Latest absurdity is shocking

[struggle4progress]

By Greg Sargent
May 17 at 10:25 AM

... The position of Trump and the White House is this: It is not a legitimate legislative purpose for Congress to further flesh out special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s findings with the goal of fortifying our election security against future outside attacks on our political system ...

Nadler writes that the Mueller report “found that Russia interfered in our elections,” and ... “with the 2020 elections approaching, the Committee requires a more complete understanding of Russia’s influence and hacking operations” ...

The White House position .. is that this isn’t a legitimate legislative purpose ...

... members of Trump’s own administration say that Russian interference efforts are an ongoing threat ...

Trump World’s position is that the Mueller report totally exonerated Trump but you should ignore all its findings on the Russian sabotage effort itself ...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/05/17/white-houses-latest-mueller-absurdity-is-shocking-even-trump/?utm_term=.b8d110fb7414

[struggle4progress]

1. Trump warns of 'long jail sentences' for those involved in 'spying' on his 2016 campaign

By John Wagner May 17 at 8:20 AM

... At a Senate hearing earlier this month, FBI Director Christopher A. Wray — also a Trump appointee — said he had not seen any evidence that illegal surveillance was conducted on individuals associated with Trump’s campaign. He also said “spying” was not a term he would use. Trump subsequently called Wray’s testimony “ridiculous” ...

Trump has long expressed ire toward former FBI director James B. Comey, whom he fired amid the Russia probe in 2017.

In another tweet on Friday, Trump wrote, “What happened is that Donald Trump won. Down goes Comey.” He attributed the quote to Fox News’s morning program “Fox & Friends.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-warns-of-long-jail-sentences-for-those-involved-in-spying-on-his-2016-campaign/2019/05/17/083b484c-7897-11e9-bd25-c989555e7766_story.html?utm_term=.b5af15ff8f9a

[struggle4progress]

2. Barr better have the receipts

Analysis by Chris Cillizza, CNN Editor-at-large
Updated 2:10 PM ET, Fri May 17, 2019

... Barr's claims .. run directly counter to what we know to be the facts about the origins and conduct of the FBI's counterintelligence investigation.

... we know .. that the FBI sought a warrant to allow them to conduct surveillance against Carter Page, a one-time foreign policy adviser to Trump's campaign. That request went through a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which found that the FBI had probable cause to believe that Page was an agent of a foreign power. In addition to the first FISA warrant, the surveillance of Page was subsequently re-approved three more times. (Worth noting: The judges who sit on the FISC are all appointed by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. Roberts was appointed to the court by Republican President George W. Bush) ...

If Barr has evidence that any or all of what Comey, Mueller and Wray have said is wrong, then it is an absolutely HUGE story. And based on the game he is talking, it seems to suggest he either does or thinks he will by the time the investigation into the investigation concludes. Of course, if Barr is, well, just talking, the damage he is doing is real and lasting ...

https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/17/politics/bill-barr-donald-trump-mueller-fbi-comey/index.html

[2naSalit]

3. And, of course, never mind that pesky part about oversight...nt

[abqtommy]

4. tRump, his WhiteHouse Staff and all members of the Reich Wing

have very lonesome brain cells!