Thread by @jentaub

🗽Here we go. The Mueller Report hearing begins. Chairman Nadler gaveling in a bit late. 2:12 p.m.

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Nadler begins with opening statement. Said we now know the Russian government was engaging activities including hacking and influence campaign to benefit the Trump campaign and harm the Clinton campaign. Direct attack on our democratic process

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Although not enough evidence to charge Trump or campaign with conspiracy, did find meetings and links.

Wants to call Robert Mueller to testify.

Ten separate incidents Mueller identified where the president attempted to interfere with the investigation.

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We must follow the fact where they lead. Now identifying the four panelists who will testify today. Mentions House Rules that prevent making "inappropriate personal" comments about the president. But shouldn't prevent discussing "serious misconduct."

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Said former White House counsel Don McGahn will testify before the committee before long.

We were attacked. Trump's campaign took full advantage of the attack. The obstruction go to the heart of our legal system.

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Ranking member Collins. "If we were attacked. Then the priority should be to go to the battlefield of the attack." What's to know "how can we firm up our elections?" Complaining that this is really about the election of Trump.

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Collins said he doesn't think he should hear from people who appear on television who are not part of the Mueller investigation. Also complaining about John Dean. "The 70s star of obstruction."

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Collins now calls Dean "the Godfather." Suggests Comey et al are like Dean was when he worked for Nixon

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Collins claims that the committee does not want to hear from Mueller. "I believe the priorities are wrong."

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John Dean begins: Last time he was there was July 1974. Not here as a fact witness, but providing some perspectives. Likens Mueller Report to the Watergate Roadmap.

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Dean will focus on one parallel. Laid out six examples in his written statement which he called illustrative, not exhaustive. He will speak to the 6th.

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Dean is discussing whether the president dangled pardons before witnesses including Manafort, Cohen, and Stone. Was he seeking to keep their silence.

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Dean said Richard Nixon who used the pardon power in a similar way recognized that it was improper to do so.

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Dean recanted convos with Nixon concerning granting pardons. Nixon knew it was wrong. Nixon told him "in a very peculiar manner" in a "stage whisper." Said "I made a mistake talking to Colson about clemency for Hunt, didn't I?" And Dean replied, yes that was obstruction

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Joyce Vance is speaking now. Said she will cut to the chance. Prosecutors will only recommend indictment on obstruction if the can prove three elements: (1) obstructive act; (2) nexus with an official proceeding; (3) corrupt intent.

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THIS @JoyceWhiteVance: "The facts contained in that report would be sufficient to . . .charge multiple counts of obstruction." Not a close call. "I would have confidence that the evidence would be sufficient to obtain a guilty verdict" and stand up on appeal.

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@JoyceWhiteVance Now Vance is presenting the details. EVERYONE should go back and watch her statement. It is clear and powerful.

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@JoyceWhiteVance "If anyone other than the president of the United States had committed this conduct her would be under indictment for obstruction of justice."

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@JoyceWhiteVance Vance: It doesn't take a law degree to now that in this country, no one is above the law. If you or I had committed this same conduct we would be indicted.

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John Malcolm is speaking. Like his written testimony, he criticizes Mueller and also claims Trump was cooperative.

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Malcolm says Trump was not acting corruptly because either “naked self-interest” and to protect office of the presidency. Here Malcolm suggests obstruction prohibition does not apply to President

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Note that Mueller wrote that law did apply to President but that the DOJ policy and Constitution prevents prosecution while in office

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Now @BarbMcQuade is testifying. Multiple crimes of obstruction of justice.” It threatened our national security.

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McQuade lists specific examples. Then she focuses on Trump’s repeated pressure to get Sessions to unrecuse and to focus the interference investigation on future elections

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McQuade reminds us that evidence was destroyed. Also says if he’d been successful in curtailing investigation to future elections the indictments would not have been issued and our national security at risk

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Now questions begin. Starting with Nadler asking McQuade. Do you agree Congress has independent duty. McQuade said she would not call it a “do-over” but a separate inquiry

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Nadler read to @JoyceWhiteVance language from the first page of Volume II (the obstruction part). She explains that Mueller recognized he was restricted by DOJ policy but contemplated future prosecutors etc could use this report.

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President is required to faithfully execute the law said McQuade

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Collins asked McQuade whether she and Rachel Maddow has evidence of collusion. She tried to politely remind him that Mueller (on page 1 of Volume I) said explicitly that he looked at crime of conspiracy not the broader non-legal term collusion

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Congresswoman from California it’s focused on McGahn. He told President to speak to his personal lawyer and not him about his complaints about supposed Mueller conflicts

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McQuade said Trump felt threatened by Mueller early in investigation because didn’t know Mueller would ultimately conclude insufficient evidence to charge conspiracy

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Congresswoman Lee recounts that Mueller report describes the President twice called WH counsel McGahn at home to get Rosenstein to fire Mueller

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When asked Vance said these facts show obstruction of justice. Further McQuade said McGahn wanted to resign

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Congressman Cohen is asking questions. Vance said there’s enormous risk if McGahn had followed through with Trump’s request he could be charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice

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.@JoyceWhiteVance agreed that the standard for impeachment is different than criminal case. Also don’t need to point to particular criminal statute. Can impeach for actions that are awful but lawful.

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In at least three of the ten areas Vance said there was substantial evidence to move forward.

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Not sure why Jim Jordan is asking about the embassy in Jerusalem.

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Nice. @JohnWDean got a well-deserved laugh. When Jordan asked him why he tweeted disdainfully about Trump, he replied that the rules of decorum in the House prevent him from answering

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Why is Jim Jordan shouting?

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Now Vance is describing four instances where President Trump sought to get McGahn to lie about accurate press reports that Trump asked him to get Mueller fired

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Now Rep. Gaetz is shrieking at Dean and losing his credibility as Dean returns his impertinent questions with calm and amusing one-liners. Must te-watch

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That should say re-watch

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Key take away seems to be that Gaetz channeling Trump accused Dean of making buck by accusing all presidents of acting like Nixon. Dean soberly explained that he only accused those who unfortunately did. Meaning Bush II and Trump.

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Vance speaks of the catch-all obstruction clause of 18 USC 1512, and at least one tweeting law prof is here for this

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Congressman Biggs is reminding us that John Dean is a felon. Says he is biased. Reminds us that Dean called impeachment of Bill Clinton was absurd.

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Some of these Republicans’ attempts to protect their dear leader @realDonaldTrump are lackluster. Sad. Yawn. Why is this guy mentioning Ionesco and Pirandello. If I were Individual-1, I’d be annoyed

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Congresswoman Bass focuses on Don McGahn. Asks John Dean why some convos between Trump and McHahn are not covered by attorney-client privilege.

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Typo. McGahn

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Bass is reading from section of report where President Trump berates McGahn for taking notes. When he said Roy Cohen never took notes.

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When asked, McQuade explained it was important for a lawyer to take notes to help refresh your recollection at a future date. She said not taking them would be for so-called “plausible deniability.”

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Vance said she never had a client request she not take notes. She said such a request would be a red flag. She worked mostly as a prosecutor but spent about 6 years in private practice

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Really? Republican Congressman says it’s common for a Rep to say “I want to strangle that guy.” Even jokingly that seems very unfortunate

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“I’m not here to defend the President’s conduct” says John Malcolm. But then he incorrectly says there have been no consequences for those who ignore his orders

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Vance: The President in order to save himself was willing to forgo investigation into Russia interfering in our election

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Nadler said we will get fact witnesses (who White House instructed not to appto testify

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Good for @JoyceWhiteVance. She makes clear that while Mueller did not find sufficient evidence to charge a conspiracy, people should read report and see gap essentially between collusion and conspiracy

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@JoyceWhiteVance .@ericswalwell. Asked Dean "in you view the Nixon administration committed more obstruction?" Dean: "The Trump administration is in fast competition of what happened in the Nixon administration"

He thanks witnesses, especially @JohnWDean, @JoyceWhiteVance and @BarbMcQuade

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade Good. @tedlieu asked Dean whether it is the role of the attorney general to protect the president.

Dean said no. Said for example Mitchell and Saxbe did not see it that way. "Unprecedented view from Trump.?

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu McQuade said Trump was persistent in his effort in getting Attorney General Sessions to recuse himself. Was fearful including of things like payment of hush money that led to him being named "Individual-1", the meeting in Trump Tower and so on.

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu Now Armstrong is saying that president could fire the FBI director at anytime and that Mueller could have recommended any charges, could have said the evidence was there to convict a president.

Congressman Steube keeps saying Mueller "kicked it to Barr"

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu Armstrong keeps saying that obstruction of justice statute should not apply to the president. Yet he misleadingly fails to mention that Mueller went through this in depth in his report.

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu When someone "yields the remainder of my time to Mr. Jordan" somewhere an angel loses its wings.

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu I find John Malcolm to me a little whiney. But your mileage may vary.

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu Oh good. @RepRaskin is asking questions. He's focused on the convo between Trump and @Comey where Trump said something like Flynn is a good guy, I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. . . .Let it go!



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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey Vance is reminded us of the private meeting between Trump and Russian officials in the oval during which he explained he'd felt the weight was lifted off his shoulders now that he'd fired Comey

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey Vance reminds that under US law to be charged with obstruction does not require a separate underlying criminal offense. She mentioned that obstruction convictions can stand alone even if other crimes are not charged or done survive appeal

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey "It's quite startling to me . . that history is repeating itself with a vengeance." - John Dean

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey Congresswoman Lesko is having trouble reading words. Like prosecutorial. She pronounced it like it was the first time she said it. This leads me to believe that perhaps she did not write her own remarks and was reading them now

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey Now Lesko is asking a question of McQuade. She is quoting something she wrote.

"I agree that Mueller . . .could not establish the technical crime of conspiracy." But she said she believes Trump worked with Russia and benefited from their activities.

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey Is Leko stupid or just playing dumb? How many times today did the witnesses and Mueller make clear he was not speaking to collusion. Vance responds, "There is abundant evidence of collusion."

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey Sorry that should say "Lesko."

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey Next up for questions is @RepJayapal. Seems to be focusing in on dangling a pardon for Manafort. She asks Dean about Giuliani's statement

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal Dean said he's waiting for Giuliani's promised written response to the Mueller Report. Also said this is shocking but not surprising as Mueller wrote about it

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal Vance said public obstruction can still be obstruction, as Mueller discussed. It's not okay even if done in public as statements can and do impact witnesses.

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal Quoting the report, @RepJayapal reads: "President intended to encourage Manafort not to cooperate with the government"

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal Yawn. John Malcolm is pretty dry

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal Every time the Republicans keep saying Trump cooperated someone should say, he refused to meet with the special counsel. Then they should make note of the number of tweets in which he disparaged the investigation as a witch hunt. Hint: more than 200 times

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal Discussion now led by Rep. Scanlan questions concerning the voice message left in Flynn's lawyer's voice mail by the president's personal attorney John Dowd

McQuade suggested that it's the return call that was not just the voice message alone that was threatening

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal More on pardon dangling where Giuliani emailed Michael Cohen with "Sleep well tonight you have friends in high places."

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal Hi Congressman Ratcliffe! We're still watching because most committee members care about the Constitution and we want to hear more about the crime and coverup in the Mueller Report. Also, about that chicken -- that's because Barr was too chicken to show up. Try to keep up.

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal Now Rep. Raticliffe is accusing democrats and witnesses of being consistent in their noticing that the President is unfit

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal Next questioner is Rep. Garcia. She's zeroing in on the pressure on Michael Cohen to stay on message with a pardon dangling.

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal Garcia asks re disparaging tweets re Cohen around the time he was cooperating re pre-election hush money payments for Trump

Vance: "When you're on his side, he likes you." When you stray, "You should expect consequences." On its own not criminal, but part of bigger pattern.

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal Rep. Neguse is focused on part of Mueller report that discusses not obtaining an interview with the special counsel team.

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal Good point. @JoyceWhiteVance : "You have to ask yourself why wouldn't they make the most important witness, the President of the United States, available."

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal Already captivated by @lucymcbath. President said nobody disobeys my orders. And yet . . .McGahn did not carry out the direction by the President to do what would essentially trigger another "Saturday Night Massacre." Similarly Lewondowski and Dearborn did not follow orders

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal @lucymcbath Asks Dean whether it's common to disregard orders or requests form the President and under what circumstances would it be appropriate to do so.

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal @lucymcbath 😳Dean said it's unusual, but it did happen in the Nixon White House. OMG. "At one point Nixon wanted to firebomb the Brookings Institute." Said one person wouldn't do it. But Colson was moving it forward. So Dean had to stop this. . . (Do folks know this? New to me).

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal @lucymcbath Okay. Google it. Apparently the proposed firebombing of Brookings was reported before.

See latimes.com/archives/la-xp…

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal @lucymcbath As Dean explained, the purpose was so during the fire Nixon's team could rob the safe. Huh?

Happened in 1971 . . . no wonder Dean today said it was a precursor to Watergate.

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal @lucymcbath Okay. Back from that detour. Jim Jordan is yelling again.

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal @lucymcbath This is the part where Jim Jordan pretends he's never seen the law that makes clear it's a crime to endeavor or attempt to obstruct justice. I guess he is used to pretend not to see things that are obvious and harmful.

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal @lucymcbath Jim Shouty McShoutVoice Jordan hands it back to Ranking Member Collins.

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal @lucymcbath Not sure what Collins actually said, but it seemed like a long whiney blah blah. To which Dean responded something like if we had that attitude then "Watergate would never have been investigated."

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal @lucymcbath Visual aids displayed in the hearing room. But they are off camera. Or at least not visible on the livestream from the committee website. Based on description are a row or rows of people

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal @lucymcbath Rep @RepDMP was careful reading the part of the report where the President said after Mueller was appointed. "That's the end of my Presidency. I'm Fucked." She instead said "F-Word" because she's a Mom and her kids might be watching. (Reader: She is a better mom than I am).

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal @lucymcbath @RepDMP We have Rep Escobar asking questions now. McQuade said "This is the strongest example of obstruction of justice" when Trump directed McGahn to create a false document. See this for background nytimes.com/2019/05/10/us/…

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal @lucymcbath @RepDMP Hey. What's happening? The sound just died on the @HouseJudiciary livefeed!

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal @lucymcbath @RepDMP @HouseJudiciary Okay. Sound is back.

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal @lucymcbath @RepDMP @HouseJudiciary Almost four hours into this. . .Now Rep. Demings is asking whether the special counsel was confined by the Office of Legal Counsel (of the DOJ) decision.

McQuade said yes.

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal @lucymcbath @RepDMP @HouseJudiciary Demings follows up with a question for Vance. If he could not indict the president then why conduct a thorough investigation? @JoyceWhiteVance says because in part "impeachment is the appropriate step to take for the one person who is immune from indictment."

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal @lucymcbath @RepDMP @HouseJudiciary John Dean multitasks and apparently wears AirPods. Rep Demings had to repeat her question for him because he was listening to his phone.

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal @lucymcbath @RepDMP @HouseJudiciary Demings asked @BarbMcQuade to reflect on this statement from the Mueller Report. "If we had confidence that the president did not commit a crime, we would ... clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state."

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal @lucymcbath @RepDMP @HouseJudiciary She responded that "he left it for Congress to see whether impeachment was appropriate."

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal @lucymcbath @RepDMP @HouseJudiciary Congressman Correa asked Dean why he decided to testify. His response. "I began developing a knot in my stomach" when the polls indicated Trump could win in 2016.

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal @lucymcbath @RepDMP @HouseJudiciary Charging false statements (with Flynn lying to FBI) "Prevents investigators from finding the truth" says @BarbMcQuade. @JoyceWhiteVance adds if we don't charge false statements or obstruction alone then the best at lying and obstructing would get away scot free.

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal @lucymcbath @RepDMP @HouseJudiciary Lost the sound again. Even on Cspan. Not sure why

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal @lucymcbath @RepDMP @HouseJudiciary It's okay. I can hear it on CSPAN radio.

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal @lucymcbath @RepDMP @HouseJudiciary And CSPAN4.

Okay Nadler is taking on the Republicans on the committee who called the Mueller investigation a "bogus investigation."

This is very necessary threat to our liberty. Obligation to the American people to investigate this.

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@JoyceWhiteVance @ericswalwell @JohnWDean @BarbMcQuade @tedlieu @RepRaskin @Comey @RepJayapal @lucymcbath @RepDMP @HouseJudiciary Nadler thanks the witnesses and adjourns the meeting. Gaveled out at 6:23 p.m.

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TYPO. Should say recounted.

Chase not chance

@threadreaderapp unroll

Should say unrecuse