As Robert Mueller writes his report, a potential battle brews over obstruction of justice

[brooklynite]

Source: CNN

As special counsel Robert Mueller wraps up his Russia probe, investigators have focused on conflicting public statements by President Donald Trump and his team that could be seen as an effort to influence witnesses and obstruct justice, according to people familiar with the investigation.

The line of questioning adds to indications that Mueller views false or misleading statements to the press or to the public as obstruction of justice. That could set up a potential flashpoint with the White House and the Trump legal team should that become part of any final report from the Mueller investigation.

Mueller hasn't addressed the issue publicly, but prosecutors have dropped hints that they view public statements as possibly key in influencing witnesses.

Court filings from the plea of Michael Cohen, the President's former personal lawyer, included allegations related to false public statements -- not usually considered illegal since they aren't made directly to investigators. A December sentencing memo filed by Mueller's office notes that Cohen's lies were amplified in public statements, "including to other potential witnesses." The memo said this was done partly "in the hopes of limiting the investigation into possible Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election -- an issue of heightened national interest."

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/10/politics/robert-mueller-trump-obstruction-battle/index.html?utm_source=CNN-News-Alerts&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=As+Robert+Mueller+writes+his+report,+a+potential+battle+brews+over+obstruction+of+justicebca143a6-38a2-4dfe-99ad-263efd59f18e

[C_U_L8R]

1. Didn't everyone see them as obstruction?

I mean, what else could he have been trying to do?

[pnwmom]

2. We don't know that Mueller is wrapping up the investigation or writing his report.

The sources come from the Trump administration, not from the Mueller camp. This goes for the more recent Rosenstein stories (which were all over the map) and Ken Delanian's original story.

Even this article acknowledges the iffy-ness of the proposition, in a buried paragraph:

Meanwhile, as clues mount that Mueller is ending his multi-year investigation in the coming weeks, new political and legal fights are emerging over who will actually be able to read his findings.

"Clues" from DT people "mounting" does not add up to a solid source.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Yup. Might be multiple reports. There multiple investigations. What's "the investigation"? . . . nt

[ffr]

4. And, let's hope, illegally obtaining office.

It's important to remember that 45 was a civilian when he was breaking the law. So why should the law apply to him as president, when he was a civilian?

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

5. K&R