Posted on 05/05/2018 5:13:50 AM PDT by reaganaut1
Special counsel Robert Mueller is used to getting kid-glove treatment. That changed Friday in a federal courtroom in Virginia, where Judge T.S. Ellis directed a blunt challenge to the Mueller team prosecuting former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort on charges of tax and bank fraud, some of which date back to 2005.
“I don’t see what relation this indictment has with what the special counsel is authorized to investigate. You don’t really care about Mr. Manafort’s bank fraud,” Judge Ellis told Michael Dreeben, who was representing Mr. Mueller in court. “What you really care about is what information Mr. Manafort could give you that would reflect on Mr. Trump or lead to his prosecution or impeachment.”
Judge Ellis won’t win a diplomacy-in-judging prize, but his sharp words expose a central problem with the evolution of the Mueller probe. Though he was appointed to investigate collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign in 2016, Mr. Mueller’s indictments thus far have concerned other matters—lying to the FBI, or in Mr. Manafort’s case actions relating to his business with Ukraine.
Mr. Manafort’s team wants Judge Ellis to throw out the charges on grounds they exceed Mr. Mueller’s original mandate. And the judge’s questions leave the Mueller team in a difficult position. Essentially Mr. Mueller’s prosecutors now have to argue that even if they violated the Justice Department’s rules, it shouldn’t matter.
Mr. Dreeben of Team Mueller responded that the indictment doesn’t exceed the special counsel’s mandate, but the judge wants to see specifically the full and unredacted August 2, 2017 memo from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein saying what Mr. Mueller could pursue. The judge put it this way: “What we don’t want in this country, we don’t want anyone with unfettered power.”
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
Trump aid Caputo was just on Fox again...since he raised so much money from his go fund me page...this time he said he didn’t care if he got called back again..
He really took the gloves off
live feed so go back to about 11am east coast time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_ZEiixgX3I
The full penalty would be just. but if not imposed I hope GITMO serves a future purpose of accommodating domestic enemies.
Please tell us uninformed what “CV” means
The whole thing is collapsing in a fairly quick manner.
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It certainly is collapsing. How tainted it is will insure that it goes no where.
“Bottom Line: Manafort walks....thankfully. Hopefully Trump reimburses him when this crap is over”.
I’m sure Trump will reimburse many people. He is honorable and will take care of those who were subjected to this injustice.
_________________
Rod Rosenstein will be hung from a tree (after a fair trial, of course) ....... in a better world.
“curriculum vitae”
Similar to a resume’
CV = Curriculum vitae
His professional/academic history
The first step is to monitor Mueller's communications. Not easy but doable.
MORE MORE MORE
Speak OUT NOW
They can, but it wouldn't be the next step, and it isn't even a likely step.
Submit to this judge a partially redacted scope memo, with a legal argument why further redaction can not be done for in camera review. This is nonsense, as judges routinely, all the time, review classified material under Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA).
If/when the judge rejects the argument, THEN appeal to a higher authority.
I think Sessions recusal was well taken. He has a conflict investigating the campaign.
The problem here is that Roesenstein and Mueller (who arguably are the right people to be in charge of whatever Sessions recused from) are handling cases that Sessions is not recused from - but they keep him out of the loop just like Comey, Strzok and McCabe kept the straight arrows (Priestap) out of their "get Trump" loop.
A problem of its own right is Mueller taking on "obstruction." This is a problem on several levels. All evidence is that Trump did NOT intend any investigation to stop as a result of firing Comey. No effort made to interfere with DOJ working. Trump has this power, using it is his prerogative. But if somebody wants to probe it, a friend of Comey (Mueller) has a conflict. Is Mueller trying to taint his case? Finally, Sessions isn't recused from this "obstruction" nonsense, any more than he was forbidden from recommending Comey be fired. Has nothing to do with the campaign, and everything to do with how Comey conducted himself.
Sessions is not recused from investigating and prosecuting Manafort, Gates, or the 13 Russian trolls. Mueller got those cases by usurping Sessions' authority - taking cases that Sessions is not recused from - and Mueller ought to know what Sessions is recused from.
The people perpetrating this problem are Mueller and his boss, Rosenstein. By protocol, Sessions can't just butt in, the system is presumed to be run with honest and reasonably competent operators.
This judge just threw a big monkey wrench into Mueller's plans.
Thanks, for praying in agreement.
I hope your pessimism is ill placed but I agree otherwise.
Very well put.
“Who in their right mind would want to subject themselves to something like this? ”
And for the totalitarians in our government - the Political and Government Class - that is one of the points of their coup effort. Even if they can’t take Trump out, they want to warn anyone outside their club of oligarchs not to ever try this again...to leave the governing power to them alone. As I said, they are totalitarians. And they don’t want to see the people - their subjects - impose their will on the government ever again.
Judge Ellis is about to get an anal exam by the Soros/Obama mob. His past will be thoroughly examined, and if nothing is found something will be fabricated. Because all election interference in 2016 leads to the Hussein White House, the Clintons, and the Deep State.
Works for me. He’s trying to bring down the Presidency.
Amen.
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