OMG, we just read another inane 'analysis' from someone who

New Post Public Reply Private Reply Replies (1) Message Board
Bhawks
649
OMG, we just read another inane 'analysis' from someone who flunked out of a bad HS.

Quote:
What Robert Mueller Knows

By The Editorial Board

May 1, 2018


Image
CreditJasjyot Singh Hans

The 49 questions that the special counsel, Robert Mueller, hopes to ask President Trump as part of the yearlong Russia investigation suggest that Mr. Mueller knows a great deal more than he’s letting on — and he hasn’t even gotten to the follow-ups yet.

After the questions, which were published by The Times on Monday, were provided to Mr. Trump’s legal team in March, John Dowd, the president’s lead personal lawyer at the time, urged him to avoid sitting for an interview with Mr. Mueller. When Mr. Trump said he intended to anyway, Mr. Dowd resigned.

Reading through the list, it’s clear why Mr. Dowd was so concerned. Federal investigators don’t like being lied to, and Mr. Trump has a marked tendency to say things that aren’t true.

If he agrees to speak with Mr. Mueller’s team, he will have to answer some very basic questions about what he knew, when he knew it and what motivated some of his most shocking and inexplicable actions over the past year.

To name just a few: When and why did you decide to fire James Comey, the F.B.I. director, who was leading the Russia investigation at the time? What did you mean when you told NBC’s Lester Holt that you fired Mr. Comey because “this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story”?

Did you try to persuade the attorney general, Jeff Sessions, to protect you from the investigation? Did you secretly promise to pardon Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser who has pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators about his communications with the Russian ambassador?

The questions are a reminder of just how aberrant this White House has been. No prior president so openly assaulted the rule of law or undermined the integrity of the law enforcement community.

In that light, Mr. Mueller’s questions also provide a measure of comfort that, amid all the chaos and tumult of this administration, career public servants in law enforcement continue to do their jobs, investigating crimes and pursuing justice.

It may unnerve Mr. Trump, who has spent his life skirting the law and avoiding full accountability, but this is how the law works.

Without saying a word publicly, Mr. Mueller and his team of experienced investigators are showing America how a government premised on the rule of law is supposed to function.

The process may seem slow, but that is out of diligence and caution. Its fundamental purpose is truth-seeking — unlike, say, the embarrassing obfuscations of the Republican leaders of the House Intelligence Committee, who last week absolved Mr. Trump and his campaign of any wrongdoing in a 250-page report that reads more like a work of fantasy than a government investigation.

Early Tuesday morning, Mr. Trump tweeted that the leak of Mr. Mueller’s questions was “disgraceful” and that “it would seem very hard to obstruct justice for a crime that never happened!”

Wrong. Obstruction of justice is itself a federal crime — see, for example, Section 1505 of Title 18 of the United States Code — regardless of whether prosecutors can establish an underlying offense.

Mr. Trump and his defenders mock it as a “process crime,” but the rule of law breaks down if people can interfere, with impunity, in law enforcement’s efforts to do justice. Don’t forget that both presidents who have faced impeachment proceedings in the past few decades, Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton, were accused of obstructing justice.

Anyway, Mr. Mueller appears to have at least some evidence of an underlying offense. That is the implication of about a dozen of his questions, including the most surprising of all: Was Mr. Trump aware of any efforts by his campaign, and specifically by his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, to seek Russia’s help in winning the 2016 election?


We don’t know exactly what is leading Mr. Mueller to want to ask this question of Mr. Trump, but it’s worth noting that as far back as August 2017, CNN reported that American intelligence services had intercepted communications among suspected Russian operatives discussing conversations they claimed to have had with Mr. Manafort, in which he requested their help in damaging Hillary Clinton’s election prospects.

Mr. Mueller has already secured an indictment of Mr. Manafort on federal charges, including money laundering, tax fraud and making false statements, and has extracted a guilty plea from Mr. Manafort’s top aide, Rick Gates, on related charges. Mr. Manafort is fighting the charges while Mr. Gates is now cooperating with investigators.

Whatever information he has, Mr. Mueller, like any seasoned prosecutor, does not ask questions unless he already knows the answers. Whether or not Mr. Trump decides to talk to him, the rest of us will know, too, soon enough.
Scroll down for more posts ▼

Top 10 Most Recent News Articles

Scientel Solutions Connects North Central Athletes on Road

Updated Category News Views 0

Boosting Connectivity for Student-Athletes Here's a nugget that slips under the radar unless you're looking with both eyes open: Scientel Solutions, from Aurora, Illinois, is shaking up the connectivity game for North Central College's athletic department. These folks have realized something many don't quite grasp—keeping student-athletes connected is no luxury; it's...

Continue Reading
MEGA SHOW 2026: Asia's Premier Sourcing Powerhouse

Updated Category News Views 3

MEGA SHOW 2026: Where Asian Sourcing Dreams Come True Anything worthwhile demands a veteran’s eye and a seasoned gut feeling. Swapping tales of the pavement or sifting through digital noise has me biting into MEGA SHOW Hong Kong 2026, an annual heavyweight event that stands as a prime stop on the autumn calendar for industry movers and shakers. We've circled back to the...

Continue Reading
Battling Razor Bumps: Breaking a Persistent Cycle

Updated Category News Views 3

Understanding Razor Bumps: More Than a Cosmetic Annoyance Crossing Great Neck this morning, I stumbled across a curious release from Laser by Aleya. Apparently, the problem with those pesky razor bumps plaguing many isn't just skin-deep. For some, especially those with coarse or curly hair, each razor stroke starts a relentless cycle of irritation that's as grinding as...

Continue Reading
Empirik.ai's $21M for AI in Infrastructure Revolution

Updated Category News Views 3

AI-Powered Infrastructure Takes the Stage Well, here's a tech gambit going full steam: empirik.ai just hit the digital scene with a $21 million war chest. Fresh out of the stealth shadows, they've got big names like Sequoia Capital, S32, Canapi Ventures, and Alumni Ventures stamping their ticket. What's the fuss? They're rolling out the first AI agent designed to...

Continue Reading
Hard Rock Hotel Malta: A New Mediterranean Hotspot

Updated Category News Views 0

A Grand Opening Set to Boost Malta's Appeal Excitement buzzes in Malta with the recent opening of the Hard Rock Hotel Malta. It's not just another swanky hotel—this €350 million investment is a game-changer for the island's tourism sector. Over in the lively St George’s Bay, the hotel is already drawing in dignitaries, celebrities, and guests who rallied to witness...

Continue Reading
Balázs Nagy's Bold Move: Transforming AI Workforce

Updated Category News Views 0

New Horizons in AI: Balázs Nagy Leads There's always that one name that shakes things up, and today it's Balázs Nagy. The guy's not just playing in the AI sandbox; he's leveling the whole thing up with Project NoéMI. He's the big cheese at TheNewPush LLC, beyond just a job title. Nagy’s diving headfirst into AI workforce development in a world screaming for change....

Continue Reading
MacGregor's Bold Play: RoRo Tech for TT-Line's Ferries

Updated Category News Views 2

A Green Wave in the Baltic It looks like MacGregor's betting big on the future of maritime transport, and they're putting their chips down on TT-Line's next-gen battery-hybrid LNG ferries. With a contract fresh out of the oven, they've signed up to kit out these eco-warriors with a range of RoRo equipment. And let me tell you, this is no piddly order—by any stretch,...

Continue Reading
Ace Hardware Hits 100th Store Milestone, Talks Growth

Updated Category News Views 3

Ace Hardware Signals Expansion Through 100th Store Anyone eying the hardware retail landscape knows that Ace Hardware is not just coasting through another predictable quarter. No, this coop, fondly dubbed the helpful hardware folks, has just cranked open the doors on its 100th new store of 2026. Yep, they're charging full-throttle on their expansion strategy, determined...

Continue Reading
Telit Cinterion Secures U.S. Manufacturing with PA Facility

Updated Category News Views 0

Telit Cinterion Takes a Bold Step in U.S. Manufacturing Here's a move you don't see every day: Telit Cinterion, one of the leading players in the IoT scene, is planting its flag firmly in the good ol' U.S. of A. They're ramping up to start churning out 4G and 5G IoT modules right on American soil by October 2026. This isn't just a small-scale ambition, folks. We're...

Continue Reading
TETRA Technologies to Engage at Key Investor Events

Updated Category News Views 1

Revving Up for Major Investor Conferences All eyes are on TETRA Technologies Inc. (NYSE:TTI) as they gear up to make splashy appearances at not one, but two high-profile investor conferences in New York. It's setting the stage for some potentially juicy conversations about where TTI, a player with deep roots in energy services, is heading in this whirlwind of an industry....

Continue Reading

Top 5 Most Recently Viewed Articles

Thiamine Market's Journey to USD 2,497 Million by 2034

Updated Category News Views 64

The Growing Importance of Thiamine The global thiamine market is on a promising path, expected to grow from USD 1,238.2 million in 2024 to an impressive USD 2,497 million by 2034. This growth represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.3% during the forecast period, highlighting the increasing recognition of this essential nutrient. Last year, the market...

Continue Reading
Roundhill Investments Shifts Magnificent Seven ETFs to Cboe Listing

Updated Category News Views 373

Roundhill Investments Announces Strategic Listing Changes Roundhill Investments has embarked on an important transition for its Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF (MAGS) and Roundhill Daily 2x Magnificent Seven ETF (MAGX), moving their exchange listings from Nasdaq to Cboe BZX. This shift reflects Roundhill's commitment to providing innovative financial products and ensuring...

Continue Reading
Tricolor Secures $328 Million to Facilitate Financial Access

Updated Category News Views 417

Tricolor's Significant Financial Milestone Today, Tricolor proudly announced the successful issuance of $328 million to empower underserved, low-income communities across the country. This initiative focuses on enhancing access to affordable financing for essential transportation necessities, ultimately paving a path toward mainstream financial solutions. Leading...

Continue Reading
Cabot Corporation Expands Its Reach with Strategic Acquisition

Updated Category News Views 228

Cabot Corporation Expands Its Operations in Carbon Manufacturing Cabot Corporation (NYSE: CBT), based in Boston, has exciting news as the company has struck a deal to acquire Mexico Carbon Manufacturing S.A. de C.V. The acquisition comes from the well-respected Bridgestone Corporation, highlighting Cabot’s growth in the carbon black market. Founded in 2005, the Mexico...

Continue Reading
Lloyds Bank Unveils Annual Report Amid Market Developments

Updated Category News Views 236

Lloyds Bank plc Files 2024 Annual Report on Form 20-F Lloyds Bank plc has recently completed a significant milestone by filing its Annual Report on Form 20-F with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This filing, covering the year that ended on December 31, 2024, illustrates the bank's ongoing commitment to transparency and compliance in its financial reporting....

Continue Reading