revelation that the DNC was stashing the deck against Bernie Sanders force DNC cochair Debbie Wasserman Schultz to resign. As a result, 2020 presidential hopefuls can expect a fair shot at the nomination. It was arguably good for democracy.
2
“I am rubber
You are glue
Everything you say
Bounces off me
And sticks to you”
This is the level of maturity of the administration. If it wasn’t so dangerous, it’d be laughable.
7
@Chris Bunz
It is Soviet propaganda tactics 101. The GOP has been using this since reagan got away with using Soviet Propaganda Tactics to become governor of CA.
2
And so, another man who had an illustrious career and honorable reputation falls under the spell of a con-man, a delinquent whose treason and incompetence will affect the USA for generations. Mr. Barr, you have lost your last shred of dignity. How much was it worth?
4
@L. de Torquemada
I'm starting to question these "honorable reputations". They simply cannot be legit when we see these people doing these things openly and without shame. At best you can say they have been very effectively groomed to believe and act upon, even see, things counter to reality.
2
An utter collapse and capitulation by the GOP! Ronald Reagan must be rolling over in his grave... Funny you never hear Fox News mention his name anymore!
1
@Aaron
Are you kidding? reagan was the first one to do this. The GOP will accept anything they can use to hold on to power.
There is literally nothing a republican will not do to win an election or get rich.
2
MAYBE, Barr is setting Trump up. When, once again, there is ample evidence that the investigations were warranted, Trump will have to give up this line of accusation.
1
@A. Brown
The confusion around them is a tool they are using to get you to make that false assumption about them.
Literally nothing the republicans have done in the last 40 years would confirm your assumption of good intent where they have created confusion to hide what they are really doing.
In other words Everything they have done in the last 40 years tells us all that they are corrupt to the marrow of their bones.
2
How long before political opponents are rounded up and imprisoned? And how did we get to this point? And who out there doesn't get that we have been in a Constitutional Crisis since day ONE of this presidency? All I see are the glittering eyes of Mitch McConnell and the understanding that the GOP will maintain political power at any and all costs. And boy will we pay.
6
This administration has no interest in protecting our electoral processes. The Mueller report made pretty clear that Trump's team welcomed Russian interference. I have read nothing that suggests the administration is particularly concerned about 2020.
While Barr should be focussing the DOJ's efforts on future interference by Russia, he is employing his agency, the FBI and the CIA to look at themselves. What we need is federal support that will protect our electoral systems. Time is a-wastin'.
6
@William Case
Mr. Case's unsupported theory clashes directly with the Constitution. Congress has the impeachment power. No one (except perhaps Mr. Case) doubts that. Mr. Case in effect suggests that Congress can properly impeach, but only if it has not investigated beforehand, since impeachment has nothing to do with supporting legislation.
The Watkins case is singularly inapposite. That involved an investigation into subversion by the late, unlamented House Un-American Activities Committee, which involved neither impeachment nor legislation. And the Court's actual ruling was that the Committee's statement of its goal was so vague that witnesses could not properly evaluate the pertinency of committee questions in order to know whether or not to refuse to answer. That was a Fifth-Amendment due-process violation
The idea that Congress cannot investigate when considering whether to impeach is, to put it mildly, poppycock. Lawyers who take on cases without reasonable investigation are subject to professional sanction. It is wildly irresponsible to suggest that any professional body should proceed in the absence of investigation. It is (with apologies to Peter Sellers) a shot in the dark.
4
Congress needs to investigate Bill Barr What a mess of a man
4
With a Left like this paper, Democrats deserve to always lose and be forgotten.
3
golly, how many people would trump love to see in prison?
2
I mean no disrespect, but has the NYT editorial board been co-opted by the right?
What a lukewarm, uninspired editorial, from a publication that depends on the rule of law to publish.
We have fascism staring us in the face.
Investigate the investigators?
Investigate your political opponents?
Use Barr and the DOJ to persecute and prosecute every person Trump decides is an enemy?
To violate RULE OF LAW, not "norms."
The Trump machine isn't "stonewalling."
It is flagrantly breaking the laws of our country.
If I were Hillary Clinton I'd buy a house in a country where we have no extradition treaty, and move there until this nightmare is over.
If the media doesn't stop using meaningless terms such as stonewalling, or Trump violating norms, I may run down my street screaming.
They are in violation of our country's laws, and instead of emphasizing this over and over again, well, we'll wait for Barr to finish, and then hope Trump turns to protecting the sanctity of our elections.
The NYT should be calling for impeachment and rule of law.
No laws, no nation.
Good God, how have we come to this?
6
Impeach Barr. Expose his behavior- Senate acquittal is irrelevant.
5
More timid and deferential commentary from the editors. This is not an investigation of anything, it is the beginning of the revenge prosecutions that Barr has almost certainly promised Trump. The obligations this publication has to its corporate masters clearly outweighs any duty to publish real facts.
4
Let us hope that if and when America throws the current criminal presidential regime out including the roadie, Barr, an investigation will be commissioned of the investigation of the investigation!
3
NYT spin at its best. Wasn’t it the NYT that told President Trump and the test of 5he world his headquarters was wiretapped?
From what I understand AG Barr is investigating how the false narrative of Trump-Russian collusion began, not whether or not Russia interfered with our election. Dissembled and distraction story.
5
@hawk
Yes, the NYT quickly changed the topic in this weak editorial. They have lost all credibility.
2
As Ivanka secures a trademark from China for voting machines, her daddy tweets about a 'collusion delusion'. As Jared buddies on whatsApp with the Saudi man who hacked up a journalist, his father in law charges tax payers for playing golf and staying at his own club. As Barr destroys his own reputation by becoming the WH dog, his boss threatens Iran with violence because 'why not'. Not only should this family be INVESTIGATED for the rest of their corrupt lives, Pelosi and co. should be starting impeachment proceedings immediately. The longer individual one is in office, the more deeply ingrained his sickness becomes supported by fans who are salivating at the thought of killing the libs (their words, not mine). Our country slips into the filth and we have nothing to grab on to anymore. May we rest in peace.
4
@lulu roche I agree with everything you said. Speaker Pelosi is paralyzed with fear over starting impeachment proceedings against President Trump because of how it might look - it could upset Trump's base and possibly endanger the re-election of Democrats in office. It is truly a shame we have a House Speaker who refuses to do her job.
1
Checks and balances, as we have been witnessing, have been suspended. The legislative branch cannot do its job to protect the country from an Executive gone wild. And this investigation is nothing more than vengeance and distraction. We have lost our way.
3
I don't trust William Barr. His manipulation of the Mueller report and dishonest testimony are disqualifying.
However, here he inadvertently does a public service. Involving Coats, Wray and others who have shown at least one vertebra, if not a full spine, will likely affirm what we know. The investigations into the Trump affair were supported by both evidence of possible wrongdoing and by appropriate warrants.
The right wing propaganda machine can be muted only by revelation of fact, even if the motive for the investigation is suspect.
2
The Times has unwittingly put its finger on the basic problem with Mr Mueller's charter, which combined an investigation into systemic Russian interference in the 2016 election and and a substantially separate investigation into a possible conspiracy among the Russians and Trump campaign apparatchiks with Russian ties concerning the purloined DNC emails and any other possible joint activity.
The two ought never have been under the control of the same investigating Counsel, because the investigation of the Russian interference has repeatedly been used to justify the two year long, politically motivated, investigation of Mr. Trump, as the Editorial Board illustrates once again.
At this point, the Republic may have been fortunate that Mr. Mueller and his team of partisan attack dogs seem to have been less than curious about the origins of the FBI bugging and "surveilling" of the Trump campaign, the provenance of the Steele Dossier, the DOJ and FBI knowledge of it, and the uses to which they put it. Now this bowl of rancid spaghetti is finally being investigated, as well -- two years late.
5
Kids, kids please do not get ahead of the story!
Do not emote, just let the facts emerge before you leap.
The Inspector General’s Office "is a statutorily created independent entity whose mission is to detect and deter waste, fraud, abuse, and misconduct in DOJ programs and personnel” according to their website.
(By the way, the current IG, Michael Horowitz, was confirmed by the Senate in 2012. Hmmm...)
Starting a new investigation before the first one is finished suggests that the IG will not deliver findings to Trump's liking.
So, Mr. Durham is being told to look again to see something where nothing exists or recast well-known evidence with sinister intent.
George Orwell could be writing this plot. Except he had more talent at fiction.
4
Amazingly, the three former agency heads, Comey, Brennan and Clapper, leading under Obama the FBI, CIA and DNI,
each now gives credit to the other two for having pushed the salacious dossier to get the FISA spying mandate(s).
As to the dossier, it states emphatically that the Russian money was funneled through the Russian consulate in Miami. When presented to the FISA courts, the dossier was stamped as VERIFIED.
There is no Russian consulate in Miami.
5
@novoad: There is one in Miami-Dade County, the seat of which is Miami. Is well possible they have an office in Miami itself.
@Anna There isn't any. There is one in Tampa, 300 miles away, but Tampa is not the same as Miami.
What do you have in mind? Could you provide a link?
You would think that the British spy Steele would have checked, say, with the doorman of the Moscow hotel where the alleged salacious acts took place. Trump is hard to miss, after all.
But when he put together the dossier, Steele had not been in Russia for 9 years. To his credit, he said that the dossier was unverified, and was in his view about 50-50 likely.
The NYT called the dossier a possible Russian counterintelligence plant.
And it was stamped VERIFIED for the FISA.
1
@novoad: The "Russian emigres being paid to target the 2016 election in favor of Trump from the Russian consulate in Miami" claim comes from Kathleen Kavalec, a former deputy assistant secretary of state, who, according to her, had told her that in a meeting she had with him. The report was initially commissioned by a Republican donor and played a minor role, if any at all, in the FISA warrant, which was based on credible information from other sources that Russia was interfering in the 2016 election. Steele himself had warned that part of the information in the report might be Russian disinformation and needed to be verified.
So we've got a torturer currently heading the CIA helping the hand-picked attorney general of a con-artist to locate information to punish an honest investigator for doing his job?
Well, add this to the long, long list of instances in which the Obama Administration enabled totalitarian abuses of power in future Administrations. Haskell would not be the head of the CIA right now if Obama had not granted her immunity for torturing POWs. Thousands of innocent children would not be rotting in concentration camps right now if Obama had not authorized and funded their construction. And the Republicans would not have the Senate right now if Obama had not constantly undermined liberal candidates in the Senate.
1
If only America was a divided limited different power constitutional republic of united states where the people were the ultimate sovereign power over their elected and selected hired help in all three branches.
How many votes did William Barr win in the 2016 and 2018 elections?
By taking up this personal inquisition Barr is resurrecting the self-anointed diva narcissism of James Comey. Barr and Comey seem to fancy themselves as the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
The Attorney General of the United States owes a professional ethical and legal obligation of fealty and loyalty to the America people and their Constitution. Preserving, protecting and defending the American Constitution from all enemies domestic and foreign including the President of the United States is the duty, job and obligation of the Attorney General of the United States.
Indeed, under William Barr's extremist ludicrous unitary executive legal theory the only person who can investigate anyone is Donald Trump. Trump has repeatedly openly asked that those who investigate him be fired and/or investigated themselves. Barr dodged and evaded Senator Kamala Harris inquiry as to whether Trump or any Administration 'suggested', 'asked' or hinted that any person be investigated.
Barr is acting more like a malign confused deceptive duplicitous combination of one of Donald Trump's personal defense lawyers and the White House Counsel.
6
And once the FBI is cleared, may President Trump shout from the rooftops, "TOTAL EXONERATION FOR THE FBI!!!!" with Barr standing at his side. They deserve no less.
4
There is no factual question that the drunken, under-qualified little toad, George Papadopoulos, shot his mouth off in a London bar to a foreign officer from Australia, proclaiming that Russia had dirt on Hilary Clinton in the form of hacked emails. There's also no factual question that prior to that boast session, Mr. Trump had appointed him a "foreign policy advisor" to the campaign. The FBI would've been derelict had they NOT opened an investigation, especially AFTER the emails began to surface. Period.
5
@Mike7 There is no Factual question that the Clinton Campaign funneled cash payments to Russian intelligence operatives to create the Steele Dossier. The FISA Warrants applied for and received by the FBI on people, other than Papadopoulus, were based in part on the Steele Dossier. The FBI was derelict and dishonest in its application for the FISA warrants. The existence of those warrants has been used to set the narrative, now discredited by Mueller, that Trump was a traitor colluding with Russia.
4
It is a given that the Russians deselected Hillary and elected Trump. When and how will perceptive Democratic Presidential contenders troop to St. Petersburg and then Moscow to clinch the presidential office?
@Scott G Baum Jr
Supposing that the Ruskies also planted the material vacuumed up by Christopher Steele and used in his dossier?
Looks to me like a successful trick played on both campaigns.
3
To pretend there is any normalcy among Trump and his Republican enablers is a fools airin. The notion that after Barr finds nothing that he will go back. So once the Trump administration is done investigating the investigators, it should turn its attention to ensuring the sanctity and security of the nation’s ballot box. Sanctity and security of the election and ballot box are not on their agenda, quite the opposet.
2
Just another episode of the failing Trump sitcom Presidency!
3
Barr is nothing more than Trump's catamite. The entire Neo-Republican Party is an abortion of all that my Republican ancestors stood for when they joined that Party right after the Ripon Convention, and spent several years in combat with the rebels who supported racist slavery. The United States is and always has been two culturally different nations, united in the late 18th century by their resentment of taxation without representation.
1
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? -- or "Who watches the watchers?" Of little importance and significance, if the top of the sequence is crooked.
1
Barr has allowed a two-bit lying flimflam man to sully his reputation and that of his children and grandchildren.
This is really below dishonorable.
1
"One of President Trump’s enduring beliefs about the Russia investigation is that the Obama administration illegally spied on him, his associates and his campaign."
Didn't the Times confirm this just the other day?
4
So to all the there's-something-fishy-about-how-this-investigation-started people I ask:
1. When the FBI started getting wind of Trump's people having contacts with Russians (it, ultimately, turned out to 140 times) were they supposed to ignore it?
2. When it was proven to the our intelligence services that the Russians were meddling in a big way in our election and that they favored one candidate, they were supposed to ignore information?
3. When it was revealed that Trump had plans to build a tower in Moscow, then lied about it, the FBI was just supposed to ignore that information?
4. When the judge issued the surveillance warrants that were granted based on information gathered, in part, by Mr. Trump's opponents, but didn't include Mrs. Clinton's name, that's not good enough?
5. Since you are so concerned about "the freedom of Americans" are you willing to hold this same standard for others, say, members of the Mafia? Or say, Democratic candidates with secret contacts with Iranians?
And this is just the short list.
12
@Thucydides
And most telling, if the FBI was in the tank for Hillary, why did Comey twice make public announcements that damaged her campaign--the last one arguably fatally?
And if Peter Strzok and Lisa ? (I forget) were plotting to tank Trump's candidacy, why didn't they reveal the existence of the investigation into Trump's collusion with the Russians?
4
I can not imagine why you would investigate people who found people guilty of what they were suppose to be looking for. Should we investigate the police for investigating bank robbers. Perhaps the FBI should be more like the FSB and only investigate people that are enemies of THE criminal Trump?
5
Of course Trump's personal slave, Bill Barr, will do exactly as directed by his lord and master.
Barr will dutifully retaliate and investigate those law enforcement officials who had the gall to even question King Trump's team for their relentless blatant criminal activity.
America is now witnessing the destruction of our democracy as Trump co-opts the Judiciary, bulldozes the Constitution and the Rule of Law and uses "Executive Orders and Privilege" to railroad the U.S. into a dictatorship.
4
Britain diverts the real important issues facing their citizens with their so called “Brexit” soap opera and the U.S. does the same with the “Mueller Investigation” and the phony hapless Democratic Party’s endless threats of impeachment.
Good for news feed and talk shows. Props up the “Regime Changers”. Credulous citizenry eat it up.
Unfortunately, despite the American Revolution both countries might as well be one.
We can't trust Mr. Barr to do the right thing as he is a puppet of Mr. Trump and will do his bidding.
4
...so we do know that Russia did interfere with this past election, we do know that the inept trump's sought this assistance and now we are asked to believe that the FBI is at fault.
The conclusion is against logic, what is possibly corrupt about America's Democracy?
2
Political pundit Comey must be sweating bullets now. He signed those phony FISA docs mostly based on a dossier paid for by the Hillary Clinton campaign and promoted by Harry Reid.
Steele tried to sell his snake oil to the press but didn’t get much traction. It is the taxpayer who got robbed of 35 million for a wild goose chase.
3
Somebody needed to be the adult in the room and look at all of this from side to side and from top to bottom.
Better if be Barr than anyone else.
If we the people are going to respect the institutional authority of the FBI/CIA/NSA/DIA/DOJ and other government agencies, they need to be accountable to we the people.
This means shining a light on some unscrupulous behavior.
I don't know if Comey, Brennan and Clapper were in on this.
I don't know if Sid Blumenthal cooked this whole conspiracy up on his own or if HRC ordered it.
I don't know if Peter Strosz, Lisa Page and Andy McCabe were the worse of it.
I do know that if this doesn't clean up, it's only going to get worse.
After all...2020 is just around the corner and two things are apparent.
1) Trump's DOJ would be perfectly justified in launching a counter-intelligence investigation into China and Ukraine's influence on the Biden campaign and thus..our democracy.
2) Trump's FBI would be perfectly justified (predicated) to insert 'intelligence surveillance and operators" into the Biden campaign without informing him in order to determine how far China and the Ukraine were going to insert themselves into the 2020 campaign. It wouldn't be an investigation of Biden, it would be against China and Ukraine..so Biden would have nothing to worry about. And if stories of this investigation were to leak to the media...well..you can't control everything now..can you?
2
"One of President Trump’s enduring beliefs about the Russia investigation is that the Obama administration illegally spied on him, his associates and his campaign."
Do you really think so? Isn't it more likely that it was a random tweet early in his presidency that gained traction among his followers, and he latched onto it with his unerring instinct for rabble rousing?
4
This whole matter is a farce of tragical and comical proportions and a thinly disguised political hack job. While they are at it why not investigate the investigators who are investigating the original investigators?
2
Meanwhile, who’s running the store?
This is just another distraction from Barr's horrid appearance before Congress. It it is just another ruse to cover for Trump. Barr should be impeached for lying to Congress. When is he going to be investigated?
5
Now I wish I had pursued a degree in Investigating.
1
And we'll know when John Durham starts hitting pay dirt when the Dems and the FBI/CIA officials start all blaming each other, followed by the Democrats suddenly producing women who claim they Durham came on to them inappropriately at a high school party though none of them will be able to remember which party, how they got there, and how they got home. Can't wait.
1
How much more can this execrable 'president' and his minions inflict on this country without someone in Congress (looking at you, McConnell) saying "ENOUGH!"
2
“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand"
Matthew 12:25
1
You know that Trump would like to investigate anyone who opposes him and "lock them up". How fast we have sunk to a 3rd rate dictatorship all with the complicity of the senate.
5
Your editorial asks for a nonpartisan investigation into possible FBI investigations.
Get serious! Nonpartisan never happens under Trump.
4
The risk that an incumbent administration might use federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies to manipulate the outcome of a presidential election is far more alarming than the prospect of election meddling by a foreign country.
Congress asked the Justice Department to look into the possibility that members of the Justice Department and FBI worked to influence the 2016 presidential election. The Justice Department's Inspector General's Office began the investigation in March 2018, nearly a year before William Barr became attorney general.
Barr’s appointment of a federal prosecutor indicates he knows what is in the inspector’s general report and expects it to generate criminal indictments. The report is scheduled for release this month.
The stated purpose of the investigation was to “examine the Justice Department’s and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) compliance with legal requirements, and with applicable DOJ and FBI policies and procedures, in applications filed with the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) relating to a certain U.S. person. As part of this examination, the OIG also will review information that was known to the DOJ and the FBI at the time the applications were filed from or about an alleged FBI confidential source. Additionally, the OIG will review the DOJ’s and FBI’s relationship and communications with the alleged source as they relate to the FISC applications.”
“How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process,” Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter"...
Says the man who during a pre-election debate against Hillary Clinton begged Russia to hack Clinton's emails.
Neither the Press, nor the People can stand up loudly and bluntly enough to this sorry excuse of (choose your epithet).
3
Attorney General William Barr is not an AG, he is an appointed politician to create discontent and hate against the Dems. His first assignment is to attack the FBI. Wonder where that notion came from. Any bets it came from the White House.
2
Who investigates the investigators of the investigators?
2
Look on the bright side. If the Putin takes control of the US, at least we're replacing a competent dictator with the current incompetent one.
1
What are Obama's officials afraid of? Their "high bars" for investigations and warrants seem low in light of no charges. Maybe they are afraid the entire Mueller report itself is garbage. Papadopoulos and Downer - the two people in the conversation that was supposedly the basis of the investigation, both deny Mueller's bold claim that Papadopoulos told Downer that the Russians were working with the Trump campaign to release stolen emails. Downer said on Sky News last week that Papadopoulos said Russia "may" have material on Clinton. Downer himself says he never understood there to be any hint of collusion and never reported that back to Canberra. So where does Mueller's lie come from? Maybe they are nervous about the FISA warrants, where both Bruce Ohr and Kathleen Kavalac warned about the provenance, bias and inaccuracy of the dossier, before it was submitted as part of an application marked "Verified". Maybe they are afraid we will find out Susan Rice and Samantha Power got unmasking happy and leveraged the NSA's two hop rule to surveil a much broader range of Trump officials than previously disclosed off that Page warrant. Maybe we'll learn what Jonathan Winer was doing at the State Department, promoting the dossier and leaking to the press. Maybe we'll even get to the bottom of why "Russian asset" Joseph Mifsud was a featured speaker at a State Department event in Feb 2017. Never heard of any of this? The NY Times has investigation fatigue I guess.
23
@TL. Who said Obama is afraid of any of this? And why should he be? If he had wanted to interfere in the election, he would have spoken up about Russia before November 2016.
3
@TL "..the entire Mueller report itself is garbage?" Have you read it? I'd bet not. Had you done so you'd see that it was exhaustively and carefully researched.
Even if there was anything improper about it's origins, which there is not, that in no way would impugn the quality of the work done and the conclusions. Anyone with a logical mind understands, this but Trump supporters insist on marinating in false conspiracy theories.
1
@phil Mueller's report literally puts words in the mouths of people that everyone involved claims were never said. I'd say that's a bit of a problem, especially when the words in question were the purported basis for the investigation. Call Downer a lair if you want, but he was the "credible" source the investogation was supposedly based on.
1
This is the day we start investigating facts rather than emotion.
No supporter of Trump, I cheer for the restoration of the rule of law.
109
@Stuart
Spot on! Too bad the NY Times sneering at the investigation before it has even started by saying "the president has found an ally willing to legitimize his theories" shows the paper has been overcome by emotion in the form of Trump derangement. If the NYT wants to remain the "Newspaper of Record" -- if it has ever actually been -- it needs to overcome its arrogant sanctimoniousness and stick to the facts wherever they may lead ... even if they debunk a sacred cow of the Democratic Party.
32
@JW Having the President's yes-man investigate the investigators--I'd laugh but it's not funny. To denigrate our nation's top law enforcement agency because you want to whine about the facts uncovered in the Mueller Report--you are what makes our country look bad in the eyes of the world, but I'll bet you've never been out of your own backyard.
25
@JW
Barr is an ally of trump. That is exactly why trump appointed him.
Barr said right from the start that the Mueller investigation was wrong and he didn't support it. So now trump has two personal lawyers, Giuliani and Barr.
29
Durham's investigation may be the best thing for the country. For all his conviction that the FBI "spied" on him and without legal cause, Durham's investigation, if honestly conducted, will either prove or debunk that deeply held belief.
If we accept Mueller's conclusion that there is no evidence that any American, including members of the Trump campaign, conspired with the Russian government, that still leaves some questions unanswered.
Given that the President's son was altogether too willing to get dirt on Hillary Clinton from the Russians, and the utter lack of judgment that Manafort and Kushner showed in attending the meeting at which such dirt was to be offered, or at least discussed, perhaps Durham will establish that there was reasonable cause for the FBI to be concerned about Russian influence.
On the other hand, we know that Hillary Clinton's campaign and the DNC hired a law firm to hire a former British spy to get dirt on Trump from the Russians. The FBI used that "dirt" to get a FISA warrant.
Whatever it ultimately proves, if the Durham investigation cements for once and ever that it is unacceptable for Americans running for elective office to turn to foreign governments or, indeed foreigners of any kind, for assistance, it will be salutary.
As Americans, we should welcome the possibility that such a sensible result will inure to the nation's benefit.
3
@Bwana
Mzee,
Durham has a solid reputation and Phil Mudd shares your belief that this will be a good thing. My concern is that the Trump administration will keep launching new investigations until it gets the answers it wants---from another of the bottomless pool of sycophants it has revealed within the GOP.
Who's running against McConnell next year? I hope it's someone strong.
1
@Julie
Julie
Jambo sana.
What you write is a legitimate concern. Fortunately, there is not a lot of time left between now and the 2020 election to have too many more investigations.
But we must be careful not to prejudge what may be discovered.
As for McConnell, he is one of the most disingenuous and dangerous people in Congress. I am not optimistic that the people of Kentucky will dump him but the country would be better off without his cynical manipulations.
Perhaps there were errors in the run up to the campaign investigation, perhaps not. An unbiased investigation, if we get one, will determine that. But the important thing to remember is that there is no exclusionary rule in politics. The fact is that the Mueller report demonstrated what amounted to collusion even if it didn't rise to the level of criminal conspiracy. The fact is that the report documented Trump's attempts to obstruct justice. The report is a devastating revelation of an incompetent and dishonest administration. Any investigation of FBI conduct during the predicates to the report won't change that. If it turns out that there were investigative missteps, that finding will in no way exonerate Trump and his cronies. Two wrongs won't make a right -- two wrongs only make two wrongs.
5
In November of 2016, FBI agents were openly bragging of their support for Donald Trump, and alternately referred to the agency as "Trumpland" and "Trumplandia" (a rather curious cultural nod), according to The Guardian ('The FBI is Trumpland', 11/4/16).
FBI insiders also described an atmosphere of deep antipathy for Clinton but divisions in support for Trump, some agents having concern about Trump's qualifications.
The agency has long been consumed with political investigations, especially during the Clinton administration. An obscure land deal called Whitewater consumed the agency for the better part of a decade and defined the careers of scores of agents, including James Comey's.
It should go without saying that the narrative of the people who make any agency is driven by their sensibilities. But the fact is that the FBI has been a hugely partisan presence in American politics, usually with their thumbs firmly pressed on the conservative side of culture and politics.
3
@Joseph Brown
If by "conservative side of culture and politics" you mean "law and order", I agree.
I am rejoicing about this long overdue appointment by the AG to find out who pushed the fake Dossier and insisted that it be used for FISA Warrants. I have no doubt that we'll soon see those who are guilty start singing a different tune once the heat is turned up on them. Already, Clapper,Comey and Brennan are starting to look a little nervous.
I dont think there is any doubt someone is going to Jail from this trio but the only question is who will go to what lengths to protect Obama who I have no doubt knew about all of this.
2
If this investigation doesn’t produce what Trump wants, can we expect another to follow?
4
I grew up in Eastern Europe. Every telephone had a microphone inside, set up to transmit even when the phone was not in use. It was forbidden to open the phone, and the phone box was sealed. Once a year, telephone technicians came to check the mic and the seal.
Everyone knew it. When my parents were discussing any piece of news, they were putting the phone between two pillows, turned on the TV, and talked in another room. Though away from the heat radiators, which could transmit sound through the pipes to the neighbors. And you could never know who those neighbors really were.
President Nixon was very popular, since he had figured out the local dictator. Ford and Carter had fallen for him.
The only thing which was impossible to understand was Watergate. What was all that fuss about?
Then, in high school, I won the international math olympiad, and ended up working on theoretical physics in the US.
The talk of socialism, which would provide everything to everybody (even special phones!) and the FISA surveillance triggered by a neighbor or competitor, bring back memories of my childhood. People in the NYT appear to be extremely comfortable with all that.
Are we indeed heading that way?
Feels a bit too much like authoritarian government (and a campaign strategy). I am deeply concerned that the rule of law so long our mainstay is being corrupted by those in power.
2
Not everything that is right and just makes you feel good. One of the problems that the left shares with the right is the desire to feel good at all costs. That’s how we got Trump elected and got a trade war with China with the collusion of Democrats like Bernie Sanders who attacked the TPP ( which was designed to box China in without doing indiscriminate economic damage).
It might not feel good to give Weinstein his day in court with a top flight lawyer at his side. But that is what justice requires. The problem is that Weinstein can afford the best attorney, while the average citizen can’t. But that’s not Ronald Sullivan’s fault.
Why have the media been so dismissive about the documented collusion between the Clinton campaign and a foreign agent, Christopher Steele, to influence the 2016 election ?
What seems to be very apparent is the Clinton campaign's leverage of her State Department resources to attack her competition as well as to exercise control over the DNC.
4
@SSS
I would explain why, but you wouldn't believe me anyway.
1
@SSS You appear unaware that the Republicans originally contracted Steele.....must not have liked what he was finding? Because they stopped working with him.
Trump cannot bear American institutions which are filled with people unwilling to sacrifice their principles to become obedient groveling sycophants to his chaos, lies and corruption. Just look at the number he has done on the GOP which is all too willing to subordinate their congressional power to Trump's executive branch in service to obvious lies. The GOP now embraces foreign meddling, and believes that utilizing shadow donations from citizens united, foreign intelligence, foreign donations and a focus on illlegal immigration is their winning electoral ticket. The GOP policies do not help the average man, and erode our hard fought tools of liberty. They are not a majoritarian party. In fact they are anti-majoritarian; as you can see from their successful campaign to gerrymander states in order to keep majorities despite losing the popular vote. Yet they can conflate their support with the foreign troll farms, and money from global donors. It's terrifying to watch unfold, and this is just the latest event on America's road into becoming a banana republic.
1
Mr. Barr, president Trump's protector, lackey and political advocate, is the U.S. AG in name only.
Mr. Barr's decision to "investigate" the origins of the FBI investigation of Russian interference in the U.S. electoral process and cooperation with the Trump campaign is a pathetic attempt to mollify his anxious boss, a delusional man who creates his own versions of reality for the consumption of his gullible supporters.
In reality, the office of Attorney General of the U.S. is currently vacant.
3
@MCRaven
Only if you trust that voter participation and ballot countings in California were not corrupted.
One of the first national elections in recent history where the media broadcast polling results before the polls closed. An apparent attempt to influence the election outcome on the very day of the election.
This is chilling, thoroughly chilling, a loud message to our security communities -- never investigate your bosses in the White House even when there is strong possibilities of wrong doings.
We are still under attack by Russian hacking. Instead of supporting our investigators to do speedier and better job of protecting our democracy, they are threatened and distracted with such "investigations."
2
@Doodle
or "never become the lackey for a politically driven investigation.
Democrats have empowered the Russian influence campaign, perhaps unwittingly.
Great choice for deputy to assist Mr. Durham.
Robert Mueller
'One of President Trump’s enduring beliefs about the Russia investigation is that the Obama administration illegally spied on him, his associates and his campaign.'
I for one do not believe for one second that he has or has had any such belief. Like so many other obscenities that come out of his mouth, it is a lie, he knows it is a lie but pursues it anyway, just as he did his disgusting birtherism, for self advancement. The man's life is built on lies and to think he has 'an enduring belief' about anything is folly.
4
@What's In a Name?
If Donald knows anything, it's how to play the victim. He's been doing it all of his adult life. Like his incessant lying, it's as natural to him as breathing now. That's why he's been involved in thousands of lawsuits. No matter how this turns out, he will always need more scapegoats and enemies.
4
For Trump's minions and Putin, it is undoubtedly very important that the Trumpist leader of our Ministry of Justice invests precious time and energy digging into this non-issue. Doing so helps Trump stay on the job spreading slime from his swamp, and leaves Putin free to pursue his interest in making America not so great.
2
Do they think we are stupid? This guy was shouting out to Russia for help in his rallies. They were supposed to ignore that? Based solely on public information there was SO MUCH that was concerning, it would have been negligent to look the other way. The investigation is not the problem here. This president is the problem. Why is he still having secret meetings with Russia that nobody in the US knows about? Why haven't we taken steps to protect the next election and are instead playing so nice with the country that did this to us? We should all be concerned. Very concerned.
4
But who is investigating the Attorney General? He utterly distorts the Mueller report and openly defies congressional subpoena.
3
We must pray that Ruth Bader Ginsburg remains healthy and on the Supreme Court through the 2020 election, that Donald Trump is defeated, and that Mitch McConnell has enough shame not to block the next Democratic nominee for 4 years... especially now, as William Barr continues his audition for the next SCOTUS opening.
3
Trump only knows offense. He will NEVER admit to wrongdoing. He-who-must-not-be-criticized will fight anyone who dares to point out an error, a flaw, a rule that has been broken. Everything is personal. Everyone else is wrong. He must not be embarrassed, humiliated, corrected. He obstructs, refuses, stonewalls, and strikes back. This is his modus operandi. He has done this his entire life and certainly isn’t going to stop now. He will tie up any system to his dying day. And, he drags us with him. This is so exhausting. He loves wearing us down. That is what enlivens him.
5
Trump wants to destroy the FBI and any agency that could hold him accountable for his actions.
2
This is Barr as Rudi. For every Trump offense or crime, there will be a faux-investigation of Trump opponents so Fox can feed on it. That's the dictator's playbook. "To look into ... to see whether..." is not the same as "to investigate evidence that..." He's already falsified the conclusions of Mueller in a round of DoubleSpeak.
This amounts to the Chief Law Officer doing hackery for his boss, whom his own dept. has investigated.
3
Let us have Dunham prove that the Mueller probe was a hoax based on a junk dossier.
And THEN have the Democrats indict Trump for having obstructed justice, by saying that the Mueller probe was a hoax based on a junk dossier.
That will show everyone that Democrats stand for the rule of law.
"One of President Trump’s enduring beliefs about the Russia investigation..." No, he does not believe this. It is just another talking point and lie that that he and his propaganda machine at Fox News have come up with to deflect attention from his own "crimes".
2
The FBI has had numerous periods of corruption, The Boston office in the 1970's, and spying on MLK. The investigation is absolutely warranted, It may turn out to be the biggest FBI scandal in it's history
This is a complete feint by Trump and Barr, right out of the Rove playbook: attack your opponents/enemies as closely to the topic or charges on which you yourself are most vulnerable. It confuses a gullible or ignorant public, it puts the opponents on the defensive, and spikes their guns on attacking you. It's masterful, it's Rovian, it's also corrosive to our democracy.
1
Welcome to tyranny. Keep voting for Republicans and this criminal activity and corruption will only get worse.
1
Hmmmm....
To paraphrase many of the commentators during the Mueller investigation: "if Trump [the target of investigation] has nothing to hide, then they should welcome the scrutiny, as it will clear their name..."
2
Trump is killing many birds with one stone. He is counterattacking as his standard defense mode hd learned from his vicious mentor Roy Cohn. He is also attacking Obama in the tradition of the Birther racism that attracted his fervent base of likeminded voters.
The known facts are clear. Trump and his circle have been consorting with the Russians for years before and after the election. Russian interference in the 2016 is well proven. Trump is trying to obscure the dots that any thinking person can connect. The Republicans will cover for any crimes Trump has committed. It is up to the Democrats and independents who want to restore a semblance of dignity and democracy to our nation to fight these corrupt forces to the bitter end.
2
I am wondering where our leaders were when all this Russian interference was going on. What did Obama, Loretta Lynch, Comey and Brennan do to stop this dangerous meddling? Or were they too busy stopping Trump from being elected? Perhaps Durham and the IG's report will clarify this embarrassing mess.
2
Think about how much of our money is being spent by this administration on investigations to prop up his personal paranoia, court cases to fight laws passed by Obama and Congress. The waste of tax dollars goes on and on while he cuts programs Americans want and need in education, housing, food, environment, and on and on....
1
The problem is not the investigation but the distorted use of any facts it develops by Trump, Barr and their GOP loudmouths. As the Mueller report establishes, and this editorial points out, the commencement of an investigation into Russian election interference and the participation of Trump campaign individuals in that effort was warranted. But hindsight is always 20/20, and Barr as truffle pig will likely find some irregularities...some vagueness or omission in an affidavit, some anti-Trump statement by an agent, something for Barr and Trump to claim the investigation was improper or fatally biased.
Never mind that Russia criminally interfered in the election; that Flynn, Kushner, Page, Papadopoulos, Manafort , Stone, Sessions, Junior met with Russians and the lied about it; that Trump conducted a public bromance with Putin....some FBI agent and his girlfriend told each other what most of us think: Trump is dangerously unfit to be President. And Barr and Trump will make sure that we never forget about it.
2
Look on the bright side. If Putin takes control of the US, at least we're getting a competent dictator to replace the current incompetent one.
This opinion piece appears to be devoid of opinion. How does the editorial board feel about using foreign and domestic intelligence services to investigate (definately not spy on) the opposition parties presidential campaign? Is it ok if President trump gets some help from mossad if he thinks the Democratic candidate had "contact" with Chinese nationals? I'm sure Mr. Netanyahu would help us if asked.
Bombshell: 85% chance there’s nothing to this story; 15% chance Times readers will have missed another huge scandal that they were completely unaware of – too busy colluding with one another. Someone will be on the hook if that dossier has been stamped “Verified”.
I guess the next step is clear: congress should investigate if Barr is acting improperly.
To Editorial Board: Really? Not even a word about how this "investigation of the investigators" is an obvious continuation of misinformation, double truth, lies, and obfuscation? This investigation needs to be investigated as a continuance of Trump's obstruction. Investigate the investigation of the investigators now!
1
This is all the Editorial Board has to say? No extrapolation that this farce further erodes American's confidence in their government? No going out on a limb to demonstrate how damaging these actions are, giving credence and equality to an investigation after every department to date knew there was interference by Russia which clearly benefited one candidate, so that it was their duty to uncover any connection?
Do you read the comments by some who read this opinion who yet believe there was an attempted coup against Trump? How is it that they can read your newspaper and still believe that lie? They believe his first two years were tainted though there was no oversight, held both houses of Congress, installed two unqualified Supreme Court Justices, and he got away with actions that any previous president would have been crucified over? Are you really doing your job when it produces that kind of response?
The Editorial Board should at least be able to write something that takes into account that some take on as an act of faith what Trump is telling them. You should be able to craft an opinion that shows why Trump lies to them and manipulates them to his own ends and how these types of actions corrode our democracy. It is not too far-fetched to see this is an existential fight for your business because if we continue in this direction Trump may outlaw all news that offends or exposes his lies. You should see this as a fight for your survival and act accordingly.
3
Do we care about Bill Barr's new "baby"? His investigation into the investigations against Trump? Nope. Did the FBI act improperly -- i.e. against Trump's interests -- during Mueller's Russia investigation? Will impeachment of our 45th President occur soon? Keep hope alive.
@Nan Socolow Looks more like impeachment of the 44th now.
If the investigators find nothing illegal or improper happened and all attempts to investigate Russia's involvement in our election were done 'by the books', then they should say so. They should inform the public before the 2020 election and not the day after the election. It would be in Trump's interest to keep the investigation going while he's campaigning for a second term. There's nothing like a good conspiracy theory to get the base fired up and flocking to the polls. Trump is now using the word "coup" to describe what happened. If there is no coup to be found, then the public deserves to be informed before they cast their votes. Nobody likes to be played or be lead by someone whose perception of reality is warped beyond recognition.
2
As a former Navy intelligence officer--and foreign counterintelligence agent after 9/11--I have been alarmed by the use of FISA warrants to monitor U.S. persons, along with the unmasking and leaking of identities of U.S. persons whose conversations were collected during FCI missions. Those leaks also compromised sources, methods, and targets. All of those actions go against our annual intelligence oversight training.
It is wholly appropriate to thoroughly investigate the investigators to make sure they acted appropriately, and to identify who leaked highly classified information and why. And as important, the American public needs to know whether or not the previous administration used the vast powers of the intelligence community for political espionage and sabotage of a domestic political rival.
If the intelligence community acted appropriately, the public needs to know that. If it did not, those officials need to be punished harshly. The American public needs--and deserves--to have full confidence that the U.S. intelligence community has not become just another politicized arm of the government.
9
We already know that spying was conducted on the Trump campaign. The question is was it a fishing expedition or based on facial evidence. The Mueller report answered that very question with no finding of collusion. So where did this all begin. We also know that it started with Hillary Clinton and the DNC paying for and disseminating a fraudulent dossier. So now when exactly did the FBI jump on this false narrative and pursue an unjust investigation? Collusion happened but it was with the FBI and Hillary against Trump.
7
Barr has proven himself to be corrupt so the presumption is that so is his appointee. Hopefully this assumption will prove wrong but he must be watched carefully. He will be pressured to come to the “right” conclusion.
3
I live in Florida. Which of the 67 counties were hacked? Have the county supervisors of elections in those 2 counties been notified? What steps are being taken to prevent a repeat? Mueller did find the Russians interfered. What is being done to prevent a repeat of that? The Republicans want us to "move on". Voting is the important thing that must be protected. Why is not one in Florida demanding answers other than DeSantis? Sen. Scott? Sen. Crist?
2
If the former heads of the FBI and CIA have nothing to hide and they did not do anything improper or illegal they should welcome a thorough investigation of their practices as it relates to starting and continuing an investigation into a Presidential Candidate who in fact, according to a 2 year investigation just concluded by Special Council Mueller, did not collude with the Russians to fix a Presidential election. I for one would like to know that our investigative and intelligence organizations are operating within the law and they are not above the law.
12
@NYChap
I disagree. You sound quite like Trump himself in your advice to the FBI and CIA.
No "fact" was established that Trump did not collude, as you allege. The investigation is being called by a Justice Department head that has demonstrated willingness to lie to congress, manipulate the public, and in general act as defensive council to a president who is a known malefactor.
For the FBI and CIA to welcome an investigation arising from such clearly unethical motives, by demonstrably unethical actors, would lend legitimacy to a political maneuver, an election-cycle stunt.
FYI: even as an individual, even if you have nothing to hide, you should not welcome a criminal investigation, nor cooperate with it. The American criminal justice system has very little to offer in the way of justice.
@William Romp "No "fact" was established that Trump did not collude, as you allege. The investigation is being called by a Justice Department head that has demonstrated willingness to lie to congress, manipulate the public, and in general act as defensive council to a president who is a known malefactor. " RUSSIAN CONTACTS WITH THE CAMPAIGN - [From Page 5 of Mueller Report]
The social media campaign and the GRU hacking operations coincided with a series of contacts between Trump Campaign officials and individuals with ties to the Russian government. The Office investigated whether those contacts reflected or resulted in the Campaign conspiring or coordinating with Russia in its election-interference activities. Although the investigation established that the Russian government perceived it would benefit from a Trump presidency and worked to secure that outcome, and that the Campaign expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts, the investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.
The Russian contacts consisted of business connections, offers of assistance to the Campaign, invitations for candidate Trump and Putin to meet in person, invitations for Campaign officials and representatives of the Russian government to meet, and policy positions seeking improved U.S.-Russian relations."
The FBI credibility is already questioned by many citizens. There is suspicion of the action of certain members of the FBI and intelligence community to warrant an investigation. We should all hope nothing illegal happened to keep trust in these institutions. There is a lot of power in these institutions and we the people need to make sure that this power is not abused. And if there were abuses, punish the bad apples and move on. I do not follow those putting the FBI on a pedestal. Just read Durham resume and you find out how many corrupt FBI and members of other intelligence institutions he has successfully prosecuted. Read about Edgar Hoover. Power corrupts, keep it in check.
48
@3Rs
I don't have a problem with an investigation for the reasons you mention provided the rules of evidence are followed and it's a transparent as possible. Many Trump supporters (led by Trump himself) are offering speculative wish lists of what they want him to find. Let's hope he isn't swayed by any of that.
63
@3Rs
I see so now we will be investigating, the investigations, that were investigating inappropriate and possibly illegal activities regarding our elections. Okay but will there be more investigations to investigate the investigations already closed just because some don't like the conclusions?
Mr Trump has a mantra that he is being victimized by all and any that do not agree with him. If he was not elected POTUS it is because the system is rigged against him, then there is the "Deep State" to frustrate his general programs (only Mr Trump can solve the world's problems) the Mueller investigation is conflicted because there are 18-20 angry Democrats in it, Mr Trump has never been accepted in high society because they want only Elite Folk and the upper crust, the Mueller report completely clears him of any wrongdoing (even though we know something different) and it goes on and on.
In the meantime the government guidelines set up to help educate and protect us are being dismantled.
Poor Mr Trump born into so much money and so victimized.
It's sad...(sic).
35
@3Rs It's funny how supposed Republican patriots would suddenly find a need to question their own country's highest law enforcement organization at a time when their president and his lackeys are under fire. What lengths will Republicans go to, to discredit the FBI in front of the whole world just because they know the POTUS obstructed justice? Do they realize they are what is weakening our country? Since when is this an issue? Utter baloney.
40
It’s problematic that the investigators are being investigated by the appointed Attorney General but the officially elected Congress is not allowed to investigate the President’s conflicts of interest and apparent obstruction of justice as per their Constitutional authority. This is more obstruction of justice by the President in plain sight.
Mr. Barr was appointed by Mr.Trump. The Congress was elected by the people to provide executive oversight. There is an obvious conflict by the AG but Congress does not have a conflict of interest, it has a legal mandate given by the Constitution through the people.
I read the Mueller report, perhaps Fox News has fooled its viewers into believing the President has been transparent. He has not. He has never been. Mr. Trump gave the minimum. Evidence was destroyed.
It’s the guilty person who says everyone is a liar except me. Sure, the whole world is lying and we should only believe Mr. Trump and Fox News, if we live in a dictatorship.
Only the Congress can hold the President accountable to the law. The President and his followers say the Congress has no authority to do so, especially if it’s the opposing party holding the executive accountable. It’s a Catch 22. So, effectively, the President is above the law. We have a dictatorship. And all the GOP is happy.
284
@Color Me Purple: The need to lawyer-up for the job is a great deterrent to working for the government.
8
@Steve Bolger
The Justice Department, not Congress, is task to conduct criminal investigations. Congress can only conduct investigations to support legislation. It refer criminal investigations to the Justice Department.
in Watkins v. United States (1957), the Supreme Court held that the power of Congress to conduct investigations is broad but not unlimited. According to Cornell Law School, the court found that “a congressional investigation into individual affairs is invalid if unrelated to any legislative purpose.”
6
@William Case
If the Justice Department is under the Executive branch of the US Government, how is it supposed to conduct oversight of its own activities?
On the other hand, the Legislative branch has authority granted to it via the Constitution, Article I, Sec. 8 and Article II, Secs. 2 and 4, to oversee the Executive branch. For further clarification see also Congressional Research Service paper 97-936.
Watkins v. United States appears to have had more to do with a congressional line of questioning w.r.t. the Red Scare.
One of the arguments used to rebut the Congress included your quote: “a congressional investigation into individual affairs is invalid if unrelated to any legislative purpose." However, there are 24 other arguments in the summary. Using only that statement obfuscates the true nature of the Watkins v. United States ruling.
18
Trump and his cohort do not believe in facts and they have no sense of right and wrong — for them everything is political and tactical, and nothing matters except winning at any cost. They will take any story and spin it to their advantage. Morality is an alien concept, it never enters into their thinking. The idea that some people might want to do the right thing, or be loyal to higher principles, or just do their jobs even though the results are difficult to deal with, or present the facts even when they're unpleasant — all that is completely outside their ken, like expecting an average teenager to suddenly start speaking Swahili. I suspect that is why they assume that Democrats have to be operating on the same wavelength. If the FBI started an investigation then it must be just a political attack, so fight fire with fire, investigate the investigators.
It's appallingly anti-American, it's an assault on what makes us able to function as a society. And it's very dangerous.
184
@pmbri
Were you equally appalled at the conduct of the President, the SOS and the UN ambassador on the return of the bodies of Americans from Benghazi? The Obama machine went into high gear to spin that fiasco into "not our fault" defense.
Point is, all administrations do it. Trump does a lot less than the previous admin.
2
@Willy
General Petraus (a lifelong Republic conservative military ‘leader’) wrote those talking points and authorized their dissemination to the public.
Maybe you didn’t know that.
6
While this piece does take a sunnier view of the appointment of a third inquiry it appears to be missing the real point. When Benghazi investigations were looking more like Groundhog Day than actual fact finding missions Rep. Kevin McCarthy accidentally used his out loud voice as to the reason:
"And let me give you one example. Everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right? But we put together a Benghazi special committee, a select committee. What are her numbers today? Her numbers are dropping. Why? Because she's un-trustable. But no one would have known any of that had happened had we not fought and made that happen."
So we'll see not only this one but another one and another and another just to keep it in america's mind whether any of it is true or not.
And as long as outlets like the Times continue to use the false equivalency of finding ways to legitimize it then rest assured they will also be reporting on the merits of the re-opened-for-the-seventh-time investigation which will begin sometime in August of 2020.
147
@m@rk Spot on.
7
@m@rk I strongly suspect this is correct. It's all political theater to sow doubt and hatred towards the Democrats. It will be sustained through the election and will then fade away, just like the "caravan" did in the last election.
14
@Chris Everett this is not directed towards Democrats. It's directed towards both all Americans. This affects Democrats, but also Republicans (just not same way). Ultimately, it helps ensure continued division.
Dividing the general population against itself is a time-tested approach to enabling control.
10
"The F.B.I. has well-founded concerns that Russia will continue to meddle in American elections. So once the Trump administration is done investigating the investigators, it should turn its attention to ensuring the sanctity and security of the nation’s ballot boxes."
The "Trump administration" is not going to upset Trump by admitting Russia is doing anything to "meddle in American elections"
3
good news, of course for more investigation. I thought GOP does not wnat to spend any more money for russia related investigation. if trump campaign was so innocent and they did not lie and cooperated with Mueller from the beginning everything would have been neat and clean by now. How do you reconcile 'Robert Mueller’s report on Russian election interference detailed at least 140 contacts between Mr. Trump’s campaign and Russian nationals, WikiLeaks or their associates, but it did not establish a criminal conspiracy', criminal charges against many and this new order by AG Barr? such partisan politics are hurting the main business of the country. we are sliding to the third rated country status, unfortunately.
1
The FBI is tasked with keeping America safe from all enemies both foreign and domestic, and to that end they should use what ever tools it takes to do the job.
If Trump didn't like the fact that they looked in on his campaign then he shouldn't have been meeting with foreign nationals to get information on his competition.
Yes, he knew about the meetings and for him to say otherwise is a Trumpism.
7
“So once the Trump administration is done investigating the investigators, it should turn its attention to ensuring the sanctity and security of the nation’s ballot boxes.”
Somehow I believe that the second part, “the sanctity and security”, should come before the first part, “investigating the investigators”. Both deserve a look, but the first should be as non-partisan as possible (and the list involved in investigating seems to be a lot more partisan than not). The second should be one of the highest priorities of this nation if it wishes to remain a democracy (oh wait, now I see why the second part is so low a priority for the president...).
4
@AS Pruyn As I recall the Russians violated “the sanctity and security of our nation's ballot boxes" long before Trump was elected President. I think you forgot to mention that fact. PS: Do you have inside information that the FBI is not also trying to find ways to protect our elections from Russian interference? We do have about 14,000 FBI Agents and about 14,000 support staff working for the FBI and I do think that they are trying to protect “the sanctity and security of our nation's ballot boxes" but they are not reporting what they are doing to the New York Times, because I think they understand that the Russians subscribe to the NYT.
@NYChap
I also assume that work is being done on investigating and countering outsider interference in our elections. However, our president does not like hearing anything about the interference in the last election (and as I have heard/read in a number of sources, in future elections).
I also have heard/read that the administration is not providing the Intelligence Committee in the House with any briefings on what is happening vis-a-vis the counterintelligence work on preventing interfering with elections. According to what I have read/heard, there has not been a briefing on intelligence work to the committee for a long while. Having spent some time working in intelligence, I find the last bit rather concerning. Congress is tasked with oversight and their not receiving briefings (and the resistance shown by the president to any subpoenas, requests for information by House committees) hinders Congress in performing their due diligence.
So, do you know who is leading the effort to protect our elections? I know a lot about who is investigating the investigators and very little about who is leading the other investigation.
@AS Pruyn If I really wanted to keep something a secret I would not tell details to anyone outside of the people who are actually doing the investigating. Once you tell details to anyone in Congress it is sure to make the NYT or WP. It always does if at least one Democrat knows the secret. The stuff that you have "heard or read" basically came from a NYT article,"In Push for 2020 Election Security, Top Official Was Warned: Don’t Tell Trump", written on April 24th that was sourced by unnamed "Senior Administration Officials". Read this report from the White House from April 2018. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-protecting-elections-standing-russias-malign-activities/
To me it appears both sides have been overdoing these investigations and for partisan reasons, not in the national interest. President Obama ordered and received a report, released publicly, from the FBI. CIA and DNI which concluded Russia interfered but found no collusion, the Mueller Report found the same after two years, the Senate Intelligence Committee (NYT yesterday described it as largely non-partisan) concluded the same and the Democrats have had investigatory powers since January 1. Nothing has emerged. Enough. Finally, Barr should not engage in tit for tat. Enough. Turn to those major issues that confront the nation and vote in 2020. Talking to Russians is not a crime. I travelled, as a tourist, to the Soviet union in 1965, talked to a lot of Russians, did not conspire and they were pretty malign then too.
3
@alan brown:
So you traveled to what was the Soviet Union in 1965, etc. but you traveled as a tourist. Not as President of the United States.
You were in no position to do the United States any harm. This President has given ample evidence of the potential if not the reality of doing our country harm in that he refuses to acknowledge Russia 's behavior as a adversary and not friend.
3
@libby wein The main point I made is that there is no evidence he colluded with Russia in the election of 2016 and no further investigations are needed by either side.. As to "harm" that is a matter of opinion. I could say President Obama " harmed" the USA by not doing and saying more when he met Putin with the knowledge of Russian interference. We settle these matters with elections.
1
So why is Trump’s mouthpiece, Pompeo, telling the Russians not to interfere with the next election as they supposedly did not to according to Trump the last ones?
5
The Trump administration does not want sanctity and security of the American ballot box.They want another smokescreen to keep the attention away from what happened in 2016.You can be sure that Trump will “tweet” that the new investigator has found some very “interesting” things.His lies about what the U.S.attorney Durham has potentially found will be part of his performance at his political rallies.He will persuade his followers that there was a plot-he lives for conspiracies.Meanwhile,the Russians will continue to hack into our elections-Congress must take the lead in assuring that 2020 will be fair.
7
This looks like Trump counter-punching, as he shows himself again and again in wont to do. And he has Barr as his “man” to do it. And, of course, whatever is found by Durham will be disclosed by Barr in a way to serve and flatter Trump, probably after Trump’s approval. Of course, this offered view may not be correct; but the point is that presently Barr has, based on his public appearances as AG ... say, before Congress ... no credibility. Our system of government is critically dependent on honesty and good faith, which are now painfully lacking. And at the root of this is Trump ... not the Republican as much as the ambitious ruler to be.
5
And the Attorney General investigating the investigators will be investigated himself.
2
Might there be an upside to this? If this new investigation reveals that surveillance of the Trump team was justified maybe that's the end of hearing the Mueller investigation called a "hoax".
5
Trump's administration should look into Russian interference. All of it, as a matter of national security, not partisan politics. He should not be like Obama, who assured us all that the Russians could not affect the election, until he got gobsmacked by the result of the DNC's rigged nomination process, HRC's poor campaigning, and low likability. Instead he and persons in his party and administration doubled down on Russian interference, but somehow with a view only to one campaign. The question remains-why didn't the Republican campaign get defensive briefings on Russian activity? Why didn't the investigation look into DNC/HRC money paying outright for Russian disinformation? If this were about the security of us all, we all would be supportive. We are not and that rests right at Obama's feet. He presided over a sting operation that was not about defending against Russian success at the expense of us all, but instead undermining the other party at the expense of American citizens whose votes he did not like. The NYT and Dems in Congress need to open this up to all Russian involvement by all parties, and stop shielding certain persons who weaponized our institutions to get a result they were too inept to achieve.
@TD You spun a somewhat convincing alternative narrative until you failed the mention that candidate Trump's campaign staff was the one who hired individuals with clear connections to Russia (Carter Page) or represented Russian interests elsewhere in the former SSR (Paul Manafort). Bannon then gave the Russians the platform (Cambridge Analytica) to spread their misinformation via Facebooik.
Please name anyone on the Clinton campaign with a similar key role that involved participation with the Russians.
You also failed to mention that the research the DNC purchased was begun by Fusion (paid for by Jeb Bush's campaign) and sold to the Clinton campaign after Bush dropped out of the race.
1
Amazing. Trump is now essentially admitting he broke the law, but like the accused criminals the GOP loves to hate, now he's trying to "get off on a technicality". If facts mean anything, it won't work. But facts may not mean anything anymore.
4
Like anyone who enters Trump's orbit, John Durham will sacrifice his reputation in the service of Trump. There are no honorable people who agree to work for this president.
5
It is now well documented that J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI of the 1960’s behaved badly in its spying on Martin Luther King and Vietnam war protesters. It seems reasonable to allow John Durham the opportunity to shine a light on the FBI’s behavior in this matter.
4
Whatever the outcome of this investigation, and it will certainly conclude the FBI did its job the way it was supposed to, will make no difference to the corrupt, morally bankrupt followers and GOP enablers of this corrupt, morally bankrupt president and his administration.
The most criminal presidential administration in history has been on full display from day one yet, depressingly, there is every reason to believe and fear it will be reelected.
Since Vietnam, Republicans have scored points by being allowed to impugn the patriotism of Democrats. The shoe is on the other foot now. Does anyone not already besotted by the empty shell of the man in the White House doubt for a second he would sell his country down the river if it suited him?
It is obvious there are two conflicting visions for America. I'm planning to come home some day. I hope I have a country to come home to.
4
Why are journalists acting shocked at this investigation? Sean Hannity has been detailing for MONTHS (if not years) about how the Clintons commissioned the Steele dossier and tried to derail the Trump campaign. Really, ask Sean, he has ALL the answers. And now Barr has bought in to it. Hannity will be crowing tonight and every night. All the answers. On FOX.
3
Let’s do this.
This time, the Democrats get to appoint an Attorney General. And the AG gets to redact the whole report before giving it to anyone.
1
@PC
Could happen. Right? 2020 election goes to a democrat, new AG before the report is done in 2021 and you get more black ink. Is this great country or what?
Don't be silly, New York Times: The Trump administration has no interest in "ensuring the sanctity and security of the nation's ballot boxes." Why would they try to fix an electoral system that has so patently helped them gain power? They will do what they have done in the past; silently continue to reap the benefits of Russian interference whenever possible... but scream loudly and blame the Democrats for any blatant interference that comes to light.
2
I have no doubt that the report on this investigation is already completed. All Barr is waiting for is Trump's decision on which Democrat will be falsely accused.
Tell me again why impeachment hearings have not yet begun, not just for Trump, but for Barr as well? He seems determined to spend some time in the John Mitchell Suite at Club Fed.
5
I hope that the Times and the Post will cover these investigations with the same diligence they applied to the Mueller investigation. It's interesting that Mr. Barr is appointing investigators who are located away from the media capitals of D.C. and New York. I wonder if that isn't a deliberate attempt to avoid scrutiny on his part.
3
@Rick
Maybe he just picked the ones who are not thick with the Dems and MSM.
1
Well done NYT, a beautiful piece of deflection. The Editorial board well knows the purpose of this investigation is not to question Russian interference in the 2016 Election but to explore how this Trump collusion narrative got going. It strains credulity to believe that no one in the Clinton orbit had contacts with Russians. The Steele Dossier itself is a Clinton orbit contact with Russian intelligence. Citing 140 contacts with Russians by people in the Trump Orbit to discredit this investigation is a McCarthyism tactic.
5
@mkm
False equivalency.
1
As has already been argued by a former investigator into the Russian attack on our democracy. If there had been any partisan attempt by "Democrat" FBI officials to stop Trump, why weren't there any leaks at that time to discredit the Trump campaign.
If Barr wants to look into corruption he has only to examine his candidacy for the AG position and his discredited four page summary.
3
The author of this editorial obviously doesn't get it, stating ",,,once the Trump administration is done investigating the investigators."
It will never be done with that investigation; the whole point is to keep that fake narrative going and it's working, as you can see by some of the comments here. That's the GOP playbook: Create false narratives and stay on message until they become real in voters' minds...Benghazi, voter fraud, the job-killing ACA, tax cuts create budget surpluses, etc.
4
This attempt by our so called AG to reinforce the power of “his” boss Trump is straight out of the playbook of every autocrat who ever lived. It is so brazen and vindictive that it would almost be laughable if it did not represent one more step in the extinguishing of America’s democracy.
3
What is Barr’s endgame? To enshrine an imperial presidency? And then get a seat of the Supreme Court as his reward?
4
If Mr Durham is allowed to complete an honest investigation and submit a report that is neither influenced by nor tampered with by mob boss Trump or his Lt. Barr we will never be told about the report. There will be no revelations of “spying” by the FBI. The report will be useless to the Trump organization and will be hidden, unless, of course, someone is able to alert the news media of Durham’s final report. Sadly, whatever the news media reports will be labeled fake news. Trump is a menace to what remains of our Democracy.
4
Wagging the dog.
There is no systemic voter fraud, but they make a commission to investigate anyway... then a few years later it just becomes normal that there is something to investigate because why else would they be investigating?
It's the same here... creating a narrative out of thin air. Now watch as it dominates headlines and talk shows for the next several months, as sane and rational people try and dispel the clear nonsense... meanwhile, ordinary Americans without much curiosity will form an idea in their head that the whole thing has merit... or why else would we be discussing it so long?
That's the entire Trump presidency in a nutshell. The illegitimate made legitimate because we can't stop highlighting it...
It used to be that we would drive right past the shouting crazy guy on the street corner with the sign of doom... now we stop and interview them and give them constant air time.
3
When William Barr was nominated and confirmed as attorney general it appeared that he could be counted on to be fair and reasonable. Well, how did that turn out? Now the Times is judging John Durham also to be an honest broker. Time will tell, but I am not optimistic.
2
This attempt at trying to turn the attack back on the Democrats, will be as productive as Trump’s attempt at finding voter fraud. It is Trump using his usual modus operandi, of turning genuine concerns about his real issues, into an unjustified attack on his opponents.
When will Americans tire of Trump treating the position of the President, as a poorly rating reality program, where a majority of the US population are being held to ransom by an ignorant, angry, loud minority who don’t care about the future of the US?
2
The NYT's editorial board is finally showing sighs of sanity.
Durham is uniquely qualified for this investigation and if there was no wrongdoing the matter will be closed. Those who object to the investigation should be careful not to take any actions, public or private, that may in any way be construed as obstruction of justice under subsection c(2). Let's avoid another two year special counsel investigation.
1
These fixed firm beliefs that have absolutely no basis in fact or reality are called delusions. Donald possesses number of them. He believes that we are raking in the dough from China by imposing tariffs, which is factually incorrect. One of his more paranoid beliefs is that the Obama administration put a “wire tapp” on Trump Tower.
No amount of investigating will help dispel these deeply held beliefs because they are not based in reality. So it is red meat for Fox and the base. Barr is a disgrace for going along with this although it appears that he has chosen a capable investigator. Donald will go to his grave believing he was spied on. Stop indulging his whims.
2
Barr is the equivalent of a political lady of the night whom nobody ever would rent.
3
Anyone with a modicum of journalistic sensibility saw 2 yrs ago that the Trump-Russia collusion investigation was a complete hoax. All of Obama’s people were in on the coup. All except NSA’s Mike Rodgers. Rodgers went to Trump and warned him of the funny stuff he was seeing.
Now it’s payback. Now it time to get to the truth.
6
The primary purpose of this farce is to chill everyone in the law enforcement and intelligent communities from United States Attorneys to the CIA to the FBI to local law enforcement from investigating Republican politicians or their allies even if they are colluding or attempting to collude with the Russians or other nefarious persons or groups, or are engaged in other illegal activities.
The message is that if you dare to investigate us, we're going to investigate you, cause you grief, require you to hire an attorney, ruin your career, and destroy your life.
It is one of the most dangerous acts by an increasingly emboldened tyrant who seeks to exercise unlimited power over us all.
At this point, there is but one solution: Articles of impeachment, laying out the evidence before the American people, and let them convince Republican Senators that a vote on the articles will mean their seats if they fail to do the right thing.
Speaker Pelosi, our very existence as a constitutional democracy is in your hands
3
It is not the fault of the FBI, CIA or NIA that Trump campaign members and associates kept turning up when Russians were being monitored.
4
Barr's intentional and irresponsible use of the word “spy” tells you everything you need know. He willingly fed the Trump conspiracy machine as only the most partisan zealot would. As AG, even if he had evidence of improper surveillance, to announce it in the manner he did was reckless to the point of being an impeachable offense. For Trump to have such a corrupt AG at his disposal ratchets up the danger he poses to democracy and the rule of law to levels previously unimaginable.
4
Where is Peter Sellers when you need him---this would be an excellent screenplay for a Pink Panther movie.
1
It's time to investigate the investigators of the investigators.
1
This is a clear Trump attempt to distract everyone from the two things he fears most right now: people getting close to obtaining his taxes and Mueller going before the House.
Trump says he didn't tell Barr to do this. Total nonsense.
4
Maybe Sen. Harris should ask Barr again if Trump pressured him to investigate anyone. This time he may remember something.
3
Part 1 of 2:
In my issue of this morning's NYT online paper, the most significant story is the SIXTH one down: the partial evacuation of the embassy in Baghdad.
We are now in a tragic, tragic race between the start of impeachment hearings and another shooting war in the middle east, the latter ginned up by the same deep state neocons, their spawn, and the illegitimate, unfit, disaster occupying OUR White House.
Not only will that war be an ethical travesty but it will be hugely costly in so many ways and on so many sides.
One would think that Vietnam would have been a sufficiently painful lesson to have learned from. Or the exceedingly costly, misguided, and trumped up (intentional pun) pursuits in Iraq and Afghanistan.
What if all of those funds had instead been devoted to such things as infrastructure at home. education, alternative energy development, international aid, a health care delivery system that leaves no sick child (or adult) behind---a system worthy of a first-world developed country?
3
It is hard not to see this investigation as the beginning of what I call Trump's Revenge. He wants to do unto anybody that he thinks is responsible for the Mueller Investigation. So down the road, no one should be surprised to see Barr--now Trump's lawyer--use any bit of information that he can skew into an investigation of the FBI or any of the individuals involved in the Russia probe to bring indictments, trials, and possibly convictions. Trump would like nothing better than to "lock up" folks he thinks did him wrong. Barr appears eager o facilitate that witch hunt.
4
In light of the fact that issues and concerns have been raised about the legitimacy of the initial investigation, and the possibility that government agencies/personnel may have been corrupted, a separate investigation is a good thing. If all is above board, then great, if not, then it can be dealt with. Every US citizen should want this, this is not a partisan issue.
4
@G G
Your first sentence is straight out of Fox News. Barr's use of the word "spy" was designed as a propaganda tool to infect the gullible.
1
@th Let's see where things end up before suggesting that the initial investigation was done in good faith.
Protecting citizens from unlawful government surveillance is important. Protecting citizens from hostile foreign powers is also important.
The government should investigate to assure us that whatever government surveillance occurred was done lawfully. The government should also assure that steps are taken to defend against hostile foreign powers.
Investigations taken with the proper purpose in mind are welcome. And if problems are found, then reform is needed.
Normally, I would support such investigations. But given the extreme partisanship shown by Barr in his preemptive previews of the Mueller Report, I don’t trust any investigation started by him to be for a proper purpose. Or that the conclusions will be fairly drawn. I hope to be proven wrong.
And, while we are investigating the investigators, would the Commander in Chief please step up and urge strong defense against further election tampering by Russia or any other country. Secretary of State Pompeo delivered a stern message to Putin. Which Trump will indubitably undercut when he next chats with his friend.
One can criticize Pres. Obama for not doing more to confront Russia in 2016. But the attack happened and Trump personally has done little to address the problem and to marshal defenses.
So, do both. Investigate and defend. Fairly, legally, and effectively.
4
Only people who should fear an investigation are those who have something to hide. Isn't that what we heard when Mueller was appointed? So if the 'investigators' have nothing to hide they should welcome the investigation.
13
The Obama Administration was put on notice that Russia was increasing its efforts to disrupt the next election in 2014. All he did was assure Americans the system was secure. Obama’s Administration seemed more interested in catching Trump and his advisors breaking a law than trying to stop laws from being broken.
7
@Jay Yes, let's talk about Obama now.
@th. Now that Trump is president, I suspect he should surveil every campaign that has meetings with anyone that talks to a foreign government representative.
"...once the Trump administration is done investigating the investigators, it should turn its attention to ensuring the sanctity and security of the nation’s ballot boxes."
No, actually they should be already in the process of doing that. Yet Trump thinks it is all a hoax and believes Putin when he says that the Russians aren't meddling. Trump won't impose the sanctions voted on by Congress as a result of the 2016 election interference. Trump essentially CONDONES the Russian meddling since he is the beneficiary. And Trump is soliciting help from other countries for 2020 (e.g., Ukraine). If this isn't grounds for impeachment proceedings to begin, I don't know what is!
21
@lhbari The punishment for treason was spectacular and entertaining back in the middle ages. It would make excellent theater today--even more entertaining than Game of Thrones.
1
As long is the beneficiary of Putin’s interference is trump they’ll be no investigation.
3
It seems this most recent Trumpian deviation might result in a variety of 'conclusions.'
Fodder for the 2020 re-election of this man, and
Stirring of his base into an even angrier stew.
Further distraction for his other distressing actions and decisions.
Flurries of tweeted updates of zero substance about 'progress.'
Tarring of individuals he's never liked anyway.
An even deeper dive into autocratic 'government.'
How we can become embroiled into even more chaos and absurdity is a fearful question. I'm waiting for Godot to come and take this man off the stage.
7
@SGK A nation of adolescents will worship the father-figure who beats them irrationally and beds them selectively.
More attempts to scare and silence those who want government on the up and up, chairman trump is being abetted by the Attorney General and the Department of Justice.
11
There's a popular jazz song from the 60's that should be the theme for this new inquiry. It's called "Compared to What."
We know about the Russian contacts with the Trump team, but little is said about contacts from other foreign entities whether registered lobbyists or private citizens.
Trump, a political unknown was about to assume office and many countries, Russia included were more than just curious about what to expect.
So Trump, the maverick and political unknown had at least 140 contacts from various Russian's. How many contacts did the transition team have from the Saudi's or from Netanyahu's government or allies?
Both these countries have exercised an extraordinary degree of influence over Trump's policies. Measured against past presidents some might argue that Trump has even placed their interests above that of the United States.
But spying is always an issue and any administration should take steps to protect itself. So Russian's allegedly tried to influence the election with bots and Facebook ads. Again, 'compared to what?'
During the period those ads ran there were 33 trillion FB exchanges, making the Russian effort somewhere around .0001% of overall FB traffic. Was this really the national threat that it has been made out to be?
Did spying take place? Probably. Did foreign contacts occur? Probably. were other nations spying? Probably. So the real question is how big or influential was all this Russian stuff 'compared to what' others were doing?
2
President Trump was right, his presidential campaign was spied on, er surveilled, investigated etc. by the FBI in the run-up to the 2016 election. The derision he received from the MSM was a mistaken rush to judgment. The question remains whether or not this "scrutiny" was soundly and legally predicated by the FBI and any other components of the Intelligence Community who participated. If it was indeed based on Russian interference in the election process, why not give a direct and meaningful defensive briefing to Trump's election committee, which included former United States Attorneys who could advise the candidate of the threat? Or were the FBI's actions here part of an "insurance policy" to prevent him from being elected? We have heard from Special Counselor Mueller. Now lets here from United states Attorney Durham.
10
@Concerned: The FBI rigorously complied with its policy of silence about investigations in progress in the case of Trump, but not in the case of Clinton.
14
@Steve Bolger. Strzok and Page are blaming Loretta Lynch for stopping the Justice Department from prosecuting Clinton. Remember, she TOLD Comey to refer to the investigation as a “matter”. Comey testified confidently, the FBI doesn’t investigate matters, only crimes. McCabe says Comey told him to leak, Comey denies it. Lots of people with completely opposite recollections are going to face perjury charges in an investigation. The previous administration and agencies, beware.
6
@Jay: Colin Powell advised Hillary to have a back channel to use because State Department portals are often blocked. One wonders if there is any advice whatsoever given by Republicans to Democrats that isn't poisoned.
2
Goody. Let's spend millions on an investigation just because Trump wants it to discredit the investigation that already laid out obstruction charges against him (and by the way - with so much obstruction charged, how can we be sure any of the findings regarding Russian collusion are accurate? Obstruction means getting in the way of an investigation and hiding the facts.)
20
Yet another foray designed by Trump and his sycophants to expand and enhance distrust in a much-needed and highly respected institution that is responsible for our public's well-being.
The Inspector General conducted an investigation into the 2016 election and found no irregularities in the conduct of the FBI. So why does another "investigation" need to be conducted, other than to reinforce an atmosphere of disbelief in the operation of the FBI?
The apparent reason for this unneeded "investigation" will simply be to destroy public confidence in the FBI. It will also raise enormous questions about the nonpartisanship of the DoJ itself, thanks to AG Barr's interpretation of his role as defender of the POTUS, rather than of the American people.
Trump ran on a theme of "deconstruction" of the institutions on which our government functions. In that sense, he surely can declare "Promises kept," and our democratic republic is now facing an existential threat as a result.
It will ultimately be up to the electorate in 2020 to repudiate this obvious path toward authoritarian rule, sanctioned and supported by the GOP, is stopped dead in its tracks, so Trump's treacherous scheme can begin to be reversed in Jan. 2021.
24
@wysiwyg
Translation: Shoot the messenger if it's anything I don't want to hear.
1
@wysiwyg Trump and his knee-jerk followers will sidle us into a civil war that will be the end of the United States.
1
OOHH! Such a tough editorial. No mention, of course, how enabling yet another investigation of the "oranges" of the FBI investigation of the Trump campaign will last well into the electoral campaign, thus providing Mr Trump an undeserved talking point. No mention, of course, of how this supposed deep state plot to deprive DJT his victory was actually carried out without the public being informed. The Times meekness is playing true to form. The paper talks a good game, but in the end is just another contributor to Trump's destruction of the rule of law.
23
So Barr is prosecutor-shopping until he gets the result he wants.
Frightening.
42
@bijom I didn't hear you complaining about the Mueller investigation, same issues.
2
@G G
Not the same issues. Not analogous.
1
@bijom Everybody around the world knows it is the anti American Democrats
What a toothless editorial. Even Rosenstein signed off on the fisa warrants post election Now, we are supposed to believe the judicial signing off on these warrants by the fisa courts ore electiob was so lax the warrants were not scrutinized?
14
@David PA "Now, we are supposed to believe the judicial signing off on these warrants by the FISA courts ore election was so lax the warrants were not scrutinized?"
Yes, that was the case indeed.
3
There is the small matter of the fact that Trump lost the election with the help of the Russians. He is so defensive can't stop saying that he won by a landslide which is not true.
All the stonewalling and defying of subpoenas and firing of anyone related to the Mueller report and doing whatever possible by any means to silence the report makes one wonder just what is in that report. The democrats and Trump are piling up anything they can possibly come up with, forgetting legalities, forgetting procedure, ignoring anyone but the few that say they are in charge, all to bury the Mueller report.
The whole bunch are complicit and they are all running scared and desperate. They are now trying to start a war as a diversion. Anything to get away from that report. Anything at all. Legality is forgotten, procedure is thrown out the window.Trump thinks if he can be a dictator he can make the Mueller report go away. But it is still there, just waiting to come out. Trumps worst nightmare, apparently.
20
@joyce
The only problem with your hypothesis is that Barr gave to Nadler and other democrats full access to the un-redacted Mueller report (except for the 2% of grand jury material, which is against the law to release). The democrats have refused to look at the un-redacted report - because they know there is no there, there. Meanwhile, Comey and Brennan's worst nightmare continues...
4
@joyce
Uh Joyce......there is no need to “wonder” what is in the Mueller report....it is online. Why not read it?
1
@99percent Access without the ability to take notes, pictures, or any way of taking information on the redacted portions of the report with them, other than simply memorization. Sure, full access.....not by any useful definition.
1
The United States narrowly avoided an attempted coup by disgruntled anti-Trump partisans at the highest levels in the intelligence sector -- individuals with well-known reputations for mendacity (Clapper's assurances that the NSA doesn't spy on Americans was perhaps the most risible claim), incompetence (remember 9/11?) and with terminal cases of Trump derangement syndrome. Together with the Hillary Clinton campaign they launched a nearly successful attempt to upend an election -- and were successful in maiming the first two years of the new President's term. Two years of a major investigation has produced no proof of the absurd charge of collusion, and while Trump's understandable fury at being called a traitor and apparatchik of Russian intelligence placed his normally combative temperament on steriods, he didn't deny the investigators ANYTHING they wanted. The Attorney General's conclusion that the further smear that he was engaged in obstruction was unprovable should have concluded this sordid partisan attack. Now it's time to go after the conspirators who attempted to reverse the results of an election. Rather than hemming and hawing, the "New York Times," one of the chief organs for disseminating every charge against Trump -- no matter how absurd -- should face the music, acknowledge its role in misinformation and disinformation and cheer on the work of those who will now get to the bottom of the conspiracy against American democracy.
29
@Dr. Svetistephen There is plenty of evidence of obstruction. Barr, who is the true political hack, can say whatever he wants. Reading the report, it is obvious.
I will also point out that Trump does enough damage to himself. The Republicans controlled both houses for the first two years and he still couldn’t get much done.
I never understand how Trumpistas can talk about this supposed conspiracy against Trump when the FBI talked about their investigations into Clinton, including 10 days before the election, but never breathed a word about any investigation into Trump. McConnell did not even allow Obama to talk about the Russian interference.
So you may believe what you want but the fact are the facts.
30
The real coup is Trump becoming president and dismantling democratic governance of the Republic. That is the real coup de tet story that not being told.
13
@Jude
If dismantling the democratic governance of the Republic is an accurate description of the last two-plus years of President Trump's administration, then how do you explain the Democratic victory at the polls last November?
I note you are in Chicago. Mrs. Clinton grew up in the Chicago area. President Obama learned Democratic politics in Chicago. Democratic politics are unique in Chicago and seem to have spread to D.C. It would indeed be good for the rest of the country if that sort of Democratic governance were to be dismantled in D.C.
3
Another misdirection exercise from the Trump Playbook. Why bother with this expensive charade when we know that the result will be to exonerate Trump and further erode the credibility of the Justice Department.
The damage to our country will take generations to repair. I weep for the future.
22
Once in secure possession of the Mueller report, the Trump-Barr duo has begun so changing the direction of the Russia-Trump collusion narrative as to make it look like a Obama hatched conspiracy against Trump rather than the Russian interference in the US elections. Really a desperate move to turn the Trump-Russia collusion conspiracy up side-down before the final round of 2020.
23
@Prof. Jai Prakash Sharma: Only one third of the senators come up for election in 2020. The Democrats aren't going to win enough of these seats to purge the courts of Trump judges.
The US system does not provide for one-election transformations of public policies.
4
@Prof. Jai Prakash Sharma
I agree with you accept the word "desperate". What I'm seeing is a confident, self assured president who now believes he can go after his enemies (Democrats AND Republicans) in a completely lawless way.
2
I am all for an investigation. Just not the FBI but AG Barr and his personal staff.
No one can look at the optics and not be dubious: a private lawyer sends a legal strategy memo to a president under investigation (why would a lawyer like Barr write a memo without a client or getting paid?); meets with Trump; is appointed AG; confirmed when he promises to keep Trump in check; does the exact opposite when he becomes AG.
I think Barr is worth investigating.
Maybe the best defense is offense in football but with Trump it reeks of his predatory instinct that fear solves everything. Attack and make scary sounds until the other side gives up, decides it's not worth when they're under a blizzard of depositions, testimony, witnesses, documents, email, etc., that bog the FBI down while Putin's agents skip happily about the country preparing to throw the next election for Trump.
Most of all I think Barr should be tried and convicted of cynical mayhem committed against the most basic value of democracy: no one rises above the law.
Thanks to Barr, Trump will fake that as well.
37
@Yuri Asian
"I think Barr is worth investigating"
By who? As much as I disagreed with Jeff Sessions politically, at least he was willing to stand up for the rule of law. But now we have an AG who believes the President is above the law - and he controls the machinery of investigation.
2
@Yuri Asian Barr is Trump's candy, but every candy Barr will melt when charged with sufficient electricity.
Is Trump simply following Putin’s orders to make Russian interference seem like a hoax? Given the proven extensive connections between Trump’s inner circle and the Russians that worked overtime at massive expense to place Trump in White House we cannot ignore this possibility....now, or as long as Trump holds office.
8
There are three very good reasons this investigation must take place.
1. When requesting the warrant, the FBI did not disclose the source of the information was a discredited former British spy that was hired by the Clinton campaign to dig up dirt on Trump
2. The FBI did not inform the Trump campaign, which one could argue was not needed but it was non-standard
3. The FBI agent leading the investigation was caught texting messages to his girl friend ‘they will stop Trump’.
The air needs to be cleared. It is unfortunate Mueller did not include this in his investigation so it now needs to be addressed as a separate matter.
19
@Brian - it's amazing that Mueller didn't include at least the Steele dossier. It was sourced from someone whose contacts were Russians.
If that didn't warrant a deep deep deep investigation, into who on the Russian side and who on the Clinton side was involved, nothing does!
2
@Brian
1. Steel is in no way a 'discredited' former spy, nor was he
hired by the Clinton campaign.
2. Don Jr., Jared, Manafort et.al should have informed the
FBI when they were offered dirt on Hillary by a Russian
government lawyer before inviting them to a cosy Trump
Tower meeting months before the election.
3. The FBI agent texting messages to his girl friend was not
"leading" the investigation.
The air is cleared, as to Mueller not, repeat not having exonerated #45 from having committed obstruction of justice.
2
@Sarah - in your mind was it ok for HRC to collude with the DNC to freeze out Sanders?
DWS resigned over it, so there must have been a good deal of smoke there.
I welcome an investigation into the impetus for surveillance of the Trump campaign. Let's make it public, and let's show how improper Trump's contacts with Russia were (or proper, as the case may be).
Interestingly, Trump has argued that Obama dropped the ball by not acting on the FBI intelligence sooner. On the other hand, Trump argues that Obama got the intelligence illegally. It's no surprise that Trump wants to have his cake and eat it too. I think it's clear that Obama chose not to act out of caution that he might sway the election. Let's hope the Republicans are able to weigh this distinction when they consider the issue.
8
You won’t find classic conspiracy anywhere in the Trump org because it is set up like a crime family. Short lines of communication, writing down very little, never writing when they can speak and never speaking when they can nod. Michael Cohen said under oath that he knew what Trump wanted without him making an explicit request. Trump’s first two years have been a course in finding people who know or who can learn Trump sign language. This should lead to a Rico investigation which is perhaps what the 12 or so still open cases from the Mueller report are about.
20
@Denis You said it.
“One of President Trump’s enduring beliefs about the Russia investigation is that the Obama administration illegally spied on him, his associates and his campaign.”
This sentence is an assumption. Because Trump has said that, does not mean that he believes it.
He has no set of beliefs. Just attitudes he strikes as part of one con or another.
20
@pontormo2. Except the NYTs and other news out reported in March 2017 that Trump was, in fact, spied on.
2
This is a direct assault on the rule of law. They want to subvert the system we have by intimidating those who would investigate crimes lawfully. Barr needs to be imprisoned.
24
"So once the Trump administration is done investigating the investigators, it should turn its attention to ensuring the sanctity and security of the nation’s ballot boxes."
Time to return to paper ballots. I am pretty sure even the best hackers cannot change a paper ballot.
8
@David Ricardo
David......no one, not even the most rabid anti Trump partisans in the know, claim that ballots were tampered with. The Russian interference was described as posts on social media Facebook etc favorable to Trump or negative to Clinton. Anyone’s vote that can be changed through that type of influence is a weak vote to begin with.
1
There is nothing the Trump administration will do that can surprise me. Six months ago, I supported waiting out his term, so his base couldn’t turn him into some kind of right wing martyr after a resounding beating at the ballot box. Now, I don’t know that we can wait 18+ months. The AG will continue to act as Trump’s personal lawyer, and intimidate Trump opposition into silence. It won’t work. Trump will continue to insert himself into international commerce and political issues that he’d originally said he’ll take the country, and go it alone. His revived insertion as a petulant child demanding others play by his rules won’t work. Will he get us into a Mideast war as a political tact because people are hesitant to change Presidents in the middle of a war. I pray the country won’t stand idly by. The saying and book title “Trump poisons everything he touches” is becoming a fact we all have to live with every day he’s in the White House.
41
@Scott The medieval punishment for treason was light public flambéing, followed by strangling and reviving, followed by disemboweling, followed by quartering by pulling off the arms and legs with teams of draft horses, followed by beheading, followed by impaling the head and other body parts on pikes in public places as a warning to would-be emulators. This might get the attention of other would-be aspirants to crime syndicates in our country.
1
At least Barr has the decency to appoint John H. Durham to conduct a review into the origins of the Russia probe. Federal prosecutor Durham has the record of a career government lawyer, known for being very fair and competent in handling high-profile cases in both Democratic and Republican administrations.
He, like Robert Mueller, are registered Republicans, but both are apolitical.
His appointment has earned bipartisan approval, with Democrats expressing their confidence that Durham will follow the facts and get to the truth.
The question is what Barr will do with Durham’s review, especially if it exonerates the FBI?
Durham’s appointment may well be symbolic – an effort to appease Trump – because Barr seems not have found sufficient grounds to open a proper inquiry.
Trump should not underestimate the vagaries of Durham’s scrutiny. The federal prosecutor keeps a very low profile and shuns publicity.
During Senate confirmation process in February 2018, he said he didn't have records of any interviews with newspapers, magazines, radio stations or television networks.
But a 2008 article in Boston Globe unearthed Durham’s quote from a news conference: "Nobody in this country is above the law, an FBI agent or otherwise, and ultimately the ends do not justify the means."
12
@J. von Hettlingen
How can one be a 'Republican' AND apolitical at the same time?
7
I think people need to chill, and curb their enthusiastic attacks about this. To read the background of Durham, this is not someone who is going to participate in a coverup (he's been "hired" both Republican and Democratic administrations for similar work). But also as the op-ed suggests, this is the FBI he is investigating. The FBI is not going to accept anything less than the facts. Why? Because their own reputation is on the line.
If nothing else, this will finally help to shut Trump up, or at least find some new conspiracy thing to conjure up.
7
@Jim Cricket
Nothing will shut Trump up and he won't need to find a new conspiracy thing (although he will anyhow). He'll claim that Durham is finding some interesting things (though he might not be) and that he'll make an announcement the following week about the troubling findings (though he won't). It is just another building block in his wall of obfuscation to protect himself and his supporters will supply the mortar to make sure that wall is solid.
22
Barr was appointed to filter between the truth Mueller disclosed and what Congress sees. The new investigation is another play to delegitimize the contents of the Russia investigation and block Congress from accessing the full report.
I don't know what's worse, the cover-up or the cover-up?
40
The electronic paper trail has been identified; it is guaranteed that criminal referrals will be made and that the significant and deeply compromised interference of both the Clinton campaign and the Obama administration, through it's corrupt Justice Department, will be exposed. The turmoil this will create, the schism between roughly half the voting population with the other half, presents the enduring environment for populism. All kinds. And this is intended. It is the smug, the comfortable and the blithely secure who will suffer as either a furious and inept Left or a reactionary but savvy Right is bad news for the swells. We will take it in as we would a roaring campfire -- neat spectator sport.
3
@Pilot Yeah, like Nero fiddling while Rome burns. Go for it - I'm far more insulated than most but it's the stupid right who will pay the steepest price; they already do with their freedom, their labour, time energy, and their soul.
@Pilot Translation: Claiming that I am omniscient is a terrible burden.
1
If the investigators have done nothing wrong, then they should have nothing to worry about. It is that simple. But if they have, then we need to know , so that criminal actions can be prosecuted and measures to prevent this from happening again are implemented.
21
@samuel
It is that simple if the investigators are honest and dedicated to finding the facts. The FBI used to have tendencies in the other direction when J. Edgar ran it. Trump would love to reactivate or recreate these tendencies. So things may be becoming complex again.
4
@samuel Just as Trump should have nothing to fear by releasing his tax returns. If he's done nothing wrong, why not show us?
34
@samuel. Ha, ha, ha! This investigation is being carried out in retaliation for the Mueller investigation. It’s being carried out order the guidance of a man who wrote his summary of the Mueller Report as his job application! His boss is a man who lies as much as he breaths.
We ALL have something to worry about!
7
For a moment please ignore the current situation, and focus on what is critical for good government.
Few things if anything are more toxic to elected government than those in power using police, investigative and taxing powers against political opponents of other parties or even the same party.
To discourage this abuse of power, and to build confidence in the public that the abuse did not take place, investigations into potential abuse is essential and should be automatic regardless of how much or little evidence of impropriety is already known. One should not assume that those engaged in the abuse will leave a rich trail of documents proving their abuse.
Whenever a political party or candidate is investigated, a fully independent investigation (with IG cooperation) into the basis for and how it was conducted is essential for good and honest government that voters can rightfully have confidence in
7
@Richard P M. Do you know who is president? Did we have an investigation of the Clinton debacle?
This has nothing to do with good government and everything to do with retaliation.
Stop pretending this is normal!
1
If Trump was wiretapped a warrant was required, and Durham will be able to find it in 5 minutes. If there was no warrant, the wiretap was covert and illegal and Durham could investigate forever. So the Durham investigation will be over in 5 minutes or it will be endless. Either way there is no reason to appoint a top-notch investigator. That’s why you don’t investigate without probable cause. And Trump’s barefaced allegations are not probable cause.
35
This is likely much ado about nothing. Durham appears to be a reputable and qualified individual. The investigation is unlikely to produce anything new. In the end Trump's witch hunt story will be debunked and Barr will have acted to placate his boss in a rather inconsequential way. In the overall context of current chaos, not a very big deal.
A potential downside for Trump is that in calling for a new investigation of another aspect of the Russian squabble he is undercutting the persuasiveness of his "cased closed" message.
13
This will go nowhere, but while it's going nowhere it will give Fox News an excellent story to keep people's eye off the ball. In the end it wil be like Benghazi. It will fade away without a formal announcement that nothing was found.
33
Except that those who did their jobs will be publicly exposed and slandered.
The guilty - as in Trump, Barr and other members of the Trump syndicate - rarely respond with legal prudence.
It is a smear job they are after.
And Fox?
They will be the tool that smears.
1
No investigation of any kind and in any depth will relieve the president's mind of his deep seated delusions about being wronged, misunderstood, and abused by the system. Good try, Mr. Barr, but the investigation you have proposed will not work. Trump will still believe the counter intelligence investigation that his contacts with the Russians provoked was aimed deliberately at him by someone, FBI, deep state, Obama, someone. Just as he continues to believe that he is the greatest president ever but only not given due credit, that the crowd at the inauguration was the biggest ever, and that the system was rigged against him from the beginning. I am afraid we are dealing with a delusions of both paranoid and grandiose kind. If anyone dared, he probably could be examined medically to determine if this is the case so that the 25th amendment could be tested. This will not happen. We will have to depend on the election in 2020 to get rid of him. I trust the checks and balances will still be working then.
33
If Obama would spy on Merkel then I have absolutely no doubt he would do the same to any Republican candidate or his/her campaign.
13
@Charlie. And Brennan spied on the senate. Obama weaponized certain parts of the fed bureaucracy, notably the JD and the IRS.
5
Why should we be reassured that this will be a fair investigation because Mr. Barr has appointed a career prosecutor with a good reputation? Isn't that what Robert Mueller is, and it didn't stop Barr from dismissing his findings, after barely reviewing the Russia report. I think Barr will take the results, pounce on any errors in judgment, no matter how minor, and claim it supports Trump's claim, and now his, that the FBI spyed on the Trump campaign. Like Trump, he doesn't let the facts lead to a conclusion; he sets the conclusion and lets that drive the facts.
51
@Justine Dalton
Excellent points! Wish I could recommend your comment a hundred times!
2
@Justine Dalton: Who will be next to burn their putatively sterling reputation on Trump's pyre?
1
Once again, Trump defames the FBI and undermines Americans' confidence in the non-partisan professionalism of its agents and managers, all to protect his own image. The matter is already being investigated by the Justice Department's inspector general. Why is a separate investigation needed? If the two investigators of the investigators come up with different assessments, what then? A third? If Trump is re-elected, I predict a mass retirement of career FBI personnel and many firings to replace professionals with Trump lackies.
10
Let's hope Mr. Durham unravels the web of intrigue, lies, and corruption that has come to define American politics. I'm looking forward to read his report in about two years, on Trump 's second term. Thanks Democratic Party.
16
The EB is concerned the investigation may validate the enemy's theory. How shameful.
10
Perhaps they should investigate the witnesses, the prosecutors, the justices and whoever else’s participated in an investigation of Russian hacking and interference. We must discourage these things.
4
Our President continues to use bullying tactics to discourage any oversight of his administration and his Attorney General has swallowed the President’s baloney hook; line; and sinker. May God forgive him for he knows not what he does. However, I doubt that the citizens of this country will.
8
@Indy1. He knows exactly what he does. This is what he signed on for. He’s just another one Trumps bully boys with a law degree.
1
Barr is doing everything he can to be the first guy Trump thinks about should there be another appointment to the Supreme Court. Forget Roe v. Wade. Trump needs someone who protects presidents’ prerogatives. That’s why he wrote a 16 page letter to Trump auditioning, not for attorney general, but really for the Supreme Court. God keep all of the justices healthy until Trump is out of office. Then Barr will have ruined his reputation for absolutely nothing.
37
Barr is far too old to be appointed as a judge
@Richard P M. Age won't affect anything. Trump thinks only in the short term - like the next week or so.
I guess if we go by the Congressional democrats rationalization of all Trump inquiries; if you have nothing to hide - whats the harm in investigating? :)
In circles we go.
10
Trump is trying anything he can think of to prevent visibility of the Mueller report. In fact, I think he is throwing a big diversion in the works by saber rattling at Iran and talking about 120,000 troops. Sure makes you wonder why the republicans tend to go along with all this diversion and obstruction related to the Mueller report. What on earth does it have that is so toxic to Trump? Is it the financials? Has he been money laundering for years and does he have his whole family involved? Maybe he is frantically trying to protect his whole family from prosecution. That might be worth all this trouble. Anyway, the whole situation is an unbelievable mess and a disaster for the US which is now functioning as a dictatorship due to Trumps stonewalling all subpoenas and making decisions without the involvement of the rest of the US government.
15
I am concerned by the appearance that Clinton’s campaign seeded a piece of Russian disinformation to the FBI and the media. This may be the Russians’ real success in terms of election meddling.
If people inside the FBI were willingly or negligently complicit, we need to know.
21
As the info in the Steele reports were to have come from Russian sources, it was very surprising the Mueller report did not cover the validity, sourcing and validation of the Steele report’s contents.
After all the purpose of the investigation was Russian interference, and this may very well be their interference program of greatest impact.
5
I am concerned by the appearance that Clinton’s campaign seeded a piece of Russian disinformation to the FBI and the media. This may be the Russians’ real success in terms of election meddling.
If people inside the FBI were willingly or negligently complicit, we need to know.
5
We are supposed to believe that before the election, the FISA courts were so lax that they inappropriately authorized surveillance without sufficient evidence of the need to do so. And, we are further supposed to believe that all the Russian contact of those on the Trump campaign shouldn't have raised alarm bells.
26
@David PA
We are also supposed to believe that the Russians wanted Trump to win when they provided the Steele dossier information to the Hillary campaign. Hmm.
The FISA courts were tricked by the corrupt, partisan FBI to use disinformation provided by Russians to spy on members of the Trump campaign. The FBI did not find any criminal activities on the part of Trump's organization, but still leaked misleading tidbits to the media before the election. to the Press.
Alarm bells should have been sounded when Bill Clinton received cash from Russians. That was part of the documented evidence that caused Americans to vote for Trump.
12
@ebmyem
The FISA courts were tricked?
Really?
Was Rosenstein tricked on the FISA warrants he re-authorized, that had been initially approved pre election?
19
@David PA -- It is pretty difficult to "trick" a rubber stamp. The FISA court is a notorious rubber stamp.
All that was needed was the appearance of content, lots of words, toner on paper. Steele provided some of it.
8
Can't imagine what Barr's summary of the principle conclusions of this new investigation will be - can we?
8
There is nothing wrong with an investigation. Half the country was convinced Trump conspired with Russia. Mueller's investigation cast light on those accusations and we can now move on. Half the country thinks the Obama DOJ improperly opened an investigation into Trump's campaign. Let this investigation cast light on these accusations so we can all move on eventually.
19
@Ryan your wishful regarding what you imagine half the country is thinking is just that: wishful thinking. but if it makes you feel ok? spend some energy learning about how the FISA works. But I must say, a little paranoia goes a long way.
1
@Ryan If by moving on you mean we can finally begin impeaching Trump for his multiple acts of criminal obstruction of justice, as revealed in the Muller report, as well as his constant violations of the Immoluments Clause, then yes, by all means let us might right on to that.
1
I'm glad Trump wants to keep the Mueller investigation in the spotlight by investigating the investigation. I hope that includes releasing the full Mueller report along with his tax returns...
90
Senator Bill Nelson lost his senate seat to Rick Scott - who perpetrated the biggest Medicare fraud in history and took the 5th 75 times in the civil lawsuit - because Nelson had the temerity to suggest that the Russians had penetrated voting systems in Florida.
An insidious process of Republican character assassination and propaganda against Nelson resulted in a win for Scott by 10,000 votes out of 8 million votes cast.
Now the AG is using the same playbook against the FBI who had the temerity to investigate the Trump campaign's - and Trump himself - involvement with the Russians in 2016.
Espionage? Treason? Felonies? Got a little problem here? Kill the messenger. It works pretty good these days.
And today, by the way, Nelson turned out to be right...
136
You single out One attribute of Nelson. Reductionism ignores all the other factors possible. One also points to a general history of conservatism that Nelson was able to succeed despite the fact Bush won and his brother won and de Santis won. My point is that the state is competitive swing state
3
@Jensen Parr
That's an interesting comment, but I don't quite get the point. Nelson had a history of winning in a predominantly Democratic state, and Bush stole the election from Gore there with Florida Republican malfeasance, and De Santis squeaked out a victory against a Democrat - who aced out Gwen Graham - who would have beat De Santis in a heartbeat. And...so...what about the Russians and Trump?
Watsonville is also very interesting. How are the artichokes doing?
10
@Jensen Parr But that is precisely the point, Mr. Parr. The Russians hacked Florida's voting system specifically because it is a swing state.
Hacking does not work when it can only produce a result that everybody knows is false. If California, New York, and other strongly liberal states suddenly all swung Republican, people would know something funny is happening and they would investigate it. By targeting Florida- a swing state- hackers can use the narrowness of the likely victory as a smokescreen.
So yes, Nelson was right to issue the warning, and the possibility of hacking should have been investigated. It is entirely possible that Russia helped Scott win the election. It is entirely possible that Russia did not help Scott win the election. But without timely investigation, we will never know for sure.
15
When the Democrats get back into the White House, there needs to be an investigation of the investigation of the investigation.
12
@GV It would help to put a Democrat from the democratic wing in the White House. Haven't had one of those for a long time.
It's bad enough to have a career conman/criminal as president. Now we also have a corrupt AG. This will not end well.
295
@markymark
Let’s hope that in the meantime Trump hasn’t made Barr a supreme court justice as well.
14
Something is rotten in Russia and it’s not the vodka they’re celebrating with.
You can’t even write this stuff. Putin is on a roll and wont stop until our country meets the same fate as the USSR.
That Trump is still allowed private,unmonitored calls with Putin screams a loud and clear message. “Mayday! Mayday! Our ship of state has been torpedoed by Putin.”
62
@RjW
Hillary promised to continue Obama's war on fossil fuels, restricting US drilling and increasing world oil prices Russia depends upon as one of their few sources of hard currency.
Obama/Hillary/Kerry followed their "reset" and "additional flexibility" policy of appeasement toward Russia and Hillary promised more of the same. Russia interfered with the election in Georgia under Hillary and invaded Ukraine after Obama's re-election. Obama helped Iran and Russian interests in Syria to accommodate Russia.
Hillary's campaign manager, Podesta, had a consulting service receiving payments to lobby for the repeal of the Magnitsky Act without registering as a foreign agent.
Russian oligarchs provided fabricated dirt on Trump through a British agent hostile to Trump in an effort to help Hillary win the election.
Russia was delighted with the prospects of another four to eight years of Obama foreign policy.
Had Putin endorsed Hillary, it would have brought new attention to Uranium One and the payments made to Bill Clinton and the Clinton Foundation with the blessing of Obama.
Instead, Russia created the illusion of supporting Trump, which Obama/Hillary/Putin thought would be damaging to Trump. [Reread Orwell's 1984 if this is too complicated a strategy for you to follow.]
No one, including Russia., expected Trump to win.
4
Does the Times forget whose money is being spent to replay mad magazine's Spy v Spy farce? Mueller is as independent a lawyer as we could find. Spent two years investigating. Barr a political operative of the R party gets hired weeks before the release of the Mueller report to act as cover for Trump and executes his role perfectly, reinforcing all the talking points established by the WH. Faced with a the obstruction findings of the Mueller report Trump has directed Barr to cover his tracks once again, this time with the assignment of a US Attorney to re-cover the propriety of the investigation. The Times should have strongly rebuked this obfuscation.
19
Yet another bright shiny object i.e. Distraction. Their hubris is only surpassed by their sleaze.
Period.
49
How dare the FBI look into more than 140 contacts between Russia and the Trump campaign!
231
The problem was that the candidate was from the other party and won. Had there been no victory for Trump we would not have had this conversation
6
@Somewhere
The FBI looked into 140 contacts between Russia and the Trump campaign, before the election,post election and post inauguration. They did not find any evidence of illegal or inappropriate conversations.
Mueller chose to ignore the multiple illegal contacts between the Hillary campaign, the DNC and the FBI and foreign agents with respect to the acquisition of the Steele dossier, along with the fraudulent financial reports filed by Hillary to the FEC falsely characterizing the spending as legal fees. Admission that she was purchasing foreign assistance with campaign funds would have been identified as criminal.
Mueller investigated Trump contacts with Russians and blessed them. That is a done deal, like it or not.
9
@Jensen Parr
You are wrong. And you have no more evidence than I do.
6
This is just a thinly disguised warning to investigators that you could be investigated if you keep looking into stuff. Typical Trump.
81
@sapere aude
It makes good sense. I'm afraid you're probably right.
5
Good. Let the investigators be investigated and I'm sure no impropriaties will be found. Just don't let William Barr write the summary.
42
This den of theives will fabricate evidence. There are no boundaries to their malfeasance.
This absurd ploy will just uncover more corruption from trump et al.He can't get thru 24 hours w/o some sort of hideous new thing being exposed...just wait for it, Durham will stumble on more horrors.And Barr will try to cover it up.It's a given.
11
"The Attorney General Investigates the Investigators".....then.. The Investigators investigated the investigators who in turn investigated......
Meantime Russia is been infiltrating our voting apparatuses and social media nationally to give the current President a little edge in the next election.
Yikes again.
14
Trump did not say “illegal” spying. He said spying and the Obama Administration did spy. You can argue it was justified even if it wasn’t, except Dems fear getting what they gave. Trump should order that every Dem be investigated just like he was. If there was nothing wrong with it 22+ Dems should welcome it.
10
@Matthew It is entirely improper for a US president to order the investigation of his political rivals. There is no evidence that improper surveillance took place under the Obama administration and none at all that Obama himself order any investigation of the the Trump campaign. Trump is acting like the dictator of a banana republic.
9
@rhoda miller
Obama and Hillary were in bed with the Russians while they were employees of the government.
Obama shut down an FBI investigation into money laundering and tax evasion by Uranium One in order to approve its sale to Russian oligarchs. Bill Clinton received $1 million for two "speeches" and billions to the Clinton Foundation at the same time as Hillary was blessing the sale.
The FBI was worried about a private citizen with no chance of winning the presidency and national security while looking the other way about the corruption of Obama for personal gain.
Where was the honorable Comey who should have resigned and spoken with Congress about the sinister activities of the Obama administration and Hillary?
4
@Matthew
Play footsie with Russia while campaigning for any public office, let alone the presidency, and the FBI will take notice. It is their duty to investigate all possible security concerns, which includes any contact with foreign agents.
205
Well, Editorial Board, I can pretty much guarantee you that the Trump administration will not protect the Russian meddling.
He has far too much to gain (unless the Russian dictator, for sport, decides to support his opponent) from the meddling despite refusing to have it discussed in his presence.
As for Barr, one wonders just why he has become such a partisan hack--it prompts suspicions that the president may have made some amazing promise, financial or otherwise, to ensure his "loyalty."
But the most important reason why Americans should be appalled at Barr indulging the president's obsessions, is that what happens when the president orders him to "get" Joe Biden, or Hillary Clinton, or John, Brennan, or anyone who has dared criticize him in the public sphere?
Isn't it bad enough that the wall between the president and the DOJ has been broken down without turning this country into totalitarian nation?
62
Whoops: should read, "protest the meddling"
1
@ChristineMcM
Methinks the lady doth protest too much.
If there is nothing to hide, then nothing will be found. Worth it to put everyone's mind at rest.
2
This is what a police state looks like. The dictator sends his henchmen out to terrorize those who uncover his illegal acts. Threaten seasoned, experience investigators, and they'll back off. And the dictator's personal consigliere approves it all.
Then those career investigators, those who have no interests other than ensuring that our laws are followed, get the message. They know they are no longer safe. They know their families are no longer safe. They know they themselves will be targets of groundless, but never-ending "investigations" that will rob them of everything - their reputations, their security, their livelihoods.
So those whose job it is to enforce the law understand that to ensure the safety of their families, they must stop. They must kowtow to the dictator. They must follow no investigative leads that would show the dictator's criminal actions. They understand that their silence is the only thing that will buy them a measure of security.
We are here now. These groundless investigations by Trump and his toady Barr are nothing more than shake downs. It's their way of telling decent, honorable investigators that they continue to do their work at their own peril. Trump and his corrupt regime are now using the offices of the "Justice Department" as a blunt force instrument to instill terror into decent, law abiding people.
It has started with the FBI. But it will not end there. It will end when Trump's toadies knock on your door late one night.
196
@DB Cooper/ Yes, folks think it can't happen here, but it can and may be happening already. The Democrats - yes, even the compromised, centrist, GOP lite branch of the party - had better get serious about impeachment before it is too late.
19
@DB Cooper
The Obama administration used government resources to spy on a political opponent and then to unmask and leak information that Americans not guilty of any crime were being investigated by the FBI in an effort to influence the election.
That is what a police state looks like. That is why Hillary lost the election. That is why the Barr investigation will result in jail times for members of the dark state.
7
@ebmem No, it was looking at contacts between members of the Trump campaign and Russian operatives. Are you aware that foreign interference in our elections is illegal?
13
I fear all of these moves are intended to distract, obfuscate, confuse, and propagandize the citizens of the USA. Plant the seeds of doubt and hammer them in with the chorus of congressional sycophants and the pundits on Fox nooze, and it will only take one single nooze cycle before Trump cheerleaders and other accept it as fact without any evidence, that Mr. Trump was victimized and spied upon by the deep state. Add to this this the positioning of troops in the Straight of Homuz, the 120,000 troops poised for a little more "shock and awe" and you can see where this all ends. Who is going to care about DT's obstruction of justice when the bombers are flying over Tehran?
18
Dont fear. It's absolutely true
You got it right here for sure.
Barr has always believed in the imperial presidency. He has made the unfortunate choice to push his ill begotten ideas to protect the most corrupt, incompetent and ill informed president in modern times.
The head of the FBI has stated under oath there was no illegal spying of the Trump campaign and the IG of the Justice Dept is about to finish his investigation of the investigation.
So why start a new probe now? It is to hope somehow something not previously found out will turn up and Trump will be vindicated.
8
It's all fun and game until Democracy dies.
14
I've never heard of Mr. Durham before today but one thing is abundantly clear about the man right off the bat: He must be a complete stooge just like Mr. Barr and the rest of the confederacy of dunces in this administration.
Step right up and add your name to the most ignominious list of fools in the nation's history, Mr. Durham!
9
This is a surprisingly fact-free editorial.
There is no reference to the fact that the "Steele dossier", an important predicate for the Obama
FBI (and other agencies?) to run investigative and intelligence assets against Trump campaign members, was not verified. In fact, the dossier was merely unverified hearsay, sourced in Russia, that was developed, managed and spread by the opposing Democratic candidate who was supported by the Obama administration.
No matter how much one may not like Trump or Barr, these facts raise serious and fundamental issues.
Think of it this way. Imagine Biden wins the Democrat nomination and runs against Trump. Imagine Trump's campaign team hires ex-spooks with intelligence connections in the Ukraine to root around for "kompromat" about Biden or his family. They come up with a dossier consisting of claims by various Ukrainians and shove it in front of the FBI.
Then the FBI, and other agencies, without ever going to the Ukraine to interview the supposed actual witnesses or otherwise verify any of the anti-Biden dossier claims, start tapping phones and running undercover informants against members of the Biden campaign.
Would the editors, or the American public, think this is fair or right?
Of course not. The US investigative and intelligence agencies aren't supposed to run at presidential campaigns without clearing a high hurdle -- one much higher than an unverified, hearsay dossier.
29
@Stuck on a mountain:
The FBI/ Muller investigation was not based on the Steele dossier, a fact that's been reported for quite some time. Rather it was based on info from allied intelligence and loose lips courtesy of G. Papadopoulous. Perhaps you should come down from the mountain more often.
44
@Patricia It is too much to expect Trump apologists to make fact based allegations. They have their own "alternate" facts.
8
@ Patricia you are wasting your breath. These folks believe investigations only happen to people they do not like. It would be okay to investigate Clinton for 8 years. They would never think to investigate those investigations or investigators. Unfortunately their posts are full of so many purposeful political misstatements, half of time I never finish reading before my eyes gloss over.
6
Can’t say the last two years haven’t been interesting. Remember the saying, “be careful what you ask for because you just may get it”. I’m guessing there are a few people in the FBI and the previous administration that’ll have some trouble getting to sleep.
10
I seriously doubt that any egregious misconduct will be found. Perhaps some more emails and texts hating Mr. Trump, but hatred, while not a very attractive emotion is not illegal.
Still, I am glad for there to be a review.
Unfortunately, whatever the findings, the partisans who do not get the result they desire, will call foul.
What a miserable state to which the nation has succumbed. Too much hate and almost no understanding. Willful ignorance is the order of the day and both sides revel in it. Anyone who says that there is a "false equivalence" here are as blind as their adversaries.
5
For the last two years we’ve been bombarded by liberals who claimed “if Trump did nothing wrong, he’d welcome the investigation.”
Now that the Attorney General is actually investigating the Democrats crimes, suddenly liberals don’t welcome the investigation.
Of course, Democrats have never been intellectually consistent - why should they start now ?
20
@James
You are ignoring all the well known facts, such as that there is no legitimate reason to investigate the FBI except to lay down a pro-Trump propaganda barrage. We all know (except Trump followers) that the FBI was following up a credible tip (not the Steele dossier -- that's established in the public record) about dubious contacts between Trump campaign officials and family and Russian government representatives. All this is in the public record and widely reported.
7
@James From what I can see, the vast majority of Democrats have also been saying about this that there is nothing wrong and we welcome it, just like Hilary Clinton did with Benghazi, etc. I don't see a problem with this except that because the people are so sure nothing will be found that they seem to be saying this is a waste of time. This is not what Trump is saying: he feels harmed and hurt and is taking it personally.
It's the Republicans who are not intellectually consistent.
1
@Thomas Zaslavsky
Why hasn't Hillary been indicted for falsifying her FEC reports or for her illegal purchase of the Steele dossier?
1
You were wonder why we have no faith in the national government?
Barr exemplifies our position. Period.
14
"Robert Mueller’s report on Russian election interference detailed at least 140 contacts between Mr. Trump’s campaign and Russian nationals,"
If only Joseph McCarthy was alive.
23
So when this investigation ends, can anyone trust what Barr will tell us the investigation found?
32
@Bosox rule
In a word, no.
14
Hopefully, the investigation of the investigators will end up in the same place as the investigation of Trump's ridiculous spy claim - i.e. nowhere. Still, it is pathetic that Barr is willing to even pretend that this latest investigation is anything other than a Trump hissy fit designed to detract from the Mueller report.
19
This president has no shame and if he is not removed from office the whole country will decline with him.
15
William Barr has abandoned all principles to become Trump's willing lackey at the expense of the rule of law. Shame on him! The Republicans, Trump and his circle are perfectly comfortable having the Russian interfere in our elections as long as they are the beneficiaries. Treason would be the apt description of this behavior.
56
Trump is all projection - every accusation he makes is really a confession. He’s given us a road map of his villainy everytime he points the finger at someone else. To support him is to support might over right. Lying over truth and a neutered press as opposed to the one that helped actually make America great. It’s all a control mechanism based on false pretexts to destroy the functioning of our government so the powerful can play their games at will.
31
AG Barr, Trump's personal lawyer, has been poking justice's eyes by not allowing the truth to be revealed. If Trump is so innocent, what is he afraid of by blocking Mueller's report and witnesses to testify? And Barr's servility in covering for a corrupt bully, what for?
23
We cannot trust our own election processes any more, and as of now, William Barr is the reason.
23
Barr was Mueller's good buddy?
That probably says a lot not just about Barr, but also Mueller.
Who are these people? How do they have so much say in our country? In our history? In our lives?
One really wonders where and to whom to turn. Mr. Obama, please come back. Decency was entirely lost with your exit.
18
If it was legitimate, what's the afraid and why not?
7
Trump has a lot of enduring beliefs which amount to fantasies which have no basis in fact. He is always in search of men who will reinforce his false story lines. Barr is just one of many men who have during Trump's administration sold their souls to get jobs of great prestige only to become obvious stooges for our mentally ill President. Barr is not done yet, he will be called upon again and again to do other twisted tasks for our Commander and Chief. And when Trump tires of him he will fire him and Barr will end up on the trash heap of history.
15
When this latest investigation turns up nothing, Trump will howl that the deep state blocked the inquiry. This is just another huge waste of tax-payer dollars, none of which come from the President since he doesn't pay taxes. I say let him hire his own PI if he wants to pursue this.
16
@Barney Rubble
Would that be similar to the Democrat response to the Mueller report? No crime identified, so the House wants to see Trump's income tax returns form 2009? So they can leak to the Press that he donated to Planned Parenthood and took a legal tax deduction?
The Obama IRS audited his returns for 2009 through 2015. What are the chances Trump didn't pay the legal amount of his taxes?
3
Durham and Horowitz have outstanding reputations as non-partisan, fair, and thorough.
Let them do their investigations. And let's agree to accept the outcomes, regardless of our partisan leaning.
We need maximum transparency. If everything the FBI, State Department, and possibly CIA did was legitimate, then no one has a reason to object.
If something was not legitimate, then let's identify, expose, and prosecute, if appropriate, the perpetrators.
14
@John
Regrettably what you say should be true and would be, except that AG Barr has proven less than transparent himself. We will ultimately only know what he chooses to share of the investigation. So what then am I supposed to accept as the truth? As transparent? As legitimate? They should release full reports and all back up, minus those parts that are truly subject to national security concerns. Let me read it myself and make up my own mind. I have zero trust in this administration, including POTUS. 10,000 lies later you expect me to start believing them? I don’t think so.
10
@John
The problem is that this investigation exists only to distract and confuse the public, helping to direct attention away from the Presidential criminal actions reported by Mueller. Mueller, unfortunately, while not enough the organization man to lie, is too much the organization man to defy the DoJ's legally invalid assertion that a President in office cannot be charged with a crime.
7
DJT gushes over the virtues of Mr Durham today, but he will turn on both AG Barr and Mr Durham tomorrow when the 'plot' dissolves into a puddle. Pax, jb
12
This is what a police state looks like. The dictator sends his henchmen out to terrorize those who uncover his illegal acts. Threaten seasoned, experience investigators, and they'll back off. And the dictator's personal consigliere approves it all.
Then those career investigators, those who have no interests other than ensuring that our laws are followed, get the message. They knew they are no longer safe. They know their families are no longer safe. They know they themselves will be targets of groundless, but never-ending "investigations" that will rob them of everything - their reputations, their security, their livelihoods.
So those whose job it is to enforce the law understand that to ensure the safety of their families, they must stop. They must kowtow to the dictator. They must follow no investigative leads that would show the dictator's criminal actions. They understand that their silence is the only thing that will buy them a measure of security.
We are here now. These groundless investigations by Trump and his toady Barr are nothing more than shake downs. It's their way of telling decent, honorable investigators that they continue to do their work at their own peril. Trump and his corrupt regime are now using the offices of the "Justice Department" as a blunt force instrument to instill terror into decent, law abiding people.
It has started with the FBI. But it will not end there. It will end when Trump's toadies knock on your door late one night.
28
I did not know something could be "very sacred". Aside from that, all of this "kicking the tires" is not necessarily a bad thing. In an age of internet-fueled and Tweeter-in-chief-fueled conspiracy theories, debunking nonsense and letting Republicans grandstand some seems like the only way to make the serious investigations or impeachment look fair-minded.
3
Barr, a deeply authoritarian monarchistic theocrat, is liable to turn this into a state inquisition. Our democracy is on life support. The ranks of the investigative and intelligence agencies must stand fast and protect the integrity of our government. Lord knows the politicians and their money- and power-besotted lackeys are not up to the task.
27
Why am I paying for this. Maybe Trump’s base should have a separate “loyalty tax”.
9
Good to hear it's in the hands of a respected investigator. I expect he'll find nothing wrong; I just hope that finding will be accepted.
6
For me, this investigation proves that djt is guilty of “something” in the Mueller Report.
22
Speaker Pelosi there is only one duty you have and that is to defend our constitution.
Impeachment proceedings are way past due .
23
This is what Democratic Congressional leaders fear the most. It’s why they spent so much time and effort demonizing Barr. Trying to set the stage that the AG is a political hack rather then an unbiased barrister. The truth is likely that the Obama administration manipulated the FISA process to conduct otherwise illegal surveillance on the Trump Campaign.
14
@William -- so, why can't congress see the unredacted report?
23
A more plausible interpretation of the evidence would be that Barr, who is not a “barrister,” by the way, actually is highly biased. Anyone who compares his summary to the actual redacted report can see that.
1
Oh. . . this is rich. . . 'during the very sacred election process'! How about an investigation into Trumps tax returns, or the consequences of ignoring a Congressional subpoena? The Trump years would be ludicrous if they weren't so damaging.
82
Trump’s bizarre description of the “very sacred” election, during which he invited Russian intelligence to steal information from an American citizen, epitomizes the bad faith with which he uses language. Every time he talks about “our great first responders” or “our wonderful military” I cringe. On a literal level, he’s excluding that subset of first responders who are not “great.” Why not address all of them if you’re going to pay them lip service? And more importantly, he’s quite obviously lying, just as in his description of the election. He does not actually respect first responders, the military, or anyone else. He operates entirely in bad faith. His is the Pretextual Presidency.
1
In other words, Barr is tasked with cherrypicking any anecdote that Trump can turn into a political soundbyte/headline, which can role up his base and continue their perception of him as the victim of Tyrannical forces, not as the perpetrator of Tyranny.
Heck, worse case scenario, he uses the soundbytes and anecdotes to call off or disregard the results of 2020 should he lose, and as material tok get his rabid base in the streets to fight the imaginary "coup."
This is all being done to posture himself as the heroic "outsider" standing up to the corrupt DC establishment or deep state.
26
Unfortunately, Trump and his flunkies will not be done “investigating the investigators” until after the 2020 elections. Whatever Durham or any other “investigator” turns up will either provide fuel for Trump’s persecution complex, or will simply generate further “investigations” of the president’s perceived persecutors. Like successive Benghazi investigations. Like Russian nesting dolls. They will abuse the indeterminacy of the Mueller report as pretext to go after their political enemies regardless of what the Russians may or may not do to our elections in 2020.
20
Being no supporter of Trump behavior, it’s fair and lawful for this DOJ TO undertake this investigation. Politicians, pundits and journalists cannot cry foul about the very process they supported two years ago. Who knows, it may, like the Mueller report, turn up no criminal activity but support a biased interference of some sort.
Then maybe we can get on with the truly serious things that this country faces.....?
9
The Mueller report in no way absolves trump from obstruction. As a sitting president, a statute states that he cannot be indicted for his crimes. Over 800 ex federal prosecutors have signed a letter attesting to the fact that trump would be arrested and charged were he not the president. The Congress can impeach him and I hope that they do.
18
@Sharon Salzberg
there is no STATUTE that states that a sitting president cannot be indicted for crimes. It is a only a Department of Justice POLICY formulated in memos written by the DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel in 1973 (corresponding to the Nixon impeachment) and 2000 (corresponding to the Clinton impeachment).
7
@Rob
And let's add that it has no legal force whatever. It's like my lawyer writing an opinion that I can't be indicted.
2
Thank you A.G. for finally trying to determine what political hacks are responsible for wasting millions of dollars and years of investigative efforts trying to overthrow the 2016 presidential election.
As an attorney of many decades, it was obvious from the start the “investigation” was intended to reach a preordained result, but no matter how the Special Prosecutor attempted to coerce and blackmail people into helping the cause, the President had violated no laws.
The Democrats started the Vietnam War using the fake Gulf of Tonkin attack, and they started the unsuccessful coup using a fake claim of collusion.
14
@esquire
I agree. But you will not find measured reasoning here at The NYT. People who hold such partisan ideology cannot look past their own limitations— characteristics of both the far fight AND the far left. Reflection and understanding your strengths and weaknesses is critical to healthy development. Seems some never learn.
5
@Esquire, your comment says that “it” was an attorney for many decades. What are you referring to, and is it human?
@Esquire
I hope you were a better attorney than this.
Our participation in the Vietnam War began under "Democrat" Eisenhower. Democrats Kennedy and Johnson made it worse. "Democrat" Nixon sabotaged peace negotiations and tried to flatten Cambodia.
Remember "weapons of mass destruction" in Iraq? "Democrats" George W. Bush and Dick Cheney faked that one out of whole cloth.
2
It’s time to begin impeachment hearings, televised. This thing is gaining speed, the Oval Office occupant is starting a war to distract us and gain approval.
Yes, he’s dangerous and there are no easy answers. But we should not give up our democracy without a fight. Two years from now may be too late.
152
@Leia
We know. The FBI had credible evidence, from Papadopoulos, that the Trump campaign was in cahoots with Russia. Since then, we have found out that Trump's campaign and family really were trying to work with Russia.
29
@Leia, the hearings would be about all of the impeachable offenses. There are too many to list here. But if you’re limiting yourself to the Mueller Report, the offenses would include encouragement of Russian interference and obstruction of justice.
21
@Leia
What are the impeachable offenses? How about being a Russian agent? Or doesn't this matter?
7
If Obama knew that the Trump campaign was being surveilled, then lied about it, his legacy will be tarnished forever.
Further, if the Steele Dossier was used to obtain a warrant from a FISA court, without disclosing the source or the fact that it was uncorroborated, the entire FISA system should be called into question. If it can be used to take down the lawfully elected president, then we should consider shuttering the FISA process.
16
@Ken Rohleder, If veracity is that important to a president's legacy, can you imagine what future historians will say about Trump and what future psychiatrists will say about Trump supporters.
43
@Ken Rohleder The head of the FBI, a Republican appointed by Trump, recently stated under oath that there was no illegal surveillance of the Trump campaign.
Do you really believe that the FISA judges appointed by Republican presidents are all corrupt or incompetent?
Conspiracy theories spawned by this president seem to have infected his supporters.
19
@Ken Rohleder In 2016, Obama tried to inform congressional leaders of the seriousness of Russian interference. Mitch McConnell raised doubts about the investigation and told the administration that any efforts to call out the Russians publicly would be treated by him as an act of partisan politics. Members of the Trump campaign were being surveilled because of their associations with people that the Bureau was concerned about. The original reasons for the investigations have been well documented, except for those who drink the Fox News kool-aid.
27
The whole purpose is to intimidate future investigations of the rightwing. It's not the first time.
174
Whoa! I feel like I’m watching an Inception reboot!
2
Let’s see whether Mr. Durham, like the eventually compromised and weak Rod Rosenstein, will also buckle under the improper influence of the Barr/Trump duo. Of course, our Fake President will not accept any conclusion other than one which finds nefarious conduct by the F.B.I. directed against him and his campaign. Attorney Durham will, at some point, have to decide whether he will mimic the false preordained conclusions of Barr/Trump or will seek and support the truth. A very public and consequential test of his character is on the way for him, whether he realizes it or not.
156
@John Grillo What test? It's not like his position is permanent. Either he accepted the job with full access or he didn't and I would be surprised if he didn't. And certainly the rank and file aren't going to test him.
This again falls on Barr's shoulders as to what he does with the final report.
This will lead where it leads I suppose, but it sure won't change one clear thing we've learned about Donald Trump, and that is his relentless refusal to take responsibility for anything that doesn't go his way. He will always blame a rigged system or some thing or some one who is out to get him. Even if this gets settled in some way that is pleasing to him, there will always be something else: more conspiracies to chase, and more enemies to blame. It will be interesting to see how far William Barr is willing to go to vanquish those foes, real or imagined because Donald will always need more.
117
"...once the Trump administration is done investigating the investigators, it should turn its attention to ensuring the sanctity and security of the nation’s ballot boxes."
It will never happen. William Barr is Donald Trump 2.0. He is determined to ferret out what's not there.
The Justice Department has an obligation to the American public to protect and preserve the integrity of the electoral process. This administration's only goal, it would seem, is two-fold: to subvert the F.B.I. and establish a deep state within the "deep state" which only exists, only in the conspiracy theorists' minds, to nullify the 2016 election.
The ample evidence from the Mueller report indicates that Russia did interfere with our 2016 election. Any president who was faithful to his office would demand, as his first imperative, the security of future elections. So far, though, all this president wishes to do is to throw mud on the previous administration. He falsely accused President Obama of spying on him at Trump Tower. He now wishes to rile up his seething base and get the Republican Senate to apply all the levers at their command in an effort to de-legitimize the Obama administration. Anyone who can't see that the previous president isn't the target here is not paying attention.
All interested citizens should wish John Durham well in his assignment. But it should be a swift one, and one in which the spotlight should return to the current president, one which asks, "what else do you have?"
207
@Leia
#1 Were you arguing for or against issuing the unredacted report to the public and/or to Congress? Either way, something like this will not be made public because it would be including sources and methods.
#2 This had already BEEN investigated by whoever first discovered and traced the hacking. NSA or CIA. That information most certainly would have been passed over to Mueller. Why else would he make the claims he did?
#3 A former NSA employee? Really? That's who you trust rather than the current ones? Why?
5
The Editorial Board goofed on its recommendation. trump and the US federal government should be working to prevent Russian interference with our elections since we found out about it; not as the Editorial Board recommends- after they are done investigating the FBI's investigation.
83
@Jasper Slavens -
Ya think political gerrymandering is fair?
Ya think onerous restriction on the right to vote are fair?
Ya think eliminating early voting and polling places is fair?
Ya think refusing to act on a legal nomination to the Supreme Court is fair?
8
@Charlie Fieselman
I read their recommendation as sarcasm.
1
@Jasper Slavens
You are incredibly long-lived! Voted for (or against) George Washington!
It's a new twist - criminals investigating those who exposed them. And William Barr is the perfect low-life sycophant to do it.
724
@Chicago Guy
It's not exactly new, but it is ineffective.
3
@Chicago Guy
Durham was the guy who investigated CIA torture during the Bush admin.
You might be surprised that he found no criminal liability in 101 cases of so-called 'enhanced interrogation'.
so my trust here is not very high....not to mention, what ever happened to the IG investigation?
15
@MCRaven The obstruction investigation is not over yet, not by a long shot. You should know that if you actually read the news.
17
The Trump team is trying to intimidate those who make the Justice Department operate justly.
323
Time for the FBI to investigate Barr for obstruction of justice. His position as AG should not be a bar to such a move. Clearly, the AG has prioritized loyalty to the POTUS over his constitutional duties.
501
@San Ta
"Time for the FBI to investigate Barr for obstruction of justice."
Again I ask, by who? Barr heads the FBI.
@Thucydides: Don't fall into the "Thucydides Trap." The Director doesn't need the AG's permission to investigate.
3
How dare the FBI investigate Russian interference in our election?
402
@Cassandra There was no Russian interference. Putin has assured our President there was none. Why waste money on any further investigation. Putin would never lie. He is the very model of veracity per our very wise and clever President.
88
@Emil
Made me smile.
10
@Cassandra
Facebook ads are hardly an "attack on our democracy."
3
Maybe investigation of investigation turns up more evidence of Trump Russia connection than Mueller report.
Could backfire on President.
286
@Len Rosoff
If it does we'll never hear about it. We are not dealing with honest brokers.
43
@Len Rosoff
That would certainly be poetic.
16
@Len Rosoff this won't happen. Not while President controls the investigation (via Barr and his other proxies).
2