US Politics March 2019: “I can’t say I’m happy. I can’t say I’m thrilled”

I read somewhere that DOJ policy forbids him from focusing in the report on people he isn’t going to indict.

Even if there was a ton of evidence that fell juuuuust short of enough to indict, because he isn’t being charged with a crime, it gets thrown out as irrelevant in the final report.

Mueller's job wasn't to indict, it was to investigate. All the indictments he pursued were to obtain cooperation with the investigation. Presumably, he and his office decided that he had sufficient evidence without an indictment (on his part) of Kushner, Trump et al.

To my knowledge, his remit didn't extend far enough from Russiagate to investigate the nefarious shit Kushner has been doing with the UAE and Sauds. That MF may be the worst of the lot.

So the report will include everything he found?

Even if he didn’t decide it was criminal?

I feel extremely depressed.

I'm with Sanpaku. As I read it (with lots of added conjecture) Mueller played it the exact opposite of Starr, by sticking strictly to investigating Russian interference. Where he uncovered evidence of crimes outside his investigative sphere he either used them to obtain cooperation or he passed off the evidence to other prosecutors for further investigation or indictments. It is also very possible that one or more sealed indictments exist.

The near-instantaneous 'leak' that "no further indictments were recommended" was carefully worded, as most such manipulative leaks are, to suggest much more than it says. It seems wise to presume that the conclusions it wants you to draw are a misdirection from the truth.

It is also very possible that one or more sealed indictments exist.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/22/special-counsel-mueller-has-no-sealed-indictments-as-russia-probe-ends-nbc-news.html

Special counsel Robert Mueller has concluded his investigation and will not file any more indictments in connection with his inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 campaign, NBC News reports, citing a senior U.S. law enforcement official.

There are no sealed indictments.

It is possible that leads uncovered during the special counsel’s inquiry and handed off could lead to charges brought by state prosecutors or other parts of the Department of Justice.

Lame

Maybe mueller was the best thing to happen to trump

cmon son

i too am disappointed and plan on drinking a lot tonight, again.

however, i will hold off on the true bender until we find out what's actually in the report. because, c'mon.

although i will hold off on the true bender, i will not hold off on idle speculation to make myself feel better. here goes:

last night i was mad about don jr et al not being indicted when they have clearly participated in conspiratorial activity. but there are other ongoing investigations, in some cases referred by the mueller investigation, that would be able to pursue those convictions in a way that can't be immediately overturned by a pardon.

also, i think it's notable that trump hasn't tweeted in 23 hours, when in previous weekends he's tweeted like FIFTY TIMES A DAY or some shit. that suggests to me that he's not absolutely sure that he and his family are in the clear yet with these investigations, and/or that he's not sure if the report will make him look like complete dogshit while not actually recommending criminal charges.

Maybe mueller was the best thing to happen to trump

Mueller's investigation led to busting Cohen and gaining his full cooperation. His trove of evidence may be the wedge that pries opens the books of Trump Organization. Nothing is over, yet. Where it ends is still unknown.

The point of the Mueller investigation was never about indicting Trump. It is part of a larger intelligence gathering operation re: Russia.

Federal and state prosecutors are pursuing about a dozen other investigations that largely grew out of his work, all but ensuring that a legal threat will continue to loom over the Trump presidency. https://t.co/NJv71GOxmA

— Adam Goldman (@adamgoldmanNYT) March 23, 2019

Treeship, really?

I know

not sure if the report will make him look like complete dogshit while not actually recommending criminal charges.

Barr would do his damnedest to bury any such parts of Mueller's report, and justify it by citing Justice Department policy against revealing prejudicial evidence that might undermine the reputation of individuals who will not be indicted. That is generally a good and wise policy, but coupled with the Justice Department opinion that a president can never be indicted, it is a recipe for protecting presidents who have committed "high crimes and misdemeanors".

Aimless is right:

The near-instantaneous 'leak' that "no further indictments were recommended" was carefully worded, as most such manipulative leaks are, to suggest much more than it says. It seems wise to presume that the conclusions it wants you to draw are a misdirection from the truth.

― A is for (Aimless),

What's most likely is that Mueller has chummed the water for state prosecutors for years to come.

It seems like he played this well. Made “no collusiom” the sticking point—moved the goalposts to a place where he actually might have been innocent—and now he can plausibly (to anyone half-sympathetic) play up that he was the target of a witch hunt.

and how would THAT have changed if Mueller had given you the results you wanted?

If he gets arrested when leaving office at age 9 million in 2024 who cares really

He got his time torturing the country every day

You are at this point in this turd's presidency inordinately concerned with the consciences of Trump voters who can't be turned and can never be trusted.

You're becoming emotionally incontinent, treesh.

from the front page NYT story:

Even as the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, submitted his confidential report to the Justice Department on Friday, federal and state prosecutors are pursuing about a dozen other investigations that largely grew out of his work, all but ensuring that a legal threat will continue to loom over the Trump presidency.

Most of the investigations focus on President Trump or his family business or a cadre of his advisers and associates, according to court records and interviews with people briefed on the investigations. They are being conducted by officials from Los Angeles to Brooklyn, with about half of them being run by the United States attorney’s office in Manhattan.

Unlike Mr. Mueller, whose mandate was largely focused on any links between the Trump campaign and the Russian government’s interference in the 2016 presidential election, the federal prosecutors in Manhattan take an expansive view of their jurisdiction. That authority has enabled them, along with F.B.I. agents, to scrutinize a broader orbit around the president, including his family business.

I just don’t want another four years of this. In addition to pursuing frightening, destructive, and racist policy, he is sowing paranoia and division among his followers, fueling recism and extremism, and making a mockery out of our entire system of government. The last point might not sound as serious but it adds a sense of comic hopelessness to the whole nightmare.

so vote him out

yeah come on treeship, make your vote worth a bunch of electoral votes and then vote him out

then call your representative in NYC and make sure that they don't like trump. being NYC, i'm sure they're all about trump. you have to change their mind so he'll lose the election

your emotional reaction to president biff from back to the future II is invalid

yeah come on treeship, make your vote worth a bunch of electoral votes and then vote him out

― but i'm there are fuckups (Karl Malone), Saturday, March 23, 2019 7:24 PM (three minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

move you and your clan to wyoming, maybe? or idaho?

Lol my clan

also, i think it's notable that trump hasn't tweeted in 23 hours, when in previous weekends he's tweeted like FIFTY TIMES A DAY or some shit. that suggests to me that he's not absolutely sure that he and his family are in the clear yet with these investigations, and/or that he's not sure if the report will make him look like complete dogshit while not actually recommending criminal charges.

Who cares? He’s a monster

if you want to barf all over the place, i recommend this piece: https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/23/politics/donald-trump-mar-a-lago-robert-mueller/index.html

xp

Yeah i read that. He was basking in the sunlight on the patio or something

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation (all times local):

1:30 p.m.

Attorney General William Barr will not be providing Congress with special counsel Robert Mueller’s findings on Saturday.

That’s according to a senior Justice Department official. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person wasn’t authorized to publicly discuss the review process.

Mueller has concluded his investigation of Russian election interference and possible coordination with Donald Trump’s campaign.

Barr is reviewing Mueller’s confidential report and has said he expects to provide Congress with the “principal conclusions” this weekend.

https://www.emptywheel.net/2019/03/23/after-mueller-an-off-ramp-on-russia-for-the-venal-fucks/

This is a good write up

Another great day on the links! Thank you to POTUS for having me and to EVERYONE at Trump International for being so wonderful. What a great man, so down to earth and so fun to be with!! KEEP AMERICA GREAT!! -Kid Rock pic.twitter.com/cSsswI5PbW

— Kid Rock (@KidRock) March 23, 2019

that trump waxwork is extremely unconvincing

fuck kid rock forever

As if I ever needed anything to buttress that age-old sentiment.

brb burning down Kid Rock’s honky tonk

i'm sad to say that degree of brazen lying about this is surprising me. this is what the barr summary of the mueller report says:

https://i.imgur.com/z9Sw6Pq.jpg

No Collusion, No Obstruction, Complete and Total EXONERATION. KEEP AMERICA GREAT!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 24, 2019

lol, the formatting of that makes it look like trump tweeted that highlighted caption, but that's just a screenshot i took posted just above the trump tweet

it would be really great if trump did accidentally tweet that highlighted excerpt

poor sheriff joe

WATCH: Exclusive video of @RealSheriffJoe getting called "a fucking fascist" at last night's @STLCountyGOP meeting. pic.twitter.com/yjN8fyIi01

— The Jewish Worker (@JewishWorker) March 24, 2019

Will Dems be able to get Barr to release the actual report (and in a timely manner)?