{"id":35739,"date":"2019-02-20T09:42:56","date_gmt":"2019-02-20T17:42:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=35739"},"modified":"2019-02-20T09:42:56","modified_gmt":"2019-02-20T17:42:56","slug":"obstruction-defined","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2019\/02\/20\/obstruction-defined\/","title":{"rendered":"Obstruction Defined"},"content":{"rendered":"

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<\/a> 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<\/u>.<\/font><\/p>\n

I strongly recommend reading the NY Times article<\/a> in its entirety.  In the interim, I found a good summary.<\/font><\/p>\n

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\"0220TrumpShitaker\" <\/p>\n

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\u2019s possible coordination with Russia during the 2016 presidential election, opening himself up to questions about whether these efforts constitute attempts to obstruct justice. <\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

Here are some takeaways from The Times report about pressure inside the Trump administration to protect the president from those inquiries. <\/p>\n

\u2014 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.<\/strong> <\/p>\n

After subjecting his first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, to protracted humiliation over Sessions\u2019 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\u2019s perceived allies could take control of the federal investigation in New York involving him\u2026 <\/p>\n

\u2014 Trump\u2019s public attacks on the Russia investigation have evolved from a public relations strategy to a legal strategy.<\/strong> <\/p>\n

The president\u2019s 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 \u2014 most of whom were close allies he once praised\u2026 <\/p>\n

\u2014 White House lawyers wrote a confidential memo about misleading public statements after the firing of Michael Flynn, Trump\u2019s first national security adviser.<\/strong> <\/p>\n

White House lawyers were concerned about the varying public accounts of the reasons behind Flynn\u2019s abrupt departure. Flynn resigned Feb. 13, 2017, after it was reported that he was in touch with Russia\u2019s ambassador to the United States at the end of 2016 and discussed recent Obama administration sanctions. Flynn said he resigned because he \u201cinadvertently\u201d misled Vice President Mike Pence and other senior White House officials about his discussions with the Russian ambassador\u2026 <\/p>\n

\u2014 Trump believed he put an end to the Russia investigation when he fired Flynn.<\/strong> <\/p>\n

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\u2026. [emphasis original<\/em>]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Inserted from <The India Express<\/a>><\/font><\/p>\n

Rachel Maddow<\/a> covered this thoroughly.<\/font><\/p>\n