There was an interesting development late last week when Special Counsel Robert Mueller hired Michael Dreeben, a deputy in the Office of the Solicitor General, to work part-time with his staff. The addition of Dreeben added someone with considerable criminal and appellate experience. However, Dreeben’s background also contains an interesting item that bears directly on the potential case against President Donald Trump. Dreeben argued in an unsuccessful appeal of the prosecution of Arthur Anderson where the Justice Department advanced a sweeping interpretation of obstruction of justice — an interpretation that I criticized as wildly overbroad. The interpretation resulted in a unanimous rejection of the Supreme Court. Given the call for a charge of obstruction against Trump (and the view of some of us that there remains considerable statutory barriers to such a charge), Dreeben’s addition should be a concern to the Trump defense team.
Arthur Anderson LLP v. United States, 544 U.S. 696 (2005), involved the firm’s conviction related to the Enron scandal. The Justice Department alleged that the firm (which was Enron’s accounting firm), instructed its employees to destroy documents after they were aware of the investigation into Enron by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm was convicted under 18 U.S.C. § 1512(b)(2)(A) and (B) for the crime of “knowingly … corruptly persuad[e] another person … with intent to … cause” that person to “withhold” documents from, or “alter” documents for use in, an “official proceeding.” However, the court instructed the jury that they could convict “even if petitioner honestly and sincerely believed its conduct was lawful.” The unanimous court, in a decision by Chief Justice William Rehnquist, disagreed and reversed the conviction.
What is particularly notable about the decision is that we have discussed the key standard of “knowingly … corruptly persuade” in the context of the claims against President Donald Trump. I have said that I do not see a serious foundation for an obstruction charges due to a couple of missing elements, including the intent element for seeking to corruptly influence the investigation. The Court ruled that “[o]nly persons conscious of wrongdoing can be said to ‘knowingly corruptly persuade.’ ”
Given the current weak foundation for an actual charge of obstruction, the addition of Dreeben is all the more notable as someone who argued for a broader application of the crime — particularly in the reduction of intent standard. Dreeben’s selection is a lot like seeing an opposing kingdom hiring designers of seige or breaching towers in the Middle Ages. It is hard not to assume that they are meant to overcome your walls of defense. Indeed, from the perspective of defense counsel, bringing in Dreeben at this point is like sitting outside of the Trump castle building a breaching tower and insisting that there is nothing to see here . . . it is just for the view.
Dreeben also brings experience in the preparation and preservation of appellate issues. In an investigation that could raise novel constitutional issues, that experience could be quite handy.
These types of additions to Mueller’s team can be overplayed of course. However, Mueller himself was not likely viewed as a neutral choice by Trump lawyers. He shares a history and values with Comey, who followed him at the FBI. They have the same DNA. In comparison, he shares about as much in common with Trump as a mule skinner. Mueller is an icon at the FBI and Trump is widely viewed as challenging the FBI’s integrity and independence. That is why the addition of attorneys like Dreeben is likely to be viewed in the most ominous light.
It (Washington) is a very exclusive club and they don’t want an outsider to come in and mess with their system which enables them to expand their financial portfolio. People who have reached the one percent status outside of the government are not embraced unless they contribute to Washington’s financial bottom line. They would like to dilute even further the so called power of the vote and further diminish and separate themselves from middle America. They are not concerned with the middle class and would like nothing better than to have two classes because dependents are easier to control. We know who would end up holding all the carrots. Is it no wonder that they would like to remove guns out of the hands of these degenerates. I think Trump needs to let the little people know that the government has written in a provision that would allow them to take the last barrier that could protect themselves from the Washington elite. They enjoy seeing Americans turn on each other and are threatened with words ” drain the swamp”. Contemplation allows one to see the real degenerates.
Geez, why not just hire Hillary while he’s at it, fer cryin’ out loud?!
Reblogged this on pundit from another planet.
https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/874685448219574272
https://twitter.com/AnnCoulter/status/874698549187010560
Did you catch this?:
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/337428-four-top-legal-experts-on-muellers-team-donated-to-democratic-causes
Only a small minority of people make political contributions and yet they end up with four lawyers (on what’s indubitably a two-digit staff) who’ve cut checks to the Democratic Party. That’s after whatever esoteric process by which the special counsel was appointed comes up with someone in James Comey’s circle of friends. How does this happen??? (Does Turley have the stones to advocate shutting down the whole tainted enterprise?)
It’s a tactic to try to trigger Trump into firing Mueller. How many Clinton lawyers will it take to trigger his firing?
No
Imo, this will all turn out to be goodies for all: lawyers, investigators, litigation support businesses, MSM, and grandstanding politicians. much ado about not much.
About “the rule of law”, mentioned upthread:
http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/40779-we-don-t-have-the-rule-of-law-barrett-brown-on-incarceration-journalism-and-his-next-steps
These things are ingrained in our system. They’re [systemic]. They’re not just, “Oh, these things happen.” This is a [systemic] flaw in our system.
We don’t have the rule of law. We just don’t. It’s a myth, a dangerous myth. -Barrett Brown, in a recent interview
While Congress screws around with testimonies, investigations, adding more lawyers; our money is being wasted and nothing is being done about health care, tax reform, infrastructure improvement. This is being done by wacky Dems (Waters, Schumer). Meanwhile their checks keep coming. It’s time to start calling your Senator and House Representative, especially you Dems.
Considering that Republicans are supposed to be running the show on Capitol Hill they take the blame for stonewalling Trump
Yes, “the addition of attorneys like Dreeben is likely to be viewed in the most ominous light,” … and rightly so.
Does Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein have the authority to manage the special council (Mueller) to the extent he can say your drifting way off target or you need to recuse yourself as you have an obvious conflict of interest, or is it just ‘hands off’ in the name of independence, then just deal with very bias result as he (Mueller) drifts into the sunset with a lot more money in his estate. How about Mueller just saying: this is ridiculous, shut it down?
What Rosenstein should have considered before appointing Mueller, who for purposes of ego, must collect a scalp or two or be forever vanquished from the D.C. cocktail/dinner party circuit
Is Mueller going to apply his expansive idea of Obstruction of Justice to Clinton’s destruction of subpoenaed evidence?