Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Beringia

(4,314 posts)
Mon Apr 22, 2019, 03:03 PM Apr 2019

Robert Mueller Didn't Finish The Job, And We'll Never Know Why by Elie Mystal

Full article
https://abovethelaw.com/2019/04/mueller-report-no-subpoena-trump/

If you ever have the opportunity to choose who will prosecute you for you potential crimes, ask to be prosecuted by Robert Mueller. Apparently, he will spend half of his time making your legal arguments for you, and will not try to secure your testimony under oath if it looks like you’ll give him too much trouble.

I have read through (well, scrolled through) the entire Mueller report, and I am deeply dissatisfied with the thoroughness of Mueller’s investigation. Yes, yes, I know, I’m supposed to parrot the line about how “thorough” this investigation was because… it took a lot of time and the report is very long. Big whoop. For all the time spent on it, and the obvious meticulous dedication to the cause, Mueller did not finish the job. Maybe he was pressured by new Attorney General William Barr. Maybe the constant drumbeat of “wrap it up” coming from the Trump administration wore him down. Maybe we’ll never know. But the 22-month investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and President Donald Trump’s potential obstruction of justice punted investigative functions to Congress that his office should have completed before turning over his report.

And that’s because Mueller declined to seek subpoenas to compel testimony from Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, or Eric Trump. Mueller was willing to put the screws to everybody else. Paul Manafort is in jail; Michael Cohen is going to jail. Michael Flynn is going to jail; Robert Gates is going to jail; Roger Stone will most likely be going to jail. Many of these people are going to jail because they lied to Robert Mueller. But the First Family is not going to jail. And it’s not because they are innocent. It’s because Mueller refused to ask them a damned question.

As has been widely understood — and now confirmed with the release of the report — Mueller made the decision that his office did not have the authority to charge President Donald Trump with a crime. That’s… a questionable legal conclusion. I can more or less accept it on the issue of conspiracy with Russia to influence the election. But when it comes to obstruction of justice, I just can’t. Literally, what is the point of having an “independent,” “non-political” appointee conduct an investigation into the President if only political appointees and elected officials can actually do anything about it? It’s like hiring a restaurant critic who isn’t allowed to eat the food.

Fine. Whatever. It is what it is. Given Mueller’s legal conclusion, his only use then was to put together information that would allow political appointees and Congress to make their own determination on how to proceed. If your charge is to investigate the Trump campaign’s actions, then how in the hell can you conduct that investigation without at least attempting to interview the people who were in charge of Trump’s campaign? Yes, Mueller did try to secure testimony from Paul Manafort and Corey Lewandowski and Steve Bannon and Hope Hicks and any number of hangers-on and sycophants that Trump surrounded himself with. But, the people in charge of Trump’s operations have always been Trump, his adult children, and his son-in-law.








I love his spin on things.
7 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Robert Mueller Didn't Finish The Job, And We'll Never Know Why by Elie Mystal (Original Post) Beringia Apr 2019 OP
At least put the family members on record - under oath? empedocles Apr 2019 #1
He exposed trump but should have went all the way. brush Apr 2019 #2
When it comes Rebl2 Apr 2019 #3
+100% - n/t mazzarro Apr 2019 #4
Mueller was so solicitous to Tump, fretting that it would not be "fair" to Trump to decide. SunSeeker Apr 2019 #5
I hope Congress grills Mueller good and hard about these matters. Paladin Apr 2019 #6
He's done a lot of groundwork, now it's in the hands of Congress Blue_Tires Apr 2019 #7

brush

(53,475 posts)
2. He exposed trump but should have went all the way.
Mon Apr 22, 2019, 04:24 PM
Apr 2019

Guess we all put too much hope in Mueller doing the right thing.

He did a lot but stopped at the crucial moment. He should've questioned all those family members, especially liar trump.

Being a good soldier is fine but this situation call for him going beyond the call of duty. He should've made the call that trump obstructed.

Wonder if it's the whole being a repug thing, like what caused Comey to do what he did?

Rebl2

(13,311 posts)
3. When it comes
Mon Apr 22, 2019, 09:23 PM
Apr 2019

right down to it, Mr. Mueller is a republican and I think that is why he made no conclusions on obstruction. Everyone on both sides say he was a good choice to investigate. I’m not so sure.

SunSeeker

(51,378 posts)
5. Mueller was so solicitous to Tump, fretting that it would not be "fair" to Trump to decide.
Tue Apr 23, 2019, 03:29 AM
Apr 2019

In Volume II of the Report, Mueller spends two paragraphs on page 2 wringing his hands over "concerns about fairness" if he issued a decision that Trump's conduct constituted a federal offense. Mueller thought that a decision would be unfair because Trump could not "respond" to the "accusation," but would suffer "stigma and approbrium" from the conclusion that a crime had been committed.

Say what???! This is Trump we are talking about Mr. Mueller. Since when does Trump not respond to ANY slight? Have you seen his Twitter feed, Mr. Mueller. Right, of course you have. So what the fuck are you talking about? And what "opprobrium" would Trump "suffer" that he does not already have?! His approval rating has been under water ever since Putin installed him in office!

How come law enforcement never worries about the opprobrium black men suffer from stop and frisk?

Paladin

(28,204 posts)
6. I hope Congress grills Mueller good and hard about these matters.
Tue Apr 23, 2019, 09:27 AM
Apr 2019

I'm sick of Republicans doing trump all these favors.

Latest Discussions»Issue Forums»Editorials & Other Articles»Robert Mueller Didn't Fin...