Mega-Thread: Mueller investigation

[Masark]

Omg...

https://twitter.com/Popehat/status/1097652491926130688

I've been doing federal criminal law for 24 years and I've never seen anything like this. This is not normal.

He filed an apology...that's not even a thing...

"I prosecuted a dude who thought he didn't have to pay taxes because he was a Natural Constitutional Man or some shit and who thought I was part of a black-helicopter UN conspiracy and he was, like, FAR more normal and sensible than this gang of imbeciles."

[Flarelaine]

Wait, that can't be right. (checks source) Sorry, that's T. S. Ellis. My bad.

With all those hollow men in this sad story, the mistake is easily explained.

And that final stanza is very apt to describe those same guys wailing and flailing to avoid prison.

[s_bushido]

Omg...

https://twitter.com/Popehat/status/1097652491926130688

I've been doing federal criminal law for 24 years and I've never seen anything like this. This is not normal.

He filed an apology...that's not even a thing...

Presumably because if some lunatic had taken it upon themselves to attack her (or does in the future), his lawyers obviously want to distance him from it as much as possible. The moron seems to be in enough trouble without adding a blatant incitement to violence on top of everything.

[Ripster42]

The New Republic article goes over that stuff as well, it was about how to refuse such offer and not get in trouble.

Like I said, keep telling yourself whatever you need to. No one here buys your bullshit.

[Felya]

Presumably because if some lunatic had taken it upon themselves to attack her (or does in the future), his lawyers obviously want to distance him from it as much as possible. The moron seems to be in enough trouble without adding a blatant incitement to violence on top of everything.

If he gets away with it, the precedent is pretty fucked. It would mean you can send an email to someone that threatens them, as long as that email contains an attachment and claims you didn’t mean it, the threat would be legal. The mob extorting a business, once done... a lawyer would walk in with a letter of apology to say all threats made were unintentional, meaning to carry no ill intent.

[Shalcker]

Like I said, keep telling yourself whatever you need to. No one here buys your bullshit.

It is pretty obvious that Butina's investigation is going nowhere.

There will be no sudden revelations. She'll most likely get "time served", and might not even get deported in the end.

[Dendrek]

That "random picture" Stone found on the internet, has anyone found the "source"?

His lie is amazing. Why that background, Stone? Why is the only unobstructed object in the background the cross hairs, Stone?

[Breccia]

That "random picture" Stone found on the internet, has anyone found the "source"?

The photograph — a version of which appeared earlier on a site pushing false conspiracy theories — featured a target symbol near the judge's head. The symbol is also associated with the Zodiac killer.

Best I could do in five minutes.

[Ripster42]

It is pretty obvious that Butina's investigation is going nowhere.

There will be no sudden revelations. She'll most likely get "time served", and might not even get deported in the end.

It's pretty obvious that your fantasy land is not reality, and her case is going to lead to more arrests.

[Shalcker]

It's pretty obvious that your fantasy land is not reality, and her case is going to lead to more arrests.

Upon which information do you base that assessment?

[Ripster42]

Upon which information do you base that assessment?

Pay attention to reality.

[Shalcker]

Pay attention to reality.

Maddow, really?

Paul Erickson fraud doesn't seem to be connected to Butina in any way so far; it certainly has nothing to do with Butina's indictment.

[Ripster42]

Maddow, really?

Paul Erickson fraud doesn't seem to be connected to Butina in any way so far; it certainly has nothing to do with Butina's indictment.

Like I said, keep telling yourself whatever you need to.

Edit: looks like we might get more info on the "mystery subpoena" soon. My money is still on qatar.

[Shalcker]

Like I said, keep telling yourself whatever you need to.

Butina isn't part of Mueller's probe, so any outcome isn't going to be worth much.

[Ripster42]

How would you know whether she's a part of his probe or not?

He wouldn't, it's just something he has to tell himself.

[Shalcker]

How would you know whether she's a part of his probe or not?

Because she was already interviewed by FBI before, and her indictment didn't come from Mueller?

Why would he offload indictment elsewhere if she was relevant to him?

[Breccia]

Stone hauled back into court to explain the cross-hairs.

Reportedly, the judge is going to demand an answer to "why shouldn't I modify the gag order?" And I'm so eager to hear that defense.

- - - Updated - - -

It's like he wants to go to prison.

So is a "Minute Order" an order so obvious that it only took a minute to fill out the paperwork? Asking for a Stone.

[Breccia]

After reading the filing it’s clear that the question is “why shouldn’t I revoke bail?”

...or it could be that. Yes, Judge Jackson is clearly out of fucks to give by now.

- - - Updated - - -

The NYTimes reports that Trump asked acting AG Whitaker to put Geoffrey Berman in charge of the FBI's investigation into Cohen.

"But that doesn't make sense. Berman recused himself in April. Whitaker wasn't acting AG yet."

Indeed.

Berman, Trump and Giulliani have personal and business ties, and Trump fired Preet Brahahahahaha last year, replacing him with Berman. As such, Berman was basically forced to recuse himself. Trump knew that, and asked Whitaker anyhow.

Incidentally, supposedly Whitaker also knew this, and refused the order. And then Trump tweeted and went golfing.

- - - Updated - - -

Always back up your data.

The Associated Press reports that McCabe, worried that other people would be fired after Comey was --

"Wasn't McCabe himself fired?"

Well, yes, that's kind of the point. Anyhow, McCabe had the FBI make backups of all the evidence of the Russian and related probes, for exactly this type of situation.

ALso:

McCabe hinted at that anxiety in an interview that aired Sunday with CBS News’s “60 Minutes,” saying he met with investigators after Comey’s firing.

“I was very concerned that I was able to put the Russia case on absolutely solid ground, in an indelible fashion,” McCabe said. “That were I removed quickly, or reassigned or fired, that the case could not be closed or vanish in the night without a trace.”

He added, “I wanted to make sure that our case was on solid ground and if somebody came in behind me and closed it and tried to walk away from it, they would not be able to do that without creating a record of why they made that decision.”

McCabe more or less confirms it personally.

[cubby]

...or it could be that. Yes, Judge Jackson is clearly out of fucks to give by now.

- - - Updated - - -

The NYTimes reports that Trump asked acting AG Whitaker to put Geoffrey Berman in charge of the FBI's investigation into Cohen.

"But that doesn't make sense. Berman recused himself in April. Whitaker wasn't acting AG yet."

Indeed.

Berman, Trump and Giulliani have personal and business ties, and Trump fired Preet Brahahahahaha last year, replacing him with Berman. As such, Berman was basically forced to recuse himself. Trump knew that, and asked Whitaker anyhow.

Incidentally, supposedly Whitaker also knew this, and refused the order. And then Trump tweeted and went golfing.

- - - Updated - - -

Always back up your data.

The Associated Press reports that McCabe, worried that other people would be fired after Comey was --

"Wasn't McCabe himself fired?"

Well, yes, that's kind of the point. Anyhow, McCabe had the FBI make backups of all the evidence of the Russian and related probes, for exactly this type of situation.

ALso:

McCabe hinted at that anxiety in an interview that aired Sunday with CBS News’s “60 Minutes,” saying he met with investigators after Comey’s firing.

“I was very concerned that I was able to put the Russia case on absolutely solid ground, in an indelible fashion,” McCabe said. “That were I removed quickly, or reassigned or fired, that the case could not be closed or vanish in the night without a trace.”

He added, “I wanted to make sure that our case was on solid ground and if somebody came in behind me and closed it and tried to walk away from it, they would not be able to do that without creating a record of why they made that decision.”

McCabe more or less confirms it personally.

I feel like if the writers of V for Vendetta wrote a prequel, scenes like the above would be in it.

[Breccia]

After reading the filing it’s clear that the question is “why shouldn’t I revoke bail?”

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...m-post-n973161

A judge may send Roger Stone to jail after Stone posted a photo of the judge on Instagram Monday afternoon with crosshairs in the background next to her head.

Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who is presiding over Stone's prosecution in D.C. federal court, scheduled a new hearing Thursday to discuss "why the media contact order entered in this case and/or his conditions of release should not be modified or revoked in light of the posts on his Instagram account." The judge's options include revoking his bail.

Saying "I'm sorry" and hoping that would be good enough isn't the iron-clad strategy these days as it was when you were six.