Mueller report: Democrats keep pressure on Trump over Russia

[MenInG]

Democrats are keeping up pressure on President Donald Trump following the long-awaited release of a report into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

They want Robert Mueller, the man who collated the report, to publicly testify before congress about the work he has done.

The redacted report, which was released on Thursday, reveals the president tried to get Mr Mueller fired.

Mr Trump's legal team has described its release as a "total victory".

The 448-page redacted document is the result of a 22-month investigation by Mr Mueller, who was appointed to investigate alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign.

What's in the report?
Mr Mueller's report says he found no criminal conspiracy between Mr Trump's campaign and Russia, but could not reach a concrete legal conclusion on whether Mr Trump tried to obstruct the investigation.

"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," the report says. "Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, we are unable to reach that judgement.

"Accordingly, while this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him."

The report also reveals:

Mr Trump instructed a White House lawyer to try to get Mr Mueller removed over alleged "conflicts of interest", but the lawyer resigned because "he did not plan" to follow the directive

Mr Trump reportedly used an expletive when the investigation was announced, adding: "Oh my god. This is terrible. This is the end of my presidency"

Mr Mueller examined 10 actions by the president in regards to obstruction of justice, which he said largely "took place in public view"

The report says that potential obstruction of justice by the president only failed because members of his administration refused to "carry out orders"

Investigators viewed the president's written responses to their questions as "inadequate" but chose not to pursue a potentially lengthy legal battle to interview him

What do Democrats say?
Democrat congressional leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer in a joint statement said the report painted a "disturbing picture of a president who has been weaving a web of deceit, lies and improper behaviour".

The party has begun moves to try to obtain the full, unredacted document and to have Mr Mueller testify before Congress.

Congresswoman Jackie Speier told the BBC that Mr Mueller had "basically tossed the ball to Congress and said, 'you need to pursue obstruction of justice here'."

Democrats have also attacked US Attorney-General William Barr, accusing him of "misleading" them with an earlier summary of the report's findings regarding whether Mr Trump obstructed justice.

Mr Barr held a news conference before the report was made public in which he backed the president.

The Trump-Russia saga in 350 words
The report has long been viewed as a potential tool to impeach the president but the House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said this would not be "worthwhile at this point".

"Very frankly, there is an election in 18 months and the American people will make a judgement," he told CNN.

What's the Democrat game plan?
I think that the wider strategy of the Democrats is that they would like to see a president going into 2020 a bit wounded, a bit weakened.

The danger of going down the impeachment route is that all that it results in is uniting the Republican party.

For that reason I think the Democratic leadership would much rather knock the president around a bit than go down a route which would almost certainly end in failure and almost certainly be counter-productive.

And for all the questions, doubts, contradictions, sleights of hand, Mr Trump emerges with two key headlines: Mueller says there was no collusion; the attorney-general says there was no obstruction of justice.

How has Mr Trump responded?
Speaking at an event for veterans, Mr Trump said he was having a "good day" - adding that there was "no collusion" and "no obstruction".

Trump's other legal headaches
Representatives for the president have also reiterated his view that the investigation was a "hoax" and called for reprisal inquiries.

"President Trump has been fully and completely exonerated yet again," Mr Trump's 2020 campaign manager Brad Parscale said in a statement.

"Now the tables have turned, and it's time to investigate the liars who instigated this sham investigation into President Trump, motivated by political retribution and based on no evidence whatsoever."

His comments followed a stream of social media posts by the president on Thursday regarding the report's release.

In one tweet, he said he had the right to "end the whole witch hunt" and fire Mr Mueller had he wanted to.


https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47985210

 

[Gilly]

Its the only policy they have.

 

[MenInG]

The US justice department's administrative review of the Mueller inquiry has been upgraded to a criminal investigation, US media report.

The Mueller report into the 2016 US elections did not establish any criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Moscow.

However, it did not clear the president of collusion.

President Trump has repeatedly attacked the Russia investigation since it began and accused those involved of treason.

The change from a review to a criminal inquiry means that investigators can now issue subpoenas for witness testimony and documents.

The New York Times says it is not clear what potential crime is being investigated.

The administrative review of the Mueller investigation began in May. It is being overseen by the US Attorney-General William Barr and is run by US attorney John Durham.

Mr Durham was tasked with determining whether the collection of intelligence on the Trump campaign was lawful.

Last April, Mr Barr told members of Congress that he believed "spying did occur" on the Trump campaign in 2016, adding: "The question is whether it was adequately predicated. And I'm not suggesting that it wasn't adequately predicated. But I need to explore that."

The 448-page Mueller report did not conclude that there was a criminal conspiracy between Moscow and the Trump campaign to influence the 2016 US presidential election.

However, it did detail 10 instances where Mr Trump possibly attempted to impede the investigation.

The report concluded that Russia had interfered in the election "in sweeping and systematic fashion".

That interference took the form of an extensive social media campaign and hacking into Democratic Party servers by Russian military intelligence, the report said.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50178197

 

[MenInG]

A top federal prosecutor has issued a statement saying he has not resigned, despite the US Justice Department announcing he was stepping down.

Geoffrey Berman, the US Attorney in Manhattan, said he learned he was "stepping down" in a press release issued by US Attorney-General William Barr on Friday evening.

Mr Barr gave no reason for the move.

Mr Berman has overseen the prosecution of a number of President Donald Trump's associates during his time in office.

They include President Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen who has served a prison sentence for lying to Congress and campaign finance fraud. The department has also been investigating the conduct of Rudy Giuliani, Mr Trump's current lawyer.

Mr Berman is also the prosecutor in charge of the investigation into sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and has previously expressed frustration over the Duke of York's role in the inquiry.

Earlier this month, Mr Berman said Prince Andrew - a former friend of Epstein - had "repeatedly declined our request" to schedule an interview. The duke's lawyers reject claims he has not co-operated.

The latest row comes days after former National Security Adviser John Bolton said in a book that President Trump had pressed Mr Berman's office to halt an investigation into the Turkish Halkbank in a bid to make a deal with Turkey's president.

Michael Cohen: Prison release for ex-Trump lawyer
In his statement, William Barr - a close ally of the president - said Mr Trump intended to nominate as Mr Berman's successor the current chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Jay Clayton, a man who has never served as a federal prosecutor.

Writing on Twitter, Mr Berman's predecessor, Preet Bharara, said that the timing and manner of the move to replace Mr Berman was strange.

"Why does a president get rid of his own hand-picked US Attorney in SDNY (Southern District of New York) on a Friday night, less than five months before the election?" Mr Bharara said.

In his statement, Mr Berman said: "I learned in a press release from the Attorney General tonight that I was 'stepping down' as United States Attorney. I have not resigned, and have no intention of resigning, my position."

He said he would only step down when a presidentially appointed nominee was confirmed by the Senate.

Mr Berman added: "Until then, our investigations will move forward without delay or interruption. I cherish every day that I work with the men and women of this office to pursue justice without fear or favour - and intend to ensure that this office's important cases continue unimpeded."

Geoffrey Berman was appointed in January 2018 after Mr Trump fired Mr Bharara, who had refused to resign. Mr Berman is a long-time Republican donor, including to Mr Trump's presidential campaign.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53117951

 

[MenInG]

US President Donald Trump has fired a top federal prosecutor who refused to leave office, Attorney General William Barr has said.

Geoffrey Berman, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said on Friday that he had learned he was "stepping down" in a press release.

Mr Berman insisted he would stay in post and continue his investigations.

On Saturday, Mr Barr told him that he had asked the president to remove him immediately, and that he had done so.

Top US Democrat Nancy Pelosi said she believed there were "base and improper motives" in the sacking of Mr Berman and that the Attorney General "must be held accountable for his actions".

Mr Berman oversaw the prosecution of a number of Mr Trump's associates.

They included the president's former lawyer Michael Cohen, who has served a prison sentence for lying to Congress and election campaign finance fraud.

Mr Berman's department has also been investigating the conduct of Rudy Giuliani, Mr Trump's current personal lawyer.

What happened on Friday?

The row between the attorney general and the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan began on Friday night, when Mr Barr issued a press release announcing that Mr Berman was "stepping down" after two-and-a-half years in the post.

Mr Berman had "done an excellent job", achieving "many successes on consequential civil and criminal matters", Mr Barr said.

He added that the president intended to nominate Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Jay Clayton, who has never served as a federal prosecutor, as Mr Berman's successor.

Not long afterwards, Mr Berman issued his own a statement, saying he had learned he was "stepping down" from the press release.

"I have not resigned, and have no intention of resigning, my position," he added. "I will step down when a presidentially appointed nominee is confirmed by the Senate."

Mr Barr's announcement appeared to surprise the Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Lindsey Graham.

He who said that Mr Clayton's nomination would still have to be approved by New York's two Senators, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, who are both Democrats.

Senator Schumer tweeted: "This late Friday night dismissal reeks of potential corruption of the legal process. What is angering President Trump? A previous action by this US Attorney or one that is ongoing?"

Why did the president fire Mr Berman?

In a letter to Mr Berman released by the justice department on Saturday, Mr Barr wrote that they had discussed his intention to appoint Mr Clayton as US attorney and that he had hoped for co-operation "to facilitate a smooth transition".

"Unfortunately, with your statement of last night, you have chosen public spectacle over public service. Because you have declared that you have no intention of resigning, I have asked the president to remove you as of today, and he has done so," he added.

Mr Barr said Mr Berman's deputy, Audrey Strauss, would become the acting US attorney and that he anticipated she would serve in that capacity until a permanent successor was in place.

Later, Mr Berman said that "in light of Attorney General Barr's decision to respect the normal operation of law" and to have Ms Strauss become acting US attorney, he would be leaving office, "effective immediately".

"It has been the honour of a lifetime to serve as this District's US attorney and a custodian of its proud legacy, but I could leave the district in no better hands than Audrey's."

"I know that under her leadership, this office's unparalleled AUSAs [Assistant United States Attorneys], investigators, paralegals, and staff will continue to safeguard the Southern District's enduring tradition of integrity and independence," he added.

Before leaving the White House for a campaign rally in Tulsa, President Trump told reporters that the decision to fire Mr Berman was a matter for the attorney general.

"That's his department, not my department. But we have a very capable attorney general, so that's really up to him. I'm not involved."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53123847

 

[Firebat]

Trump yet again firing someone who's investigating him. I'm sensing a pattern...

 

[Gilly]

Trump yet again firing someone who's investigating him. I'm sensing a pattern...

Yes it is a pattern, Presidents have and always will select and hire and fire as they like.

The only thing different is when Trump hires or fires someone it seems to trigger those suffering from TDS.

 

[Savak]

Should this sort of stuff happen in a democracy?