The media is reporting that President Donald Trump’s legal team is investigating possible conflicts of interest by former FBI Director Robert Mueller. Today I ran a column in USA Today on those conflicts of not just Mueller but Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. I have great respect for Mueller but I believe it was a mistake of Rosenstein to select him given his history with Comey and his reported interview with Trump for Comey’s job. Nevertheless, as I have stated since this story broke this morning, I am very concerned with any concerted effort to investigate the investigators. Such an approach is less evidence of a strategy as a spasm. Clearly, defense counsel has a right — if not an obligation — to raise any known conflicts of interest with the Justice Department. Yet, such investigations can easily get out of hand and can trip legal wires if aides are too aggressive in investigating the investigators.
Both The Washington Post and The New York Times reported that the Trump legal team is looking for ways to “undercut” Mueller on conflicts with his investigation. President Trump told the New York Times that he has evidence of multiple conflicts by Mueller that he might release. It was a highly disturbing interview since it sounded like a clear threat to an investigator. If Trump has such evidence, he should release it — not threaten an investigator with the possibility of a release.
The coverage also says that Trump is looking into whether he can pardon himself or others. The issue of a self-pardon remains a long-standing debate among constitutional scholars with good-faith arguments on both sides. Article II does not expressly bar a self-pardon and most academics probably favor the unfettered interpretation.
The Trump legal team needs to proceed extremely cautiously with any investigation of Mueller or his staff. An over-zealous aide can easily trip a legal wire, including obstruction, in a pursuit for such information. Having said that, it is not uncommon for defense counsel to raise conflicts as part of guaranteeing a fair process for their clients.
This should not be the focus of the legal team. This White House is in desperate need of a strategy, not more tactical moves. Their are plenty of people examining both sides of this investigation. If the team has evidence of the conflicts referenced by the President, they should raise those conflicts with Main Justice. Otherwise, there is much work to be done and diminishing time to do it.
The Trumpistas as the Supranos.
For anyone interested:
Who is this American Hating piece of Trash Robert Mueller?
Well, I’ve already mind up my mind, He’s a top Cleaner, a Cheese Eating Rat, for the Corrupt parts of our Govt.
I wonder little why he was brought in as a last ditch desperate move to attempt to take out Trump. Those corrupt are scared to death of Trump & for good reasons.
Let me take you on just part a short trip down memory lane about Mueller. Mind you there’s much more his history that can be written.
1st Wiki the names, Robert Mueller, Whitey Bulger & the Winter Hill Gang, Ret FBI agent H. Paul Rico who died in a Tulsa County Jail & Roger Wheeler, a Tulsa businessman that was Murdered in Tulsa years back.
The movie the Departed was based in part on a true story.
This 1st video is pretty close to the original but it has the end cut off, but you can search & find the final few scenes.
Oky1
July 22, 2017 at 6:47 PM
Anon,
Search the name Berry Seal, 2 shots in the back of the head suicide AKA who was Gary Webb, Iran Contra, Mena Ark & the Bush/Clinton Drug Deal connection.
Those corrupt in Govt, Govt Black ops/Budgets have to have somewhere to laundry billions in corrupt money.
Roger Wheeler’s Tulsa company Telex had the records of where those illegal funds came from & who the went to & somebody didn’t like the arrangement is my best guess.
I know this because in the 80’s the Oil Equipment company I worked for then I seen had all their transaction records with the corresponding Telex account numbers worldwide with their customers.
And Mueller Just happened to be around, Yeah Right, & I got stupid tattooed on my forehead.
These excuses for Trump proves what Mark Twain said is true then and now……”It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled”
And the ramifications of people being skeptical to hold off until some level of proof is garnered are?
Go right ahead and convict. I guess you have nothing to do until football season starts.
Some level of proof? Man I got a car for you with no tires, engine, or transmission but it runs like a top, I’ll sell it to you for a special price. Don’t like the car idea? How about a bridge?
Put serious heat on Clinton, Rice, Lynch, Lerner, the whole crew and watch how fast things will settle down to governing the nation. The people are tired of the Russians are coming. The only ones who believe the BS is the hard core left.
The best defense a stronger offense.
The hard core left? Like the CIA, NSA, DIA, FBI, Homeland security and the other what? 12 others. All 17 said Russia interfered. As for the other names you said, please tell me about all the indictments and convictions they have under them.
“All 17 said Russia interfered.”
Wrong.
https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/883055003082137601
https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/881509012369526785
What now you believe the deep state and all of HRC and Obama’s people? Agencies represent each other in cases like this. Your article even says so. Are you still looking up all the convictions of Obama’s people?
Everyone, FishWings is a lost cause. Most of his information is incorrect or outdated and incorrect or reflects a lack of knowledge about who did or didn’t take the 5th or who was or wasn’t given immunity. Even some of the loonies on this blog recognize FishWing’s issues when dealing with the world around it.
Don’t assume Fishwings has pork and beans.
I would have fired Sessions, deputy AG, Mueller and everyone in the deep state that is trying to take out the President. I am so disgusted by Sessions who stabbed Trump in the back!
Turley, this White House *is* a spasm.
I’m not sure what the alternative might be. The media are actively celebrating all that they’re sure Mueller will find. Jonathan Turley is a reputable voice from left of center, but, Like Alan Dershowitz, he’s being studiously ignored by everyone who could effectively expose the conflicts that Mueller seems intent to exploit.
Hardly think Turley leans left.
What are the penalties for Pres. Trump’s “spasms”? When did they begin? Was it about the time he failed as a real estate developer and needed cash?
What are you talking about? Can you provide any detail along with data?
Regardless of whether or not he was guilty of something, the smart thing for Trump to do is just to ignore the whole mess. If there is nothing there, he can drop a remark at a later date. If there is something there then deal with it when it surfaces. Trump’s obsession with every twist and turn of this circus illustrates how overwhelmed, imbecilic, and incompetent he is. That is the real story here and it is driving his supporters crazy. Everything Trump’s supporters are putting out is imbecilic.
I think it’s the antitrumpers who are crazy to begin with are getting crazier . For trump supporters like me this has been an eye opener about how corrupt and sick the media and democrats are .
And, of course, Trump is level headed, doesn’t lie, and in total control of his tweeter. The other stuff is true but nothing excuses this idiot and the dupes that elected him.
The corrupt morons at the DNC fixed the election for Hillary — a congenital liar, and one of the most corrupt and unlikeable God-awful POS’s on the planet. The smart voters chose to put Trump in the White House and give him four years. The deluded brain washed, duped, idiots who actually voted for Hillary the incompetent, lying, corrupt criminal are the true nut cases. There is no way on God’s green earth that Hillary Clinton should have been anywhere near the Oval Office and the voters of this country made sure of it. That is the truth. (and NO, there is NO popular vote to ‘win’ in our election so stfu about it already). Trump won fair and square and gets his four years. Deal with it for Gods sake. I cannot even tell you how sick the rest of the country is of this garbage people like you and Nasty, the bleach bottle blonde, spew. You’ll find out in 2018. In the meantime, let the man do his dam job.
Well spoken, TBOB!!!
Dumbocrat liberals are in complete disbelief.
How in the world did they serendipitously stumble onto the great good fortune of a corrupt Mueller “speical investigation” of the very President they just legitimately and definitively lost an election to.
Mana from Heaven!
Corruption at the deepest level.
Losers would rather believe that they are victims rather than the totally incompetent and dishonest losers
T rump troll farm needs to hire better writers.
Anyone who has “great respect” for Mueller (or Comey) is corrupt, a dope, a dupe, or a liar–or any combination thereof. No exceptions to that rule. Why, even the Leftist Huffington Post seems to understand that basic fact:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/conflicts-of-interest-and-ethics-robert-mueller-and_us_5936a148e4b033940169cdc8
I thought you were going to sleep and sleep some more.
I know of a prolific legal blogger who could use a proofreader. I don’t want to mention his name, but his initials are Jonathan Turley. XOXO
Music- to Name Game song
Muler Muler bo booler…
Banana fanna fo fooler…
fee fi moe larry cheese Muler..
MULER!
Investigating the investigators? Self defense. Would you expect anything else from a White House regardless of occupant?
No , president should just let him be attacked by the very honest and very ethical “lawyers” as tit for tat can hurt the feelings of these lawyers with limitless powers to attack the president like wolves .
Of course, Mueller is biased, conflicted and corruptly violating
the law regarding the constraints on the scope of this “investigation.”
This entire “witch hunt” is political “opposition research”
being conducted by donors to Hillary Clinton’s campaign.
There was no “probable cause” for an investigation.
There was only “political cause.”
This farce is “Election 2016 Part II.”
The “deep state” didn’t like the results of the election
so it had Rosenstein fraudulently initiate a new one.
This corrupt investigation by a kangaroo court
has no integrity or legitimacy; it is a scam.
It is the insurrection of the Liberal Cultural Revolution
rejecting the official legitimate results of an election.
Hillary, you lost.
The liberal ruling class shadow government has gone too far.
George – could not agree with you more. And I think the deeper the investigation goes into Trump finances, the deep he should go into theirs. Tit for tat. Get it all out in public.
Haha. Funny stuff. Please post more of this type of material. It entertains me immensely and restores my belief that no normal people voted for this clown.
This it to lost George.
Funny, entertaining, you should be appalled how the left has acted since they lost the election. They and their media scoffed at Trump and forgot that the people voting counted. Now, it’s not Trump they attack but like you it’s the people. It was very normal working class folks that voted for Trump. I don’t find what’s going on funny or entertaining. There’s an investigation without a crime just lies and innuendo.
Let a federal grand jury determine whether it’s just lies and innuendo. They deal with facts, and evidence. I doubt the grand jury room is ever tuned to Pravda Faux News. Change the channel; you’ll be surprised what free thinkers believe.
This is to flyover fan clam
Comey said that he leaked the Trump memo so as to cause the appointment of a special counsel…and then his mentor and family friend, Mueller, gets appointed by the deputy attorney general. This investigation is a farce on it’s face. Moreover, there’s a strong case for an investigation into the Clintons, but nothing happens. The establishment is protecting the Clintons while trying to take down our duly elected President.
I agree 100%. I’m stunned how people try to protect people like mueller and comey . It’s disgraceful and shows their mental depth that appears to be quite shallow .
I usually see this name: Mueller– being pronounced like “Miller”. Not Mule er. Is he from Missouri? If he was a Missoura mule then I would understand him better.
Self pardon news , most likely a fake news from the sick media.
Why the investigator is worried about being investigated? Why the media is worried about getting exposed as fake news? Why a lawyer is worried about getting his fellow “investigators/lawyers” getting investigated? If President can be investigated why not others? Don’t we have equal justice for all? If Mueller is a friend of Comey does not that mean they must have a lot in common, don’t criminals usually have criminals as their friends, alcoholics hang out with people who drink , not with people who are sober and tell them not to drink. Its not guilt by association its something more than that!
Why are you an idiot? Oh,tRump supporter, I forgot.
Want to see some steam come out Mueller & legal team ears? Invite Putin to the White House before Labor Day. And Putin will meet with Mueller, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Maxine Waters, Al Franken….For a friendly chat.
Not Chucky Schumer and his glasses down on his nose.
Will he throw them out the window?