Mueller's Appointment Letter Says More Than You Might Think

[L. Coyote]

This is well worth a careful read:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/1/7/1730593/-Mueller-s-Appointment-Letter-Says-More-Than-You-Might-Think

... I’ve seen a lot of commentary about what Mueller ‘can and cannot’ do, or what authority the AG would have over Mueller’s investigation. There are three factors at play here. There is the special counsel regulation at DOJ, which define the minimum powers of a special counsel. Then there is the authority of the AG to approve expanded authority of the special counsel. The third is the appointment letter, which would lay out any ‘ground rules’, either tightly controlling the matter to be investigated and limiting the special counsel’s jurisdiction, or it would lay out any ‘up front approvals’ for the special counsel.

Let’s step through the major paragraphs and see what we learn: ...............

............ Conclusion:

Looks like Rosenstein set up Mueller as a pretty well empowered special counsel. With an appointment letter as arguably broad as that (and with 8 months of endorsement by Rosenstein on decisions), it won’t be easy for a future AG to neuter the investigation, or fire him for exceeding his authority. Looks like the only two options are to let the process play out or engage in a naked hatchet job.

[better]

1. Hrmmm...

I wonder which option our wholesome friends on the other side of the aisle will choose...

[L. Coyote]

2. By now that much is obvious. They are working to discredit because their options are just that.

They are down to no options, so the strategy is discrediting Mueller, the FBI, and the DoJ to create an atmosphere where their base won't believe what is about to be revealed.

They know how screwed they are, and they are also doing all they can to stall investigations in Congress, derail them also, and focus on fake issues instead.

[Scurrilous]

3. K&R

[Javaman]

6. 30K posts! congrats! nt

[pangaia]

4. The naked hatched job option has been used on everything else

since jan 20, why not another one...

[nolabels]

11. That has always been the perogative of any executive

To learn all the pitfalls then proceed in the quickest and safest as way as possible. The consequences always come from the decision.

We will be just waiting for next dumb turn of events because everybody knows they mostly are just playing catch-up

[Fred Sanders]

5. Well worth the read. More power to Mueller.

"The special counsel regulations (minimum powers) read with the pattern “investigate the matter at hand, prosecute the matter at hand or prosecute obstruction. Consult with the AG on how to handle other stuff”. The letter reads with the pattern “Continue with this investigation. The matter at hand is Russian collusion. Prosecute anything you find”.

Prosecute anything....you find. Anything.

Lawyers and their "words", am I right?

[ProudMNDemocrat]

7. From the article I find......

Deputy AG Rosenstien has Robert Mueller's bases well covered. As he stated before the House committee, he would have to find just cause to fire Mueller and so far, there has been none. THAT puts Trump and Republicans in a bind.

In layman's terms, what Robert Mueller uncovers, sticks! It is ALL connected.

[Hekate]

8. KnR to read later

[peggysue2]

9. The GOP's wish . . .

is to clear the deck for Trump and the impending mid-terms. They're definitely wrangling to close down Congressional investigations. Schiff and other Dems are considering a public written statement on how the Republicans have deliberately blocked investigative attempts, interviews, etc. Pretty obvious that Republicans want the Russian thing to go away. Mueller is, of course, the sticking point and even Trump and his lawyers realize that knifing Mueller is a risk they aren't prepared to take. At least not yet.

Interesting morning headlines about the backdoor negotiations between the WH lawyers and Mueller's team regarding a Trumpster appearance before Mueller's investigative team. The WH lawyers are looking to wheedle anything short of a direct interview. Even they know The Very Stable Genius is unreliable.

Things are bound to get crazier as the walls continue to close in. Also read this morning--Hill article, I think--that the Russian lawyer who was present at the Trump Tower meeting has suddenly recalled meeting with Ivanka several days later.

Families who grift together, stay together!

[Nitram]

10. Thank you. Excellent post. Answers many important questions that a lot of people have been

pontificating on without having a clue what they were talking about.

[L. Coyote]

12. It's no longer drip, drip, drip time when shoes are falling from the sky ....

... very expensive shoes ...

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Gothmog]

13. K&R