Judge validates Trump impeachment inquiry, orders Mueller document release

[sggatecl]

"Very legal and very cool."

(Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Friday validated the legality of the Democratic-led impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump and ordered his administration to hand over an unredacted copy of former special counsel Robert Mueller?s report detailing Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell, handing a major victory to the Democratic-led House of Representatives, undercut an argument that Trump?s fellow Republicans have made in attacking the impeachment inquiry. The judge said the House need not approve a resolution formally initiating the effort.

The U.S. Constitution gives the House wide latitude in handling impeachment. Democrats began the inquiry without putting such a resolution to a vote.

The judge gave the Justice Department until next Wednesday to provide the blacked out material from the Mueller report that was subpoenaed by the House Judiciary Committee.

?The reality is that DOJ and the White House have been openly stonewalling the House?s efforts to get information by subpoena and by agreement, and the White House has flatly stated that the Administration will not cooperate with congressional requests for information,? the judge wrote, using an acronym for the Justice Department.

Between this and Gaetz barging into a bipartisan inquiry, I've actually been pretty entertained by D.C. lately. It was getting a bit stale!

 

[Spartanmack]

"Very legal and very cool."



Between this and Gaetz barging into a bipartisan inquiry, I've actually been pretty entertained by D.C. lately. It was getting a bit stale!

Odd that we're not seeing a lot of coverage of the DOJ investigation into the origins of the Russian collusion nonsense. Apparently, it's now a criminal investigation but the media doesn't seem too interested in reporting on that.

 

[Mitchrapp]

Just a waste of tax payers money. The Govt. specialty. Not like he'll get impeached.

 

[tinselwolverine]

Odd that we're not seeing a lot of coverage of the DOJ investigation into the origins of the Russian collusion nonsense. Apparently, it's now a criminal investigation but the media doesn't seem too interested in reporting on that.

I?m seeing some things about it.

There are a number of other links that came up on a search.

But the story in the OP is kind of old news. How many months ago was the Mueller report released?

 

[tinselwolverine]

Just a waste of tax payers money. The Govt. specialty. Not like he'll get impeached.

He?s likely to get impeached.

We are probably at the start of an era where every third president is impeached.

 

[tigermud]

Shifty shift is essentially special counsel #2 and it?s Soviet style all behind closed doors with no due process

Robert Barnes coined the dems 100% accurately the other day when he used the phrase ?confession by accusation? it?s what they do and they are really good at

 

[Michchamp]

Shifty shift is essentially special counsel #2 and it?s Soviet style all behind closed doors with no due process

Robert Barnes coined the dems 100% accurately the other day when he used the phrase ?confession by accusation? it?s what they do and they are really good at

there are GOP members on the panel, no?

 

[tinselwolverine]

Just a waste of tax payers money. The Govt. specialty. Not like he'll get impeached.

there are GOP members on the panel, no?

There are.

I think the division reflects the same percentages as the HOR.

 

[sggatecl]

Shifty shift is essentially special counsel #2 and it?s Soviet style all behind closed doors with no due process

I've been seeing this an awful lot. I'm no law expert but similar to a Grand Jury testimony, due process doesn't apply in a simple inquiry such as this. You have no case to defend or right to even appear, because the whole point is to decide whether a case should/can even be made. GOP are smart enough to know this, but they also know that Trump's base isn't smart enough to know this. That's why they keep throwing 'due process' around despite it being irrelevant. That's why Gaetz is storming meetings (illegally) knowing that it will rile up the base, regardless of how many GOP are already in the 'secret closed door' meeting.

 

[sggatecl]

Odd that we're not seeing a lot of coverage of the DOJ investigation into the origins of the Russian collusion nonsense. Apparently, it's now a criminal investigation but the media doesn't seem too interested in reporting on that.

You're not wrong. But never fear, I got you.

 

[Michchamp]

Odd that we're not seeing a lot of coverage of the DOJ investigation into the origins of the Russian collusion nonsense. Apparently, it's now a criminal investigation but the media doesn't seem too interested in reporting on that.

I listen to local public radio, and pretty sure I heard it mentioned both on Democracy Now, and the show after Democracy Now, which lead with a report on the DOJ/Barr investigation.

 

[Michchamp]

I've been seeing this an awful lot. I'm no law expert but similar to a Grand Jury testimony, due process doesn't apply in a simple inquiry such as this. You have no case to defend or right to even appear, because the whole point is to decide whether a case should/can even be made. GOP are smart enough to know this, but they also know that Trump's base isn't smart enough to know this. That's why they keep throwing 'due process' around despite it being irrelevant. That's why Gaetz is storming meetings (illegally) knowing that it will rile up the base, regardless of how many GOP are already in the 'secret closed door' meeting.

it's just a preliminary kind of hearing then, similar to a Grand Jury, it sounds like.

due process comes into play, I'd imagine, during the actual... uh... process. Like when charges are filed.

 

[Spartanmack]

You're not wrong. But never fear, I got you.

This is awesome, in the first paragraph they dismiss Barr's investigation into the politically motivated Russia probe as "politically motivated." But this could be my favorite line from the whole piece...

Democrats and some former law enforcement officials have accused Barr, the top U.S. law enforcement official, of using the power ofthe Justice Department to chase unsubstantiated conspiracy theories...​

It's as if they have no self awareness whatsoever.​

 

[Spartanmack]

I?m seeing some things about it.

There are a number of other links that came up on a search.

But the story in the OP is kind of old news. How many months ago was the Mueller report released?

I listen to local public radio, and pretty sure I heard it mentioned both on Democracy Now, and the show after Democracy Now, which lead with a report on the DOJ/Barr investigation.

I read about it myself, obviously but from the Daily Wire. By lack of media interest I'm referring to popular TV and press or the "main stream" media. If this was an investigation into Trump that turned into a criminal probe, you wouldn't be able to avoid hearing about it. It would be nonstop from everyone from the Washington Post to ESPN.

 

[Spartanmack]

I've been seeing this an awful lot. I'm no law expert but similar to a Grand Jury testimony, due process doesn't apply in a simple inquiry such as this. You have no case to defend or right to even appear, because the whole point is to decide whether a case should/can even be made. GOP are smart enough to know this, but they also know that Trump's base isn't smart enough to know this. That's why they keep throwing 'due process' around despite it being irrelevant. That's why Gaetz is storming meetings (illegally) knowing that it will rile up the base, regardless of how many GOP are already in the 'secret closed door' meeting.

obviously there is no case to present for the defense as there isn't a charge to defend against but is it completely one-sided? Is there not some opportunity to challenge the veracity of what is presented? If not, it seems like it's way too easy for these partisan shills to manufacture a case and bring bs charges they know will harm someone in the middle of a campaign for reelection. As we've seen with Harry "Is Mit Romney President?" Reid, people like him and Adam Shiff aren't concerned with the truth. To them, the ends justify the means.

 

[Michchamp]

I read about it myself, obviously but from the Daily Wire. By lack of media interest I'm referring to popular TV and press or the "main stream" media. ....

oh, okay. it sounded like you were trying to imply this was some left wing thing.

the only people I know who watch "main stream media" are baby boomer "moderates" like tinsel, and really old people.

 

[Spartanmack]

oh, okay. it sounded like you were trying to imply this was some left wing thing.

the only people I know who watch "main stream media" are baby boomer "moderates" like tinsel, and really old people.

considering the fact that the main stream media carries water for the Democrat establishment, it's implied that it is a left wing thing. maybe not an extreme left wing thing, but left wing.

The fact that it got a few mentions here and there doesn't invalidate the claim that it's not getting attention - as I said in my previous post if an investigation into Trump or any sitting Republican progressed to a criminal investigation, that's all you would hear from those outlets, at least until the case completely falls apart and turns out to be yet another partisan witch hunt.

 

[sggatecl]

obviously there is no case to present for the defense as there isn't a charge to defend against but is it completely one-sided? Is there not some opportunity to challenge the veracity of what is presented?

If it's like a Grand Jury testimony, like I keep reading it is, that's exactly how it is.

If not, it seems like it's way too easy for these partisan shills to manufacture a case and bring bs charges they know will harm someone in the middle of a campaign for reelection. As we've seen with Harry "Is Mit Romney President?" Reid, people like him and Adam Shiff aren't concerned with the truth. To them, the ends justify the means.

That's not a bad point. If nothing else, Trump's presidency has shown some huge glaring holes in how things work in D.C. to the detriment of both parties at times.

 

[sggatecl]

This is awesome, in the first paragraph they dismiss Barr's investigation into the politically motivated Russia probe as "politically motivated." But this could be my favorite line from the whole piece...

It's as if they have no self awareness whatsoever.​

Like I said, it's been an amusing week in D.C.

 

[tinselwolverine]

the only people I know who watch "main stream media" are baby boomer "moderates" like Tinsel, and really old people.

ftfy.

I?m not really old, but I?m old enough to expect that my damn handle should be capitalized.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=z7X2_V60YK8