BARR HEARING ABOUT MUELLER REPORT BEFORE SENATE JUDICIARY CMTE
[TEXOKIE NOTES/TAKEAWAYS - Not a transcript]
5/1/19
GRAHAM opened with his statement and made some cogent remarks/questions before addressing Barr directly. I was not making notes at that time, so did not capture them.
With FEINSTEIN - my take aways from Barrs testimony is that the situation of the lawyer being told by Trump to fire Mueller, was not as the press has been touting.
The lawyer, Don McGahn, had already given his evidence to Spec Councel, and Trump was asking him to go to Mueller and consider whether to step down because of conflict of interest. It was left to Mueller, and he did not step down. The other consideration was that Trump wanted the lawyer to document his perspective that Trump did not ask him to fire Mueller. This was not obstructive intent because it was a legitimate Executive responsibility to oversee the Spec Counsel. The Govt would not be able to find obstructive intent, especially as there was no underlying crime.
GRASSLY Barr take aways:
Mueller spent lots of bucks. Question IN order for a full accounting of the Russian interference in our election, shouldn’t Mueller have considered the PeePee dossier as part of the Russian pattern of interference?
Barr does not know if Mueller actually did or did not look at that.
B did say he would be exploring that.
G: re Vol 2: Mueller assembled data from a large investigation on “obstruction,” then made no findings, but dumped it on Barr’s desk to make a determination of whether or not obstruction. Mueller had referenced the policy of DOJ not to charge/indict sitting Presidents. Is this an accurate statement about your conversation with Mueller?
B: Yes. He was not saying that but for the OS he would have found obstruction
G: If he had found substance which fulfilled the terms of Obstruction, would he have stated that finding?
B: I believe so.
G: Was it M’s responsibility to make such a finding.
B: RR and I thought so, but Pres wouldn’t be charged as long as in office.
G: asked about unauthorized media contacts
B: we have a number of investigations under way
LEAHY
Spoke of March 24th letter and Mueller’s comments about it. They were going around some kind of timing as to what Barr knew about Mueller’s concerns about the concerns regarding the letter. He spoke to Mueller - not M’s team.
Talking about Sessions unrecusing himself being wrong or not wrong.
Talked a bit about the phrase that T’s campaign expected to benefit from the Russian attempts to interfere. L’s time expired before B could answer.
CORNYN
Spoke of the proposition that Comey should be fired. Affirmed from Barr that the Prez had that authority. C went on to discuss Comey’s July announcement regarding no prosecutor charging Hillary even after the list he made.
Why didn’t Obama admin investigate in 2014 more regarding the Russian efforts to interfere in 2016?
B: Is impressed with Mueller’s work re the IRA. If that work had been started before Mueller, we would be further along.
C: how do we not know that Steele Dossier is not part of the Russian disinfo? B: can’t state that it with confidence. I’m reviewing that.
C: brought up Brennan’s concern about Russian interference but instead of doing something about it, DOJ and FBI focused efforts on Hillary and began investigating Trump’s campaign,
C: What steps did the investigators do to put their thumbs on the scale. Discussed “What is a defensive briefing.” He got to the lack of warning to DJT’s campaign of possible foreign interference by the DOJ/FBI.
DURBAN
He commented about the Repub’s efforts to “Lock her up,” and wonders what Barr’s role is about these efforts against Hillary. He got into the March 24th letter about not exonerating the Prez. Barr went over the timeline of events and Mueller’s perspective of wishing for more context about why he didn’t make the obstruction finding himself. Regarding B’s letter regrind the release of the conclusions of the Mueller report, he used analogy of stating what announcing the verdict to a trial is. You would go to the finding of the trial, not summarize how those findings were arrived at.
D: Got into whether or not Prez actually cooperated fully. Also got into the Don McGahn situation. He is wanting to know if he knows any reason why McGahn shouldn’t testify before the committee? Also should Mueller? D tried to say that Trump waived his exec privilege. Barr stated, no he didn’t waive. B stated that he has already stated publicly that he had no objection to Mueller testifying. Re: McGahn, that is up to Prez.
Mr LEE:
Is there any evidence that Putin “has something on the president” as charged by Nancy Pelosi?
B: none that I’m aware of
L : Any evidence that DJT is a Russian agent? ….NO
L : Swallwell has claimed acts on Russian behalf? Does DJT do that?
B: None I’m aware of.
L : speaks of the Russian investigation was not conducted with impariality. Began July 31, 2016 with PapaD. Also asks about FISAs.
B: That seems to be the story at this time. I want to find out what actually did start the investigation, as this is pretty thin substance.
L : Was Carter Page under surveillance…..[named date]
B: I D K These are things I need to look at. Overreach seems to have been done by people at the top who are no longer there. I’m working with Chris Wray who has done a superb job. We are working together to try to reconstruct. He points out that the FBI has been handicapped in looking back by the existence of the OIG and the Mueller investigations.
L : Talks of FISA warrant for C. Page was based on the Steele Dossier. Has Mueller report confirmed that Page had secret meeting with Igor Session [Setchen?]
B: I can’t recall that; I don’t remember that. Let me just say I do not want to get too deeply into the FISA issues because of the current investigation by OIG.
L : Page also met with [Russian name?] about Hillary? Does the Mueller report confirm this?
B: I don’t think so.
L : does it confirm Page discussed info about Hillary with anyone?
B: Not that I recall
L: I’m glad you are looking into all this; public has right to know.
[FOX NEWS broke in with news from House Judiciary CMTE votes to allow staffers to question AG Barr tomorrow at 9:00, which reportedly B is opposed to]
WHITEHOUSE
When did you first learn of NYT and Wash Post stories that would make existence of this letter [don’t know which letter he is referring to because of the break by FOXNEWS]
B: Could have been yesterday, not sure.
W: discusses the timing of when B decided to release that letter to Congress. The letter contained “Executive Summaries” which Mueller had sent Barr. Barr established that the “eXEUTIVE SUMMARIES” were contained in the report. Barr explained that there were redactions in those Exec Summaries. They got into Mueller called Barr’s letter as a “Summary” Barr states he had not had any intention to “Summarize.” He goes on to state he had been given the authority to handle and release the M Report.
Issue of OLC opinion was taken up and regarding whether Prez could have a day in court by waiving something
Whitehouse’s questioning very difficult for me to follow,
Talks about “Spying.” Barr comes from intelligence and states the word has no problem has no pejorative meaning in his mind. He points out the word is used commonly in the press. W states that the word is not commonly used in the Department [of Justice?]. His time is over…. Barr states:
“it’s commonly used by me!”
LUNCH BREAK
Thanks for doing this summary of Barr’s testimony. TF
LUV your notes on the Barr hearing. THANKQ!
LUV your notes on the Barr hearing. THANKQ!
Thanks for the heavy lifting. Both watching and note taking.
I don’t know about the rest of the freeqs on the thread but I am so livid I can’t speak. Having to watch this Barr hearing today has been demoralizing. The democrats have been such a complete and total disgrace that I am uncertain the government could ever recover credibility enough to gain my trust in their governing again.
I thought their conduct toward Kavanaugh at his hearing was the new low. Obviously I was mistaken.
Arrests have to happen soon or we will be past the point of no return.
Mark to read #542.
Sorry people.
First time offender.
Notable Pudding Delivery!
This post replies to the first in the series.
Instead, as suggested, Start here 'n Scroll Away! :
https://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/3745833/replies?c=9>
BARR HEARING ABOUT MUELLER REPORT
BEFORE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE.
[TEXOKIE NOTES/TAKEAWAYS - Not a transcript]
Thanks Again, TexOkie!
