Trump DOJ secretly subpoenaed accounts of McGahn & his wife in February 2018

[Nevilledog]

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Hugo Lowell
@hugolowell
Breaking via NY Times: Trump Justice Dept secretly subpoenaed information about accounts that belonged to former White House counsel Don McGahn — who testified to Mueller — and his wife in February 2018.
9:01 AM · Jun 13, 2021

[uponit7771]

1. It'll take years to get the treason to the constitution out after Putin's Whore disaster

[Effete Snob]

11. Why are we assuming this was not a subpoena by the Mueller probe?

The “Trump DOJ” included the Mueller investigation.

[Sur Zobra]

2. Jeebus!

I’ve run out of expletives for the turd

[Botany]

3. So this was Barr's doing on behave of Trump? And who was the judge?

Lock 'em up.

[Effete Snob]

22. No, it was Mueller doing his job

At one point DU supported that, along with supporting Congressional subpoenas into the same dealings.

But now it appears that we are supposed to have been opposed to the Mueller investigation’s probe into McGahn’s role.

[malaise]

4. The wuestion is who will arrest the Slobfather for

abuse of power?

[bullimiami]

5. seems like they were fishing for blackmail fodder.

[Andy823]

13. I would count on that

A narcissist, like trump always try and find dirt on not only their enemies, but also on all those who work for them, and anyone around them. I am sure trump was fishing for dirt not only on Democrats, but also republicans.

More names will come in in the future.

[agingdem]

6. McGahn fought congressional subpoenas for how long?

this is the guy who covered Trump's ass...Russia, Comey, Mueller...and only threatened to resign when Trump's vengeance could blow back on him personally..Did McGahn naively assume that making nice with Trump would keep him out of harm's way?...HAHAHA

[dawg day]

7. What judge approved all these sub poenas?

this is full of red flags--
investigating opposition politicians
investigating White House officials...

And all done in total secrecy without the targets being able to defend themselves?

[triron]

14. Yeah, this is fucked up.

[Effete Snob]

16. Probably the same judge that approved all of Mueller's subpoenas

Since this was obviously part of the Mueller probe.

[Kingofalldems]

34. Posted with zero evidence.

[Effete Snob]

36. Bullshit

https://democraticunderground.com/10142140231

“McGahn, the person said, expects to be questioned by federal prosecutors in New York about his knowledge of the payments, which were the basis for campaign finance charges against Trump’s longtime personal lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen.”

Gee, why did McGahn expect to be questioned about the Cohen affair?

That, of course, was back in the days when Democrats WANTED McGahn investigated.

[rso]

23. Subpoenas

A Judge does not have to approve a prosecutor’s investigative subpoena. A Judge would be involved if for example Apple refused to comply with the subpoena.

[dawg day]

26. Okay, that makes sense

But it's complicated because the target of the subpoena (say, Adam Schiff) doesn't know about it because the request goes to the phone provider.

So if Apple doesn't refuse, no judge presumably will know?-- and who put the gag order on Apple (and presumably the other providers)?

This all feels kind of ... underhanded.

[rso]

33. RSO

Again, a prosecutor can instruct the provider to not reveal the records release. It’s only if the provider disputes it that it goes to a Judge.

[dawg day]

38. Kind of makes any kind of oversight difficult.

Would the AG or Deputy AG have had to know about this?
Barr, Sessions, Rosenthal all say (apparently) they didn't know about it.
There was that acting AG, the sleazebag one, who was there after Sessions.

[cilla4progress]

8. Makes one wonder...

Lindsay? McConnell? Doesn't it seem he would have ordered them investigated, too?

Speaking of blackmail....

[agingdem]

12. Cruz and Rubio, too

McConnell's vulnerability was his wife and her family...

[Corgigal]

35. It's the only reason,

I can consider , that Lindsay flipped to a Trump fan after a golf game.

Our DOJ was used as the National Enquirer. Disgusting.

[Chainfire]

9. The real question is how far Justice will go to cover their tracks.

Files are probably being erased in big batches as we speak.

[Effete Snob]

10. That would include Mueller, btw

Kinda odd the assumptions being made.

The “Trump DOJ” was inclusive of the Mueller probe.

[agingdem]

15. Barr was Mueller's friend...something Trump could use

Trump counted on Barr to tamp down Mueller..and Rosenstein, the ultimate sycophantic pleaser, was just the guy to keep Barr informed...

[Effete Snob]

18. I'm not sure what that is supposed to mean

But clearly both Mueller and Congressional investigations wanted McGahn’s records. DU supported that at the time.

[agingdem]

19. Mueller and Barr were friends and colleagues..

Barr knew the way Mueller worked..quiet, methodical...and when Barr "interpreted" the Mueller report in Trump's favor, I'm pretty sure he knew Mueller would stay quiet...

[Effete Snob]

20. What does that have to do with this thread?

It’s pretty obvious that McGahn was a legitimate subject of a subpoena in the Mueller investigation.

The comments in this thread suggest that a vocal contingent of DU no longer believes that, despite widespread support for the Congressional probes which were going on at the time.

[agingdem]

31. McGahn left the White House October 2018

the secret subpoena was issued February 2018..so he was working at the White House while Trump and Barr were secretly subpoenaing he and his wife's metadata?...how did he not know?...he was still in the loop and more than likely was aware of the Schiff/Swalwell subpoenas...and all the secret subpoenas were in some way tied to the Mueller investigation...and McGahn had no choice but to testify after a protracted fight, but was it a coincidence that he waited until the gag orders expired before he testified to Congress? and why was his security clearance downgraded?..did McGahn know?

[msfiddlestix]

44. I'm inferring from your comments, you didn't approve

I think I can see your point, if I'm on track.

But I confess, I was, and continue to be, very eager to have whatever the eff it takes to expose all of the enablers, who covered up for that psychopathic mob boss and con man. Including McGahnn. Barr and entirety of the administration, and that also includes, Kushner, Ivanka, the baby boys and their sibs. Every Last One of these corrupt traitors.

yeppers.

[Effete Snob]

46. Well McGahn has a surprising number of defenders here

I think the guy is a criminal, like every other Trump lawyer.

McGahn’s numerous defenders here believe otherwise.

[msfiddlestix]

47. Oh, I see. I missed all that and just jumped in where I shouldn't have

or should have reviewed the day's commentary on the subject.


My apologies. But damn, I believe you and I are on the same page, I completely agree with your assessment on McGahn.


When it was reported (way back in the before times) that McGahn had been cooperating with Mueller investigation, I was cautiously optimistic, as it is commonly put. But at the end of the day, Barr stepped in, put a kibosh on the entire investigation and instructed Mueller to close up shop. Never read any reporting of contributions from McGahn's interviews

Needless to say, disappointing doesn't come close to describing how I felt and still feel about how it was handled, and how Mueller allowed Barr to interfere. He had a small window to make some tough but critical decisions, and he took the cowards way out, and the country had to endure an insurrection and all the collateral damage as a result including loss of life.

But Mueller and fellow investigators are going to be teaching a class on the Mueller Investigation. Ain't that swell?

[underpants]

27. What proof or reasoning do you have on that? You keep posting it

[Effete Snob]

28. McGahn was legitimately under investigation

Why would Trump need to get McGahn’s records to find out what he was up to? It makes no fucking sense.

Was there a wave of amnesia here recently? We WANTED to investigate McGahn, and he was a legitimate subject of the Mueller investigation.

Saying “the DoJ subpoenaed his records” is true of EVERY subject of the Mueller investigation at the time of this subpoena.

So were you in favor of the Congressional subpoena of him, but opposed to any other subpoena? Explain why.

[underpants]

42. Ahem

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215525235

[Effete Snob]

43. The Cohen investigation was a spin-off

McGahn was believed to be involved in the drafting of the bullshit statement that Trump issued about the campaign finance issue arising from the pornstar hush money.

Go ahead and convince me that like Cohen and Giuliani, who also did legal work for Trump, that McGahn was some kind of saint who could not possibly have been involved in something illegal.

How many other Trump lawyers and Trump WH officials are you in the habit of defending?

There are other related investigations - into Cohen, for example - that were not handed off by the Mueller team and would not have been directly pursued by them.

I’m sorry to besmirch the reputation of this apparent hero of freedom.

[Effete Snob]

30. Here...

Last edited Sun Jun 13, 2021, 02:57 PM - Edit history (2)

https://democraticunderground.com/10142140231

McGahn, the person said, expects to be questioned by federal prosecutors in New York about his knowledge of the payments, which were the basis for campaign finance charges against Trump’s longtime personal lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen.

——-

Were you also agains the search and seizure of Cohen’s records as well, or is there some days when it is okay to investigate Trump’s lawyers and some days when it isn’t?

[LetMyPeopleVote]

17. WOW

Link to tweet

[everyonematters]

21. Looking for compramat?

Is this why people won't cross him?

[Pachamama]

24. +1000000

There’s the Kompromat they were looking for...

And then there is what they also have long had...

[Baked Potato]

25. I commented semi-jokingly some time ago about TFG peeking at tax records

for blackmail. I think we’re getting close.

[FakeNoose]

29. There was a brief window early in Mueller's investigation

... when Chump believed he was "not a target" and he should cooperate with Mueller. That's why McGahn initially gave 30 hours of testimony to Mueller's team. But after those first couple of months, Chump came to realize that he really was a target after all, and McGahn was told to clam up.

I believe Chump started threatening McGahn with something - I don't know what - but that's probably when Mueller knew the White House cooperation was over. McGahn never spoke to the media or Mueller ever again.

It's just one more example of Chump's gangster tactics. How many more do we need to convict this guy? Lock him up.

[triron]

32. Where is Garland?

[underpants]

37. Trump & Barr May have just wanted to make sure he wasn't talking to anyone.

But the threat is more Trump’s style.

[FakeNoose]

39. Bill Barr wasn't in the picture yet

I believe Sessions was still the AG when this happened.

[Skittles]

40. but Barr would have kept the gag order going, yes?

speculating here

[underpants]

41. My mistake.

[msfiddlestix]

45. interesting and clarifying observation. TY