Friday, April 19, 2019

Mueller's Despicable Parthian Shot

When special counsel Robert Mueller finally finished his investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, he produced a report that confirms much of the criticism President Trump has leveled at him during the past two years.

The Campaign's response to reports about Russian support for Trump:When "Questions arose" about Russia's support for Trump, and WikiLeaks released damning DNC emails, "Trump publicly expressed skepticism that Russia was responsible." Trump denied having Russian business partners, "Even though as late as June 2016 the Trump Organization had been pursuing a licensing deal for a skyscraper to be built in Russia." But would Trump engage in obstruction if he wasn't guilty of collusion?

Conduct involving FBI Director Comey and Michael Flynn:Trump asked then-FBI Director Comey to show a little mercy to Michael Flynn after the latter got snagged in a perjury trap: "I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go He is a good guy." Trump asked his Deputy National Security Advisor to draft a letter stating that he "Had not directed Flynn to discuss sanctions with Ambassador Kislyak." Again, would Trump engage in obstruction if he wasn't guilty of collusion?

The President's reaction to the continuing Russia investigation:This is nothing more than Trump's anger pursuant to the desire of then-Attorney General Sessions to recuse himself from the investigations, and that he "Reached out to the Director of National Intelligence and the leaders of the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency to ask them what they could do to publicly dispel the suggestion that the President had any connection to the Russian election-interference effort." What would be the point in obstruction if Trump wasn't guilty of collusion?

"The President met one-on-one in the Oval Office with his former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and dictated a message for Lewandowski to deliver to Sessions." The message was that the Special Counsel investigation was unfair to Trump and should be focused on election meddling in future elections.

The President "Directed aides not to publicly disclose the emails setting up the June 9 meeting, suggesting that the emails would not leak and that the lawyers with access to them should be limited." Again, would Trump engage in obstruction if he wasn't guilty of collusion?

Trump's personal counsel "Left a message for Flynn's attorneys reminding them of the President's warm feelings towards Flynn." Meanwhile, "The President praised Manafort in public and declined to rule out a pardon." Yet again, why would Trump engage in obstruction if he wasn't guilty of collusion?

https://spectator.org/muellers-despicable-parthian-shot/

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