Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigns at Trump's request

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Washington Post



Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigned on Wednesday at President Trump’s request, ending the tenure of a loyalist he soured on shortly after Sessions took office in 2017 because the former senator from Alabama had recused himself from oversight of the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign.

Despite the tension with the White House, Sessions had described the position of top law enforcement officer as his dream job and he pursued his conservative agenda with gusto. But he also had to live with sometimes humiliating attacks from a president he couldn’t seem to please and the suspicions of career staff members who feared the politicization of a Justice Department that prides itself on its independence.

Department veterans have expressed concerns that Trump’s repeated public attacks on Sessions, the Justice Department and the FBI could cause lasting damage to federal law enforcement.

Sessions, 71, was the first U.S. senator to endorse Trump, and in many ways he had been the biggest supporter of the president’s policies on immigration, crime and law enforcement.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/attorney-general-jeff-sessions-resigns-at-trumps-request/2018/11/07/d1b7a214-e144-11e8-ab2c-b31dcd53ca6b_story.html

---

Quickest way to change the narrative.

Original article -

By Washington Post Staff
November 7 at 2:47 PM

Sessions was the first U.S. senator to endorse Donald Trump's bid for the White House, and in many ways he has been the biggest supporter of the president's policies on immigration, crime and law enforcement.

But those areas of agreement were overshadowed by the attorney general's recusal from the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump has never forgiven Sessions for that decision, which he regarded as an act of disloyalty that denied him the protection he believed he deserved from his attorney general.

This is a developing story. It will be updated.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/11/07/attorney-general-jeff-sessions-resigns-at-trumps-request/?utm_term=.c39d98899804

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. I go away for two minutes, and....

I could link to the ***** tweet, but NO.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. I'm trying to bring plants inside for winter

and this thing popped up on my phone.

[Kali]

13. no shit!

[DonViejo]

2. ...

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[christx30]

48. I love how Trump says Whitaker will serve well.

I'd love to time how long until Trump sours on Whitaker, but my watch doesn't have a millisecond hand.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

89. Whitaker is a scam artist just like trmpie.

He won't get the appointment on a permanent basis. The Dems won't have far to dig to get the dirt on Whitaker.

[PSPS]

3. "the protection he believed he deserved from HIS attorney general"

Sorry about the federal system not acting like minions in your mob.

[riversedge]

46. That comment by Trump--"his" AG is the real basis of all of this problems-as Trump

really believes the AG and Justice Dept exist to serve HIM. whow. We have heard it before but here it is in black and white.

[iluvtennis]

68. Exactly.

[RockRaven]

5. Trump's going to try to get Mueller fired before the new Congress is sworn in.

And before Don Jr's indictment drops.

Sad!

[tinrobot]

11. Last move of a desperate man.

It won't work.

[olddad56]

25. exactly, I sense last night that this would happen today.

[llmart]

44. I did too.

The rumors were already out there. He was just waiting to see how badly the Dems beat them.

[Sunlei]

33. + a gazillion- let's enjoy the show

[aggiesal]

51. Exactly what I was going to write ...

So I search just it in case it was redundant.

Let the fun begin.

[cstanleytech]

76. He can try but then the new Congress can appoint someone else and

and any chance at protection will go up in flames as then obstruction of justice charges will be on the table and I doubt many of the Repugnants in Congress will be willing to take a bullet for Trump and protect him when it happens.

[Drum]

7. NYTimes has reporting on this too:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/07/us/politics/jeff-sessions-fired-trump.html

WASHINGTON — President Trump forced out Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday, ending a partnership that soured almost from the start of the administration and degenerated into one of the most acrimonious public standoffs between a commander in chief and a senior cabinet member in modern American history.

Mr. Sessions’s resignation, made at the president’s request, was being delivered to John Kelly, Mr. Trump’s chief of staff. It came just a day after midterm elections in which Democrats captured control of the House, but Republican success in holding onto the Senate and building their slim majority may make it easier for the president to confirm a successor.

“Dear Mr. President, at your request I am submitting my resignation,” Mr. Sessions said in his letter.

Matthew Whitaker, Mr. Sessions’ chief of staff, will take over as acting attorney general, Mr. Trump said in a tweet announcing the shake-up.

More at link....

[Polybius]

8. Graham will be a candidate

Will they do it before or after the new Senate goes to term in January?

[exboyfil]

38. Probably easier with the new Senate

of course Collins won't get the chance to play Lucy again.

[DeminPennswoods]

85. He said he was not interested in the job

or leaving the Senate in a clip Nicolle Wallace showed.

[SunSeeker]

9. Predicted cowardly move by Trump to obstruct justice.

Thank God we have a Dem majority in the House to continue the Russia investigation should whatever lackey Trump appoints fires or kneecaps Mueller.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

28. No you don't, at least not yet.

The new Congress won't be sworn in until January. That leaves two months for mayhem.

[Lanius]

42. True. My only hope is Paul Ryan isn't as partisan as McTurtle.

Ryan is all about tax cuts for the wealthy and cutting entitlement programs. I see him as wanting power to achieve those ends. McTurtle is all for that, plus he is about power for power's sake.

[SharonAnn]

66. Ryan has little say. It's the Senate which does.

[Lanius]

67. In terms of appointments, true.

I guess I was thinking more in line of legislation.

[tinrobot]

10. Not unexpected, but this roller coaster is about to get bumpy.

Hang on folks!

[FakeNoose]

12. I think Cheeto's been planning this for quite some time

... possibly for the last 2 years. The only question is which incompetent right-wing racist will replace him?

[Solly Mack]

14. Not surprising.

[DeminPennswoods]

15. Looks like Rep Schiffs and Nadler will be busy

nt

[BigmanPigman]

16. He was FIRED!!!

Now what? Rosenstein is out, Whitaker is in? The Senate said they wouldn't confirm a new AG during a Lame duck session.

[Liberalhammer]

17. Like you can trust McConnell

They'll try to push it through.

[riversedge]

49. Mitch has repeatedly said he would not fun The Wall but Today he said he would. Lots will

be pushed during this lame duck sessions. lots of damaging legislation.

[BigmanPigman]

54. You're right...we may have the House but McConnell is as mean and vile as ever...

Now he will be feeling even more empowered to push his crap through ASAP.

[mobeau69]

20. An acting AG can do the dirty work.

A Constitutional crisis is on the way.

[BigmanPigman]

22. Oh shit!!!

[onetexan]

36. yeap he's getting someone else who will do his bidding

now that there's still time before the Dems take majority of the House in January. Getting it done while he can.

[disndat]

26. I heard Sessions was fired

Trump asked for his resignation. Now on to stopping the Mueller investigations.

[riversedge]

52. In steps Lindsey

[mobeau69]

78. He gave a BJ to tRump a little earlier today.

Link to tweet

[calimary]

18. Heads UP, guys:

In the event that this brings on a new Attorney General who doesn't have to recuse himself (betting it's a man) from oversight of the Mueller probe:

https://www.trumpisnotabovethelaw.org/survey/mueller-firing-rapid-response-plan/

[lunasun]

62. There are 2 dif times to keep in mind *take a screen shot everyone & keep the info . Be prepared

Thanks for the reminder

[PunkinPi]

19. .

Link to tweet

jeff sessions is the only confederate monument trump was willing to take down

[MyOwnPeace]

77. Good one!

I was just thinking that we've got another elf off to work in the Keebler tree!

[Liberalhammer]

21. It's a trap

I'm sure we will see indictments shortly.

[MontanaMama]

23. Buckle up folks.

Here we go...

[chowder66]

24. Trump will never be impeached in my opinion.

We need to make sure we elect a Democratic President and senate in 2020. There are not enough votes for it and will never be unless we get more seats in 2020 and Trump will most likely not be elected again.
IF HE IS then impeachment will be on the table.
If Mueller is fired the dems will bring him in for a public hearing most likely.
Mueller can, if he hasn't already, share all of his findings with States. The states can then pursue criminal charges.

[The Liberal Lion]

31. You are right, he won't be impeached

but he will go to jail. Nope, not in the next two years, but he's going to jail once dems win the White House. Once he is private citizen trump.

[chowder66]

40. Yep. I suppose there is the slightest chance that

this Whitaker guy will be briefed in a way that convinces him to allow Mueller to continue and there may be the slightest chance that enough republicans change their minds about impeaching Trump over time.... but I doubt it.

[exboyfil]

43. You are right

I guess I need to go back and look at the Watergate clock. At best you probably would only have him out 18 months, and, like Spiro Agnew being Nixon's best defense from impeachment, Pence is for Trump.

Only way this works is if there is something so bad on Pence to remove him first. That is not going to happen.

Oversight is still important, but we should focus on big issues. It has to be the Republican's idea to remove Trump.

[chowder66]

45. Nothing is bad enough for republicans unless their money spout dries up or their election

chances do, but even that isn't that big of deal for them anymore since they all get cushy big money jobs anyway.
It's a big money circle-jerk scheme once they are out of office. They no longer have a conscience.

[The Liberal Lion]

27. Today is the beginning of the end for the trump crime family and his nazi enablers.

He's doing all he can to keep the noose for tightening, but these actions will be to no avail. trump is going to jail. Not today, not tomorrow, but he is going to jail. No pardons, jail.

[Sunlei]

29. be prepared for trump to try to get rid of the investigations next

[The Liberal Lion]

37. No doubt about that

trump is absolutely terrified right now, as evidenced by his press conference today. He is shitting bricks and he's currently making and will continue to make all the wrong moves. He's taking that rope that pubs gave him and beginning to hang himself with it.

[C_U_L8R]

30. A trapped rat like Trump

is gonna lash out and bite someone. One question... will Sessions be a cooperative witness?

[Buckeyeblue]

34. He gave up a lifetime job in the senate

To be publicly flogged by 45. How fucking stupid is he?

The acting AG will suspend the investigation tomorrow.

[denvine]

56. Yep, I guess the Keebler Elf

will be out of our lives, at least until 2020.

[muriel_volestrangler]

35. Waited until the Republican majority in the Senate was certain so they can install any old criminal

who will obstruct the Mueller investigation. If they'd lost the Senate, Trump would keep Sessions, and just insult him for fun.

[TNNurse]

39. I worked in a place where people resigned

rather than get fired. I recognize the plan.

[Freethinker65]

41. Trump is so fucking guilty. Preserve and safeguard all evidence.

Please be prepared to leak everything if necessary. We Americans deserve to know how corrupt this administration is.

[Honeycombe8]

47. Yep. They told him, when...last month? That he was fired after mid-terms. Lindsey Graham...

come on down!

[Maeve]

50. THAT didn't take long!

What next?

[getagrip_already]

71. He moves someone in who can....

Take over for rosenstein. Any cabinet member will work under the vacancies act. That person can serve i think 15 months.

At that point, all bets are off. All the person would need to do is narrow the scope of the investigation and there would be no crimes to persue.

Of course, they can also try to collect and classify any work product so it cpuldnt be used as evidence.

That one is trickier because once its out, its out. But its still possible.

Finally they judt prevent any prosecutor from working on the case.

That would be it for federal charges. Scotus can dismiss state charges.

[RegexReader]

73. News I just saw was

Rosenstein is being fired too.

[getagrip_already]

84. Then the next in line is..

The solicitor general. This is the guy they gave a se ret ethics waiver to so he could be clear to run the investigation.

A true sycophant. This is about as bad as it gets.

[Bengus81]

53. Well....they said Trump was talking to lawyers while the HOUSE was changing hands...

This was their first play,what's next??

[workinclasszero]

55. Trump is running scared shitless!!!

[neohippie]

57. It appears their plan is known

So this Whitaker guy has proposed in the past that the way to stop Mueller is to just refuse to fund his efforts

Here's a link to that story


https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/10/12/trumps-potential-new-attorney-general-once-mused-about-choking-off-robert-muellers-funds/?utm_term=.7f5ef5bc7ae6

President Trump declined Thursday to deny that he was eyeing Matthew Whitaker as a replacement for Attorney General Jeff Sessions. And suddenly, Whitaker’s past skepticism about the Russia investigation has taken on new significance.

Whitaker’s Russia commentary first cropped up when he was reported to be a likely replacement for Sessions’s No. 2, Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein, a few weeks ago. Installing him as the No. 1, though, would give Whitaker even more power. It’s not clear he would take oversight of the Russia investigation, but there are other ways in which he could influence it.

One exchange in particular shows almost exactly what Whitaker thinks someone in such a position could do to rein in special counsel Robert S. Mueller III.

Appearing on CNN in July 2017 — before he was in his current position as Sessions’s chief of staff — Whitaker mused about a scenario in which Trump might fire Sessions and replace him with a temporary attorney general. Whitaker noted that federal regulations still gave the attorney general power over the budget for a special counsel. That temporary replacement, he then said, could move to choke off Mueller’s funding.

“So I could see a scenario where Jeff Sessions is replaced with a recess appointment,” Whitaker said, “and that attorney general doesn’t fire Bob Mueller, but he just reduces his budget to so low that his investigation grinds to almost a halt.”

It was the second time in the same interview that Whitaker brought up the defunding idea. He said Rosenstein could also be pressured to do it.

“I think what ultimately the president is going to start doing is putting pressure on Rod J. Rosenstein, who is in charge of this investigation, is acting attorney general, and really try to get Rod to maybe even cut the budget of Bob Mueller and do something a little more stage crafty than the blunt instrument of firing the attorney general and trying to replace him,” Whitaker said.

Whitaker’s comments to CNN were flagged by a group called Law Works on Thursday.

The question from there is whether this is just something Whitaker thought Trump and a new attorney general might do, or whether it’s something he would advocate for and do. (A Justice Department spokeswoman declined to comment.) Whitaker doesn’t explicitly say he would prefer this outcome, but it’s not difficult to see how Trump might see those comments and view Whitaker as a strong candidate to do his bidding.

Whitaker has made it clear he doesn’t particularly like how far Mueller has gone. He wrote an op-ed in August 2017 titled, “Mueller’s investigation of Trump is going too far” that urged Rosenstein to “limit the scope of this investigation.”

“The President is absolutely correct,” Whitaker said after Trump suggested that Mueller investigating his finances would cross a red line. “Mueller has come up to a red line in the Russia 2016 election-meddling investigation that he is dangerously close to crossing.”

He has also downplayed the idea that anything illegal was done at the Trump Tower meeting, saying, “You would always take the meeting."

Whether any of this will come to pass, we don’t know. We don’t even know how seriously Trump is eyeing Whitaker to replace Sessions. But after The Washington Post reported Wednesday that Trump had spoken with Whitaker about replacing Sessions, Trump demurred Thursday morning:

FOX NEWS’S STEVE DOOCY: In The Washington Post this morning, it says that you talked to the attorney general’s chief of staff about replacing the attorney general. Apparently, according to The Post, you talked to Matthew Whitaker, but the conversation was nebulous -- they depict it as. It wasn’t clear whether you wanted him to replace him on interim basis or he would be nominated on a more permanent basis. Anything to that story?

TRUMP: Well I never talk about it, but I can tell you Matt Whitaker is a great guy. I mean, I know Matt Whitaker, but I never talk about conversations that I had. But you know, The Washington Post gets it wrong a lot. That’s the only thing --

DOOCY: Yes, but the conversation is you are in active talks to replace the attorney general of the United States?

TRUMP: I’m not doing anything. I want to get the elections over with. We’ll see what happens.

That’s about as non-denial-y as you can get. And with Sessions apparently likely to be gone after the midterm elections in three and a half weeks, comments such as Whitaker’s could be hugely consequential.


And a YouTube from a CNN story

[Liberty Belle]

82. Pretty sure if Mueller put up a "go fund me account" the donations would break all records

if Congress cuts off his funding.

[MooDrew]

58. Illegal Appointment?

Illegal Appointment?

Fox New's Napolitano says Trump is breaking the law, and he can't appoint an interim AG that hasn't been confirmed by the Senate.

[RegexReader]

74. he can if the appointee's previous position required Senate confirmation

[DeminPennswoods]

86. Ted Lieu said the same thing on Deadline:WH

That it isn't clear the Presidential Vacancies Act allows someone not confirmed by the Senate to temporarily be appointed to a job that requires Senate confirmation.

[lunasun]

59. Just like that, the evil cabal will not miss a beat, trump is back to games less than 24

No time to rest on laurels gotta keep an eye on the whole bunch now
DOJ should be a defense in the interest of the United States not the WH klan.
Justice

Resist

[saidsimplesimon]

60. He kissed the ring, bowed to the reality show clown, his reward

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="

?start=1" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[area51]

61. What an "amazing" coinky-dink

that this happens right after midterms.

[RegexReader]

75. and you're surprised?

[TeamPooka]

63. For now I will celebrate the fact that the evil elf is out of government for the first time in

decades. he can't make any rules or laws to hurt people anymore.

[Dave Starsky]

69. Yes. This was inevitable. Fuck that guy.

I hope he enjoys his new retirement as one of the most hated and recognizable assholes on Earth.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

64. "By resigning..., Sessions mooted the question about whether the Federal Vacancies Reform Act...."

Don't ask me what that means.

Hat tip, Joe.My.God: BREAKING: Attorney General Jeff Sessions “Resigns”

By resigning rather than being fired, Sessions mooted the question about whether the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998 applies to vacancies created through firing.

It clearly applies here., and Whitaker is clearly covered by 5 U.S.C. § 3345(a)(3):

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/3345 …

Link to tweet

(1) Rosenstein supervises Mueller in his capacity as Acting AG, not as Deputy AG;

(2) Because Sessions purported to "resign," there's no real question whether Whitaker can be named Acting AG under 5 U.S.C. § 3345(a)(3); he can; &

(3) As Acting AG, Whitaker supplants Rosenstein.

Link to tweet

[neohippie]

65. But does Whitaker need Senate Confirmation first

I guess I am wondering how Whitaker can take on the Acting AG role without needing Senate Confirmation?


Or is that not needed for an interim appointment?

[watoos]

70. Trump does as he pleases,

The Senate will not stop him. Whitaker met with Trump before Trump appointed him, the fix is in to shut down the Mueller investigation. Whitaker is taking Rosenstein's place not Sessions. Whitaker will begin to shut down Mueller. I am sure that he will not permit Mueller to give his report to Congress, it will get buried.

For all of you people who kept saying that impeachment is off the table, what say you now?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

79. Sorry, this is beyond my pay grade. NT

[cstanleytech]

92. Its supposed to be interim for 210 days but what I suspect is Trump will simply not nominate anyone

else in order to keep him in the job assuming he obeys Trumps command to kill or undermine the Mueller investigation.

[sandensea]

72. Just as well, really.

Besides: I hear they're mulling another Beverly Hillbillies remake.

[Maxheader]

80. Aaah..stumpy takes out his losses on the a.g..

How about your treasurer too?

[dembotoz]

81. it does shift attention away from getting thumped in the house

look a squirrel

[mahina]

83. Is this effective immediately or at some future date?

No articles I’ve read have clarified this.

[janx]

87. Today. He just now got into a car and left.

His staff all bid him adieu, etc.

Amazing, yes?

[NCjack]

88. On Thursday, Nov. 7, Sessions should knock on Mueller's door. nt

[BumRushDaShow]

94. For all we know

he may be indicted himself. He lied multiple times in congressional hearings about his meetings with Russians and as a surrogate during the campaign, who knows what else he was doing.

[D23MIURG23]

90. This is only a bad thing because it means dump is trying to axe Mueller again.

The only good thing about Sessions is the fact that he is recused.

[ailsagirl]

91. What a weasel

[truthisfreedom]

93. "Everyone I know goes away in the end." -Trent Reznor