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.
Prosecutions are not carried on with a blow by blow description of what is involved in them.
Not only is that true but it is also true that complex and far-reaching investigations take a lot of time, a hell of a lot of time. See Rudy’s victories over the Five Families.
Do you have a link? I couldn’t find them.
Just remember, Nadler’s an old Marxist so he hates Trump naturally.
Check out his background at www.keywiki.org, search under his name.
Reading my mind who is in charge of DOJ?
Many of us appreciate what he does,we gave him a good welcome in key west yesterday,I couldn’t be there but many were.Sad thing is that all you heard in the media is that the LGBT goons were there with their pathetic gay signs. Truth is there were very few of them and lots of us.
The AP wrote a biased POS that most all driveby publications picked up keying in on the negative losers in key west. Truth is there were lots more positive supporters there than loser fag types.Key West is loaded with fags but the good guys turned out in force.
..........................
President Donald Trump is marveling at the size of the crowds that lined the streets of Key West, Florida, to greet and jeer him.
Trump told reporters after an anti-drug-smuggling briefing Thursday that he hoped they saw the crowds. He says, “They’ve never seen anything like that. It was really very inspirational.”
Trump’s motorcade is almost always greeted by a smattering of supporters and protesters, but the turnout in Key West was unusually large. Some applauded the president’s policies, but more of those who lined the streets appeared to be critical of Trump. They held insulting signs and booed loudly as Trump drove by.
Several raised middle fingers in protest.
http://www.therepublic.com/2018/04/19/us-trump-the-latest-8/
It took me way too long but I finally decided Gowdy is all about Gowdy and nothing else...
“When it comes to Mr. Gowdy, I know the feelings....”
Yaaa, I’m guessing that Gowdy may be suffering through an identity crisis. He keeps screwing with his hair, color, one day a beard next day not so much, etc. wondering if he is confused or uncertain about his sexuality......
Interesting.
What is the crime that is the predicate of an "ongoing criminal investigation"?
I miss the old FBI. You know, the one that could clear 650,000 emails in eight days.
"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.
...you'd find that the DOJ would be a little more trusting of Congress in handling sensitive documents.
Just a suggestion...
We’ll get shouted down by the usaul chorus of Sessions haters, but add me to the list of those who think that hate is totally unjustified.
There is simply no rational basis for the way they heap blame and contempt on Jeff Sessions for EVERYTHING.
If someone else of their choosing had been AG instead, do they really believe the Clintons et al would be sitting in jail right now, and that Trump would never have been the target of witch hunts?
Who knows what they think - you can never get them to answer such questions in a civil manner.
It remains to be seen what justice will be meted out for corruption of past administrations - it is a delicate matter to untangle actual crime from dirty politics without tainting justice with the appearance of political retribution.
It is not an easy sell to the public and so the process is long and painstaking. How much would the public know about ongoing investigations? How much would the public know about whether Sessions is doing his job or not?
I’d say zip.
[Meanwhile, what the hell is Sessions doing? What a useless POS he is!]
It’s 5-D cross-dimensional time-warping cosmic checkers, or something, as I’ve been told by many Freepers.
Wow, great statement!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3649179/posts?page=1
Sessions says he will quit if Trump fires his deputy. Good 3D chess move to get Clinton! /s/
> Sessions says he will quit if Trump fires his deputy. Good 3D chess move to get Clinton! /s/
I don’t see a conflict here, with my opinion. Rosenstein is either on the MAGA train or he is not. If he is on the MAGA train, then this keeps up confusion on the left by having Trump criticize him without firing him.
If Rosenstein is not on the MAGA train (because he is part of the swamp), then it would be much better for Sessions to fire him after he has the goods on him, rather than provoke Congressional backlash by a rash Presidential firing.
Of course, your argument that they are both part of the swamp is, of course, possible. But I just don’t buy it that Sessions is in the swamp.
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