Is Mueller Investigation Beginning to Collapse?

[JimBowie1958]

The office of Special Council can be fired at any time if a consensus is read among the leadership of the Congress and White House that the investigation is no longer valid.

That Mueller has left the scope of his original manifest to investigate supposed Russian collusion and is now investigating anything and everything he can to find a crime to pin on Trump is a bit concerning; a Runaway Special Council is a bit concerning in the DC Swamp. Too many bodies are buried in that swamp to turn lose a swarm of renegade ditch diggers with a bunch of shovels.

Mueller’s Credibility Problem

The Washington Post and the New York Times reported Saturday that a lead FBI investigator on the Mueller probe, Peter Strzok, was demoted this summer after it was discovered he’d sent anti- Trump texts to a mistress. As troubling, Mr. Mueller and the Justice Department kept this information from House investigators, despite Intelligence Committee subpoenas that would have exposed those texts. They also refused to answer questions about Mr. Strzok’s dismissal and refused to make him available for an interview.

The news about Mr. Strzok leaked only when the Justice Department concluded it couldn’t hold out any longer, and the stories were full of spin that praised Mr. Mueller for acting “swiftly” to remove the agent. Only after these stories ran did Justice agree on Saturday to make Mr. Strzok available to the House.

This is all the more notable because Mr. Strzok was a chief lieutenant to former FBI Director James Comey and played a lead role investigating alleged coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election. Mr. Mueller then gave him a top role in his special-counsel probe. And before all this Mr. Strzok led the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails and sat in on the interview she gave to the FBI shortly before Mr. Comey publicly exonerated her in violation of Justice Department practice.


Oh, and the woman with whom he supposedly exchanged anti-Trump texts, FBI lawyer Lisa Page, worked for both Mr. Mueller and deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe, who was accused of a conflict of interest in the Clinton probe when it came out that Clinton allies had donated to the political campaign of Mr. McCabe’s wife. The texts haven’t been publicly released, but it’s fair to assume their anti-Trump bias must be clear for Mr. Mueller to reassign such a senior agent.​

More Anti-Trump Messages Reportedly Sent By Members Of Mueller's Team: "A Lot More Is Going To Come Out"

Tangentially, it has been widely reported that Mueller's special counsel is stacked with investigators who have donated to Obama, Clinton or other Democrat causes. As Jessica McBride reported in Heavy:

• Andrew Weissmann: Weissmann is a Barack Obama and Democratic campaign donor, according to federal records. “Weissmann, who led the Enron investigation, previously gave $2,300 to Obama’s first presidential campaign in 2008 and $2,000 to the Democratic National Committee in 2006
• Jeannie Rhee: donated $5,400 to Hillary Clinton in 2015 and 2016, according to FEC records. The records show she gave $2,500 each to Obama for America and Obama Victory Fund 2012 in 2011
• Andrew Goldstein: According to Fox News, “Goldstein contributed a combined $3,300 to Obama’s campaigns in 2008 and 2012”
• Greg Andres: FEC records show that Andres has donated at least $2,700 to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
• James Quarles: Donated thousands of dollars to the campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. He has also donated money recently to other Democrats, including Friends of Chuck Schumer and two other Democrats. He has a lengthy donation history dating back years. He did donate to two Republicans over the years, however.
• Elizabeth Prelogar: A former law clerk to Justics Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagen, gave $250 to Hillary Clinton in 2016, according to FEC records. She also gave $500 total to Obama for America and the Obama Victory Fund 2012.
• Brandon Van Grack: gave small amounts to ActBlue, an effort to raise money for Democrats, and to a Democratic candidate for Congress in 2012. In 2008, he gave about $286 to Barack Obama.
• Rush Atkinson: donated $200 to Clinton’s campaign in 2016.
• Kyle Freeny: In 2012, Freeny gave $300 to Obama. In 2008, Freeny also gave $250 to Obama, FEC records show.

To review: veteran FBI agent Peter Strzok, working under James Comey, headed up both the Clinton email investigation and the Trump-Russia probe before Mueller's special counsel was created to take the reigns. Strzok - who was responsible for changing the FBI's opinion of Clinton's mishandling of classified info from "grossly negligent" to "extremely careless," - had an extramarital affair with FBI lawyer Lisa Page while the two were working on the Clinton "matter." During the investigation, Strzok sent Page anti-Trump / pro-Clinton text messages, which resulted in the dismissal of both Strzok and Page from Mueller's Trump-Russia probe. Strzok now works in the FBI's HR department.

Strzok's conduct during the Clinton email investigation and any other politically charged cases he's worked on, are now being investigated by the DOJ's Office of Personel Management the results of which, per Sara Carter of Circa, will be coming out in December and January.

Moreover, as we reported earlier today, House Speaker Paul Ryan accused the DOJ and FBI of "stonewalling" the House Intelligence Committee's wide-ranging subpoena related to the "Trump dossier," along with the fact that the FBI appears to have willfully tried to conceal the reason for Strzok's reassignment from the committee.
​

So we have an investigation team that is anything but impartial; are they desperate to find a crime to impeach Trump? What kind of precedent is being set for a possible future investigation of Hillary Clinton?

And the FBI stonewalling on releasing documents to Congress is not a good thing as Congress is supposed to oversee the FBI and other Executive Branch functions to ensure the safety of our democracy.

GOP preps contempt resolution for top FBI, DOJ officials after missed Monday deadline

The House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday will begin writing a resolution holding top FBI officials in contempt of Congress after the agency missed a Monday deadline to turn over key evidence the committee has been seeking for months.

“We are moving forward with the contempt resolution,” House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., told the Washington Examiner Tuesday morning. He added that the panel is still negotiating with FBI and Justice Department officials to get the requested documents.

Nunes has accused the FBI and Department of Justice of a “months-long pattern … of stonewalling and obstructing this committee's oversight work.”​

So, is the FBI obstructing its oversight? Why? What is the FBI hiding from Congress?

And if that ridiculous dossier that the DNC paid $12 million for was the basis for launching the Mueller investigation to start with, and it is an obvious fraud, then what is the crime the investigation is supposedly investigating?

The law for these special council investigations requires there to be a crime committed. Absent one, where does that leave the Mueller investigation?

 

[Weatherman2020]

The office of Special Council can be fired at any time if a consensus is read among the leadership of the Congress and White House that the investigation is no longer valid.

That Mueller has left the scope of his original manifest to investigate supposed Russian collusion and is now investigating anything and everything he can to find a crime to pin on Trump is a bit concerning; a Runaway Special Council is a bit concerning in the DC Swamp. To many bodies are buried in that swamp to turn lose a bunch of renegade ditch diggers with a bunch of shovels.

Mueller’s Credibility Problem

The Washington Post and the New York Times reported Saturday that a lead FBI investigator on the Mueller probe, Peter Strzok, was demoted this summer after it was discovered he’d sent anti- Trump texts to a mistress. As troubling, Mr. Mueller and the Justice Department kept this information from House investigators, despite Intelligence Committee subpoenas that would have exposed those texts. They also refused to answer questions about Mr. Strzok’s dismissal and refused to make him available for an interview.

The news about Mr. Strzok leaked only when the Justice Department concluded it couldn’t hold out any longer, and the stories were full of spin that praised Mr. Mueller for acting “swiftly” to remove the agent. Only after these stories ran did Justice agree on Saturday to make Mr. Strzok available to the House.

This is all the more notable because Mr. Strzok was a chief lieutenant to former FBI Director James Comey and played a lead role investigating alleged coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election. Mr. Mueller then gave him a top role in his special-counsel probe. And before all this Mr. Strzok led the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails and sat in on the interview she gave to the FBI shortly before Mr. Comey publicly exonerated her in violation of Justice Department practice.


Oh, and the woman with whom he supposedly exchanged anti-Trump texts, FBI lawyer Lisa Page, worked for both Mr. Mueller and deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe, who was accused of a conflict of interest in the Clinton probe when it came out that Clinton allies had donated to the political campaign of Mr. McCabe’s wife. The texts haven’t been publicly released, but it’s fair to assume their anti-Trump bias must be clear for Mr. Mueller to reassign such a senior agent.​

More Anti-Trump Messages Reportedly Sent By Members Of Mueller's Team: "A Lot More Is Going To Come Out"

Tangentially, it has been widely reported that Mueller's special counsel is stacked with investigators who have donated to Obama, Clinton or other Democrat causes. As Jessica McBride reported in Heavy:

• Andrew Weissmann: Weissmann is a Barack Obama and Democratic campaign donor, according to federal records. “Weissmann, who led the Enron investigation, previously gave $2,300 to Obama’s first presidential campaign in 2008 and $2,000 to the Democratic National Committee in 2006
• Jeannie Rhee: donated $5,400 to Hillary Clinton in 2015 and 2016, according to FEC records. The records show she gave $2,500 each to Obama for America and Obama Victory Fund 2012 in 2011
• Andrew Goldstein: According to Fox News, “Goldstein contributed a combined $3,300 to Obama’s campaigns in 2008 and 2012”
• Greg Andres: FEC records show that Andres has donated at least $2,700 to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
• James Quarles: Donated thousands of dollars to the campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. He has also donated money recently to other Democrats, including Friends of Chuck Schumer and two other Democrats. He has a lengthy donation history dating back years. He did donate to two Republicans over the years, however.
• Elizabeth Prelogar: A former law clerk to Justics Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagen, gave $250 to Hillary Clinton in 2016, according to FEC records. She also gave $500 total to Obama for America and the Obama Victory Fund 2012.
• Brandon Van Grack: gave small amounts to ActBlue, an effort to raise money for Democrats, and to a Democratic candidate for Congress in 2012. In 2008, he gave about $286 to Barack Obama.
• Rush Atkinson: donated $200 to Clinton’s campaign in 2016.
• Kyle Freeny: In 2012, Freeny gave $300 to Obama. In 2008, Freeny also gave $250 to Obama, FEC records show.

To review: veteran FBI agent Peter Strzok, working under James Comey, headed up both the Clinton email investigation and the Trump-Russia probe before Mueller's special counsel was created to take the reigns. Strzok - who was responsible for changing the FBI's opinion of Clinton's mishandling of classified info from "grossly negligent" to "extremely careless," - had an extramarital affair with FBI lawyer Lisa Page while the two were working on the Clinton "matter." During the investigation, Strzok sent Page anti-Trump / pro-Clinton text messages, which resulted in the dismissal of both Strzok and Page from Mueller's Trump-Russia probe. Strzok now works in the FBI's HR department.

Strzok's conduct during the Clinton email investigation and any other politically charged cases he's worked on, are now being investigated by the DOJ's Office of Personel Management the results of which, per Sara Carter of Circa, will be coming out in December and January.

Moreover, as we reported earlier today, House Speaker Paul Ryan accused the DOJ and FBI of "stonewalling" the House Intelligence Committee's wide-ranging subpoena related to the "Trump dossier," along with the fact that the FBI appears to have willfully tried to conceal the reason for Strzok's reassignment from the committee.
​

So we have an investigation team that is anything but impartial; are they desperate to find a crime to impeach Trump? What kind of precedent is being set for a possible future investigation of Hillary Clinton?

And the FBI stonewalling on releasing documents to Congress is not a good thing as Congress is supposed to oversee the FBI and other Executive Branch functions to ensure the safety of our democracy.

GOP preps contempt resolution for top FBI, DOJ officials after missed Monday deadline

The House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday will begin writing a resolution holding top FBI officials in contempt of Congress after the agency missed a Monday deadline to turn over key evidence the committee has been seeking for months.

“We are moving forward with the contempt resolution,” House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., told the Washington Examiner Tuesday morning. He added that the panel is still negotiating with FBI and Justice Department officials to get the requested documents.

Nunes has accused the FBI and Department of Justice of a “months-long pattern … of stonewalling and obstructing this committee's oversight work.”​

So, is the FBI obstructing its oversight? Why? What is the FBI hiding from Congress?

And if that ridiculous dossier that the DNC paid $12 million for was the basis for launching the Mueller investigation to start with, and it is an obvious fraud, then what is the crime the investigation is supposedly investigating?

The law for these special council investigations requires there to be a crime committed. Absent one, where does that leave the Mueller investigation?

Well, let's see.

Hillary hires a BRITISH spy to buy unsubstantiated information on Trump from the RUSSIANS and then Obama uses this information as an excuse to wiretap the Trump campaign. The Russia investigation is opened based upon the unsubstantiated information by a Trump hating Hillary lover FBI agent who was in charge of investigating Hillary and then changed the wording of the findings to be non criminal when we all know otherwise, Mueller knew the FBI agent was a biased Trump hater, the FBI agent ambushed Flynn without his attorney, and that FBI agent is now under investigation himself.

NOTHING TO SEE HERE, MOVE ALONG.

 

[shockedcanadian]

I have a great respect for the FBI, especially when compared to Canadian authorities who manufacture threats and chase rabbits, the FBI have saved many Canadian lives and great harm to our national security, while our agencies chase rabbits. This goes on so often without much credit given to the FBI by the RCMP and other police forces, but those of us tuned in know the reality. Canada owes the FBI a great deal and 99.9% of Canadians don't realize it. So taking this into consideration, you know my own personal discourse, I could list many cases for which we owe a great debt to America. Some of us pay attention.

So, from what I read of Mueller, he was a stand up guy, and I took this in good faith based on his service to his country and within the FBI. His biggest problem is that he picked his team from a very narrow pool which based on their political contributions simply could NOT be objective. How could he expect anyone to not question the results when you choose a team so biased? Even if he found a smoking gun, it would be questioned based on the bias of the lawyers he chose. He is not doing justice to the average agent.

It's like choosing a jury, you need to make sure you have people there who are going to follow the law and instructions, not someone who has a bias, these people are eliminated immediately from potential duty.
As it were, almost from day one this investigation seemed suspect, pushed by those who were against Trumps victory, but the latest revelations of bias are not good for Muellers case.

 

[Weatherman2020]

I have a great respect for the FBI, especially when compared to Canadian authorities who manufacture threats and chase rabbits, the FBI have saved many Canadian lives and great harm to our national security, while our agencies chase rabbits. This goes on so often without much credit given to the FBI by the RCMP and other police forces, but those of us tuned in know the reality. Canada owes the FBI a great deal and 99.9% of Canadians don't realize it. So taking this into consideration, you know my own personal discourse, I could list many cases for which we owe a great debt to America. Some of us pay attention.

So, from what I read of Mueller, he was a stand up guy, and I took this in good faith based on his service to his country and within the FBI. His biggest problem is that he picked his team from a very narrow pool which based on their political contributions simply could NOT be objective. How could he expect anyone to not question the results when you choose a team so biased? Even if he found a smoking gun, it would be questioned based on the bias of the lawyers he chose. He is not doing justice to the average agent.

It's like choosing a jury, you need to make sure you have people there who are going to follow the law and instructions, not someone who has a bias, these people are eliminated immediately from potential duty.
As it were, almost from day one this investigation seemed suspect, pushed by those who were against Trumps victory, but the latest revelations of bias are not good for Muellers case.

You look at the BS the FBI is pulling on Trump, the POTUS, out in the open.
What about all the John Q Citizens out there, what did the FBI do to them?

 

[Geaux4it]

Kangaroo Court to the max

-Geaux

 

[OldLady]

No, the Mueller investigation is not collapsing. The minds of the Trump bots have long since caved in, however. Many of the posters here hold professional positions of one sort or another, and every one of us is offended by the inference that our political choices mean we cannot do our jobs professionally and objectively. The investigators are there to root out wrong doing and possibly collusion with the Russian government. They are experienced professionals in their areas of expertise and they know what they're doing. Mueller obviously isn't brooking anyone who even expresses a preference one way or the other. The findings will be careful, accurate and factual.

I think that may be why Trump is going to such great lengths to persuade his followers that Mueller and his team are biased.

 

[badger2]

It was disturbingly easy for the Chappaqua Blue to hire a British spy: the Clinton mafia has linked to both MI5 & MI6 since the days Joshua Reynold's daddy attended Balliol College.

 

[JimBowie1958]

No, the Mueller investigation is not collapsing. The minds of the Trump bots have long since caved in, however. Many of the posters here hold professional positions of one sort or another, and every one of us is offended by the inference that our political choices mean we cannot do our jobs professionally and objectively. The investigators are there to root out wrong doing and possibly collusion with the Russian government. They are experienced professionals in their areas of expertise and they know what they're doing. Mueller obviously isn't brooking anyone who even expresses a preference one way or the other. The findings will be careful, accurate and factual.

I think that may be why Trump is going to such great lengths to persuade his followers that Mueller and his team are biased.

This whole Mueller investigation is without warrant, without a criminal event that they are investigating and without merit.

It should be shut down now to save tax payer money, but no one gives a fart about that in DC, so it will be allowed to slowly degenerate into the most absurd comical nonsense that is so embarrassing to the Establishments of both parties that they will finally kill this mutant hideous bastard in the crib.

 

[monkrules]

Somehow I don't remember republicans worrying about the expense of investigating the Clintons year after year. In fact, even today there are GOPers crying for more investigations.

These investigations always go off into the woods. They go where information leads them. The big fear in this case, is that trump is known to be an incredibly sleazy person. And he's almost certain to have been involved in so much dirt and filth that some horrible truths about him are certain to come to light. Some facts that will shock even the willingly blind, deaf, and stupid, trump supporters. That's why trump is so afraid of Mueller and his investigation. trump knows he can't control Mueller — and that is what makes trump shit in his Depends.

 

[Peach]

Actually, Mueller's investigation just gets more interesting, and substantial:

Many legal scholars still disagree with that interpretation, arguing that the president’s role as a law-enforcement officer does not give him the right to shield himself and his associates from any legal accountability. In a 108-page analysis of the potential obstruction case against Trump, the Brookings Institution summarized the types of actions that could amount to presidential obstruction of justice:

Attempts to stop an investigation represent a common form of obstruction. Demanding the loyalty of an individual involved in an investigation, requesting that individual’s help to end the investigation, and then ultimately firing that person to accomplish that goal are the type of acts that have frequently resulted in obstruction convictions, as we detail. In addition, to the extent conduct could be characterized as threatening, intimidating, or corruptly persuading witnesses, that too may provide additional grounds for obstruction charges.

19 Times President Trump May Have Obstructed Justice

 

[JimBowie1958]

Actually, Mueller's investigation just gets more interesting, and substantial:

Many legal scholars still disagree with that interpretation, arguing that the president’s role as a law-enforcement officer does not give him the right to shield himself and his associates from any legal accountability. In a 108-page analysis of the potential obstruction case against Trump, the Brookings Institution summarized the types of actions that could amount to presidential obstruction of justice:

Attempts to stop an investigation represent a common form of obstruction. Demanding the loyalty of an individual involved in an investigation, requesting that individual’s help to end the investigation, and then ultimately firing that person to accomplish that goal are the type of acts that have frequently resulted in obstruction convictions, as we detail. In addition, to the extent conduct could be characterized as threatening, intimidating, or corruptly persuading witnesses, that too may provide additional grounds for obstruction charges.

19 Times President Trump May Have Obstructed Justice

The President has the Constitutional authority to fire his employees and discuss investigations with them.

A POTUS can only engage in obstruction of justice if he commits a criminal act like bribery, break ins, telling people to commit perjury like Bill Clinton or committing assault

 

[skookerasbil]

I still have a few unicorn chasers texting me about Flynn.........

 

[Old Rocks]

This investigation is just getting started. Two indictments, two guilty pleas. More to come.

 

[TomParks]

Rush thinks Mueller is setting Trump up to fire him....I heard a bit of his show today

 

[charwin95]

Somehow I don't remember republicans worrying about the expense of investigating the Clintons year after year. In fact, even today there are GOPers crying for more investigations.

These investigations always go off into the woods. They go where information leads them. The big fear in this case, is that trump is known to be an incredibly sleazy person. And he's almost certain to have been involved in so much dirt and filth that some horrible truths about him are certain to come to light. Some facts that will shock even the willingly blind, deaf, and stupid, trump supporters. That's why trump is so afraid of Mueller and his investigation. trump knows he can't control Mueller — and that is what makes trump shit in his Depends.

About $7 millions spent on Benghazi DUD investigation by republicans.

Republicans’ $7 Million Benghazi Report Is Another Dud

 

[charwin95]

Rush thinks Mueller is setting Trump up to fire him....I heard a bit of his show today

Dumb Trump fired Comey thought the problem will go away. But look what he got ————Mueller.

Firing Mueller will be catastrophic for this petulant little boy president.

NO the Mueller investigation is not collapsing it’s now going after Trump financial dealings.

Mueller Subpoenas Deutsche Bank Records Related to Trump

 

[AvgGuyIA]

It is time t end the Mueller investigations since the reason for convening it was for fake reasons. We will not allow President Trump to be removed from office.

 

[monkrules]

It is time t end the Mueller investigations since the reason for convening it was for fake reasons. We will not allow President Trump to be removed from office.

If the Pervert In Chief is impeached, tried, and found guilty, he'll be removed from office immediately. You won't have a thing to say about it.

Contrary to what trump sheep think, America is still a nation of laws.

Call it Spring Cleaning, pest control, or vermin eradication. Whatever makes you feel better.

 

[longknife]

I think several Congressional committees will request that the special prosecutor be shut down. It will go to AG Sessions. If he doesn't act on it, the president will have no choice but to do it himself.

I give it until Jan 2018.

 

[skookerasbil]

Rush thinks Mueller is setting Trump up to fire him....I heard a bit of his show today

He should be fired.........like yesterday. The level of corruption going on is beyond the pale. Any decent man in Mueller's position would resign. After the most recent Flynn dud, anything beyond this point most certainly are political lynching efforts