Saturday, January 12, 2019

Trump Growing Woes: How the Mueller Investigation Could Play Out for Trump

Possibly Heading Down this Historical Path 
(Hopefully — fingers crossed)

Most-beautiful focused eye-contact ever believe me
(Gloating heard around the globe ever since)

Two extensive and timely articles on the subject below: (1) here (with line graph and very extensive), and (2) here.

Subject of both sources: “How the Mueller Investigation Could Play Out for Trump”

Background & Introduction: Days after Trump fired FBI director James Comey, the bureau began to ask the question that had consumed much of the American public since it first learned of Trump’s Russian connections: Could the president be working on behalf of Vladimir Putin, undermining American interests? 

According to a report from the New York Times, in May 2017, the FBI began to investigate if Trump was working – actively, or unknowingly – on behalf of the Kremlin while in office.

The inquiry took two modes: (1) Agents weighed if the president’s decision to fire Comey could be considered a threat to national security, and (2) if the firing had a criminal aspect, constituting obstruction of justice.

More details here from (1) above: Of all the questions hanging over the special counsel investigation, one stands out: How will President Trump fare in the end?

An indictment is one possibility that has grown increasingly unlikely. The office of the special counsel, Mueller told the president’s lawyers that it plans to abide by the Justice Department’s view that sitting presidents cannot be indicted no matter what the evidence shows.

Still, if Mr. Mueller finds wrongdoing, Mr. Trump could be indicted after he leaves office. But for now, there are several other potential outcomes while Mr. Trump is president. The New York Times spoke to defense lawyers, legal experts and former Justice Department officials to determine how the Mueller investigation may play out for Mr. Trump.

The Times explored the likeliest outcomes in this little-tested area of the law; some have nearly endless permutations that are not covered here.

This from (2) above, in part:

Not only would it be an issue of obstructing an investigation, but the obstruction itself would hurt our ability to figure out what the Russians had done, and that is what would be the threat to national security,” said former FBI general counsel James A. Baker, who testified before the House in October 2018.

While a potential obstruction of justice charge has already been reported, the detail of Trump as a target of counterintelligence is being made public for the first time.

My 2 cents: Combined these two assessments are very complex and quite loaded with lots of factual details.

Only time will tell – the ball as they say is in Mueller’s court – then that goes into the hands for Congress for final adjudication.

Stay tuned – the end is near.

Thanks for stopping by.

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