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Top House Dem: Comey Memos Could Kill Russia Probe, Ensnare Deputy AG In Contempt Of Congress
Townhall.com ^ | April 19, 2018 | Matt Vespa

Posted on 04/19/2018 6:16:26 PM PDT by Kaslin

Congress’ patience with the Department of Justice is running thin, as they’re dragging their feet in releasing troves of documents relating to the Russia investigation and Hillary Clinton On the latter, the DOJ has appointed a special lawyer to oversee the release of some 3,600 pages of new documents, which has irked some congressional Republicans (via Politico):

The Justice Department has appointed a U.S. attorney to oversee the release of documents related to the FBI’s 2016 investigation of Hillary Clinton amid Republican complaints — including from President Donald Trump — that the DOJ is slow-walking their release.

Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said Monday that U.S. Attorney John Lausch will direct the Justice Department’s process of combing through, redacting and releasing thousands of documents sought by lawmakers. She said Attorney General Jeff Sessions and FBI Director Christopher Wray selected Lausch because as a U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, he is “outside of D.C. and independent of the FBI hierarchy.”

"Mr. Lausch, who has experience in the department and in private practice, will ensure that production moves at an acceptable pace and that any redactions are necessary and consistent under the relevant laws and regulations," Flores said.

But the move is already drawing frustration and confusion from top Republicans in Congress. Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said the Lausch announcement raises questions about what the Justice Department was doing up to this point to respond to Congress' demands.

"Congress requested these documents months ago. Congress has consistently been assured the production was in progress. How is injecting someone new into an ongoing review and production process calculated to expedite the process?" Gowdy said in a statement. 

When threatened with contempt and possible impeachment, the DOJ finally turned over a two-page document that reportedly launched the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation into whether the Trump camp colluded with the Russians in 2016. Yet, on top of Clinton and Russia, there are document requests concerning the firing of former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and alleged FISA abuses. In all, over a million pages are in the queue and the Hill is growing irritated at the pace of the disclosures. And then there are the Comey memos, which were reported to be turned over to Congress later this afternoon (via Politico):

The Department of Justice is expected to send to Congress on Thursday afternoon copies of former FBI Director James Comey's memos documenting his interactions with President Donald Trump, according to a source familiar with the department's plans.

Comey has told lawmakers he drafted seven memos detailing his encounters with the president in person and on the phone. He has also publicly claimed that he felt pressured by Trump to back off the FBI's pursuit of an investigation into the Trump campaign's contacts with Russia as well as into his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn.

The memos are believed to be central to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into whether Trump or his allies attempted to obstruct the Russia probe.

House Republicans had previously threatened to subpoena the Department of Justice to obtain the memos.

The House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), had prepared the subpoena in the event Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein opted against forking over the memos.

Yet, these memos could produce a fight, as the top House Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), said that a subpoena for these documents could place Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in contempt and Congress and derail the Russia investigation that’s now being quarterbacked by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. It’s a trap, you see (via Washington Examiner):

The top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee says Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., is poised to subpoena the Justice Department for former FBI Director James Comey’s memos, which the agency so far has failed to produce.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., warned such a move puts Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein in jeopardy of being placed in contempt of Congress and the special counsel investigation of being shut down prematurely.

[…]

Nadler warned that if a subpoena is issued it would be damaging to special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.

The Democrat said the memos are "key" to the special counsel's work, and "pursuant to a longstanding Department policy and absent any satisfactory accommodation, the Department of Justice cannot simply hand over evidence that is part of an ongoing criminal investigation."

Should House Republicans refuse any such "accommodation," Nadler said, "I fear the Majority will have manufactured an excuse to hold the Deputy Attorney General in contempt of Congress."

"If they succeed in tarnishing the Deputy Attorney General, perhaps they will have given President Trump pretext he has sought to replace Mr. Rosenstein with someone willing to do his bidding and end the Special Counsel's investigation."

Nadler vowed to fight to ensure the investigation remains unimpeded.

Here we go. 


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; Government; US: New York; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: andrewmccabe; blumenthal; bobgoodlatte; california; christopherwray; connecticut; devinnunes; doj; fisa; hjc; jamesclapper; jamescomey; jerroldnadler; johnbrennan; johnlausch; leonpanetta; lisabarsoomian; lisapage; majorleagueahole; memo; michaelcohen; nadler; newyork; perjury; peterstrzok; richardblumenthal; robertmueller; rodrosenstein; russia; russiainvestigation; sarahisgurflores; steeledossier; susanrice; virginia
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1 posted on 04/19/2018 6:16:26 PM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin
"But the move is already drawing frustration and confusion from top Republicans in Congress. Rep. Trey Gowdy....."

When it comes to Mr. Gowdy, I know the feelings....

2 posted on 04/19/2018 6:20:43 PM PDT by Paladin2
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To: Kaslin

Meanwhile, as Levin says, wth is Grassley up to?


3 posted on 04/19/2018 6:21:10 PM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
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To: Kaslin

Meanwhile, what the hell is Sessions doing? What a useless POS he is!


4 posted on 04/19/2018 6:21:39 PM PDT by New Jersey Realist ( (Be Nice To Your Kids. They Will Pick Out Your Nursing Home))
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To: Kaslin

Nadler needs to retire that fat bastid.


5 posted on 04/19/2018 6:26:00 PM PDT by b4its2late (A Liberal is a person who will give away everything he doesn't own.)
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To: Kaslin

It’s time for tethers.


6 posted on 04/19/2018 6:32:11 PM PDT by Eddie01
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To: Kaslin

To think if TRUMP haters had simply gone along with four years,none of this stuff about the deep state would have ever come out...The insane hatred for trump is about to destroy his haters...

I feel sorry for the pain and humiliation this has caused him and his family,but in the bigger scheme of things,he will be thought of like abe lincoln..


7 posted on 04/19/2018 6:37:11 PM PDT by Hambone 1934
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To: Hambone 1934

Trump is a heavy gauge Lightning Rod with great grounding.


8 posted on 04/19/2018 6:38:47 PM PDT by Paladin2
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To: Kaslin

Hilarious!

The memos were produced today, and AP already has them posted publicly.

There’s nothing there besides the diary of a butt-hurt narcissist.

Evidence! lol


9 posted on 04/19/2018 6:39:53 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: Kaslin

We need to formally change the name of the DOJ to DOIJ (Department of Injustice) because, under Sessions and his puppet master Rosenstein, they are NOT producing justice but, instead, its opposite.


10 posted on 04/19/2018 6:41:00 PM PDT by House Atreides (BOYCOTT the NFL, its products and players 100% - PERMANENTLY)
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To: Kaslin
Sounds like the famous Comey memos that were used as justification for Rosenstein appointing Muller special prosecutor and the whole Muller investigation did not justify the appointment of a special prosecutor in the first place.

If the Comey memos and the appointment of Muller was as much as a fraud as we now know the documents that justified the FISA warrant that kicked off the illegal spying on the Trump Administration then someone is going to have some explaining to do.

11 posted on 04/19/2018 6:53:16 PM PDT by rdcbn
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To: Paladin2

There’s a criminal investigation? Can someone name the crime?


12 posted on 04/19/2018 6:55:52 PM PDT by Titus-Maximus (It doesn't matter who votes for whom, it only matters who counts the votes - Joe Stalin)
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To: Mariner
Comey notes in one of his memos that the President laughed.

But in one of these interviews a couple days ago, he said he never laughed...and that really bothered him. Well thank you Dr. Comey.

There may be more memos....today he said there might have been 8 or 10. But let me find where and when he said it.

13 posted on 04/19/2018 6:57:20 PM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: Hambone 1934

May I ask how you came up with your name?


14 posted on 04/19/2018 7:05:33 PM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: Sacajaweau

Comey says Trump laughed but earlier said he never laughed.
That is perjury. Someone said Trump, even not under oath, could be prosecuted for lying. Note: yes, I’m joking. As Van Morrison once said about himself: Some of my humor is dry and people don’t realize it’s still humor.

By the way, can someone verify for me: is it true Comey is PAID to attend the book signings at book stores where they push his book that he makes money selling? Disgusting.
We should protest in front of such stores with protest signs and bullhorns.


15 posted on 04/19/2018 7:07:46 PM PDT by frank ballenger (End non-citizen voting & leftist media news censorship or we're finished.)
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To: New Jersey Realist

> Meanwhile, what the hell is Sessions doing? What a useless POS he is!

Are you telling me you can’t sense the crescendo that is building in the orchestration, as we get ready for the fat lady to sing? Sessions is conducting the piece, but he is doing it from the orchestra pit, so that you can’t see him...yet the piece is coming off flawlessly.

Compare to the alternate scenario that you, in your enthusiasm, might seem to advocate: having Hillary arrested on 21 Jan 2017. How exactly would that have gone over? I think we all know Trump really would have been kicked out of office if he tried to do that without administering enough red pills to the populace.


16 posted on 04/19/2018 7:12:53 PM PDT by XEHRpa
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To: Kaslin

Nunes, Gowdy, Goodlatte Statement on Comey Memos -

https://intelligence.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=879


17 posted on 04/19/2018 7:18:48 PM PDT by sheikdetailfeather
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To: Kaslin
as the top House Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), said that...

I see that the Democrats are rolling out their 'heavy' artillery...

18 posted on 04/19/2018 7:22:28 PM PDT by Zeppo ("Happy Pony is on - and I'm NOT missing Happy Pony")
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To: sheikdetailfeather

Dem’s “muh Russia” has turned into “muh nothing burger”.


19 posted on 04/19/2018 7:22:47 PM PDT by ak267
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To: Kaslin

I remember when Holder was “ensnared” in contempt of congress.


20 posted on 04/19/2018 7:23:43 PM PDT by morphing libertarian ( Build Kate's Wall)
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