#MuellerInvestigation

[bountyofbeads]

https://www.politico.com/amp/story/2019/09/14/justice-dept-mueller-conflict-of-interest-1496171?__twitter_impression=true

Despite Trump's repeated claims otherwise, a top Justice Department ethics official concluded that Robert Mueller's sterling reputation and lengthy history of federal service meant it was unlikely any reasonable person would doubt his independence.

Justice Dept. releases part of Mueller’s conflict-of-interest waiver

By JOSH GERSTEIN | Published 09/14/2019 11:13 AM EDT | Politico | Posted September 14, 2019 12:45 PM EDT |

The Justice Department is offering more insight into how it addressed potential conflicts of interest when former FBI Director Robert Mueller was appointed special counsel for the Trump-Russia investigation two years ago, but officials are continuing to keep secret key parts of their internal ethics analysis.

A memo obtained Friday by the pro-transparency organization Property of the People shows that a top Justice Department ethics official concluded that Mueller’s sterling reputation and lengthy history of federal service meant it was unlikely any reasonable person would doubt his independence.

The head of Justice’s ethics office, Cynthia Shaw, suggested such doubts were exceedingly unlikely. That arguably turned out to be an ill-founded prediction since President Donald Trump, some of his attorneys and many of his allies made sustained efforts to paint Mueller as a hack carrying out a vendetta against Trump on behalf of Democrats.

“I am not convinced that an authorization is needed, but unequivocally, if one is, the overwhelming need of the Government for Mr. Mueller’s services greatly outweighs the concern that a reasonable person may question the integrity of the Department’s programs and operations,” Shaw wrote in a May 18, 2017 memo to Associate Deputy Attorney General Scott Schools. “I am not certain that a reasonable person in possession of the relevant facts would question his impartiality.”

The key — and perhaps the only — ethics issue addressed in the memo is whether Mueller’s work as a partner at law firm Wilmer Hale created a potential conflict because a Wilmer client was involved in the investigation.

Shaw doesn’t mention the client’s name but it appears to be former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who was represented by Wilmer partner Reginald Brown before Manafort switched to other attorneys a couple of months before his indictment in October 2017.

Mueller “has not represented the current firm client who may have some involvement in the investigation and has no confidential information pertaining to that client,” Shaw wrote

Wilmer Hale also did legal work for the president’s daughter and son-in-law, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, primarily on compliance with federal ethics and financial disclosure laws.

The law firm connection was just one of several purported Mueller conflicts Trump complained about to aides and advisers in the spring of 2017, according to Mueller’s final report. The report said Trump raised such complaints with senior adviser Steve Bannon, White House Counsel Don McGahn and Chief of Staff Reince Priebus.

All three men told Mueller’s team that they pushed back on or resisted requests to act on the alleged conflicts. Bannon called the claims “ridiculous,” while McGahn viewed them as “silly” and “not real.” The issue of the alleged conflicts triggered a major falling-out between Trump and McGahn, as well as a dispute over whether Trump instructed McGahn to have Mueller fired on that basis.

In June 2017, one of Trump’s personal lawyers did call Mueller’s office to complain about the alleged conflicts, including Mueller’s work for Wilmer Hale, according to the special counsel’s report. Around the same time, close Trump friend Chris Ruddy gave an interview to PBS’ Newshour decrying “real conflicts” for Mueller and specifically mentioning Mueller’s status at the law firm.

Yet, just weeks before the public and private tempest over the issue, the Justice ethics official concluded there would be no reasonable resistance to Mueller on grounds of his impartiality.

“Mr. Mueller served as Director of the FBI for 12 years,” Shaw wrote. “He served the last two years of his tenure after Congress passed a statute specifically authorizing him to serve two years beyond the statutory term for FBI Directors. He served as Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division. He served as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California. He has been appointed to positions of responsibility by presidents of both political parties. He has a longstanding reputation for integrity.”

The disclosure of the memo is obviously belated, coming more than two years after Mueller’s appointment and about five months after he closed up shop.

Still, it is something of a breakthrough, since the Justice Department often seeks to withhold the rationale for ethics waivers by separating the bare-bones waiver from the underlying paperwork, which is typically treated as a recommendation exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.

However, the final two paragraphs of Shaw’s memo are still almost entirely redacted as relating to Justice’s deliberative process.

Jeffrey Light, an attorney for Property of the People, said the group may press further for those still-secret passages in its ongoing Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. “The case is still live and my client is still considering how to proceed,” Light told POLITICO.

[backroombuzz]

RESIGN!

President Donald Trump demanded that Rep. Adam Schiff the discredited House Intel Committee chair Democrat resign and be investigated.

An angry and likely frustrated President Trump tore into repugnant Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Ca) after the California Congressman read a deceitful interpretation of the White House transcript into the official record.

Read the full article

[stillwithhernothim]

This meme has got a point!! #votehimout #draintheswamp #treasonoustrump #Repost @jrzladee ・・・ #trumptaxreturns #treasonoustrump #muellerinvestigation #impeach45 #impeachtrump https://www.instagram.com/p/BwWFCBdn7uu/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1guhq3ru4s4ff

[berlinbrent]

Whose report is it, anyway? US Attorney General Barr made it clear today who he considers to be owner of the #MuellerReport. #MuellerInvestigation #AttorneyGeneralBarr #trump #collusion #ObstructionOfJustice (at Berlin, Germany) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bwa3TmEooNA/?igshid=15uv5hlur05i8

[the99percenters]

#ImpeachTrump #NotMyPresident #MarchontheWhiteHouse #LockHimUp #PutinsPuppet #TrumpResign #StormyDaniels #FireTrump #OttoWarmbier #JamalKhashoggi #MichaelCohen #MuellerInvestigation #Russiagate  https://www.instagram.com/p/Butg84zBijD/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1tmmivga911me

[fabulizemag]

Oh! I had to pre-order this. I need to do a live read on @ms.daintythug. #mueller #muellertime #muellerinvestigation #magaisformorons #impeachtrump #impeachment #impeach45 #impeachtrumpnow #maxinewaters #republicanparty #rogerstone #itsshowtime #gostraighttojail #federalprison #specialcounsel (at Newark, New Jersey) https://www.instagram.com/fabulizemag/p/BuiMZRBFcrc/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=17joq6ex2fjk

[3rdeyephilosophy]

A Different Hoax Bahahaha 😂😂😂 #robertmueller #makeamericagreatagain #trump2020 #trumpmemes #donaldtrump #muellertime #muellerreport #qanon #maga #kag #wwg1wga #trump #republican #republicans #republicanparty #republicanmemes #muellerinvestigation #jussiesmollett https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvj06FqAYc2/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=x6t25ihd5i5h

[jamesreiningerphotography]

#releasethemuellerreport #impeachtrump #impeachthemotherfucker #impeach45 #impeachtrumpnow #impeachdonaldtrump #impeach45now #impeachnow #impeachtrump2019 #muellerinvestigation #mueller #muellertime #muellerreport #robertmueller #protectmueller #itsmuellertime #lockhimup #lockhimup45 #traitor45 #williambarr #locktrumpup #impeach #impeachtheloser https://www.instagram.com/p/BvaNhTyDNCv/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=tq07xld3joo1

[jimmykimmellive]

Eric Trump, the Mueller Investigation and Stormy Daniels - just a normal Tuesday at the White House...

[jobrny]

That's a whole lotta witches. #muellerinvestigation #russiagate #impeachtrump https://www.instagram.com/p/Br6oNn6BNuD/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=18hh9ao3o8a4w

[civicdirect]

Hey @realdonaldtrump, if the #muellerinvestigation is a #hoax, than why is your #personal #lawyer #pleading #guilty to #campaignfinance #violations and #taxfraud? #corruption #mostcorruptpresidentever #trump #maga #civicdirect

[bountyofbeads]

https://www.npr.org/2019/11/15/779353180/roger-stone-political-operative-and-trump-aide-guilty-in-false-statements-trial?utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social

“All the best people”

🚨 🚨 BREAKING: Roger Stone, a veteran Republican political operative and longtime confidant of President Trump, has been found guilty of obstruction, witness tampering and lying to Congress.

[backroombuzz]

Trey Gowdy Spanks Adam Schiff For Saying GOP Has An

If you explore the D.C. swamp far enough you'll come across a pond of scum, this pool of foul-smelling slime is where Congressman Adam Schiff calls home.

WATCH THE VIDEO 

    Read the full article

[stillwithhernothim]

#Repost @resistbot ・・・ Now that Special Counsel Mueller has submitted his report to the Attorney General, it is imperative for Mr. Barr to make the full report public and provide its underlying documentation and findings to Congress . . . #MuellerReport #ReleaseTheReport #RobertMueller #Justice #JusticeDept #MuellerTime #politics #political #meme #memes #PoliticalMemes #Resistbot #TheResistance #Resist #Trump #Mueller #2016election #MuellerInvestigation⁣ #Collusion #Investigation #ForThePeople #left #BlueWave #democracy #Congress #Senate #HouseOfRepresentatives https://www.instagram.com/p/BvVKffQnbvR/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=y06xkikmkg4p

[brightandprosperousfuture]

The jury is in! #Manafort is guilty on 8 charges! Mueller's investigation is not a witch hunt. #PaulManafort #VerdictWatch #MuellerInvestigation #TrumpRussiaCollusion #Guilty #ManafortTrial https://www.instagram.com/p/BmwVyzQl-oj/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=3fk7jg2zxr3g

[randallfrankslocumart]

Roseanne 2018 #roseanne #art #artistsoninstagram #artist #artistlife #draw #drawing #illustration #digitalillustration #digitalart #digitalpainting #homestudio #artistspace #gallery #artcollector #politicalart #russia #robertmueller #muellerinvestigation #washingtondc #russiascandal #theintercept #streetart #streetartglobe (at Hamilton County, Ohio)