Pierce: Robert Mueller's Latest Strategic Move Is a Game-Changer

[babylonsister]

http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a57289/robert-mueller-trump-russia-schneiderman/

Robert Mueller's Latest Strategic Move Is a Game-Changer
It's on.
By Charles P. Pierce
Aug 31, 2017



Mr. Robert Mueller Requests the Honor of Your Presence At a Barbecue Held In Honor Of The Current Administration.

It's pretty much on, I'd say. From Politico:

The cooperation is the latest indication that the federal probe into President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman is intensifying. It also could potentially provide Mueller with additional leverage to get Manafort to cooperate in the larger investigation into Trump's campaign, as Trump does not have pardon power over state crimes. The two teams have shared evidence and talked frequently in recent weeks about a potential case, these people said. One of the people familiar with progress on the case said both Mueller's and Schneiderman's teams have collected evidence on financial crimes, including potential money laundering.

Manafort seems to be a pile of bones by the side of the road at this point. He'll flip, or he already has. His testimony would open a lot of doors that a lot of people would prefer stay shut. But the alliance between Mueller and New York AG Eric Schneiderman is the most important news in this story. As has been pointed out by practically everyone, the presidential pardon power does not extend to state crimes, and Schneiderman has been after Camp Runamuck since before the voters installed it in the White House last November. He's already won a $25 million settlement on behalf of the marks who were scammed by the president* through his Trump University long con. The president* already has yapped about Schneiderman in public, a sure sign that he's worried about what else Schneiderman might have. Whatever Schneiderman does, there isn't a damn thing the president* can do about it. And, of course, Mueller knows this as well as Schneiderman does.

The move is a shrewd one; for all Mueller's incorruptibility, nobody ever accused him of not knowing his way around Beltway politics. He knows what power is and how to use it far better than do the people he's investigating. It was also revealed on Wednesday that Rinat Akhmetshin, a Russian lobbyist who'd been present at the now famous meeting in Trump Tower with Donald Trump, Jr., had given testimony two weeks ago to Mueller's grand jury. At this point, I imagine that the White House is slowly turning into Baskerville Hall, and there's baying in the distance that's keeping people up nights.

[NastyRiffraff]

1. YESS!!

I love this:

He knows what power is and how to use it far better than do the people he's investigating.

We know how competent the White House bunch is! Mueller is probably licking his chops.

[Me.]

2. I Never Knew Riffraff Could Be So Smart

[Scurrilous]

3. K&R

[FakeNoose]

4. Mueller is one smart guy

He may be a Republican but he has no loyalty at all to this administration.

If anything his loyalties are to the FBI, but mainly he doesn't play politics. We couldn't be in better hands now.
He reminds me of Eliot Ness and the Untouchables.

[iluvtennis]

16. ++++ Agree

[samnsara]

5. all of us here in DU KNEW that trumps pardon didnt touch...

....state crimes. Just wonder why it took so long for the rest of them to catch up.

[blueinredohio]

6. I really hope this pans out and they all go to prison

[malaise]

7. Delish

and you know Charlie Pierce writes beautifully

Rec

[rurallib]

8. For all bad news we have been getting since last November

I finally have a smile on my face that is hard to get off since i first heard this.

Maybe, maybe, maybe the real promise of America will be met - the promise that all men are equal before the law. And maybe once, just once one of these bastards that has screwed people over all his life will actually be held liable for his actions.

[mcar]

9. The frog king underestimates Mueller at his own peril

Go ahead and pardon all your coconspirators, DonnyJohn. Schneiderman is waiting.

[flying-skeleton]

10. Can't Trump replace New York AG Eric Schneiderman?

[grantcart]

11. State Attorney General not federal

[TeamPooka]

14. The citizens of NY state elect their AG. Trump can't touch him.

[Duppers]

19. Uh?

This is totally a state position.

[JI7]

21. the NY AG is elected by the people of NY

[TeamPooka]

12. I love the asterisk.

[cstanleytech]

13. Manafort might not flip though as much as people think if Donald has promised to

pardon him if he is careful on what he reveals.

[KelleyKramer]

20. You should read the post

A Trump pardon won't do Manaford any good

[JI7]

22. that's what the OP is about . Mueller's working with NY AG since Trump can't pardon for state crimes

[WinstonSmith4740]

15. I'm loving this!!

It's like watching a 6 year old who just learned how to play checkers challenge Mr. Spock to a game of 3 dimensional chess.

[Hekate]

17. This puts a smile on my face

[Calista241]

18. It depends on if NY has laws against what we think Manafort can be convicted of.

Does NY have a law that says people must "register as a foreign agent." I kind of suspect they wouldn't have a requirement that lobbyists have to register with a federal agency.

In addition, Manafort lives in Virginia; does NY have a case for jurisdiction over VA?

If Mueller does team up with Schneiderman, i kind of suspect his target will be Donald Trump Jr. As many lawyers as Mueller has on his team, they can certainly come up with an indictment of Jr. That many lawyers spending this much time on a case could convict nearly anyone of nearly anything.

Does meeting with that Russian lawyer constitute a violation of law? I guess it depends on what was discussed, and what actions were taken based on that conversation.

In any case, I don't think anything will happen any time soon with regards to this investigation. Part of me suspects it's going badly since Drumph isn't tweeting about Mueller and his team of Democrats on an hourly basis. But maybe i'm just being pessimistic.

[WinkyDink]

23. Crimes are investigated based on where they occur, not where the suspect lives. And

"the target" is everyone guilty of criminal activity in accordance with Mueller's mandate. Moreover, I'm sure Mueller knows the applicable laws regarding Manafort.

Why would he be so short-sighted as to "target" only one or two specific individuals (especially a minor player as Junior)?

Oh, and your conclusion that "the investigation is going badly" is clearly refuted by the topic of this thread.

The investigation is deepening; it is broadening; and it is progressing.

Do you think there's no "there" there? That "so many lawyers" can and will simply frame someone named Trump?

Your crack about lawyers is very odd, especially in this context.

[Calista241]

24. You're reading further into my comment than I probably intended

There are a lot of challenges facing Mueller. Getting Manafort or getting Flynn doesn't automatically give them Trump. We're all assuming that they have proof or can prove that Trump was involved in various illegal election activities. Hearsay doesn't count, suspicions don't count. What provable action could Trump have taken that implicates him in a conspiracy or crime?

There's been a lot of focus on Trump pre-campaign criminal acts also.

One of the hurdles in building a racketeering, mob based, or tax case is that The Trumps have had their entire lives governed by a couple layers of accountants and lawyers.

In Any case brought against Trump, and he's going to be able point at 5 executives, 2 lawyers and 3 accountants and say "they told me this was the way to do it." Basically, He's built in deniability for his entire life before the election.

My impression of this latest move by Mueller is him making a show of the fact that Trump can't save Manafort and Flynn.

And yes, I'm fully aware that jurisdiction rests with wherever the crime was committed. But Manafort resides in VA. If he's prosecuted for failing to register as a lobbyist by a state, you can make a case that VA should be handling that prosecution. The thing is, there's not a whole lot of jail time associated with a conviction for that. Most of the cases I've found resulted in probation, a pretty small fine, or were dropped. Is that enough for Manafort or Flynn to throw Trump to the wind?

In short, I don't think any of the things we know about today will get Trump impeached or removed from office. That scares me, and the euphoria going around on DU is just as scary because people are getting their hopes up.

[H2O Man]

25. Recommended.

Mr. Mueller is doing this right.

[Grins]

26. LOVE that last sentence, and I'm going to steal it!!!

"At this point, I imagine that the White House is slowly turning into Baskerville Hall, and there's baying in the distance that's keeping people up nights."

Brilliant!!!

[Borchkins]

27. Please don't let this be a Fitzmas bust! nt