Robert Mueller, Former F.B.I. Director, Is Named Special Counsel for Russia Investigation

I can see Trump as being stupid enough to think firing the investigator is the ultimate alpha male, autocratic strongman move. He is obsessed with being the bully and probably feels weak and vulnerable with the cloud of the investigation over his head -- especially when the investigation might get into his finances, something he has long been sensitive about. I mean... talk of firing Mueller didn't pick up until it was reported that Mueller brought an investigator with experience with financial crimes on board his team.

But I think Trump is, for Putin, a useful idiot with financial baggage/crimes. A lot is getting lost in the collusion talk. And partisan Republicans want to push that to be the standard because that is the case most difficult to prove. But Trump and his campaign don't have to collude for this administration's ties to Russia to be dangerous for our republic. They just have to be compromised with respect to Russia/Putin/Russian oligarchs.

Putin/Russia have already won this round. The goal now is to limit their ability to extract value out of Trump, get sanctions lifted, and, as you pointed out, undermine future U.S. elections.

Thing is... this whole Russia thing isn't even the worst part of Trump as president.

 

I will just put my faith in Mueller, whatever he find, since he is about as impartial as you can get.

 

He's friends with Comey and has been for 15 years. That's as impartial as you can get? impartial would be someone who knows neither Comey or Trump. How about his team? do these people seem impartial?

Jeannie Rhee - worked as a lawyer for the Clinton Foundation and helped persuade a federal judge to block a conservative activist's attempts to force Bill and Hillary Clinton to answer questions under oath about operations of the family-run charity. Campaign-finance reports show that Rhee gave Clinton the maximum contributions of $2,700 in 2015 and again last year to support her presidential campaign. She also donated $2,300 to Obama in 2008 and $2,500 in 2011. While still at the Justice Department, she gave $250 to the Democratic National Committee Services Corp.

James Quarles - worked on the Watergate investigation as a young prosecutor, has an even longer history of supporting Democratic politicians. He gave $1,300 to Obama in 2007 and $2,300 in 2008. He also gave $2,700 to Clinton last year. He has supported a number of other Democratic candidates, including Van Hollen, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), former Rep. John Spratt (D-S.C.), former Vice President Al Gore, 2004 presidential candidate John Kerry, former Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), and Colorado congressional candidate Gail Schwartz. In addition, Quarles gave money to former Sen. John Walsh (D-Mont.) and three current Democratic senators — Ron Wyden of Oregon, Ed Markey of Massachusetts, and Robert Menendez of New Jersey. He chipped in $300 to the DNC Services Corp. $300 in 2012.

Andrew Weissmann - a former Justice Department lawyer who then worked at Jenner & Block until 2011, contributed $2,300 to Obama in 2008 and $2,000 to the DNC Services Corp. in 2006. Weissmann served as chief of the Justice Department's criminal fraud section and worked on the Enron fraud case.

Michael Dreeben - donated $1,000 to Clinton 2006 and $250 to Obama in both 2007 and 2008. He was deputy solicitor general and has appeared many times before the Supreme Court.

 

I am not the one who said he is about as impartial as we can get, it was many congressmen on both side that said that.

 

your previous post:

They said this before Comey testified to leaking a memo for the purpose of starting a special counsel. Once that happens, Comey's buddy should not be the special counsel.

 

That is your opinion, I have no problem with you having your point of view, but If he is as impartial a person as they say he is, I trust he will deal with this investigation fairly.

 

in the legal sense, its not an opinion. Cops have strict rules about the assigned investigator having no relation to the victim or accuser. These rules exist for a reason. For a special counsel, its unclear what rules apply, but Mueller's integrity or character does not factor in. The investigator should not be friends with the primary witness/accuser.

 

Tallanavor - Everyone from your own party went out of their way when Mueller was appointed to praise him for his integrity and independence. The smear fest came from the Trump wing and propaganda machine after Comey laid out a testimony that would give a path to POTENTIAL obstruction.

We all know you are doing the devils work here to try and smear the prosecutor in order so you can say the results of the investigation aren't credible and go about with your undying Trump support, but everyone isn't as dumb as you think they are.

Only thing this tells us is Trump and his supporters are afraid of what Mueller is going to come up with, or afraid of an obstruction charge.

Mueller is a life long servant of law enforcement, was appointed originally by a Republican white house, was appointed by a Trump DOJ, and was even well thought of enough to actually be considered by Trump himself to take over the FBI after ousting Comey. Of course he has a relationship with Comey. Everyone in the FBI/CIA/NSA circle will know each other well.

And I could care less if his attorneys are Blue or Red. What I care about is their credibility and record as being top lawyers in their respective areas which by all accounts it looks like they are top notch.

Again... this wreaks of Trump and his fans just being petrified of what is going to come out of this, and trying to smear the Prosecutor ala Ken Starr and Whitewater. You want to look innocent... SHUT UP about the prosecutor and the investigation.

 

It came after Comey testified he leaked the memo for the purpose of starting a special counsel and after Mueller started hiring his ridiculous team. This is how it works in law enforcement. The investigator is not good friends with the primary witness or accuser.

 

Being impartial doesn't matter, as the investigator.

Investigations and ultimately prosecutions rely on facts, which are impartial.

 

I believe cops disagree. I'm quite sure when they assign an investigator to a case they make sure no relationship exists with anyone involving the case.

Apparently you all think impartiality is determined by character witnesses. Its really not.

 

This isn't a police investigation, this is a high profile political investigation. Any facts uncovered would highly scrutinized and vetted. The risk would be if he knew Trump, and he were to ignore certain things. That is not the case here.

Your claim is baseless. Find any special prosecutor in history that didn't have a political leaning one way or the other. It doesn't exist.

 

its not Mueller's political leanings that are troubling (I dont even know what they are) its his long time friendship with the primary witness/accuser. As for his team, if everyone has political leanings, then you put together a qualified group that leans both ways. Thats how you would make the findings impartial.

 

I can't wait till they find some evidence of something....

 

I am not counting on finding anything directly related to Trump other than obstruction of justice by firing Comey. His aids I am sure will have something, especially people like Flynn.

 

They have found plenty but they have to track down every lead. This is so deep it is going to take some time, but it will bring down a lot of people.

DD

 

yea I bet the FBI has found tons. everything leaked from the FBI to the media except anything incriminating. I bet that's it.

 

Whitewater took what, three years before Starr found out about illicit whitehouse BJ's?(not the point of the investigation to begin with, BTW)

 

Primary witness accuser? He wasn't appointed to investigate obstruction, he was appointed to investigate the Russia collusion. Should Trump's decision to fire the FBI director give him the ability to get rid of anyone as a potential investigator with a relationship with Comey or the FBI?

 

Attack in 1 2 3.... how that turn out so true.