Robert Mueller just made it impossible for Trump to call the special counsel probe a 'total hoax'

CNN ^ | February 16, 2018 | Chris Cillizza, CNN Editor-at-large

[mdittmar]

(CNN)On Friday afternoon, the Justice Department announced that special counsel Robert Mueller had indicted 13 Russian nationals for their roles in attempted meddling in the 2016 election.

Most of these people do not live in the United States, and you can bet your bottom dollar that Russia won't be extraditing them any time soon. But that's not the point.

The point is this: The indictments of a baker's dozen of Russians gives us a very clear window into not only the depth and breadth of the Mueller investigation, but also makes crystal clear what the Russians wanted in the 2016 election and the elaborate measures they undertook to make it happen.

This paragraph stands out:

"Defendant ORGANIZATION had a strategic goal to sow discord in the U.S. political system, including the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Defendants posted derogatory information about a number of candidates, and by early to mid-2016, Defendants' operations included supporting the presidential campaign of then-candidate Donald J. Trump ("Trump Campaign") and disparaging Hillary Clinton. Defendants made various expenditures to carry out those activities, including buying political advertisements on social media in the names of U.S. persons and entities. Defendants also staged political rallies inside the United States, and while posing as U.S. grassroots entities and U.S. persons, and without revealing their Russian identities and ORGANIZATION affiliation, solicited and compensated real U.S. persons to promote or disparage candidates. Some Defendants, posing as U.S. persons and without revealing their Russian association, communicated with unwitting individuals associated with the Trump Campaign and with other political activists to seek to coordinate political activities."

[stylin19a]

Really ? This indictment is tertiary to Mueller's first directive.

Mueller's dictate was:

The Special Counsel is authorized to conduct the investigation confinned by then-FBI Director James 8. Corney in testimony before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on March 20, 2017, including:
(i) any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump; and
(ii) any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation; and
(iii) any other matters within the scope of 28 C.F.R. § 600.4(a).
(c) If the Special Counsel believes it is necessary and appropriate, the Special Counsel is authorized to prosecute federal crimes arising from the investigation of these matters.

What Russian Government names were in that indictment ?

[OftheOhio]

25,000 Chinese spies in the country and they’re worried about a handful of Russians. Yet George Soros has a free hand to do whatever he wishes.

[MHGinTN]

We are rapidly moving beyond time for guillotines. The enemies of we the people are now infecting our highest law enforcement institution. Evil is loose and prancing. Sadly, more than half the population this dead republic cannot see it or reject it.

[Pox]

I simply can't shake the impression that the whole point behind the apparent insanity at CNN is that Zucker believes that CNN should go all out Anti-Trump simply for ratings.

More or less, CNN is now “Air America”.

CNN wants ratings like Fox News. Zucker seems to think that CNN will attract hordes of people who hate President Trump, thus increasing their ratings.

Unfortunately for CNN, Fox News didn't get where they are by simply being the opposite of the regular cast of MSM players.

[Yardstick]

Cillizza conveniently ignores the fact that the Russians staged both pro and anti Trump rallies.

I’m glad Rosenstein included this fact in his remarks today. It totally undercuts the Rat narrative.

[gov_bean_ counter]

Wanna bet???

[Hugh the Scot]

No. That’s the lie being told to avoid admitting that there’s simply nothing there.

[Aevery_Freeman]

Remind me why Russia wanted Hillary bought, sold and payed-off Clinton to lose?

[Sivad]

If I knew how to spell the word I would call it
a pyrrhic victory.

[Yardstick]

We are rapidly moving beyond time for guillotines.

---

Hey, not so fast!

Let’s at least give guillotines a chance...

[Electric Graffiti]

In before:

‘Mueller has nothing. He is winding down. He’s looking for an exit strategy.’

This was and is a coup by special counsel, folks. The left are at war with the United States and the rule of law. It’s time people pull their heads out of their asses and start treating these people as enemy combatants.

[Col Frank Slade]

Hopefully CNN will share a similar fate as Air America.

[BB62]

Not hardly there, Queeg!

;-)

[Electric Graffiti]

This ^^^^

[july4thfreedomfoundation]

Meanwhile, CNN’s ratings have dropped 30% recently.

[mdittmar]

LOL!

[sourcery]

As usual, they have it exactly backwards: Mueller has now made it impossible for anyone to plausibly claim that RussiaGate is anything other than a farce.

[Drew68]

I’m missiing something as I do not know what the Russians did that made a difference. What is the hysteria about?

A handful of Russians set up social media accounts using fake American names and posted mean stuff about Hillary and Black Lives Matter. Yes, this is pretty much the extent of it.

Meanwhile, a very real American using his real name posted stuff on social media that he wanted to shoot up a school and kill a bunch of students. The FBI wasn't interested.

[joethedrummer]

You are spot on.

Last week, one of my leftist bosses was explaining the whole Trump Russia collusion to another guy. He pretty much said exactly what you wrote here. Only, you had sense enough to quote the sarcasm. He doesnt. He actually believes it.

[Richard Axtell]

Perhaps not total hoax, just fraudulent and corrupt regarding anything Trump did, said, or was during the campaign, election, and his resulting successful presidency. Since this Mueller investigation was supposed to be about these, Mueller could conceivably redeem himself, by finally focusing on the real sources of Russian collusion and corruption. Those would be the Hillary Clinton campaign, the Obama DOJ, FBI, State Dept, and the leftist media. Until then, total hoax covers it nicely.