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I don't understand why Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire isn't a bigger topic right now.
With the transcript out, they can (and apparently will) hang their hat on the defense that Trump's quid pro quo request was not insanely explicit.
Fine.
With the transcript out, they can (and apparently will) hang their hat on the defense that Trump's quid pro quo request was not insanely explicit.
Fine.
But the one thing that nobody has denied is that DNI Maguire did not follow the law when he failed to transmit the whistleblower complaint to Congress.
I've said several times already that they're going to need to throw somebody under the bus for this, and that it will probably be Maguire. The problem here is that we all know that Trump ordered the blockage. Trump is Maguire's boss, and the only one that COULD order it.
So without Maguire under the bus, this gets connected to Trump, and that all by itself means impeachment.
Yes, I do know they're arguing some ludicrous rationale right now that this complaint falls outside of the whistleblower law, and/or within executive privilege. But nobody really believes either of these things.
More importantly, when obstruction of justice charges are filed, I don't think these flimsy claims will keep Maguire out of prison.
So from Trump's perspective, the only long game is that this all lands on Maguire's head, Trump claims he had nothing to do with it, and _most importantly_ Maguire backs up this story.
In other words, for this strategy to work, Maguire has to willingly go under the bus. This could involve bribes (cash, future job), and a promise of presidential pardon.
If they don't cut some sort of sweetheart deal with Maguire, and he knows he's going to prison, then he could become a cooperating witness in exchange for immunity.
If they can't bribe Maguire to climb under the bus, then he's one of the most dangerous people in the world to Trump right now.
He's scheduled to testify before the House Intelligence Committee tomorrow (Thursday 9/26) at 9:00 am.
c-span.org/video/?464509-…
c-span.org/video/?464509-…
Whoa.
Drama.
And now the whistleblower doc is declassified and supposed to be available Thursday morning.
This was a very fast declassification. Maybe they had to get it taken care of ahead of Maguire's morning testimony? To appease him? To protect him? To dump him under the bus?
This was a very fast declassification. Maybe they had to get it taken care of ahead of Maguire's morning testimony? To appease him? To protect him? To dump him under the bus?
Well, everybody's talking about Maguire today, so the issue at the head of the thread is no longer relevant.
And he has not thrown himself under the bus. So he's going to lie for Trump, in a limited capacity at least (on the topic of whether Trump asked him to block this).
And he has not thrown himself under the bus. So he's going to lie for Trump, in a limited capacity at least (on the topic of whether Trump asked him to block this).
The reality of Trump blocking it will be the same as any other Trump reality: he didn't say it explicitly, but everybody understood what he meant.
Maguire's biggest vulnerability for himself though is the claim now that he simply delayed release (still against the law, still impeachable), rather than blocked it. Earlier statements and documentation show zero intent to give it to gang of eight.
