Russiagate Going, and Going and Going

But not yet gone. Matthew Whitaker continues to be the main story. He's replacing Sessions, and the Demorats and the media (but I repeat myself) are unhappy. 

Bloomburg whines: Mueller’s New Boss Has Broad Powers to Throttle Trump Probe WaEx: New acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker now overseeing Mueller investigation: 6 things to know Who, What, When Where, Why, How Long. From Breitbart, Clapper: Firing Comey, Hiring Whitaker Could Be ‘Slow-Motion Saturday Night Massacre’ Ed Morrissey at Hot Air: Trump: Didn’t Discuss Mueller With Whitaker Before Appointment As Acting AG; Update: Trump In October: “I Mean, I Know Matt Whitaker” then AllahPundit at Hot Air: More Trump: If Matt Whitaker Needs To Be Confirmed By The Senate, Why Doesn’t Bob Mueller? The whole question of who needs to be confirmed by the Senate seems hopelessly muddled.

And, of course, the Resistance: Jonathon Swan at Axios: Momentum builds against acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker, AllahPundit: Susan Collins “Concerned” About Whitaker’s Anti-Mueller Comments, Wants A Bill To Protect The Special Counsel and Company Formerly Advised By Matt Whitaker Being Criminally Investigated By FBI, Accused Of Defrauding Vets.

Jeff Mordock at WaEx, Mueller team begins writing final report

Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team has begun writing its final report on its 18-month Russia investigation, according a media report Thursday.

The investigation has entered its final stages, but federal prosecutors reportedly still have some final pieces to put into place, CNN reported.

The Mueller team is seeking information related to Roger Stone, a longtime Trump adviser who has been at the center of the Mueller probe in recent weeks.
. . .
Mueller’s team does not expect the firing of Mr. Sessions, who had recused himself from the probe, to affect the final report. Mr. Sessions’ successor, Matthew G. Whitaker, has taken over the investigation from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

Tom Maguire at Just One Minute writes of Mueller With Momentum

More Resistance Porn? Benjamin Wittes says its too late to slow the Mueller Express.

His Point Six may induce a dmagaing level of eye roll from any righty familiar with the "investigation" into Hillary's emails. Take care

Sixth, corrupting the Justice Department is harder than you think.

To be fair, after watching Loretta Lynch and Barack Obama cover for Hillary's misdeeds (and the President used her email too, so the cover-up had plenty of motivation) or the FISA waltz with Carter Page I don't think corrupting the Justice Department is that hard.

Ed Morrissey at Hot Air (again) Hmmm: DC Circuit Orders Briefs On Sessions’ Exit In Mueller Challenge

What does the change at the Department of Justice have to do with Robert Mueller’s legal predicate to prosecute cases in federal court? Nothing at all … I think. Nevertheless, the DC Circuit judges handling the appeal by a Roger Stone associate challenging Mueller’s status have ordered briefs by both sides to cover the forced resignation of Jeff Sessions as Attorney General, so the court has at least some curiosity on the topic:

Apparently, Paul Manafort is not willing to tell lies for Robert Mueller. ABC: Tensions rising between Mueller, Manafort over level of cooperation. To be fair, though, it's probably Mueller's bull dog, Weissman demanding that Manafort lie. He has a history: Does Robert Mueller’s Lead Prosecutor Have A History Of Ethics Violations? (Margot Cleveland, Da Federalist)

Weissmann’s abrupt resignation from his top spot on the Enron Task Force and his departure from the DOJ raise that possibility: Weissmann resigned from the task force in the middle of jury deliberations in another Enron-related prosecution. Also, Weissmann’s departure came following trial testimony from two witnesses that “based on discussions with the Task Force before their testimony, they both felt threatened by a possible indictment if they testified on behalf of the [Enron] defendants.”

Additionally, at that trial, the government elicited false testimony from Rice, the witness Weissmann purportedly threatened, which defense counsel was able to establish based on a video tape that contracted Rice’s testimony.

At Da Caller, Jerome Corsi who talked to Roger Stone: Mueller Grand Jury Witness Cryptically Suggests He’s In Legal Jeopardy  I don't know of him, but it seems the Special Counsel's ire seems to fall particularly on those who supported Trump.

Corsi has also denied meeting with Assange.

“I’m still not going to contact him. Never have and have no intention of doing so,” Corsi said during his Aug. 31 web show, the last before taking a two-month hiatus. “I could see coming down the road this Russian collusion fantasy.”

Corsi offered harsh words for Mueller and the investigation in that web show, which was aired three days after Corsi was first subpoenaed.

He accused Mueller of being part of a “criminal coup d’etat” and reacted to Stone’s claim that he could be indicted in the investigation.

“I don’t know what for,” Corsi said. “I don’t think Mueller has anything new that will prove Russian collusion. I just don’t see it.”

Jeff Carlson of the Epoch Times has a whole lot of Questions for George Papadopoulos with the usual appearance of the Mysterious Mr. Mifsud. The FBI, the CIA and the Brits seemed to spend an awful lot of time and money trying to get to a low level Trump adviser. Why?

WSJw, Donald Trump Played Central Role in Hush Payoffs to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal. The Prosecutors at the SDNY set this up by forcing Cohen to plead guilty to what is arguably not criminal.

Linked at Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links.