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Mueller Investigation Prosecutor Calls on Next Attorney General to Investigate, Prosecute Trump: Mr. Trumps Criminal Exposure is Clear
By Charlie NashNov 24th, 2020, 10:03 am
Andrew Weissmann, who served as a senior prosecutor during the 2017 to 2019 Mueller Investigation against President Donald Trump, called on the next attorney general under President-elect Joe Biden to investigate and prosecute Trump.
In a Tuesday article for the New York Times, Weissmann noted that although another investigation into Trump would further divide the country, the next attorney general should investigate Mr. Trump and, if warranted, prosecute him for potential federal crimes.
Mr. Trumps criminal exposure is clear, Weissmann claimed, adding that they amassed ample evidence to support a charge that Mr. Trump obstructed justice, during the Mueller Investigation.
He went on to acknowledge that Trump may pardon not just his family and friends before leaving office but also himself in order to avoid federal criminal liability, but argued, If Mr. Trump bestows such pardons, states like New York should take up the mantle to see that the rule of law is upheld. And pardons would not preclude the new attorney general challenging a self-pardon or the state calling the pardoned friends and family before the grand jury to advance its investigation of Mr. Trump after he leaves office.
more
https://www.mediaite.com/trump/mueller-investigation-prosecutor-calls-on-next-attorney-general-to-investigate-prosecute-trump-mr-trumps-criminal-exposure-is-clear/
Kid Berwyn
(14,651 posts)When the investigation reveals him to be Putins puppet, Trumps supporters will drop him like hes hot.
KS Toronado
(16,911 posts)Kid Berwyn
(14,651 posts)If the FBI investigates just what we civilians have learned in the last four years, Trump is is in real trouble. His enablers in the GOP should be investigated as co-conspirators.
In the Oval Office in the merry month of May 2017
President Trump gestures to Russia's ambassador to the U.S., Sergey Kislyak, as he speaks to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the Oval Office on Wednesday, May 10, 2017. (Alexander Shcherbak/TASS/Getty Images)
I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job," Trump said, according to The Times. "I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off.
"I'm not under investigation," he added.
Sources:
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/05/10/527755991/trump-meets-with-russias-lavrov-at-the-white-house-today
https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-nut-job-james-comey-russia-2017-5
Ponietz
(2,905 posts)Eyeball_Kid
(7,410 posts)wnylib
(21,146 posts)Ponietz
(2,905 posts)The Prostrate Eight
Senators:
Ron Johnson (Wis.)
Richard C. Shelby (Ala.)
Steve Daines (Mont.),
John Hoeven (N.D.)
John Neely Kennedy (La.)
Jerry Moran (Kan.)
John Thune (S.D.)
and
Representative Kay Granger (Tex.)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/eight-republicans-spent-july-4-in-russia-where-are-the-fireworks/2018/07/06/beae30be-812e-11e8-b658-4f4d2a1aeef1_story.html|
BarbD
(1,191 posts)Putin sowed chaos both internally and internationally. Trump was his puppet. It will take years of Democratic government for us to recover.
TrollBuster9090
(5,953 posts)It will all be "fake news". Take these no thinking rethugs at face value. They believe this election was stolen, they will also believe that any evidence against 45 will be made up. Let the states go after trump, keep the feds out of it.
Kid Berwyn
(14,651 posts)While many remain in office, I dont want them to influence policy in the slightest, let alone run, any part of the federal, state or local government. To do that requires the nation face the truth about what a Trump has done.
And if their brains are so warped and fried they are incapable of grasping reality, too bad so sad. The courts, businesses, academia and all in the reality based community can put Trumpism in the ash heap of history and Trump in jail where he so rightly belongs.
robbob
(3,514 posts)Leaving him out there to start a new media empire (ROTFLMAO!!!) or just continue tweeting his petty grievances is what will further divide the country. tRump will NEVER admit he lost the election, he will continue to peddle deep state CTs until the day he dies. He needs to go down, hard.
That being said, I think more obscure crimes like obstruction of justice will be a hard sell to his brain dead followers. Show them the grift, stealing money from the voters, or TAKING money from other governments and it might finally wake some of them up.
Kid Berwyn
(14,651 posts)Not China. Its TRUMPS PLAGUE.
He is responsible, no matter what or how much he says.
Then they may better hear the complex parts...
Say hello to your boy, Trump said, Special guy.
Your kids have been very nice to him, Kennedy replied.
Well, Trump said, they love him, and they love him in New York.
Source: https://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/donald-trump-supreme-court-236925
colorado_ufo
(5,717 posts)The devotion is psychotic in many of them.
Barbara2423
(459 posts)I do agree he should be prosecuted.
uponit7771
(90,225 posts)It's their denying of reality when it comes to the associations with Russians that floor me, they even act like Don Jr didn't meet with Russians in Trump tower !!
orangecrush
(19,236 posts)They will refuse to look at reality.
I wouldn't waste my time even worrying about his supporters.
Just investigate and prosecute.
soothsayer
(38,601 posts)Botany
(70,291 posts)We all need to see the Mueller Report. We can not let "them" keep repeating the lie
that the Mueller Report cleared Trump.
triron
(21,916 posts)Botany
(70,291 posts)dalton99a
(81,070 posts)treestar
(82,383 posts)Donald Trump will not be POTUS as of 1/20/21
Escurumbele
(3,340 posts)It doesn't make sense that the country would have to keep a criminal as president.
As I said in another post...what prevents a corrupt president to rob the country and in the middle of the night fly to some country that has no extradition deals with the USA? Then he gets to live his life in luxury with the money he stole from the country.
We see that happen all the time in countries from Africa, South America, etc. It can happen here too, and I would not be surprised that the destruction trump is doing to the country that benefits Russia/Putin in these last two months may be a way to buy his stay in Russia.
groundloop
(11,488 posts)Oh, never mind.
I guess the people that wrote it didn't consider the fact that half the Senate might be in cahoots with that corrupt President.
treestar
(82,383 posts)They thought the Senate would hear the evidence and convict!
CrispyQ
(36,231 posts)That's how these guys got the idea they could do whatever the fuck they want, cuz they could! Cuz we let them! We have been going along to get along for 40 years.
LizBeth
(9,946 posts)I get it but they cannot get away with four years of in our face criminal behavior. And forget this uniting thing, not going to happen. I am so done with democrats not able to do anything and Republicans run rough shod cause not a law, rule or procedure will stand in their way.
And, I have not hear a single real life Democrat that has been fighting the last 4 years to make it to our win say, lets move on. Democratic voters are angry, they want repercussions. Not one wants to "move on".
Native
(5,935 posts)ShazzieB
(15,958 posts)BarackTheVote
(938 posts)Without consequences for criminality, this sort of shit will just happen again and again and again. Our country wont survive much longer if we continue to place the president above the law. We should have drawn a line in the sand a decade ago with GW, we failed and this is the result: a further unraveling of our national morality. Time to set precedent, its long over-due.
Ponietz
(2,905 posts)I dont know if Mary Surrat was guilty or not, but it sickens me that she hanged when Confederate agitators and leaders just walked away. Kind of like Reality Winner being in prison right now while traitors walk free.
BarackTheVote
(938 posts)The way reconstruction was handled (sabotaged) by Andrew Johnson allowed the Civil War to become a hundred-fifty-year Cold War. And we came really close to losing that Cold War just this year.
better
(884 posts)I read an article a while back talking about the balance between rule of law and mutual toleration, and how at several points throughout our history, we have neglected to enforce the rule of law in the hopes of maintaining mutual toleration, as were the cases with regard to Nixon, Reagan, and Bush 43.
But what we must collectively recognize and respond appropriately to is the fact that toleration has not been mutual for well over 2 decades now. Hell, not only have Republicans been opposed to mutual toleration, they have actually done much worse, by consistently demonstrating that they will tolerate unlawful conduct on their side of the aisle, even as they refuse to tolerate, and even relentlessly try to prosecute lawful conduct on ours.
Bottom line, sacrificing enforcement of the rule of law in the interest of mutual toleration is not merely unproductive, it is actually counter-productive, because the toleration is not, and will not be, mutual. And that's not merely conjecture, it's the Republican Party's whole brand, at this point.
And this is made worse by the too frequent impulse on the left to avoid taking actions that might rile up the conservative base, as though there are not entire industries dedicated to the sole purpose of keeping their base riled up, even if they have to invent absurdly farcical things for them to be riled up about to do it.
So yeah, no more going along to get along, because history has shown us unmistakably that it only moves us backwards.
BarackTheVote
(938 posts)There are people who look at our letting bygones be bygones with war criminals and political criminals and dont just think its about being gracious in victory and trying to bring the country togetherit can also look like collusion and acquiescence even, indeed, tacit PERMISSION to misbehave and erode our democratic institutions.
Hot take: the most successful Republican strategy has been to convince three consecutive generations that the Democrats and Republicans are in cahoots. That narrative fell apart the last four years in a big way thanks to how fucking odious Trump is. But it could rear its head again if we continue to tolerate bad behavior.
BlancheSplanchnik
(20,219 posts)Theyre the same! They both do it.
No, theyre not even comparable.
BarbD
(1,191 posts)This is not a case of being vindictive. It is a distasteful task that must be done if we want to save our democracy.
DonaldsRump
(7,715 posts)Celerity
(42,666 posts)DonaldsRump
(7,715 posts)Instead, they chose to write a book after they allowed Trump an escape hatch via William Barr.
These folks know better: they were all wimps, including Weissmann and his boss.
Celerity
(42,666 posts)resign and then disclose all the details of an ongoing investigation.
DonaldsRump
(7,715 posts)None of these folks had the courage to do anything of the sort.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-is-congressional-immunity/
Celerity
(42,666 posts)DonaldsRump
(7,715 posts)Congressional immunity was used to great effect in Watergate. What happened with Russia is so incredible and unlawful that I am outraged when people like Weissmann are now speaking up. There was a time and place to do this, but it is not now. It was in the report. It should have CLEARLY outlined the charges that could be made in unambiguous terms.
And it's Mueller's fault as well as the people that worked for him. Contrast their actions, and failures to act, with how the Watergate Special Prosecution Task Force behaved. They too worried about losing their jobs, and indeed, Archibald Cox, the first Special Prosecutor, was fired and the office was going to be abolished by the Saturday Night Massacre on October 20, 1973. So many the lawyers and staff members showed up to their offices that Saturday night to make sure their files and papers were secured even though the FBI had sealed the offices. You can see a bit of that in the video below.
Those folks were REAL heroes. Mueller and his team were not.
pandr32
(11,447 posts)...successfully.
We must make sure we root out those who conspired with him as well.
This can never happen in the U.S. again. It has affected our reputation around the world as well as all the damage it has done to us here at home. No-one will ever trust us again if this is not thoroughly investigated and prosecuted, nor could we withstand another hit of the same.
patphil
(6,035 posts)We can't afford to reward Trump's criminal behavior with inaction. That would only embolden the next despot to do even more damage to the nation and the rule of law.
And also leave him free to pursue a 2024 campaign.
Even if he can't be charged on a Federal level, the Justice Department should use it's power to unearth evidence of wrongdoing and provide it to any states who want to pursue legal action against Trump, his family, and enablers.
There has to be a full accounting of Trump's illicit actions.
Ponietz
(2,905 posts)Our coalition will collapse and disintegrate, and a competent fascist will take control in 2024.
OMGWTF
(3,901 posts)(On Edit) on the reasoning that if you were innocent, the pardon would be unnecessary in the first place.
So let donald pardon himself for EVERYTHING, and then let NYS and Manhattan DAs take him to the fucking cleaners since a lot of those federal crimes are also illegal at the state and district level (and no 5th amendment since he already admitted guilt via accepting his own pardon).
thesquanderer
(11,955 posts)In 1915, the Supreme Court wrote in Burdick v. United States that a pardon carries an imputation of guilt; acceptance a confession of it. Over the years, many have come to see a necessary relationship between a pardon and guilt. Ford carried the Burdick quote in his wallet, defending the Nixon pardon by noting that it established Nixons guilt. More recently, MSNBC host Ari Melber taunted Arpaio by saying he had admitted he was guilty when he accepted Trumps pardon.
But Burdick was about a different issue: the ability to turn down a pardon. The language about imputing and confessing guilt was just an aside what lawyers call dicta. The court meant that, as a practical matter, because pardons make people look guilty, a recipient might not want to accept one. But pardons have no formal, legal effect of declaring guilt.
Indeed, in rare cases pardons are used to exonerate people. This was Trumps rationale for posthumously pardoning boxer Jack Johnson, the victim of a racially based railroading in 1913. Ford pardoned Iva Toguri dAquino (World War IIs Tokyo Rose) after 60 Minutes revealed that she was an innocent victim of prosecutors who suborned perjured testimony in her treason case. President George H.W. Bush pardoned Caspar Weinberger because he thought the former defense secretary, indicted in the Iran-contra affair, was a victim of the criminalization of policy differences. If the president pardons you because he thinks you are innocent, what guilt could accepting that pardon possibly admit?
safeinOhio
(32,531 posts)thingy working out for ya?
Pepsidog
(6,252 posts)clearly and unambiguously written. Something like there is sufficient evidence to indict and try Trump for Obstruction etc. Instead it was written in wishy washy language that Barr was able to cut and paste lines to confuse most of the public into thinking Trump did nothing wrong. Only those paying close attention to the case could understand Muellers conclusions.
DonaldsRump
(7,715 posts)Mueller and Weissmann and all the rest of the "Bobby 3-Sticks" crew could have easily come to the point. They are all highly educated lawyers. As I said in an earlier post, it's a shame Weissmann and his colleagues didn't write so clearly a year and half ago.
crickets
(25,896 posts)Yes. Strike down any attempt at a pardon. Not only should it be made clear that no president is allowed to self-pardon, no president should get a pardon. That should be one of the many things a president gives but never receives. No president should ever, ever again feel that he can away with anything as long as he has his get out of jail free card.
Oh, we could go on all day about what that sentence really means, but there should be a proper investigation into collusion. The Mueller Investigation ended up being less than comprehensive in some ways, to put it kindly, and we have yet to see the entire report. Do over on that one, big time.
Go after him for federal crimes. I'm pretty sure trump's on the hook for international crimes. Throw the book at him again and again, every single book we can find. We will never again know true peace as a country if we don't.
world wide wally
(21,719 posts)Hotler
(11,353 posts)triron
(21,916 posts)Roisin Ni Fiachra
(2,574 posts)was read in federal court.
BobTheSubgenius
(11,535 posts)"Total exoneration!" Isn't that what he said? They can't parse the difference between being compelled by the evidence to indict, and discretionary abeyance.
I'm not sure anything could widen or deepen the gulf between red and blue right now, except a shooting war.
Escurumbele
(3,340 posts)Democratic party.
I believe that I am correct in saying that a minimum of 50% of Democrats are still genuinely pissed off by the fact that Obama decided to "Move Forward". The Bush administration should have been investigated, the damage they did to our country, and the World, is still alive and trump is a result of it. Because Obama let Bush and company go easy allowed people like trump to seek office, it allowed the republicans to continue breaking the democratic system, and THAT has divided the country.
All these criminals must be investigated and if/when found they committed crimes against the country they must be made to pay.
I am so sick of hearing that investigating these crooks will divide the country, I think that is a meme set out by the criminals themselves to try to convince people to not support investigations. This needs to stop!
One more thing that makes me sick is this talk about trump preparing for a run in 2024...WHAT? He needs to prepare to fight in the courts for all his crimes, and if found guilty he MUST go to jail. This SOB has no future in politics, so stop "predicting" what he is going to do in politics or as a "business man", we all no he IS NOT a business man, he is a fraud and a crook.
burrowowl
(17,606 posts)"I am so sick of hearing that investigating these crooks will divide the country, I think that is a meme set out by the criminals themselves to try to convince people to not support investigations. This needs to stop!"
I agree, this country is already divided so prosecute the criminals!
cynical_idealist
(357 posts)add 250000 to 300000 cases of manslaughter by depraved indifference
And that huge list of all the other crimes against our nation and humanity
Evolve Dammit
(16,632 posts)33taw
(2,420 posts)We have a lot on the plate right now. This would not be my top priority.
zaj
(3,433 posts)Let him finish the work with a full mandate?
Botany
(70,291 posts)IN 2018, EIGHT REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS celebrated the Fourth of July in Moscow, Russia: Senator Richard C. Shelby of Alabama, who led the delegation, along with Senators Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, John Neely Kennedy of Louisiana, Steve Daines of Montana, North Dakotas John Hoeven, Jerry Moran of Kansas, South Dakotas John Thune, and Rep. Kay Granger of the 12th District of Texas. The ostensible reason for the trip was engagementthe same tired excuse Senator Rand Paul routinely provides to justify his own shadowy meetings with our enemies.
ScratchCat
(1,957 posts)That there were things under "foreign policy" that Trump had done that Bolton said were "clearly more impeachable" than the Ukraine scam he was trying to pull?
There is clearly "more" than what was investigated under the Mueller Report concerning Trump and crimes. For instance, I suspect we will find out that the intelligence agencies were told to NOT warn Khashogi of the threat against him, that Trump/Kushner were paid handsomely for not making hay over it and I bet there is much more involving UAE, Saudi and Turkey arm's deals.
eissa
(4,238 posts)to do this and they let us all down. Guilty (most likely) or not, trump wont be held accountable for his actions, and thats on Mueller and his team.
Mr. Ected
(9,670 posts)Might help to expedite the process.
triron
(21,916 posts)Mr. Ected
(9,670 posts)But any of the 3 would be more than capable.
triron
(21,916 posts)llashram
(6,265 posts)and the report ended with no consequence to the orange menace. What trump did to this country, up to and past Putin's vote-rigging of our election for him in 2016 will be decades sorting out. GOP and republicans are all cowards in their enabling the viciousness and lawbreaking of trump, miller, ivanka, jarad for 4 long years of a rampage through our democracy.
bringthePaine
(1,726 posts)"forward motion" without righting the judicial ship of state; legal accountability simply must, therefore, be imposed for the sake of future Americans' belief in justice and democracy, as inseparable elements of the republic; we cannot abide, nor long survive, rampant criminality as now breeds within the White House - we must insist the highest price be paid by those responsible for such traitorous perfidy
c-rational
(2,581 posts)dlk
(11,438 posts)We dont really know the full breadth and depth of criminal activity from the Trump administration that was carried out behind closed doors. What weve already seen out in the open is outrageous enough. If Republicans dont experience the pain of accountability, they will take the lack of prosecution as tacit approval on our part. There is no moving forward and letting bygones be bygones, without permanent damage to the rule of law and the continuation of our republic.
W T F
(1,145 posts)Joe Biden can order the illegal executions of the conservative justices on the bench and pardon himself too.
ancianita
(35,813 posts)N_E_1 for Tennis
(9,593 posts)SayItLoud
(1,696 posts)58Sunliner
(4,339 posts)Eyeball_Kid
(7,410 posts)Were prosecutions to go forward without political interference, Trump and his family of grifters will be penniless in less than two years, and we'd have plenty of reasons to renew our faith in the Rule of Law.
thesquanderer
(11,955 posts)AmericanCanuck
(1,102 posts)OnDoutside
(19,908 posts)especially, I don't think they have any choice but "Get to the bottom of the matter".
Blue Owl
(49,934 posts)BRING. IT. ON!!!
budkin
(6,691 posts)napi21
(45,806 posts)think something will happen now?
triron
(21,916 posts)Lock him up.
(6,874 posts)The whole cabal of the "we were just following orders" cRew (even if they OBVIOUSLY were illegal).
Otherwise, Justice is not done and will never be.
triron
(21,916 posts)Lock him up.
(6,874 posts)TrollBuster9090
(5,953 posts)...and while the Republican Senate is trying to block it...Biden appoints Wissmann as the ACTING A.G.. While Weissmann is the acting AG he appoints a special prosecutor to look into Trump Administration era crimes.
But Weissmann won't be acting AG for long, because his very presence as head of the DoJ will scare the crap out of Republicans, and give them incentive to confirm Biden's AG nominee double quick.
Then, when Weissmann is free, the HOUSE can start up a Trump Administration era crimes commission, and hire WEISSMANN as their lead investigator.
ecstatic
(32,567 posts)in order for Pence to pardon him. At least that pardon would be easier to toss out. The DOJ already said that presidents can't pardon themselves.
soldierant
(6,648 posts)of laws of which no one has ever disputed the justice or appropriateness of -
that nation is already beyond salvation.
Count me with those who think such prosecution is absolutely necessary for the wounds of our nation to heal.
Botany
(70,291 posts)bucolic_frolic
(42,676 posts)I fear the DOJ is not a monolith to rule of law that we'd like it to be, or hope that it is. There being Rod Rosensteins, well-meaning and competent, but silently on one side or the other, lurking everywhere. Then there are the fiefdoms sprinkled around the country. You think SDNY doesn't have differences of opinion? Or other major cities?
Pres. Biden may or may not be able to confirm his #1 candidate for AG. He may be forced to operate with a series of acting AG's. He must not become partisan. Plus there will be trump pardons to work around.
i'm not optimistic a lot will get done. It will take 2 years just to restaff and operate normally, but with all the legacy problems and investigations of the Trump era.
UCmeNdc
(9,589 posts)To ignore this criminal activity would invite other future criminals to seek the office of the President Of The United States for the sole purpose to enrich themselves.
President Biden has an obligation to preserve democracy and the rule of law throughout the United States of America. If President Biden "looks the other way" the problems the corrupt Trump administration created would not be solved. In the future another fascist dictator will step forward. Trump exposed this weakness within the US government both with Trump's money grab, and also, Trump's ability to abuse power for his own benefit.
If Biden ignores Trump's crimes and does not let the DOJ do a complete and through independent investigation, and if crimes are found to have been committed by the Trump administration prosecutors are not allowed to proceed, then people will view President Biden as also being corrupt.
The danger for President Biden is Trump can indirectly bring President Biden down to his low corrupt level by not investigating everything with an independent DOJ fully. Perception is everything. Biden has to emphasize his honesty. Investigating Trump by an independent DOJ prosecutor is the honest thing to do.
I hope that works better than when I called on the Mueller Investigation Prosecutor to do the same.
UCmeNdc
(9,589 posts)It was like Mueller wasn't independent anymore. Almost like Mueller was threatened by Donald Trump in some manner?
I mean who writes such a cryptic final report that screams guilty of this and that but refuses to say it outloud? Almost like many of the other Trump subordinates act.
In other words, Trump used his power of the presidency to threaten Mueller in a way that we will never know about.
Glenn Kirschner would make a great special prosecutor!