Special counsel is investigating Trump for possible obstruction of justice, officials say

[CPUd]

Special counsel is investigating Trump for possible obstruction of justice, officials say


The special counsel overseeing the investigation into Russia’s role in the 2016 election is interviewing senior intelligence officials as part of a widening probe that now includes an examination of whether President Trump attempted to obstruct justice, officials said.

The move by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III to investigate Trump’s conduct marks a major turning point in the nearly year-old FBI investigation, which until recently focused on Russian meddling during the presidential campaign and on whether there was any coordination between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin. Investigators have also been looking for any evidence of possible financial crimes among Trump associates, officials said.

Trump had received private assurances from then-FBI Director James B. Comey starting in January that he was not personally under investigation. Officials say that changed shortly after Comey’s firing.

Five people briefed on the requests, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said Daniel Coats, the current director of national intelligence, Mike Rogers, head of the National Security Agency, and Rogers’s recently departed deputy, Richard Ledgett, agreed to be interviewed by Mueller’s investigators as early as this week. The investigation has been cloaked in secrecy, and it is unclear how many others have been questioned by the FBI.

The NSA said in statement that it will “fully cooperate with the special counsel” and declined to comment further. The office of the director of national intelligence and Ledgett declined to comment.

Team Trump’s ties to Russian interests VIEW GRAPHIC

The White House now refers all questions about the Russia investigation to Trump’s personal attorney, Marc Kasowitz. “The FBI leak of information regarding the president is outrageous, inexcusable and illegal,” said Mark Corallo, a spokesman for Kasowitz.

The officials said Coats, Rogers and Ledgett would appear voluntarily, though it remains unclear whether they will describe in full their conversations with Trump and other top officials or will be directed by the White House to invoke executive privilege. It is doubtful the White House could ultimately use executive privilege to try to block them from speaking to Mueller’s investigators. Experts point out that the Supreme Court ruled during the Watergate scandal that officials cannot use privilege to withhold evidence in criminal prosecutions.

The obstruction-of-justice investigation of the president began days after Comey was fired on May 9, according to people familiar with the matter. Mueller’s office has now taken up that work, and the preliminary interviews scheduled with intelligence officials indicate his team is actively pursuing potential witnesses inside and outside the government.

The interviews suggest Mueller sees the question of attempted obstruction of justice as more than just a “he said, he said” dispute between the president and the fired FBI director, an official said.

Probing Trump for possible crimes is a complicated affair, even if convincing evidence of a crime were found. The Justice Department has long held that it would not be appropriate to indict a sitting president. Instead, experts say, the onus would be on Congress to review any findings of criminal misconduct and then decide whether to initiate impeachment proceedings.

Comey confirmed publicly in congressional testimony on March 20 that the bureau was investigating possible coordination between the Trump campaign and the Russians.

Comey’s statement before the House Intelligence Committee upset Trump, who has repeatedly denied that any coordination with the Russians took place. Trump had wanted Comey to disclose publicly that he was not personally under investigation, but the FBI director refused to do so.

...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...b98_story.html

[Swordsmyth]

Cheap Dem. gossip.
Call me when there is an indictment.
Even then it will be garbage.

[CPUd]

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein says there's no cause to fire Mueller
Kevin Johnson and Erin Kelly , USA TODAY
Published 10:46 a.m. ET June 13, 2017 | Updated 22 hours ago



WASHINGTON — Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein affirmed his support for Russia special counsel Robert Mueller on Tuesday, despite recent suggestions that President Trump was weighing Mueller's dismissal.

Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller last month to lead the Justice Department's wide-ranging inquiry into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian officials and has the authority to remove him, told a Senate Appropriations subcommittee that he saw no cause for Mueller's dismissal.

"Director Mueller is going to have the full independence he needs to conduct that investigation," Rosenstein said.

Rosenstein also said Trump has not raised the issue of the special counsel with him, nor has the president discussed Mueller's tenure with him.

“I am not going to follow any order unless it is a lawful order," Rosenstein said, adding that it “would not matter what anybody said. ... There is no secret plan (to remove Mueller) that involves me."

“I appointed him; I stand by that decision,’’ he said. “I will defend the integrity of that investigation."

White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders said Trump has no plans to seek Mueller's removal.

"While the president has the right to, he has no intention to do so," she told reporters aboard Air Force One as Trump returned from a trip to Wisconsin.

The deputy attorney general's testimony comes after Trump friend and Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy said Monday that Trump was considering "terminating" Mueller.

"I think he's weighing that option," Ruddy said in an interview with PBS NewsHour.

The authority to appoint a special counsel fell to Rosenstein after Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the Russia case because of his failure to disclose during his January confirmation hearing that he had met before the election with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

Sessions, who had been slated to testify before the Senate Appropriations panel, appeared later Tuesday before the Senate Intelligence Committee investigating Russian interference in the 2016 elections. The attorney general was questioned about his contacts with Kislyak and his role in last month's firing of FBI director James Comey.

Asked whether Sessions' involvement in Comey's dismissal violated the attorney general's recusal from matters related to Russia, Rosenstein declined to comment but indicated that Mueller "ought to review that" question.

Some of President Trump’s biggest supporters think special counsel Robert Meuller should be fired. Veuer's Nick Cardona (@nickcardona93) has that story. Buzz60

Still, top Democrats on the Senate Appropriations subcommittee fumed that Sessions had abruptly canceled his appearance at the hearing, with Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., suggesting that the attorney general was "cowering" in the face of tough questioning.

"I won't mince words," Leahy told Rosenstein on Tuesday. "You are not the witness we were supposed to hear from today. That witness is the attorney general of the United States.''

New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the subcommittee's top Democrat, said she also was "troubled'' by Sessions' cancellation.

"The attorney general is still responsible for answering critical questions from this committee,'' Shaheen said.

At a press conference Tuesday, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said he knew Mueller and trusted him.

“I think the best case for the president is to be vindicated by allowing this investigation to go on thoroughly and independently. So I think the best advice would be to let Robert Mueller do his job,” Ryan said.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Tuesday that he is "frankly disturbed by the new strategy on the hard right to discredit Special Counsel Mueller and sully his reputation."

"Their strategy is clear: they know or suspect the facts might not be good for the President, so they’re trying to vilify the man who’s in charge of finding them," Schumer said in a speech on the Senate floor.

The White House should let Mueller do his job if it has nothing to hide, Schumer said.

"When people say when there’s smoke there’s fire, they’re pointing to actions like this, and it makes the American people distrustful of the White House and their allies," Schumer said. "I know that all of this probably doesn’t bother former Director Mueller. He’s got a very strong spine. He will go after the facts regardless of the noise around him. But they’re bothersome, they’re wrong, they’re nasty."

In appointing Mueller last month, Rosenstein said that the "public interest requires me to place this investigation under the authority of a person who exercises a degree of independence from the normal chain of command."

Mueller served as FBI director from 2001 to 2013 under both the George W. Bush and Obama administrations. He preceded Comey as FBI director and was the longest-serving director since J. Edgar Hoover. He served two additional years beyond his 10-year term, to ensure stability during a transition period in President Obama's national security team.

In his special counsel role, Mueller has assumed all the powers of a federal prosecutor — including subpoena authority.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...ler/102806384/

[DGambler]

Blah blah blah, yadda yadda yadda

[CPUd]

https://twitter.com/PhilipRucker/sta...66972614516737

[Aratus]

Seriously, the look of impropriety is enuff to trigger a Senate Trial, if the GOP fragments in the House of Representatives. Donald Trump has high odds of not being convicted, as it stands now, I expect a 55 to 45 vote in the Senate. I am going to do a poll. Right now, in a manner not unlike Theresa May, he is coming across as being on top of things. His global empire is resplendent with conflicts of interest. Bill Clinton's lies put him in the hot seat. Richard Nixon asked too much of his own staff, he recieved a pardon from President Ford in 1974 but several of the people around him ended up in prison.

[Warrior_of_Freedom]

i love how it went from russia might have had a role to "russia's role" even though there's still not a shred of evidence. 9/11 has more evidence supporting it's a conspiracy than this

[CPUd]

i love how it went from russia might have had a role to "russia's role" even though there's still not a shred of evidence. 9/11 has more evidence supporting it's a conspiracy than this

There is plenty of evidence but as of now, no proof.

[Aratus]

i love how it went from russia might have had a role to "russia's role" even though there's still not a shred of evidence. 9/11 has more evidence supporting it's a conspiracy than this

Technically, did Trump first want to talk to Comey about the old rumors that had DJT romping in Russia when on a trip with Soviet era hookers? Then did things go in tangential directions? Were Comey's quotes from Trump's attempts to distance himself from the tabloid rumors? Was Gen'l Flynn a total idiot who muddied the metaphoric waters badly? Then things snowballed?

[milgram]

Obstruction? What about collusion? Did we finally give up on that canard?

[FSP-Rebel]

[CPUd]

Obstruction? What about collusion? Did we finally give up on that canard?

No there are still 3 different investigations into collusion. The obstruction investigation was added after Trump fired Comey and ran his mouth to Lester Holt on national TV.

[Brian4Liberty]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...ler/102806384/

Rosenstein: “I appointed him; I stand by that decision,’’ he said. “I will defend the integrity of that investigation."

Great choice Rosenstein. Mueller is completely unbiased. He has no connections or conflicts of interest. Just an honest dude with no agenda. Amazing considering his background and close relationship with Comey that he is so unbiased here.

[Dr.3D]

So when are they going to come up with a fake birth certificate?

[jllundqu]

Re: OP

No they're not.

//

[CPUd]

Trump acknowledges for first time he's under investigation

By JULIE PACE and JONATHAN LEMIRE

1 hour ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump acknowledged for the first time Friday that he is under federal investigation as part of the expanding probe into Russia's election meddling. He lashed out at a top Justice Department official overseeing the inquiry, reflecting his mounting frustration with the unrelenting controversy that has consumed his early presidency.

"I am being investigated for firing the FBI Director by the man who told me to fire the FBI Director! Witch Hunt," the president wrote on Twitter.

His morning missive apparently referred to Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general whose role leading the federal investigation has become increasingly complicated. The White House has used a memo he wrote to justify Trump's decision to fire FBI Director James Comey, but that Trump action may now be part of the probe. Thursday night, Rosenstein issued an unusual statement complaining about leaks in the case.

Trump advisers and confidants describe the president as increasingly angry over the investigation, yelling at television sets in the White House carrying coverage and insisting he is the target of a conspiracy to discredit — and potentially end — his presidency. Some of his ire is aimed at Rosenstein and investigative special counsel Robert Mueller, both of whom the president believes are biased against him, associates say.

Dianne Feinstein, top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said she was "increasingly concerned" that Trump will fire both Mueller and Rosenstein.

"The message the president is sending through his tweets is that he believes the rule of law doesn't apply to him and that anyone who thinks otherwise will be fired," Feinstein said. "That's undemocratic on its face and a blatant violation of the president's oath of office."

Aides have counseled the president to stay off Twitter and focus on other aspects of his job. They have tried to highlight the positive reviews he received Wednesday when he made a statesman-like appearance in the White House to address the nation after Rep. Steve Scalise was shot during a congressional baseball practice.

Yet Trump's angry tweets on Friday underscored the near-impossible challenge his advisers and legal team have in trying to get him to avoid weighing in on an active probe.

The president has denied that he has any nefarious ties to Russia and has also disputed that he's attempted to block the investigation into his campaign's possible role in Russia's election-related hacking. It was unclear whether his tweet about being under investigation was based on direct knowledge or new media reports that suggest Mueller is examining whether the president obstructed justice by firing Comey.

The tweets came shortly after Rosenstein issued his unusual statement that appeared to be warning about the accuracy of such reports.

"Americans should be skeptical about anonymous allegations," Rosenstein said. "The Department of Justice has a long-established policy to neither confirm nor deny such allegations."

The department would not comment on the record on whether Trump, who has repeatedly complained about leaks on the case, requested the statement. But a department official said no one asked for the statement and Rosenstein acted on his own. The official demanded anonymity because the official was not authorized to be named discussing the deliberations.

Trump has told associates he has the legal authority to fire Mueller. What is clear is that he could order the Justice Department to ax Mueller, which may result in Rosenstein's departure and would certainly intensify the uproar over the investigation. Though some in the White House have preached caution, fearing a repeat of the firestorm over Comey's firing, many in Trump's orbit — including his son Donald Trump Jr. and adviser Newt Gingrich — have deemed Mueller biased and worthy of dismissal.

Several White House officials and Trump associates insisted on anonymity in order to discuss the president's views of the unfolding investigation.

Rosenstein has been overseeing the Russia probe since shortly after Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself. But Rosenstein, too, may ultimately have to hand off oversight given his role in Trump's decision to fire Comey.

Earlier this month, Rosenstein told The Associated Press that "if anything that I did winds up being relevant to his investigation then, as Director Mueller and I discussed, if there's a need from me to recuse, I will."

Trump's tweets came after the top lawyer for his transition team warned the organization's officials to preserve all records and other materials related to the Russia probe. An official of Trump's transition confirmed the lawyer's internal order, which was sent Thursday.

The order from the general counsel for the transition team casts a wide net on documents that could shed light on ties between Trump's presidential campaign and representatives of Russia's government. The order also covers separate inquiries into several key Trump associates including former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, campaign adviser Paul Manafort, foreign policy aide Carter Page and outside adviser Roger Stone.

The White House has directed questions for details to outside legal counsel, which has not responded.

Vice President Mike Pence has also hired a private lawyer to represent his interests in the expanding probe. Pence headed the Trump transition until Inauguration Day.

https://www.apnews.com/amp/0172a576e...478818d1944632

[AuH20]

Trump may be actually senile.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slate...osenstein.html

[CPUd]

https://twitter.com/RealPressSecBot/...98482161500161