After Democrats won the House of Representatives, the began their oversight duties. One of the first witnesses they called, acting AG Matthew Whitaker, has already perjured himself. A breaking NY Times article exposed the truth about his communication with Trump about an unprecedented level of interference in investigations of Trump’s crimes. That interference could be the basis for a book: How to Obstruct Justice.
I strongly recommend reading the NY Times article in its entirety. In the interim, I found a good summary.
President Donald Trump has called the Russia investigation a hoax, a witch hunt and fake news. But since he has been in office, Trump has tried to end the inquiry into his campaign’s possible coordination with Russia during the 2016 presidential election, opening himself up to questions about whether these efforts constitute attempts to obstruct justice.
A review by The New York Times found a continuous, behind-the-scenes effort by Trump to undermine multiple investigations that have touched his presidency. That includes seeking to derail federal law enforcement through targeted political appointments and a public campaign to discredit the Russia investigation, led by the special counsel, Robert Mueller.
Here are some takeaways from The Times report about pressure inside the Trump administration to protect the president from those inquiries.
— Trump wanted to put a perceived loyalist in charge of a federal inquiry in New York related to hush money payments made by his former personal lawyer.
After subjecting his first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, to protracted humiliation over Sessions’ decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation and then firing him, Trump asked his newly installed acting attorney general, Matthew Whitaker, if one of the president’s perceived allies could take control of the federal investigation in New York involving him…
— Trump’s public attacks on the Russia investigation have evolved from a public relations strategy to a legal strategy.
The president’s assault on investigators on Twitter and in public interviews moved beyond his typical criticism of individuals into a mosaic of efforts to undermine every facet of the investigation. That includes attacking the investigators, raising questions about the legitimacy of law enforcement investigative tools and discrediting witnesses — most of whom were close allies he once praised…
— White House lawyers wrote a confidential memo about misleading public statements after the firing of Michael Flynn, Trump’s first national security adviser.
White House lawyers were concerned about the varying public accounts of the reasons behind Flynn’s abrupt departure. Flynn resigned Feb. 13, 2017, after it was reported that he was in touch with Russia’s ambassador to the United States at the end of 2016 and discussed recent Obama administration sanctions. Flynn said he resigned because he “inadvertently” misled Vice President Mike Pence and other senior White House officials about his discussions with the Russian ambassador…
— Trump believed he put an end to the Russia investigation when he fired Flynn.
During a lunch with one of his longtime allies, Chris Christie, the former Republican governor of New Jersey, Trump said firing Flynn would end the Russia inquiry…. [emphasis original]
Inserted from <The India Express>
Rachel Maddow covered this thoroughly.
Is it any wonder that Putin’s Puppet is so desperate to shut it down? Shitaker is also begging for an orange jump suit.
I so hope SDNY indicts both Trump and Pence.
RESIST!!
10 Responses to “Obstruction Defined”
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Yes, this is truly the story of the day … if not the year. If one is paywalled out of the times and does’t want to clear cache, there is plenty of analysis of it in left and leftish news sites. Not sure one can do better than Rachel, though.
That book might well be called “How to Obstruct Justice” – but what Republicans are desperately seeking is a book titled “How to Obstruct Justice WITHOUT GETTING NAILED FOR IT.” And no Democrat would write it, and no Republican could, because they always have to crow about how smart and slick they are – in their own minds.
Great video by Rachel.
This is cringe worthy, that dt conspired, influenced, to the level of deception and lied to try to make all these investigations go away. To try to obstruct justice at this level, from a US (traitor) president is mind boggling. He’ll stoop low to try to protect his interests, and while he’s doing this…screw the people.
Yes,it’s been 2 years of consistent BS from the Drumphy one, when we all know that it is, indeed, a witch hunt, and just who the Big Orange Witch is!
Willy the Shakespeare may become widely quoted/paraphrased, as in “Methinks the (wo)man doth protest too much.”
I’m so glad SDNY is involved in all of this along with the Mueller investigation. SDNY may be what brings the orange ogre and his minions down.
Good videos. Lots of great comments here. What keeps bothering me is the fact that the bas*ard tRump and his foolish team members continue to get away with all their evil actions.
Here he’s had many innocent members step down from their posts for the dumbest reasons, yet he does all these crimes and still sits in the oVal office.
Something certainly is wrong with our country, letting evil pUtin kissing criminals run our country.
Will be happy when this crazy ordeal finally comes to an end and out country can start to heal again.
Fantastic overview in the NYT and another great analysis by Rachel Maddow, the umpteenth in the past two years, but I’m sure I’m not the only one whose patience is running thin. On the one hand hand I have my hopes pinned to Mueller finalizing his investigation very, very soon, but on the other I’m afraid that the real report will swiftly dealt with by Barr, its findings replaced by an alter reality and with a summary that’ll leave Drumpf untouched and in the clear. Because of articles like the NYT’s and of the relentless research and reporting of investigative journalists and media people like Rachel we’ll all know what has been deleted from the summary, but what can be done about it? Can the House force Barr to release the original, uncensored Mueller report to them? The Senate of course would only be interested in burying as deep as possible.
The House could subpoena the report, but that could be tied up in court for years.
I just hope we Americans will have the opportunity to review the facts of Mueller’s momentous investigation.
Thanks, hugs and Amen to all.
MEH!!! How much longer?!?