H/T to @actual_chaos for this WP article. It provides some great new information, hidden by a bit of spin. First it shows a concerted effort by McCabe to force the recusal of Rosenstein from the Trump case. McCabe knew RR was not on his side, that's clear.
wapo.st/2pNcT3Z?tid=ss…
wapo.st/2pNcT3Z?tid=ss…
McCabe went to a meeting with RR & Mueller bearing documents from FBI Ethics people saying he was in the clear & had no conflicts that required him to recuse from the Mueller case. He of course brought Lisa Page along to help his arguments.
I think it is clear that the entire purpose of appointing Mueller was to take the case from McCabe. He clearly suspected that too & attacked RR to try & force his recusal. He failed. But McCabe clearly wanted RR off this case so he could run it.
The most interesting detail I identified was why RR wanted McCabe recused. In the gap between Comey & Mueller, McCabe opened a criminal obstruction of justice case against @RealDonaldTrump! This also may explain a redaction in the Strzok/Page texts.
Those texts show an effort to take advantage of the fact the McCabe is Acting Director to lock in REDACTED in a formal chargeable way. I've always suspected it was @GenFlynn or @jaredkushner. But this story shows an effort to lock in an obstruction of justice charge against Trump
McCabe also started a criminal investigation of US Attorney General Jeff Sessions too. Possibly part of maneuvers to force his recusal from the case. Don't be surprised if we learn McCabe tried to prosecute RR for obstruction for firing @Comey nbcnews.com/politics/polit…
The article says neither was recused, but resulted in Mueller having "a great degree of independence and control over his investigation." Mueller exercised that independence by removing all the lawyers McCabe had assigned to the case!
Mueller has already cleared Sessions of the charges McCabe tried to bring against him. Mueller has probably also cleared the Trump obstruction charges, if they even took them seriously. If Mueller really believed RR & Trump committed obstruction of justice, RR must be recused.
So we are getting even more evidence that Mueller was brought on to remove MCabe's influence from the case. That RR had to instruct Mueller verbally to avoid sharing the SC jurisdiction w McCabe. The day McCabe lost authority as Acting Director, RR issued more detailed orders.
