Garlands Justice Department trying to keep the main parts of the muller rerport redacted

[Mr. Sparkle]

A case working its way through the federal appellate court in Washington centers on portions of the report which were "redacted," or blacked out from public view. Chicago attorney Matthew Topic argued to the court Wednesday that the public has a right to much of that information in order to understand why some individuals were examined by Mueller's investigators but never charged.

At issue is whether Mueller's team may have given favorable treatment to some individuals close to the president, including Donald Trump Jr. And the judges hearing the arguments seemed to indicate they also believe some of that information should be made public.

snip...

But Justice Department attorney Casen Ross argued to keep the information secret.

"The public interest in this information is far outweighed by the privacy interests of these individuals," he told the judges.

But before Ross could finish the thought, Judge Harry Edwards interrupted.

"I don't know how you can say that with respect to a number of individuals who clearly have a diminished expectation of privacy because they've already been discussed in a public document," the judge said. "They were clearly a part of what was going on!"

Edwards said it would be one thing if the individuals were private individuals who had never been associated with potential wrongdoing. He noted that the people in this section of the report had been publicly named as being associated with the case.

"The facts have been revealed," he said. "And the only thing that's missing, that you've redacted, is the explanation for why the government took the position it took in the report."

Ross argued a person's right to privacy should especially be protected when they aren't charged.

"This court has repeatedly held that an individual's privacy interest is at its apex when charges are contemplated but not subsequently brought," he told the court. But Judge David Tatel suggested that argument didn't hold water in this case.

"The only thing the public does not know is the prosecutor's reasons for not indicting," he said. "And if it doesn't know that, how can the public possibly know whether the government, as they say, pulled its punches?"

Ross asked the judges to examine the full report in the privacy of their chambers, arguing that Topic and his client, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, had presented no evidence that anyone in Mueller's office acted improperly.

https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-attorney-seeks-secret-mueller-report-materials/2635867/

Smh

[Champp]

1. Release the Republican Crappen

American's paid for the Mueller Report. It shows how the Republicans betrayed America, and partied with Russia. We want it now. We deserve it now.

[Baitball Blogger]

2. I wouldn't say it's the only thing the public wants to know, but it is the big thing.

"The only thing the public does not know is the prosecutor's reasons for not indicting," he said. "And if it doesn't know that, how can the public possibly know whether the government, as they say, pulled its punches?"

[Effete Snob]

3. It's for our own good

You don’t know what is in the redacted portion, so it’s not your place to decide whether you should know.

You have no idea what might happen to you if you knew what it said, so you would have confidence that the DoJ is looking out for your best interests.

[lagomorph777]

5. sarcasm?

hard to tell anymore

[Effete Snob]

29. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE REDACTED PORTION SAYS?

If you don't, then there is utterly no way you or anyone else is entitled to an opinion.

[lagomorph777]

34. Oh, wow. Apparently not sarcasm.

That sure sounds like something Trump would say.

It's also circular logic. "Because you don't know, you have no right to know."

The case is ostensibly about protecting the privacy of people who have been named as participants in crimes. It ain't national security, according to Garland's own lawyers, who are protecting the Trumps.

[Effete Snob]

38. That's the argument made on this site daily

If you don't know what the DoJ is up to, then you have no right to a critical opinion.

Same thing applies here.

[lagomorph777]

39. And you're saying that's a valid argument?

[dpibel]

42. Nicely done nt

[msfiddlestix]

50. You can't possibly be serious? You should use the sarcasm cody or make it more clear, that you are

just kidding.

[lagomorph777]

4. Cue the Garland apologists here.

Garland is Barr Lite.

[dem4decades]

8. My mother used to call certain people Milk Toasts, I don't think it was complementary.

[zuul]

19. milquetoast definition from Oxford Languages:

milque·toast /ˈmilktōst/

noun

a timid or feeble person: "Jennings plays him as something of a milquetoast"

adjective

feeble, insipid, or bland: "a soppy, milquetoast composer"

Yep, that's Merrick Garland alright.

[triron]

9. He is our 'Neville Chamberlain'. I say he needs to go asap.

[KG]

28. just getting the stories straight

[dalton99a]

6. The privacy interests of traitors are paramount.

[Eyeball_Kid]

7. It's the "Protection Theory."

When we aren't able to easily discern a motivation for behavior, it's common practice to rely on the "Protection Theory." In this case, the DOJ is protecting themselves by not releasing the full report. There's something awry in the insistence on secrecy. I suggest that the DOJ would be embarrassed when it's disclosed that Trump's crimes were obvious and blatant, yet the DOJ did nothing and relied on a nonbinding archaic, DOJ memo to keep themselves from doing their work. Yes, that was Barr's DOJ, but Garland is keeping the DOJ unaccountable and HE'S inherited the mess. This is just my opinion. But since we're all human beings with a limited scope of behavioral reactions to stress and fear, the inferred logic points to the DOJ protecting itself by shutting down disclosure. Their attorney's argument for the privacy of those mentioned in the Mueller Report is a cover. The real issue is that Trump committed heinous crimes with no consequences.

[triron]

12. "The truth is out there."

[marie999]

10. The more transparent a government, the more it can be trusted by its citizens.

[Bayard]

11. I hope President Biden understands Garland's long game here

Because the rest of us sure don't. I know he said he wouldn't get involved in Justice's business, but there seems to be some serious issues being ignored.

[JT45242]

13. privacy at apex unless corruption is involved

Not prosecuting anyone in the inner circle leaves only 3 possible options:

1) AG Billy Barr said no for political reasons (prosecutorial misconduct)
2) The investigators were not allowed to collect key evidence (corruption)
3) "There is no there there" -- in which case unredacting the material will not implicate anyone but just verify they are innocent


Too many holdovers don't want to make their buddies look like they caved in to the orange menace and his gooon, Billy Barr

[stillcool]

14. if not privacy it would be national security

so many secrets kept secret through the law, that applies to some, when needed. It's a wonder we know any of our history, but then what we do know is debatable. Bits and pieces that don't fit. Flawed rationale.

[onecaliberal]

15. The president was conspiring with Russia to overthrow democracy. Americans deserves to know ALL

facts and those who committed crimes, no matter how much money they have, or job title. Need to be prosecuted.

[NewHendoLib]

16. no words. no surprise either, sadly. we seem to play to lose.

[BlueIdaho]

17. Garland may have been a good judge

But he is a piss poor AG. For those that say “we don’t know what he’s doing behind the scenes” I say - we sure as hell see what he’s not doing in the light of day.

Time to replace him and help restore a sense of public order and stability.

[Mr. Evil]

22. And help restore confidence in our justice system.

[Duppers]

48. "Time to replace him and...

and help restore a sense of public order and stability."

YES, indeed. 👍

[Evolve Dammit]

18. More bullshit. Put the damn truth out there. Stop playing legal low-hanging fruit games. As

another poster pointed out, WE THE PEOPLE paid for it, and Mueller worked on our behalf. Let's see where the actual truth gets rather than shrouding evidence and Grand jury testimony in darkness.

[Botany]

20. Tell us the truth .... Trump was installed by Russia and the GOP/Fox worked with Russia too

n/t

[Jon King]

21. Garland and his family are in with all of the DC types.

No way he ever makes any waves. All his associates, class mates from college, they are all part of the same group. His family and theirs all socialize and are friends for decades.

He is an establishment guy. He won't cheat like Barr did, but he won't do anything to rock the elite boat of his friends, family, and social associates either.

[harumph]

32. I think this is the truth of the matter - however "banal"

we may consider it. He doesn't want to be persona non-grata at cocktail parties and BBQs.
People like him aren't even able to assess threats reasonably because they're part of the
problem - and that problem is we have a fucking caste society and nobody wants to admit
the obvious.

[Mr. Ected]

23. For those who yesterday piled on the rest of us for pressing Garland to "show his work"

This is exactly why the American people should refuse to believe or trust the DOJ at this post-Trump juncture.

Transparency? My ass.

[Effete Snob]

30. So, do you know what the redacted portion says?

[Mr. Ected]

37. I think most of us have a pretty good idea of what much of the redactions cover

We're simply wanting confirmation.

In a country governed by the rule of law, Americans have the right to know when their government has been corrupted by foreign influences.

[Arazi]

46. Yes..the judge told us in court

"This court has repeatedly held that an individual's privacy interest is at its apex when charges are contemplated but not subsequently brought," he told the court. But Judge David Tatel suggested that argument didn't hold water in this case.

"The only thing the public does not know is the prosecutor's reasons for not indicting," he said. "And if it doesn't know that, how can the public possibly know whether the government, as they say, pulled its punches?"

[Ford_Prefect]

24. I thought the majority of the redaction was done at the behest of Barr, no?

[Mr. Evil]

25. The ruling class will almost never prosecute other members of the ruling class.

Even as repulsive and repugnant as they may be, they are rarely held accountable. We have the sacrificial lamb every now and then but, they are usually placated with a pardon or commutation of their sentence.

Our government is corrupt beyond the pale and until we get people with ethics, integrity and honor, this will not change. Merrick Garland has to go.

[harumph]

35. yep. see posts above #21 and 32

[Mr. Evil]

45. So true.

Thanx for the heads up.

[KS Toronado]

26. My gut feeling is the Mueller report contains some very damning information

About Qrump and/or the reQublicOn party conspiring with Russia/Putin to win elections or over throw our
Government. If this is true then there will be things that need to be kept secret while they investigate
and make a rock solid case against the wrongdoers. Never give away to the enemy what you know.

[PortTack]

33. This! NONE here know the real reasons ...arm chair politics

[triron]

40. Wishful thinking.

[WarGamer]

44. Many Dems have already seen the unredacted Report... I wonder what they know.

[kacekwl]

27. This is getting ridiculous. I don't think this

Inaction is a good way to get out the vote for 2022. Democratic voters are going to start throwing up their hands if they haven't already.

[jalan48]

31. Is this part of the Centrist three dimensional chess plan?

[jcgoldie]

36. Gross

Transparency please. If Garland doesnt want to prosecute Trump’s crimes it’s controversial but less ridiculous than continuing a coverup.

[triron]

41. It may be 'controversial'. But it is definitely a bullet in the head of democracy.

[WarGamer]

43. FWIW, the unredacted Muller Report

Was available for ALL Lawmakers to view...

I remember at least SOME Democratic lawmakers going to check it out.

So it may be hidden from the public, BUT not hidden from our representatives.

[Texaswitchy]

47. We paid for the the damn report.

Release it in full.

[totodeinhere]

49. During the campaign then candidate Biden said that he wanted an independent Justice Department,

unlike Trump's politicized department. Well it looks like that's what he got.