The Mueller Dissent, Cashing In
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
Vol. 8, No. 119
Undersight and Oversight:Special Counsel Robert Mueller wrote a letter to the attorney general objecting to William Barr’s summary of his 448-page report, in particular his conclusion that President Trump did not commit obstruction of justice.
Mueller wrote a letter on March 22nd, four days after Barr released his summary, according to several news outlets. The text of Mueller’s letter has not been published.
Washington Postreporters say they “reviewed” a copy of the letter in which Mueller said Barr’s summary “did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance” of his report.
This heats up the political fight over the report as Barr is expected to testify today before the House Judiciary Committee.
Only a couple of days after receiving the Special Counsel report in March, Barr sent a four-page letter to Congress giving the impression that Mueller had found no wrongdoing by the President. In some instances Barr cherry-picked phrases favorable to the President or quoted them out of context.
What Mueller actually did was shy away from giving a conclusion, in part because of the Justice Department policy of not indicting a sitting president.
One of the most damning paragraphs in the Mueller report says, “If we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the president clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state,” Mr. Mueller and his investigators wrote. “Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, however, we are unable to reach that judgment.”
Today in Trump:A federal district judge in Washington ruled that congressional Democrats may proceed with a lawsuit charging that President Trump violates the Constitution by profiting from his position.
The “emoluments” clause of the Constitution says you can’t cash in on being president. Trump makes money every day foreign dignitaries check into his hotel across the way from the White House. He raised the price of membership at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida as soon as he took office.
The justice department has argued that the emoluments clause was intended only to prevent the president from accepting bribes. That was in the quaint days when cash was handed over directly.
If the lawsuit proceeds, it may end up revealing a lot of information about Trump’s business deals.
Information about his finances is what the President and his family do not want the public to have. The Trumps and their organization have sued Deutsche bank to prevent the financial giant from honoring a subpoena for business records related to the Trump organization.
Venezuela Meltdown: An armored vehicle ran down anti-government protesters in Caracas yesterday as opposition leader Juan Guaidósteps up the pressure for President Nicolás Maduro to surrender his office. About 70 people were injured, but no one was killed.
Speaking at an air force base in the heart of the capital, Guaidó, was flanked by soldiers who flipped to his side. It may take only one or two senior military officers to decide which way this goes.
The US is siding with Guaidó. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said onFox Newsthat the Trump administration prepared to use force, if necessary. “Military action is possible. If that’s what’s required, that’s what the United States will do,” Pompeo said.
The Roundup: Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been sentenced to a year in jail in Britain for jumping bail. —A Minnesota police officer has been found guilty of third-degree murder for shooting a woman who had called the police to report a possible rape in progress. Mohamed Noor shot Justine Damond, a 40-year-old Australian womanengaged to be married. Noor’s defense said he took her as a threat as she approached his squad car. — Two people were killed and four wounded yesterday on the last day of spring classes at the University of North Carolina Charlotte. The shooter was captured. — A Virginia judge has ruled that two Confederate statues in Charlotte may not be removed because they are war memorials protected by state law. — President Trump announced on Twitter this morning that he’s cancelling the decommissioning of the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman and having it refurbished instead.
Social Notes:Just as his father leaps to the fore in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, Hunter Biden has split with his domestic mate again, this time from the widow of his late brother Beau.
Following beau’s death of cancer, Hunter left his wife of 22 years and took up with Beau’s widow Hallie. Father Joe Biden stepped up at the time to announce his support of the new couple. Hunter told Vanity Fairmagazine recently, “My father has been a constant source of love and strength in my life.”
It’s being tested.
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