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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRobert Mueller Failed To Do His Duty
I am beginning to doubt my initial support of Mueller's decisions in how he handled the case. This article in the Post makes some excellent observations on that score.
...by delaying the question of Trumps interview until month 19 of his tenure, Mueller allowed Trump to run out the clock a grave tactical error. And second, in an investigation of this public import, getting substantial evidence but not the word of the president himself fails to fulfill the special responsibility of a special counsel. In a run-of-the-mill criminal case, a prosecutors decision to bypass questioning a difficult figure might make sense; when we are seeking to learn whether a presidential candidate worked with a hostile foreign power to win an election, the public deserves to have that candidate answer questions under oath...
Finally, some of Muellers other decisions should be publicly debated. His determination not to bring campaign finance charges against Trump Jr. for soliciting foreign assistance to damage Hillary Clintons campaign has been blasted by one of the foremost election law experts, as it turned on a curious view that Mueller could not prove the value of the assistance Russians dangled in front of Trump Jr., and that a prosecution for solicitation of foreign election assistance raised First Amendment concerns...
Most important, Muellers decision not to also bring charges against Trump Jr. a private citizen, not protected by any Justice Department policy against prosecution for conspiring with WikiLeaks (either as a violation of campaign finance laws or other statutes) remains a mystery given the extensive evidence of direct interactions between Trump Jr. and the WikiLeaks team. It is this Mueller decision which enabled Trumps no collusion boast that merits the greatest scrutiny in the days ahead.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/robert-mueller-failed-to-do-his-duty/2019/04/19/370a47d8-62a6-11e9-9412-daf3d2e67c6d_story.html?utm_term=.692da37a6c49
Evergreen Emerald
(13,069 posts)He chose, like Comey, to play politics. Here is the question: When is it time for us to head to the streets in protest?
Nitram
(22,776 posts)would be viewed by anyone as political. To avoid getting involved in politics, he punted and handed the whole thing over to congress. But as the article points out, "playing it safe" meant avoiding confronting the Trump administration head on, which he had to do to fully carry out his mission..
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)razorman03038
(24 posts)pretty much all politicians. CYA. "Success has a thousand fathers. Failure is an orphan."
democratisphere
(17,235 posts)We're going to have to go after drumpf with a borage of hearings under oath and televised before the entire world.
Mueller is a rethuglicon and has made a mess out of his investigation.
Me.
(35,454 posts)triron
(21,988 posts)Big Blue Marble
(5,056 posts)well analyzed. Mueller pulled his punches; perhaps too much of a "company man."
I agree that his most grievous error was not indicting Jr.
Nitram
(22,776 posts)Big Blue Marble
(5,056 posts)It would seem he was looking over his shoulder as he wove through the evidence.
Skittles
(153,138 posts)Nitram
(22,776 posts)Mueller walked a fine line, and whether or not I agree with it, I think he gave us the evidence we need to impeach or prosecute.
uponit7771
(90,323 posts)Skittles
(153,138 posts)Dems are damned if they do, damned if they don't .
Nitram
(22,776 posts)Skittles
(153,138 posts)if ever there was a reason, that incompetent lying bastard is IT
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)publicly excoriating Hillary. Sure, that looks real apolitical.
jrthin
(4,835 posts)political decision.
RANDYWILDMAN
(2,667 posts)He kept trying to make everybody focus on this direct link connections to the Russian government when they clearly use cuttouts who keep showing up in his report and then he doesn't make the correct connection....come on man!
So much information shows Trump was compromised and Muellar missed a lot of those connections or his team downplayed them.
If you are focusing on obstruction with regard to team trump, you missed it. He obstructed because he collused or conspired however you want to view it !
triron
(21,988 posts)uponit7771
(90,323 posts)Nitram
(22,776 posts)uponit7771
(90,323 posts)... another thing Mueller addressed but said it would be to hard to figure out the value.
I disagree on that one
Nitram
(22,776 posts)do so brings a whole mess of additional charges into play.
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)without the interference trump would have like lost.
2. trump and campaign aides welcomed their help.
3. trump threatened, bullied, offered pardons, publicly criticized officials, etc., so they would lie for him.
4. trump is obviously compromised in dealing with Russia Ana some other countries.
5. trump and his family have tried to improperly enrich themselves.
6. Since DOJ protocol prohibits indicting a sitting Prez, Congress should start Impeachment proceedings immediately, and he will be glad to testify against trump and other government officials.
7. More later.
Instead, he beat around the bush and ran.
triron
(21,988 posts)Peace06
(248 posts)Seems incomplete to me. Like, maybe he was ordered to shut it down? Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Would be a good question for the House to ask.
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)wendyb-NC
(3,319 posts)The investigation seemed to end, rather suddenly, after the new AG Bar, went to work, and after the interim said that it was winding down, more than once. It does seem incomplete, as if the SC, hadn't finished all the investigating the entourage of people in dt's., circle. For what it's worth, that's just the sense I get.
RichardRay
(2,611 posts)He did exactly what he was supposed to do. If the folks in Congress cant find the guts to finish the job, thats not on Muellers watch.
Have you read the report? Bobby 3Sticks all but begged Congress to do its duty. He did his.
uponit7771
(90,323 posts)... to campaign finance and that law allows people to go free if they're stupid of campaign finance law which is screwed up on its face.
I dumb is literally a defense in campaign finance law.
The third!?
Yeah, wtf Mueller !?
kentuck
(111,069 posts)Insanity.
qdouble
(891 posts)If he threw the book at Trump, they would have gotten rid of him and we would have never read the report. He left enough breadcrumbs for Congress to do their job.
Solomon
(12,310 posts)have to worry that a decision would have appeared to be "political." He had a mistrust a democratic special counsel wouldn't have had. Actually, the fact that he didn't do what should have been done looks "political" since he went easy on the Trumps.