I don't think the Mueller Report release is imminent

[louis c]

I certainly believe that the press has sources stating that the Mueller Report is coming soon are accurate. However, all the sources are coming out of the Trump justice department. The wording in every report is that the Justice Department is "getting ready to accept". Nothing is coming out of the Special Counsel's office. I know that there are other indications, such as reassigning staff and moving files (and what's with that? Doesn't every organization just scan in documents and send them as an attachment from one computer to another. Isn't the actual moving of hard copy files something that was done 25 years ago?). Moving staff could just mean that the trials will be conducted in other jurisdictions, like D.C and the SDNY. Staff could be moving there for upcoming trials. The Grand Jury hasn't met in a month. But that doesn't mean that there aren't dozens of indictments under seal.

I think Mueller is still many weeks and maybe months from a conclusion. I think many more shoes will drop before then. I think that Barr (aren't you all suspect of the timing of these reports?) may be trying to hurry the thing along and add pressure to Mueller. I also think when Mueller shows Barr all the evidence, that Barr will support the investigation. As I said in a previous post, nobody is going to want to be on the side of Trump when this thing is over. Nobody wants their name linked to Trump, any more than they would want it to be linked to Benedict Arnold.

In short, don't be surprised if the Mueller Report is not released next week.

[dalton99a]

1. Barr won't allow it. Trump must have everyone's full attention next week

when he goes to Vietnam to save the world

[watoos]

4. Mueller releases the report to Barr,

Barr then decides what he is going to do with it.

[el_bryanto]

2. Well there are two pressures - one is from the Trump Crew of which Barr is a part of

to get this wrapped up as quickly and disposably as possible. On the other hand you have Muellers integrity which it appears that he doesn't want to lose. So far those two forces have balanced out a little on Muellers integrity side, but I do believe that Barr is going to try and force something out next week. And use that as a pretext to shut down the investigation.

Bryant

[watoos]

5. Forcing Mueller to issue his final report,

will only shut down the Mueller investigation, but "the" investigations will continue without Mueller.

[unblock]

3. first, donnie and his gang have been saying mueller's almost done for ages now.

second, as someone recently said, mueller being finished isn't the beginning of the end, it's merely the end of the beginning. best donnie can hope for is that mueller doesn't indict or provide enough ammo to impeach donnie directly, but nevertheless leaves a road map for other investigations (the house, most notably) and other prosecutions (sdny, state-level, dc).

my own guess is that mueller might well have been able to say himself that he was near wrapping up, but then donnie or others provide new evidence and/or fresh crimes (so many counts of obstruction, most obviously) that he keeps having to extend.

[Evergreen Emerald]

6. Did the new AG stop the investigation?

It seems coincidental to me that people have been saying that the investigation will be complete in March, which is when the biased AG takes over.

I think he was put in office because he would stop the investigation. And I think that was his first order of business.

[Cetacea]

7. It was first reported the day that Mccabe started making multiple TV appearances

Mccabe himself expressed doubt.

He made up for it yesterday by appearing on even more shows.

[scarytomcat]

8. Barr said he looked at the material or was briefed

he wants it over

[Golden Raisin]

9. I would like to be proven wrong but the

fact that Barr has aligned himself with Trump's regime is deeply disturbing to me. I don't trust anyone hooked up to or working for/with that gang. It is also disturbing that literally within days of Barr's confirmation as Attorney General we're suddenly hearing the Mueller Report is basically ready to roll within days, particularly since Mueller had just recently requested a 6-month extension on the Grand Jury. It just smells like the garbage cans in the back alley behind a fish store.

[jcgoldie]

11. Occam's Razor

I hope it's not true but the simplest explanation for what's happening is that in Barr, Trump finally happened upon someone who is not a complete incompetent and understands the levers of power at his disposal. Thinking Barr has any sort of integrity given his well known past would be foolhardy. He's there to bury this thing and he likely has zero reservations about Trump being an incompetent buffoon and criminal just as McConnell et al. do not because pragmatically speaking he gives them what they want. They are all willing to swallow a little public embarrassment for the $billions.

[kentuck]

12. The AG can be subpoenaed by the Congress.

The AG can be impeached by the Congress.

The Congress is not powerless.

[jcgoldie]

13. I understand that there are checks

I'm just saying that trying to rationalize that Barr is anything but a complete Trump shill is probably self delusion.

[uponit7771]

17. +1, at this point it would safer to think anyone working for Red Don is up to no good.

[bluestarone]

10. When Mueller says he will release the report THEN

I will believe it! I believe NOTHING they say! Have we not learned this?

[Honeycombe8]

14. We don't actually know the sources of the press reports.

I have no idea. I can only wait and see. But I'm sure they're hoping to get Stone to flip, so there's all that territory to cover.

I think if we see any movement against Trump Jr. or Kushner, it's close to being over.

[louis c]

15. Every news report that I've seen refers to...

...sources within the Justice Department

[uponit7771]

16. K&R, ".. coming out of the Trump justice department..."

[LAS14]

18. I noticed that a story in the NYT today was headlined, "in the next few weeks."

That's a change from the "next week" that's been bandied about.

[True Blue American]

19. Every ex Justice Official on a panel said the report

Was not imminent. Only the breathless ones trying to impress said so. One even argued with the official.

[RussBLib]

20. yep, now the news is "will not be coming next week"

not surprising.

Go, Bob, go!!

[Shoonra]

21. With new scandals breaking every week ....

The Mueller report probably expands its scope with every new crime/scandal coming to light -- and they seem to come to light every two days or so -- and with each expansion the anticipated completion of the report is put off another week or two. At the rate the Trump Administration is generating new scandals the Meuller Report may not be finished until after Donald Trump is dead of old age.