Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

A Federal Judge Accuses Mueller of Lying About His Phony Investigation
Townhall.com ^ | May 5, 2018 | Thomas J. Farnan

Posted on 05/04/2018 11:57:22 PM PDT by Kaslin

U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III has been appointed to preside over the special counsel’s criminal case against Paul Manafort. That is bad news for Robert Mueller. 

At a Friday hearing, Judge Ellis accused the Mueller team of “lying” about the scope of its investigation. He asked for a copy of the unredacted “scope memo” penned by Rod Rosenstein, which Congressional Republicans have also sought.

The judge is particularly concerned that much of the information that forms the basis of the Manafort indictment was compiled by the Justice Department during the Bush and Obama Administrations, when Robert Mueller was the FBI Director.

I summarized the suspicious origins of this investigation here on October 3, 2017:

Comey was called to testify before Congress, and he confirmed that there was an investigation into Russian meddling but could not say much more. Trump’s Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the probe on the advice of career ethics attorneys at the Justice Department.

Trump met with Comey on several occasions asking him to make public what he had told the president privately: that the president was not a target. Comey refused, and Trump fired him.

Comey then leaked notes of his meetings with Trump, he claimed under oath, to get a special counsel appointed. He did not say what he knew behind the scenes about the inner workings of Washington that convinced him his notes would have that effect.

The special counsel decision devolved to the second in command at the Justice Department, Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Robert Mueller to investigate, “any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump.”

Take it from a practicing lawyer: the “or” is never a throw in. The “and” is the bait, and the “or” is the switch. This investigation was never about the “and” – nobody ever thought that Russia coordinated with Trump to steal Podesta’s emails. This has been an inquisition from the start, to probe “links… between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign” – Paul Manafort.

Mueller had been Obama’s director of the FBI until 2013. More than likely, he had previously explored Manafort’s advocacy on behalf of Yanukovych in Ukraine, or at least his Russian ties. Mueller has a dog in this fight. 

It is all too convenient and seems at some level to have been coordinated. But for what purpose?

As I explained here on November 2, 2017:

[T]his has always been about Paul Manafort. The FBI has been investigating him for the allegations in the indictment since Mueller was director. The matter went nowhere. Manafort operates like many Washington consultants, drawing huge fees from foreign governments. The fees are booked and reported according to arcane rules with broad possibilities for self-serving interpretations. Is that criminal? 

Let’s put it this way: If all foreign payments that went to private interests in Washington were subjected to the same level of scrutiny as Manafort’s, everyone would be in jail. The Clinton Foundation would have its own cell block. That is why the FBI never went after Manafort before this. It would have opened a can of worms. 

Whoever is behind this knew from the start that they could indict Manafort by dusting off some old FBI files and convening a grand jury. As of right now, the crime of the century about Russia stealing the election is really a stale investigation from the Obama Administration resurrected for dramatic effect. 

There are major gaps, which happens when investigations from 2014 are retrofitted to look like a stolen election in 2016. The indictment covers Manafort’s consulting activity in Ukraine. The order defining the Special Counsel’s authority was to investigate, “any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump.” Last time I checked, Ukraine is not Russia. The order had to say something about Russia but, as is now obvious, that was the bait and Ukraine would be the switch. 

If Donald Trump had a competent Justice Department overseeing things, Mueller would have been clipped and cut and told to stay within the bounds of his investigative authority. Instead, the Attorney General has recused himself from the Russian investigation, for no good reason. The second in command is hiding in his office, scared of the powerful forces he in a moment of extreme spinelessness has unleashed. President Trump is in a chess match with a grandmaster, and his Justice Department’s first move was to cede his Queen.

Judge Ellis cited many of these irregularities at the Friday hearing, telling Mueller’s team, “You don't really care about Mr. Manafort. You really care about what information Mr. Manafort can give you to lead you to Mr. Trump and an impeachment, or whatever.”

The Justice Department is not going to be able to obfuscate and slow walk with a federal district court judge as it has done with the United States Congress. It will have to provide some explanation.

Judge Ellis seems to be hot on the trail. Rosenstein obviously coordinated with someone to draft a scope memo that targeted Manafort to get to Trump. 

The question I raised on October 2 remains unanswered: “It is all too convenient and seems at some level to have been coordinated. But for what purpose?”

Maybe Judge Ellis will get to the bottom of it. Calling the special counsel a liar was a great start.



TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: 20171003; 20171102; coupplots; ellis; lisapage; manafort; mueller; paulmanafort; peterstrzok; robertmueller; rosenstein; russia; scopememo; trumpadministration; ukraine
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-28 last
To: Guenevere

We sure need to pray for this judge.


21 posted on 05/05/2018 5:48:14 AM PDT by Kaslin (Politicians are not born; they are excreted -Civilibus nati sunt; sunt excernitur. (Cicero))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

Sounds like this judge Ellis is the right man for the times, sort of like Trump.


22 posted on 05/05/2018 5:49:53 AM PDT by Yardstick
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

Confused?

The Judge flat out accused the Prosecutor of LYING, why didn’t he immediately REMAND them into Custody for Contempt and issue an Immediate referral for Criminal Prosecution for perpetrating a “Fraud upon the Court”??


23 posted on 05/05/2018 6:00:37 AM PDT by eyeamok
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kaslin

Yes we do.....
...for protection ......and to hold on to his convictions.....
‘May no weapon formed against him stand’


24 posted on 05/05/2018 6:06:49 AM PDT by Guenevere (The wrath of God has come upon them at last.....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: goldstategop

“Robert Mueller was made to look like a sleazy partisan hack.”......

Shorten that up to read, “IS a sleazy partisan hack”. He didn’t need any outside help.


25 posted on 05/05/2018 6:42:16 AM PDT by DaveA37
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: TXnMA

He tore them apart, badly!!


26 posted on 05/05/2018 6:58:36 AM PDT by DarthVader ("The biggest misconception on Free Republic is that the Deep State is invulnerable")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: onyx

Full circle...


27 posted on 05/05/2018 7:27:56 AM PDT by Doogle (( USAF.68-73..8th TFW Ubon Thailand....never store a threat you should have eliminated)))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Truth29

Judge Ellis will fold like a cheap suit once the FBI and Mueller’s boys start digging into his past. They will find something to intimidate him. Meanwhile, Rip Van Sessions continues to snooze.


28 posted on 05/05/2018 11:52:19 AM PDT by damper99
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-28 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson