One thing to pay attention to. Many have suggested that Mueller knew there was no collusion and therefore pursued only obstruction. As I have argued, this isn't really true. Yes, it's true that they knew from the start that there was no collusion, but no that does not mean that Team Mueller didn't seek to frame people up on "collusion" charges. To the contrary, the inquisitors went to great--even absurd, if not so serious--lengths in their efforts to obtain any scrap that might allow them to credibly claim "collusion."
“They seemed desperate to find something to hang onto the narrative” of Russian collusion, ..."
Their firsthand accounts pull back the curtain on the secret inner workings of the Mueller probe, revealing how the special counsel's nearly two dozen prosecutors and 40 FBI agents used harshly aggressive tactics to pressure individuals to either cop to crimes or implicate others in felonies involving collusion.
Some subjects of investigation said Mueller’s agents and prosecutors tried to pressure them into admitting things to give the appearance of collusion. They demanded to know if they had spoken to anyone with a “Russian accent.” They threatened to jail them "for life" and to drag their wives or girlfriends into the investigation.
“Are you protecting Donald Trump?” Corsi said Rhee barked at him. She and the other prosecutors “were out to prove that I was the link between [Wikileaks founder Julian] Assange and [Trump confidante Roger] Stone — the key link to Assange that the prosecutors had to establish to advance their Russian collusion narrative.”
IMO, this is an important read. We'll be seeing more of these accounts, now that the targets have escaped Mueller's clutches.
ADDENDUM: In the spirit of full disclosure, it seems that Sperry spoke with former FBI agents in preparing this story, and they aren't uniformly proud of what Mueller has done to the FBI's reputation:
“The charges are lying and obstruction, so they dress out like this was a Waco assault? C’mon,” retired FBI special agent Michael Biasello said, adding that Mueller clearly was trying to intimidate Stone.
...
Schmitz said Mueller’s investigation was a costly and terrible waste of time. Even federal law enforcement veterans say the probe was overkill.
“[He] put the country through two years of divisive trauma based on an investigation that he knew was baseless,” former FBI agent and lawyer Mark Wauck said.
After the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Biasello said, he was one of 10 FBI agents selected to serve on Mueller’s team to investigate and research the hijackers assigned to American Airlines Flight 77.
"In this case,” he said, referring to the Trump-Russia probe, “he obviously was corrupted by his personal relationship with [former FBI Director James] Comey and politics. The glaring failure to produce a thread of a case against the president caused him and his office to resort to unethical investigative and prosecutorial methods."
Ex-Trump campaign official Michael Caputo,who went public earlier, complaining he had to remortgage his house after having to hire expensive Washington lawyers, wants Mueller and his team investigated for “prosecutorial abuses.” “Ruining lives was blood sport for them,” he said.
Moore agreed: “You look at the lives ruined — Corsi, Michael Flynn and others. That alone is enough to warrant a special investigation.”
"Even federal law enforcement veterans?" I wish I could say "especially."
I'll also say this: Barr's investigation will be incomplete if it doesn't address these abuses. Trump is a victim, but by far not the only victim. Our constitutional order has been victimized.
Robert Mueller's attitude was that Donald Trump, the elected US President, was similar to John Gotti, the boss of New York's Mafia.
ReplyDeleteApplying that attitude, Mueller employed the same methods that the FBI normally would use to remove a Mafia boss from his position. Mueller pressured his top target's associates and relatives, so that they might flip and testify in criminal prosecutions of the top target.
Mueller was trying to find an effective testifier like Sammy Gravano, who enabled the FBI to remove Gotti from the top of New York's Mafia.
Mike, there's some irony in what you're saying:
Delete"Robert Mueller's attitude was that Donald Trump, the elected US President, was similar to John Gotti, the boss of New York's Mafia."
The real crime family was and is the Deep State, of which Mueller remained an integral member. There was no evidence then and there still is no evidence now that Trump was a lawless imposter. But the evidence that Mueller and other Deep State actors at FBI/CIA/DoJ/DoS/etc. were and still are an organized criminal enterprise.
When the FBI uses a Mafia boss's associates and relatives to testify against him and so remove him from his position, those people don't enjoy much sympathy from the public.
ReplyDeleteMueller did not foresee that many of his victims would speak out and earn public sympathy so soon.
For example, George Papadopoulos has published a book and has spoken repeatedly in the mass media. Mueller had been counting on Papadopoulos remaining silent, at least for several years.
There have been and will be other victims who will be able to tell their stories to the public soon.
And Donald Trump still is the elected President and will not be impeached. Mueller has failed to remove him.
That Wauck fella! Why isn't Nadler calling for his expert testimony. ;-).
ReplyDeleteNot necessarily expert, but will express an opinion for cheap--even free!
Delete