Russiagate: Weissman Turns on Mueller

John Sexton at Hot Air, One Of Mueller’s Top Deputies Turns On Him, Says He Let The American People Down

One of Robert Mueller’s top deputies is about to publish a book about the inner workings of the special counsel investigation. In a piece about the book, Andrew Weissman told the Atlantic that he was “frustrated” he Mueller report hadn’t gone harder after the president:

Weissmann offers a damning indictment of a “lawless” president and his knowing accomplices—Attorney General William Barr (portrayed as a cynical liar), congressional Republicans, criminal flunkies, Fox News. Donald Trump, he writes, is “like an animal, clawing at the world with no concept of right and wrong.” But in telling the story of the investigation and its fallout, Weissmann reserves his most painful words for the Special Counsel’s Office itself. Where Law Ends portrays a group of talented, dedicated professionals beset with internal divisions and led by a man whose code of integrity allowed their target to defy them and escape accountability.

“There’s no question I was frustrated at the time,” Weissmann told me in a recent interview. “There was more that could be done that we didn’t do.” . . .

It’s incredible that Democrats are still whining about Barr’s summary of the report so long after the report itself has been released. It couldn’t be any clearer that what mattered most to them wasn’t the report but the Democratic PR effort surrounding it which never recovered.

The Houston Chronicle cites WaPoo as it whines Mueller 'could have done more' to hold Trump accountable, member of special counsel says 

He lays particular blame on Mueller's top deputy, Aaron Zebley, for stopping investigators from taking a broad look at Trump's finances, and writes that he now wonders whether investigators had "given it our all," knowing they left many important questions unanswered.

"As proud as I am of the work our team did - the unprecedented number of people we indicted and convicted and in record speed for any similar investigation - I know the hard answer to that simple question: We could have done more," Weissmann writes.

But not a single mention of the fact that Weissmann "accidentally" deleted the content of his cellphone twice, before giving it to IG Horowitz. Breitbart, Mueller’s Top Prosecutor Andrew Weissman Laments: ‘We Could Have Done More’. But you get the point. Weissman thought he was entitled to unlimited ability to investigate the president to attempt to find a crime, not investigate a crime that they believed had occurred, and to create some along the way via process if necessary. That's not the way justice is supposed to work. But then, it was never about justice, was it?

At Da Caller, Chuck Ross points out that Time Is Running Out For Revelations About Trump-Russia Probe, and anyway, all the oxygen will be sucked up by the Supreme Court confirmation fight, unless McConnell simply cuts the Gordian Knot and shortcuts the hearing process. Also contains a pretty good review of the twists and turn of "Spygate."

Sundance at CTH looks at how Clinton Emails and FBI Activity Back in News as NY FBI Agent Talks – Fills-in CTH Background Research…

According to the September 28, 2016, messages from FBI Agent Peter Strzok it was the SDNY in New York telling Andrew McCabe in DC about the issue. Pay close attention to the convo:
(pdf source for all messages here)

Notice: “hundreds of thousands of emails turned over by Weiner’s attorney to SDNY”.

Pay super close attention. This is not an outcome of a New York Police Dept. raid on Anthony Weiner. This is Weiner’s attorney going to the U.S. attorney and voluntarily turning over emails. The emails were not turned over to the FBI in New York, the actual emails were turned over to the U.S. Attorney in the Southern District.

Key point here: Weiner’s attorneys turned over “emails”.

♦If the U.S. Attorney in New York has the emails on September 28th, 2016, why would they need a search warrant on October 21st, 2016? (Comey’s call explanation)

♦Why would Weiner’s attorney be handing over evidence?

Think about this carefully. I’ll get back to the importance of it later; but what I suspect is that Weiner had material that was his “insurance policy” against anything done to him by Hillary Clinton. Facing a criminal prosecution Weiner’s lawyer went to the U.S. Attorney and attempted to exploit/leverage the content therein on his client’s behalf.

Fast forward three weeks, and we go back to FBI in DC.
. . .
Important to note here, that at no time is there any conversation -or hint of a conversation- that anyone is reviewing the content of the emails. The discussions don’t mention a single word about content… every scintilla of conversation is about how to handle the issues of the emails themselves. Actually, there’s not a single person mentioned in thousands of text messages that applies to an actual person who is looking at any content.

Slow Going in Russiagate

 A slow start to the week, with Justice Ginsburg still dead. Via Instapundit, Heh!

Things that were already (apparently) on the table:
1. Shooting up GOP baseball games
2. Allowing supporters to burn cities.
3. Staging coups against democratically elected president.
4. FBI collusion/perjury traps.
5. Leaking classified information.

— B. Machiavelli (@be_machiavelli) September 20, 2020

Diverting fully into the Ginsburgian morass for a moment, perhaps Althouse said it best:

The boil-down is easy: Replacing Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a completely political event, where there are constitutionally defined powers that will be exercised to their utmost. Nothing more is needed, and nothing can be done about it, and each party will do what the other party would do if the roles were reversed. And that's the same thing they did in 2016 after Justice Scalia died.

Genesius Times, OPED: I was raped by whoever Trump picks to replace Ginsburg on the Supreme Court, or maybe even gang-raped by everybody in contention. Amy!

Getting back to our actual theme in little steps, sundance at CTH has the video of Sunday Talks – Jim Jordan Discusses Potential SCOTUS Replacements for Justice Ginsburg and Other Issues With Durham Probe of FBI/DOJ Conduct… Hopping right over Ginsburg:

He also has President Trump Talks to Mark Levin…. There is some Russiagate in there, but it takes a great deal of wading. I heard it last night, and I'm not gonna do it again just to find where it starts. And Remarkable, and Revealing, Interview With SSCI Chairman Marco Rubio…

While explaining the reason for the refusal to share transcripts, Senator Rubio shares that all prior testimony to the committee was provided with the expressed agreement that none of the witness testimony would be shared with anyone else. A remarkably self-serving construct with the deliberate outcome of allowing strategic leaks and narrative assembly without sunlight on the actual questioning.

An additionally revealing aspect from this Rubio segment is the statement that Chairman Burr and Vice-Chair Warner have constructed committee rules that both parties must be in agreement with any process within the committee – before any action is taken. This is a key facet when we consider that Senator Warner made covert contact with Chris Steele’s lawyer Adam Waldman in 2017.

If the SSCI chair and vice-chair must be in agreement on any investigative path, then Richard Burr and Mark Warner both knew of the effort to contact Steele in 2017. Additionally, and further to the bipartisan attempts against the office of the President, this would imply that Warner and Burr both agreed to the request to review the Carter Page FISA application on March 17th, 2017.

In the background of Rubio’s remarks there appears to be a disconnect about his knowledge of the activity of the SSCI and their involvement in the corrupt effort to remove President Trump. Rubio positions himself as unaware… it is a rather disingenuous position.

A t NewsMax,  Book: FBI Agent on Sex Crimes Unit Found Hillary Clinton Emails

Robertson said he raised the issue with his supervisor but nothing was done within the FBI to look at the emails. He also spoke with the Weiner case prosecutors about the matter, and was told that he needed to keep quiet about his discovery or risk being prosecuted.

and Jerry Dunleavy at WaEx reviews ‘October Surprise’: New details emerge about FBI delay on Weiner laptop in 2016

“The crickets I was hearing was really making me uncomfortable because something was going to come down,” Robertson said he later told Justice Department investigators. “Why isn’t anybody here? Like if I’m the supervisor of any [counterintelligence] squad … and I hear about this, I’m getting on with headquarters and saying, 'Hey, some agent working child porn here may have [Hillary Clinton] emails. Get your ass on the phone, call [the case agent], and get a copy of that drive,’ because that’s how it should be. And that nobody reached out to me within, like, that night, I still to this day don’t understand what the hell went wrong.”

Jeff Croure at Town Hall, Wray Is Wrong as FBI Director. Yes, but nothing can get done about it before the election, although I do think Sidney Powell is a wonderful suggestion, after she wraps up the Flynn case. 

The Notorious RBG Dead at 87

Doesn't that throw a bunch of monkey wrenches into the political machinery?

PJ Media: BREAKING: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Dies

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died this evening of complications from pancreatic cancer. She was 87. pic.twitter.com/D4DnIXux0l

— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) September 18, 2020

If they even TRY to replace RBG we burn the entire fucking thing down.

— Reza Aslan (@rezaaslan) September 19, 2020

Ace in Red Caps with flaming skull, RUTH BADER GINSBURG HAS DIED

Justice Ginsburg dictated a statement before her death: "My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced until a new president is installed." https://t.co/XLzhPiLSng

— Justin Miller (@justinjm1) September 18, 2020

Also, Quarantine Cafe/RGB RIP, Cont'd

Murkowski, Romney, and Collins all coordinate their Democrat votes/statements.

McCain used to do it when he wasn't in Hell yet.

All the liberal "Republicans" play this game, working out who is "safe" to stab the party in the back this time.

Murkowski made this announcement because Collins doesn't want to vote on a new nominee -- but she can't afford to say that with an election coming up, and in a tough race.

Republicans would abandon her and she would lose.

So instead: Lisa Murkowski tries to kill the vote. She's not running for reelection this year.

But they're all in it together.

Capt. Ed at Hot Air, Breaking: RIP, Ruth Bader Ginsburg; Update: No Vote Before The Election, Murkowski Declares; Update: Collins A No, Too; Update: Grassley A No? Update: McConnell Says Vote Will Take Place; Update: An Election-Case Argument?

Red State, Joe Biden Makes Statement on Ginsburg Death; Shows He’s Woefully Unprepared to Lead

Biden looked up from his notes only three times, each time looking completely confused and overwhelmed. He stumbled over his words and looked unsure about what he was saying, which is stunning considering that Biden has known her personally for decades.

Biden’s performance tonight was a stark illustration of his woefully inadequate mental capabilities and a real-life demonstration for the American people of how President Joe Biden would handle a crisis situation.

Stacy McCain,  Ruth Bader Ginsburg Dead at 87

Well, this certainly raises the stakes for Nov. 3.

UPDATE: Ace has some thoughts here.

You know what I hate? Confrontation.

Like, I would never agree to be part of a “counter-protest.” If somebody is having a rally, let ’em have their rally, and if you disagree, go organize your own rally. Don’t show up at somebody else’s event to do an “in your face” protest against them having an event. The reason I mention this is because the whole protest/counter-protest dynamic has been so normalized during the past 15 or 20 years that we just take it for granted and now — now — we’re going to have the Mother of All Battles over the nomination to replace Ginsburg.

From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 09.18.20, David Post at the Volokh Conspiracy, RBG, R.I.P. "A few personal reminiscences on the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg"

Althouse, Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died! and Will Trump and the GOP Senate get a new Justice confirmed before the election?

My first thought was that they won't even try. They'll use the open seat as a political issue — an argument why it is so important to reelect Trump and to keep a GOP majority in the Senate. And the backup plan can be that if Trump loses, they can accomplish the appointment after the election, before the new Senate and President are sworn in. So what if they said something else before the election?!

But then — in discussion here at Meadhouse — the thought came up that this election could be contested. There's so much talk about election fraud and mail-in voting, that there could be Bush v. Gore type litigation arising in various states, and the outcome of the election could well depend on that. Right now, the Supreme Court has only 8 Justices, and though there are presently 5 conservatives and only 3 liberals, a 4-4 tie is possible, with one vote switch, and Trump might want his person on the Court to lock in a conservative majority.

Sundance at CTH, RIP Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

The 2020 election is officially in hyper-drive…

Reign of Pain Update: Justice Ginsburg on Furlough

Ace: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Will Skip Oral Arguments Due to Lung Cancer Recovery

She is infamous for sleeping during oral arguments. And State of the Union addresses.
As she's recovering from having cancerous nodes removed from her lungs, she's going to relax a bit and skip the napping at work.*

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg missed oral arguments Monday as she recuperates from cancer surgery.
It's not clear when the 85-year-old justice will return to work, though the Supreme Court’s public information office said she will continue to participate in official business from her home in Washington.
Despite Ginsburg's absence, a Court spokeswoman said the justice would participate in Monday’s cases by reading transcripts of the proceedings, then voting as normal.
Monday is the first time that Ginsburg has missed arguments since she joined the high court in 1993.

We're not there yet, but Ruth Bader Ginsburg may start taking off more and more days and merely occupying a Supreme Court chair rather than working in it.

Like I said, we're not there yet. But at some point it might turn into a political issue that must be forced. You can't actually force a Justice off the court, save for impeachment, but at some point it may be necessary to bring whatever political pressure we have to bear.

I don't wish her ill, but it's time for her to resign.

I know she doesn't have much of a life outside the court, but she missed an easy chance to resign and have a like  minded jurist appointed during the Obama administration. She may go down as the Cody Parkey of the Supreme Court.

via Gfycat