More proof supporting my hypothesis that the entire Mueller investigation was a sham

[NewsCenter28]

From Politico just now:

Justice Dept. confirms Trump Jr. and McGahn did not testify to grand jury
By Darren Samuelsohn with Josh Gerstein
10/20/2019 04:04 PM EDT
The Justice Department confirmed Sunday that President Donald Trump's son Donald Jr. and former White House Counsel Don McGahn were never called before a grand jury that heard witnesses called by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
The disclosure was set in motion by U.S District Court Chief Judge Beryl Howell's ruling last week that Justice Department attorneys had deleted too much information from a court filing last month in an ongoing legal dispute over Attorney General Bill Barr's refusal to share with House lawmakers grand jury-related information in Mueller's final report.
Howell's opinion issued Thursday suggested it was perplexing why Trump Jr. and McGahn were not subpoenaed to testify to the grand jury.
"The Special Counsel's reasons remain unknown," Howell wrote. "The reason is not that the individuals were insignificant to the investigation. To the contrary, both of the non-testifying individuals named in paragraph four figured in key events examined in the Mueller Report. Assessment of these choices by the Special Counsel is a matter for others."

What a burn by Chief Judge Howell. Either Mueller was threatened or he was brought into conduct a show investigation to try to clean up the mess left behind by Trump's Russian treason. His testimony, which was dripping with contempt at the Democrats for daring to haul him before them to testify, tends to lead me to the latter conclusion. "Special Counsel"? What a joke!

[dewsgirl]

1. I think he was threatened.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

2. Without a doubt!!

Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[NewsCenter28]

3. The next Democratic DOJ

should charge Mueller with aiding and abetting Trump's Russian treason.

[elleng]

9. NOT smart.

[Raine1967]

46. I'm not so sure about that.

It's one thing to have a theory, but I see no proof that he aided and abetted.

I think it was more likely that he was told to end the investigation.

[PSPS]

5. Your posts will get alerted with your signature

[Stargazer09]

8. Agreed

I think his hands were tied from the beginning.

[dewsgirl]

25. I keep thinking about that Friday before the memo was released,

the press got a photo of him in his car, he looked so troubled.

[EveHammond13]

32. he looked bullied

[dewsgirl]

33. Indeed.

[rockfordfile]

36. So he was a coward

[exboyfil]

11. What could they threaten him with?

Something to do with his family? I think it is more likely that he was in the bag all along. Him, Comey, and the rest all wanted a Republican administration - just not a Trump one.

[dewsgirl]

14. I hope we find out one day.

[volstork]

41. Just like we found out

who murdered JFK

[whathehell]

37. What they could threaten anyone else with?

Death, dismemberment? Disclosure of some skeleton in his past?

[triron]

22. He was Barred.

[42bambi]

56. Mueller may have held their

testimony until near the end of the investigation...but Barr shut it down!

[Captain Zero]

62. I've wondered. That

Always seemed to be parsing things so as not to anger someone.

[bitterross]

4. I think you're reading too much into it. Both would've been a waste of time.

McGahn would have just plead the 5th or cited executive privilege. It would have been a waste of time.

Don Jr. is, frankly, too dumb to know he was doing anything wrong in the first place. So there would be no "intent" on his part that would be criminal. He would have also, under advice of counsel, plead the 5th throughout any questioning. A waste of time and bad PR calling him.

They knew they wouldn't get anything useful from either - so why bother?

[exboyfil]

7. Is pleading the 5th bad PR?

It seems pretty good PR to me.

[bitterross]

18. The spin would be all about going after family. Not worth it.

The FOX spin, which the rest of the media would repeat, would be all about how they can't get the President so they're going after his son. How that is so awful and so on. For the absolute nothing they knew they'd get out of him it just doesn't seem like it was worth the effort and the BS that would be spewed their way.

Just my opinion.

[Think-b4-U-act]

34. But Don Jr could explain his e-mail "I love it"

and the Trump Tower meeting under oath. These were valid subjects for investigation and it would not seem unreasonable to call him. No one could claim it was only harassment of the Trump family. I find this information troubling.

[reACTIONary]

55. No o e would know....

.... grand jury testimony - or non testimony as it might be - is not made public.

[Eyeball_Kid]

20. Junior isn't stupid, although it provides some comfort

to know that his role is to do exactly what daddy says and he’s so good at it.

More than stupid, Junior is dangerous. He will do things on daddy’s behalf from which daddy can deflect the fallout. He’s an untouchable. His millions may be forfeited when prosecutors focus on his criminality. That goes for Princess Sparkleboobs as well. Maybe we’ll live to see that day.

[triron]

23. You make astounding assumptions. Are you an experienced federal prosecutor?

[bitterross]

26. No, but I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

Pardon me, I thought this was an site where people shared opinions. I simply stated my opinion. If you don't like it you're more than welcome to state an intelligent response rather than a snarky response.

[triron]

52. I also stated mine. Maybe you are being snarky? Intelligent response? Who judges that?

[bitterross]

63. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So too, with opinions.

All I did was make some rather logical assumptions based upon history. Trump Sr. took the 5th 97 times in a deposition. Don Jr. is going to be advised by the same sort of people who advised Sr. There is NO benefit to him to answer questions. I don't have to be a lawyer to figure that out.

As for McGhan, Trump instructed his advisors to use executive privilege as a reason not to answer questions or even show up for Mueller. There is no reason to assume McGhan would have done anything differently than the others who, at the time, invoked privilege in order not to answer questions. At the time, it there was no impeachment inquiry and even if he had been subpoenaed he would've probably invoked executive privilege.

People in Trump's sphere do ONLY what is in their own best interest. One need not be a federal prosecutor to make informed, logical assumptions about human nature.

As for judging whether a response is intelligent or not, it is in the eye of the beholder. Though, when all one does is ask a question like "Are you a federal prosecutor?" and provides no rebuttal for why my assertions lack any substance, it's reasonable to conclude the question was snark, not an intelligent response. The likelihood of federal prosecutors opining upon things here is extremely remote. If found out, they could suffer consequences from the Trump admin for being on a left-leaning site.

One could, and should, ask of the OP: "How, exactly, is Mueller's not questioning Jr. and McGhan proof of anything? Much less a conspiracy." Which is basically what I did in a non-offensive manner.

You don't seem to have a problem with a conspiracy theory. You seem to have an issue with logical reasoning.

[rockfordfile]

39. BS No excuses. Mueller just white washed it. Mueller is a Republican

[YOHABLO]

48. I agree to an extent on that. Mueller played it very carefully.

He doesn't want to be thrown out of the ''club''.

[uponit7771]

61. "too dumb" is not a defense and make the 5th pleading official for the record not conjecture.

[exboyfil]

6. I don't understand all the plea deals

without trading up (why give the plea deal if you don't make the next domino fall). Also the plea deals were not for the underlying crimes, but what could be considered "process" crimes (lying, obstruction). It was a distinct pattern that should have made individuals uneasy at the time.

How do principals not at least be forced to plead the 5th with the Grand Jury? Trump Jr. had absolutely no executive privilege and should have at least been forced to plead the 5th. Also how could McGahn skate when Dean was forced/allowed to testify.

[triron]

24. Something is rotten in Denmark.

[Demonaut]

10. link?

[emmaverybo]

12. Mueller's big conspiracy: providing blue print for impeachment and evidence for several outside

Investigations. Also several FBI agents embedded with probe though we have yet to discover what
they found—post-Trump we will.

[rockfordfile]

43. Mueller went with un-American DOJ policy "not to indict sitting Presidents"

That's a fascist republican policy. The next right-wing pos after Nixon broke the law. Then the next one.

[H2O Man]

13. Don Jr's attorney

had told Mr. Mueller that he would stick with the 5th in either discussions with the FBI & federal prosecutors, and if called before the grand jury. Hence, there would have been limited gain in calling him, unless to support an indictment. Because the case was believed to have less than a 90% chance of convicting Junior, the prosecutors opted not to charge him. Part of the proof required in that type of case -- his gleeful meeting with the Russians -- is to prove he was aware it was wrong. Note that this is a legal standard not required i8n almost any other case. But it is the law, and it allowed Junior to skate.

McGhan was only able to tell about Trump's obstructing justice. This is very well documented in the Mueller Report. This would have been essential if the DoJ would indict a sitting president. Few of the DoJs of recent vintage would have seriously considered it. Certainly, under Trump, it could not happen. Hence, the decision not to call him before the grand jury is justified. It is up to Congress to question McGhan under oath.

Judge Howell's decision is outstanding.

[NewsCenter28]

15. All that makes sense H20 thanks!

But one thing remains: Why was he so pissed off that we asked him to testify and put in a performance that could charitably be called phoning it in on Capitol Hill. Isn't America worth it to him? Why did he ask Barr to send him a letter telling him exactly what he could say? It was unsolicited.

[H2O Man]

19. Valid question.

The answer is certainly complex, and it isn't satisfying that Team Mieller could not keep it plain. The team could have put out, along with the two-part report they did, another edition for the average citizen to read. One that makes something very similar of what they'd present to a grand jury of average citizens to gain an indictment. I sometimes wonder why someone hasn't attempted something similar to this. It's needed.

But part of the answer that I am sure of is that in his role heading this investigation, what Mr. Mueller saw -- including the parts on the counterintellugence information that can't be released -- took a serious toll upon his health. That was evident to everyone around him. Indeed, towards the end of the investigation the team was doing almost all of the work. It was as if the investigation was literally poisoning him. So by the time he testified to Congress, he had been seriously reduced. That wasn't the man who started the investigation.

[ChubbyStar]

49. Diminished is the way I saw Mueller at the end

I want to know what he saw that troubled him so deeply that his physical countenance just shriveled. I like your analogy about being poisoned, any chance that somebody was fucking with his health? As in he was actually being poisoned?

[Think-b4-U-act]

44. If I am not mistaken couldn't Don Jr be granted immunity

which would override his ability to plead the 5th. Since he could not incriminate himself; if he did not testify he would be in contempt of court. Since he would be under oath, if he lied it would be a new crime. It would not be covered by the immunity agreement.

[H2O Man]

51. Yes, but I think

that you've provided the answer to why that would be a waste of time. He could testify, and have immunity. There'd be no reason for him to lie, because there would be no way to charge him. And no one else involved would contradict him. And he could still say he didn't know it was wrong to meet with the Russians for information on Clinton.

[brush]

16. IMO the report was truncated as it ended a month after Barr started.

It's pretty apparent he cut it short. trump jr. certainly should've been called to testify about the trump tower meeting where he was expecting to get dirt on Hillary, and of course the White House counsel should've been called.

Never the less there were 10 instances of obstruction outlined in Part Two of the report. Too bad Barr put out his false and exculpatory brief on the report before releasing it, and it is also too bad Mueller didn't get past his obedient Marine mindset of just being the good soldier and said: "Fuck this shit, this orange crook is guilty as sin and I'm indicting his ass."

[broiles]

17. Mueller is a Republican appointed by a Republican.

[BamaRefugee]

30. who didn't want the other 3 Republicans in his golf foursome mad at him

[Evolve Dammit]

31. Yep. And you can bet influential forces were very busy. He's friends with Barr and many others.

As Carlin said: "It's a big club. And you ain't in it."

[blueinredohio]

21. Rosenstein was fine with Mueller being special counsel so

That's enough for me to think it was a sham.

[Sewa]

65. And Rosenstein said Mueller didn't have any

restrictions placed on his investigation. Then after the Mueller report came out we find out there were guardrails places around the investigation

[Kurt V.]

27. Obviously

[ritapria]

29. It was a sham

Mueller gave Flynn a get out of jail for free card and got absolutely nothing in return .. The sentencing judge didn't go along with the farcical plea deal ….He was shocked at it's term of leniency ……

[Laura PourMeADrink]

28. Subpoena Jeff Sessions!

[bucolic_frolic]

35. It was a probe, it wasn't like a prosecution

By and large these investigations don't produce electrifying results that clean up the mess. They are half measures. The S&L crisis, Iran-Contra. They usually choose older well-regarded people to lead the investigation. I suppose there is the wisdom of age, and the reality not a lot is supposed to happen. I don't follow everything but name an investigation led by a hard-charging 40-something. Can't think of one.

[DallasNE]

40. Didn't You Just Define Ken Starr? n/t

[bucolic_frolic]

50. Yeah, pretty much

kind of proves the point. From the Warren Commission forward.

[leftstreet]

53. +1

[DallasNE]

38. Didn't Mueller Explain This

As being outside the scope of his investigation. But that still wouldn't explain why Mueller didn't hand it off to another jurisdiction, such as SDNY for Don Jr. and the DC district for McGahn.

[Pepsidog]

42. Mueller was a coward, his testimony proved that. He was afraid of Trump.

[rockfordfile]

45. Trump jr was mocking him the entire time. Knowing exactly what he was about

[Botany]

47. We haven't seen the Mueller Report!!!!!!

[leftyladyfrommo]

54. And that tells the tale.

What did he report that was so damaging that it was buried.

It wasn't his fault that so many tried to turn him into some kind of avenging angel. He was given a job. He did it under awful circumstances.

This hasn't all played out yet. The truth has a way of finding its way out. Hive it time.

[Botany]

57. All you have to do is look how hard Trump and Barr have been working as of late to discredit it.

They have been having people traveling all over the globe looking to make up dirt on the Mueller report.

https://themoscowproject.org/explainers/trumps-russia-cover-up-by-the-numbers-70-contacts-with-russia-linked-operatives/

TRUMP’S RUSSIA COVER-UP BY THE NUMBERS – 272 CONTACTS WITH RUSSIA-LINKED OPERATIVES

Barr was brought in to kill the Mueller investigation and report.

[not_the_one]

58. Barr said publicly that Mueller COULD HAVE FILED CHARGES

Mueller could have spoken up at that time, but didn't say SQUAT.

MUELLER decided his focus was so narrow as to be a joke.

[pnwmom]

59. There is another possibility, at least with Don Jr.

Remember that Mueller had a narrow mandate, but he passed on other cases to other US Attorneys.

We've never found about most of those investigations, but I've wondered whether the Parnas/Fruman/Giuliani case is one.

And it's possible that some prosecutor somewhere is still investigating Don Jr.

[triron]

64. SDNY is.

[uponit7771]

60. "The Special Counsel's reasons remain unknown," So no wonder he didn't want any questions asked ...

... outside of the report.