Trump Tried to Fire Mueller Last June, Whitehouse Counsel Threatened to Quit

[Orbitus]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/25/u...el-russia.html

The Whitehouse Counsel knew that if he fired Mueller, there would be no protecting him from Obstruction of Justice charges then.

Article is literally minutes old, and no other place is also posting about it, but there were 4 people in the room that said the same thing. Too bad I cannot read it because of the pay wall. If another source comes up soon I will also post that.
@Skroe, just wonderful, the Whitehouse Counsel had some sort of backbone.

[Captain N]

WASHINGTON — President Trump ordered the firing last June of Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel overseeing the Russia investigation, according to four people told of the matter, but ultimately backed down after the White House counsel threatened to resign rather than carry out the directive.

The West Wing confrontation marks the first time Mr. Trump is known to have tried to fire the special counsel. Mr. Mueller learned about the episode in recent months as his investigators interviewed current and former senior White House officials in his inquiry into whether the president obstructed justice.

Amid the first wave of news media reports that Mr. Mueller was examining a possible obstruction case, the president began to argue that Mr. Mueller had three conflicts of interest that disqualified him from overseeing the investigation, two of the people said.

First, he claimed that a dispute years ago over fees at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Va., had prompted Mr. Mueller, the F.B.I. director at the time, to resign his membership. The president also said Mr. Mueller could not be impartial because he had most recently worked for the law firm that previously represented the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Finally, the president said, Mr. Mueller had been interviewed to return as the F.B.I. director the day before he was appointed special counsel in May.

Mr. McGahn disagreed with the president’s case and told senior White House officials that firing Mr. Mueller would have a catastrophic effect on Mr. Trump’s presidency. Mr. McGahn also told White House officials that Mr. Trump would not follow through on the dismissal on his own. The president then backed off.

Continue reading the main story
RELATED COVERAGE

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Ty Cobb, the president’s lawyer who manages the White House’s relationship with Mr. Mueller’s office, said in a statement, “We decline to comment out of respect for the Office of the Special Counsel and its process.”

Mr. McGahn, a longtime Republican campaign finance lawyer in Washington who served on the Federal Election Commission, was the top lawyer on Mr. Trump’s campaign. He has been involved in nearly every key decision Mr. Trump has made — like the firing of the former F.B.I. director — that is being scrutinized by Mr. Mueller.

Around the time Mr. Trump wanted to fire Mr. Mueller, the president’s legal team, led then by his longtime personal lawyer in New York, Marc E. Kasowitz, was taking an adversarial approach to the Russia investigation. The president’s lawyers were digging into potential conflict-of-interest issues for Mr. Mueller and his team, according to current and former White House officials, and news media reports revealed that several of Mr. Mueller’s prosecutors had donated to Democrats.

Mr. Mueller could not legally have considered political affiliations when making hiring decisions. But for Mr. Trump’s supporters, it reinforced the idea that, although Mr. Mueller is a Republican, he had assembled a team of Democrats to take down the president.

Another option that Mr. Trump considered in discussions with his advisers was dismissing the deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein, and elevating the department’s No. 3 official, Rachel Brand, to oversee Mr. Mueller. Mr. Rosenstein has overseen the investigation since March, when Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself.

Mr. Trump has significantly ratcheted back his criticisms of Mr. Mueller since he hired Mr. Cobb in July. A veteran of several high-profile Washington controversies, Mr. Cobb has known Mr. Mueller for decades, dating to their early careers in the Justice Department.

He advised Mr. Trump that he had nothing to gain from combat with Mr. Mueller, a highly respected former prosecutor and F.B.I. director who has subpoena power as special counsel. Since Mr. Cobb’s arrival, the White House has operated on the premise that the quickest way to clear the cloud of suspicion was to cooperate with Mr. Mueller, not to fight him.

Nonetheless, Mr. Trump has wavered for months about whether he wants to fire Mr. Mueller, whose job security is an omnipresent concern among the president’s legal team and close aides. The president’s lawyers, including Mr. Cobb, have tried to keep Mr. Trump calm by assuring him for months, amid new revelations about the inquiry, that it is close to ending.

Mr. Trump has long demonstrated a preoccupation with those who have overseen the Russia investigation. In March, after Mr. McGahn failed to persuade Attorney General Jeff Sessions not to recuse himself from the inquiry, Mr. Trump complained that he needed someone loyal to oversee the Justice Department.

The former F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, said Mr. Trump asked him for loyalty and encouraged him to drop an investigation into his former national security adviser, Michael T. Flynn. Mr. Comey said he sidestepped those requests. He was soon fired.

In an interview with The New York Times in the Oval Office in July, the president pointedly kept open the option of firing Mr. Mueller, saying that the special counsel would be passing a “red line” if his investigation expanded to look at Mr. Trump’s finances. Mr. Trump said he never would have made Mr. Sessions the attorney general if he knew he was going to recuse himself from the investigation.

Last month, as Republicans were increasing their attacks on the special counsel, Mr. Trump said in an interview with The Times that he believed Mr. Mueller was going to treat him fairly.

“No, it doesn’t bother me because I hope that he’s going to be fair,” Mr. Trump said in response to a question about whether it bothered him that Mr. Mueller had not yet ended his investigation. “I think that he’s going to be fair.”

Mr. Trump added: “There’s been no collusion. But I think he’s going to be fair.”


The article for those like @Orbitus who can't see through the pay wall.

[akris15]

This is going to be /popcorn worthy...

[Orbitus]

-snip-
The article for those like @Orbitus who can't see through the pay wall.

Thank you for that.

[alexw]

Here is the article -

WASHINGTON — President Trump ordered the firing last June of Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel overseeing the Russia investigation, according to four people told of the matter, but ultimately backed down after the White House counsel threatened to resign rather than carry out the directive.

The West Wing confrontation marks the first time Mr. Trump is known to have tried to fire the special counsel. Mr. Mueller learned about the episode in recent months as his investigators interviewed current and former senior White House officials in his inquiry into whether the president obstructed justice.

Amid the first wave of news media reports that Mr. Mueller was examining a possible obstruction case, the president began to argue that Mr. Mueller had three conflicts of interest that disqualified him from overseeing the investigation, two of the people said.

First, he claimed that a dispute years ago over fees at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Va., had prompted Mr. Mueller, the F.B.I. director at the time, to resign his membership. The president also said Mr. Mueller could not be impartial because he had most recently worked for the law firm that previously represented the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Finally, the president said, Mr. Mueller had been interviewed to return as the F.B.I. director the day before he was appointed special counsel in May.

After receiving the president’s order to fire Mr. Mueller, the White House counsel, Donald F. McGahn II, refused to ask the Justice Department to dismiss the special counsel, saying he would quit instead, the people said. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they did not want to be identified discussing a continuing investigation.

Mr. McGahn disagreed with the president’s case and told senior White House officials that firing Mr. Mueller would have a catastrophic effect on Mr. Trump’s presidency. Mr. McGahn also told White House officials that Mr. Trump would not follow through on the dismissal on his own. The president then backed off.

Ty Cobb, the president’s lawyer who manages the White House’s relationship with Mr. Mueller’s office, said in a statement, “We decline to comment out of respect for the Office of the Special Counsel and its process.”

Mr. McGahn, a longtime Republican campaign finance lawyer in Washington who served on the Federal Election Commission, was the top lawyer on Mr. Trump’s campaign. He has been involved in nearly every key decision Mr. Trump has made — like the firing of the former F.B.I. director — that is being scrutinized by Mr. Mueller.

Around the time Mr. Trump wanted to fire Mr. Mueller, the president’s legal team, led then by his longtime personal lawyer in New York, Marc E. Kasowitz, was taking an adversarial approach to the Russia investigation. The president’s lawyers were digging into potential conflict-of-interest issues for Mr. Mueller and his team, according to current and former White House officials, and news media reports revealed that several of Mr. Mueller’s prosecutors had donated to Democrats.

Mr. Mueller could not legally have considered political affiliations when making hiring decisions. But for Mr. Trump’s supporters, it reinforced the idea that, although Mr. Mueller is a Republican, he had assembled a team of Democrats to take down the president.

Another option that Mr. Trump considered in discussions with his advisers was dismissing the deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein, and elevating the department’s No. 3 official, Rachel Brand, to oversee Mr. Mueller. Mr. Rosenstein has overseen the investigation since March, when Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself.

Mr. Trump has significantly ratcheted back his criticisms of Mr. Mueller since he hired Mr. Cobb in July. A veteran of several high-profile Washington controversies, Mr. Cobb has known Mr. Mueller for decades, dating to their early careers in the Justice Department.

He advised Mr. Trump that he had nothing to gain from combat with Mr. Mueller, a highly respected former prosecutor and F.B.I. director who has subpoena power as special counsel. Since Mr. Cobb’s arrival, the White House has operated on the premise that the quickest way to clear the cloud of suspicion was to cooperate with Mr. Mueller, not to fight him.

Nonetheless, Mr. Trump has wavered for months about whether he wants to fire Mr. Mueller, whose job security is an omnipresent concern among the president’s legal team and close aides. The president’s lawyers, including Mr. Cobb, have tried to keep Mr. Trump calm by assuring him for months, amid new revelations about the inquiry, that it is close to ending.

Mr. Trump has long demonstrated a preoccupation with those who have overseen the Russia investigation. In March, after Mr. McGahn failed to persuade Attorney General Jeff Sessions not to recuse himself from the inquiry, Mr. Trump complained that he needed someone loyal to oversee the Justice Department.

The former F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, said Mr. Trump asked him for loyalty and encouraged him to drop an investigation into his former national security adviser, Michael T. Flynn. Mr. Comey said he sidestepped those requests. He was soon fired.

In an interview with The New York Times in the Oval Office in July, the president pointedly kept open the option of firing Mr. Mueller, saying that the special counsel would be passing a “red line” if his investigation expanded to look at Mr. Trump’s finances. Mr. Trump said he never would have made Mr. Sessions the attorney general if he knew he was going to recuse himself from the investigation.

Last month, as Republicans were increasing their attacks on the special counsel, Mr. Trump said in an interview with The Times that he believed Mr. Mueller was going to treat him fairly.

“No, it doesn’t bother me because I hope that he’s going to be fair,” Mr. Trump said in response to a question about whether it bothered him that Mr. Mueller had not yet ended his investigation. “I think that he’s going to be fair.”

Mr. Trump added: “There’s been no collusion. But I think he’s going to be fair.”

[Shadowmelded]

I was skeptical of the people saying we're rounding a corner but the pace of these stories coming out is making it seem more believable.

[Thekri]

Trump is basically the buddy you are out drinking with that wants to go fight a cop. Everyone tells him it is a bad idea and pulls him back, but you just know he is going to punch somebody sooner or later if you don't get him out of there now.

Except Trump is always stone cold sober...

[Orbitus]

I was skeptical of the people saying we're rounding a corner but the pace of these stories coming out is making it seem more believable.

I am not entirely surprised that Trump attempted to, and I am not entirely surprised that he backed off either. The fact that he was doing this, is just showing how many times he is willing to show how often he is going to obstruct justice. And Trumpkins will wave this off saying something like "He didn't go through with it, so obviously he didn't obstruct justice". The mere fact that he attempted to do this, is enough evidence to push it forward. Along with writing the reason for the Trump Tower meeting for his son, Son-in-law, and Manafort, and Firing Comey and admitting on TV that he did it because of the Russia investigation. Then asking Comey to let the Russia investigation and the Flynn investigation go.

[Skroe]

I expect, and still expect, Trump to fire Mueller. Been saying that for some time.

However I also believe this may have the very positive outcome of making a law to protect Mueller more likely than ever.

[Edge-]

However I also believe this may have the very positive outcome of making a law to protect Mueller more likely than ever.

Given the behavior of many Republicans in the House/Senate who are seeking to undermine the credibility of Mueller/FBI, I'm finding it increasingly hard to believe that they have any motivation whatsoever to protect him from Trump.

[Orbitus]

I expect, and still expect, Trump to fire Mueller. Been saying that for some time.

However I also believe this may have the very positive outcome of making a law to protect Mueller more likely than ever.

I guarantee those Trump cockholsters like the ones pushing this #releasethememo conspiracy won't vote for it and McConnell and Ryan won't bring it to their floors.

[Adam Jensen]

Yeah, because if someone is innocent of a nothingburger, the first thing they try to do is fire the prosecutor . . .

[Cthulhu 2020]

This nothingburger is having a hard time fitting in any room without vaulted ceilings.

[Orbitus]

Yeah, because if someone is innocent of a nothingburger, the first thing they try to do is fire the prosecutor . . .

Yep, just like Nixon did. He threatened to fire Rod Rosenstein if he didn't fire Mueller and elevate the 3rd in command to make, I believe, a her fire Mueller. Just like the Friday Night Massacre or whatever it was.

[Thepersona]

This nothingburger is having a hard time fitting in any room without vaulted ceilings.

This nothingburger would give me a diabetic coma and a stroke. At the same time

[Orbitus]

This nothingburger is having a hard time fitting in any room without vaulted ceilings.

Like this one?

Almost 1 ton hamburger?

[Cthulhu 2020]

This nothingburger would give me a diabetic coma and a stroke. At the same time

You'd probably just die from a ruptured stomach tbh.

- - - Updated - - -

Like this one?
Almost 1 ton hamburger?

Wew, we need some email butter on that nothingburger. Between this revelation and Trump admitting that he fired Comey to fight back against the justice system, it's like Christmas in... January.

[Belize]

What a pussy.

He can't fire Mueller himself, and he doesn't even have the balls to fire staffers until he finds someone that does it for him.


Retarded Watergate continues, now 100% more pussified.

[Felya]

What a pussy.

He can't fire Mueller himself, and he doesn't even have the balls to fire staffers until he finds someone that does it for him.

Retarded Watergate continues, now 100% more pussified.

A guy who wanted to trademark “you’re fired” could even fire Flynn...

[Lenonis]

It's always fascinating when articles like this come out the right wing posters are nowhere to be found until the talking points start making the media rounds and then they flood into the thread.

How long do you think it will take this time? 2 hours? 12 hours? 24 hours?

I expect it's like some sort of "Hey I forgot how journalism works so I'll just screech something about anonymous sources"