Important book by Mueller top prosecutor @AWeissmann_
“They were hamstrung by Mueller’s decision not to look into Trump’s financial dealings with Russia, which might have established a source of Russian leverage over Trump.”
Weissmann told his colleague. “When there is insufficient proof of a crime, in volume one, we say it. But when there is sufficient proof, with obstruction, we don’t say it. Who is going to be fooled by that? It’s so obvious.”
3. Note:
Those potential obstruction charges are still lying in wait.
When Trump leaves office, he loses immunity from criminal prosecution.
4. Mueller “trusted his friend Barr to play it straight, not realizing that Barr had gone crooked.”
(that quote is from George Packer’s description of book)
“Barr,” Weissmann writes, “had betrayed both friend and country.”
5/5.
“Where Law Ends describes numerous instances, large and small, when Mueller declined to pursue an aggressive course for fear of the reaction at the White House.”
- George Packer
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Boat strikes put U.S. service members in legal jeopardy:
"Some junior officers have asked military lawyers, known as judge advocates general or JAGs, for written sign-off before taking part in strikes .... It does not appear that such memos were furnished."
2/ "Career military and civilian lawyers in the Defense Department and lawyers at other agencies who might otherwise be involved in the deliberations have left government or been excluded from the discussions."
3/ "Lawyers at the NSC, State Department, Justice Department and the Pentagon earlier this year questioned the legal basis for military strikes on cartels without authorization from Congress, and for a while were able to forestall action."
It’s important to understand why DOJ indictment of John Bolton seems very different than Letitia James and Jim Comey indictments.
1. Biden administration opened the criminal investigation of John Bolton in 2022. It's been detailed investigative work ever since.
CNN⤵️
🧵
2. Yes, the Biden DOJ did not indict Bolton. But they also did not close the investigation.
Plus CNN reports: “Unlike prosecutions brought against Comey and James, the Bolton case has maintained the support of career prosecutors and investigators.”
3. The Bolton Indictment is signed by career prosecutors (unlike James and Comey indictments).
Federalized Texas and California Guard to Portland is a "DIRECT CONTRAVENTION" of court's TRO from Saturday.
Both on 12406 statute and Tenth Amendment grounds.
2/ Your reminder that Judge Immergut was appointed to the bench by President Trump.
3/ The new Temporary Restraining Order bars the deployment by the Trump administration of any federalized National Guard -- eg California or Texas National Guard -- in Portland.
@charlie_savage @EricSchmittNYT 3/ "The administration has also stressed that about 100,000 Americans annually die from overdoses.
However, the focus of the ..attacks has been boats from Venezuela. The surge of overdose deaths...has been driven by fentanyl that drug trafficking experts say comes from Mexico"