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Trump’s lawyers seek to undercut Mueller’s Russia investigation

S

skullmuffins

Banned
Some of President Trump's lawyers are exploring ways to limit or undercut special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's Russia investigation, building a case against what they allege are his conflicts of interest and discussing the president's authority to grant pardons, according to people familiar with the effort.

Trump has asked his advisers about his power to pardon aides, family members and even himself in connection with the probe, according to one of those people. A second person said Trump's lawyers have been discussing the president's pardoning powers among themselves.

Trump's legal team declined to comment on the issue. But one adviser said the president has simply expressed a curiosity in understanding the reach of his pardoning authority, as well as the limits of Mueller's investigation.

”This is not in the context of, ‘I can't wait to pardon myself," a close adviser said.

With the Russia investigation continuing to widen, Trump's lawyers are working to corral the probe and question the propriety of the special counsel's work. They are actively compiling a list of Mueller's alleged potential conflicts of interest, which they say could serve as a way to stymie his work, according to several of Trump's legal advisers

....

The president is also irritated by the notion that Mueller's probe could reach into his and his family's finances, advisers said.

Trump has been fuming about the probe in recent weeks as he has been informed about the legal questions that he and his family could face. His primary frustration centers on why allegations that his campaign coordinated with Russia should spread into scrutinizing many years of Trump dealmaking. He has told aides he was especially disturbed after learning Mueller would be able to access several years of his tax returns.

Breaking a tradition that began with President Jimmy Carter, Trump has repeatedly refused to make his tax returns public after first claiming he could not do so because he was under audit or after promising to release them after an IRS audit was completed.

Further adding to the challenges facing Trump's outside lawyers, the team's spokesman, Mark Corallo, resigned on Thursday, according to two people familiar with his departure. Corallo did not respond to immediate requests for comment.

”If you're looking at Russian collusion, the president's tax returns would be outside that investigation," said a close adviser to the president.

Jay Sekulow, one of the president's private lawyers, said in an interview Thursday that the president and his legal team are intent on making sure Mueller stays within the boundaries of his assignment as special counsel. He said they will complain directly to Mueller if necessary.

”The fact is that the president is concerned about conflicts that exist within the special counsel's office and any changes in the scope of the investigation," Sekulow said. ”The scope is going to have to stay within his mandate. If there's drifting, we're going to object."

Sekulow cited Bloomberg News reports that Mueller is scrutinizing some of Trump's business dealings, including a Russian oligarch who purchased a Palm Beach mansion from Trump for $95 million in 2008.

”They're talking about real estate transactions in Palm Beach several years ago," Sekulow said. ”In our view, this is far outside the scope of a legitimate investigation."

...

The president's legal team has also identified what they allege are several conflicts of interest facing Mueller, such as donations to Democrats by some of his prosecutors.

Another potential conflict claim is an allegation that Mueller and Trump National Golf Club in Northern Virginia had a dispute over membership fees when Mueller resigned as a member in 2011, two White House advisers said. A spokesman for Mueller said there was no dispute when Mueller, who was FBI director at the time, left the club.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...pid=hp_no-name_no-name:page/breaking-news-bar
 
K

Kusagari

Member
Trump has asked his advisers about his power to pardon aides, family members and even himself in connection with the probe, according to one of those people. A second person said Trump’s lawyers have been discussing the president’s pardoning powers among themselves.
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rPNCqww.gif
 
E

Effect

Member
Everyone needs to be hit with state level charges in addition to federal. Also you don't ask if you can pardon yourself if you're innocent.
 
R

Random Human

They were trying to grab your prize. They work for the mercenary. The masked man.
I like the fact that everything Trump does gets quickly leaked.
 
K

kris.

Banned
Trump has asked his advisers about his power to pardon aides, family members and even himself in connection with the probe, according to one of those people. A second person said Trump’s lawyers have been discussing the president’s pardoning powers among themselves.
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laughing-gifs-foolish-human.gif
 
T

TAJ

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Trump to his lawyers: "On a scale of 1-10 how fucked am I?"
Trump's lawyers: "11."
 
P

platakul

Banned
Effect said:
Everyone needs to be hit with state level charges in addition to federal. Also you don't ask if you can pardon yourself if you're innocent.
Click to expand...
Eh he's so fucking dumb, that his lawyers may not be able to figure out how guilty he may be. They don't know what Meuller knows yet.
 
C

Cowlick

Banned
Trump has been fuming about the probe in recent weeks as he has been informed about the legal questions that he and his family could face. His primary frustration centers on why allegations that his campaign coordinated with Russia should spread into scrutinizing many years of Trump dealmaking. He has told aides he was especially disturbed after learning Mueller would be able to access several years of his tax returns.
Click to expand...

Amazing that this is what Trump fears the most, for reasons I don't think are related to anything Russian. He just doesn't want anything getting out about his true financial status, debts owed, etc. He wants to maintain this image of himself as all-wealthy-all-powerful, when his tax returns will say otherwise.
 
R

Random Human

They were trying to grab your prize. They work for the mercenary. The masked man.
Cowlick said:
Amazing that this is what Trump fears the most, for reasons I don't think are related to anything Russian. He just doesn't want anything getting out about his true financial status, debts owed, etc. He wants to maintain this image of himself as all-wealthy-all-powerful, when his tax returns will say otherwise.
Click to expand...

God I hope Mueller has already seen his tax returns.
 
S

skullmuffins

Banned
NYT is on it too: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/20/...ert-mueller-russia-investigation.html?src=twr

WASHINGTON — President Trump's lawyers and aides are scouring the professional and political backgrounds of investigators hired by the special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, looking for conflicts of interest they could use to discredit the investigation — or even build a case to fire Mr. Mueller or get some members of his team recused, according to three people with knowledge of the research effort.

The search for potential conflicts is wide-ranging. It includes scrutinizing donations to Democratic candidates, investigators' past clients and Mr. Mueller's relationship with James B. Comey, whose firing as F.B.I. director is part of the special counsel's investigation.

...

Mr. Trump's advisers are split on how far to go in challenging the independence of Mr. Mueller, a retired F.B.I. director and one of the most respected figures in law enforcement. Some advisers have warned that dismissing Mr. Mueller would create a legal and political mess.

...

Mark Corallo is no longer working as a spokesman for the legal team. A former Justice Department spokesman, Mr. Corallo was one of several people cautioning against publicly criticizing Mr. Mueller.
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S

spelen

Member
fox: SHOW ME ONE SLIVER OF EVIDENCE THAT TRUMP IS GUILTY OF THIS CULUSION NOTHINGBURGER. besides it doesn't matter if he's guilty of violating swamp rules because he was voted in by people who wanted him to change the establishment.
 
N

Not

Banned
If a President can pardon themself from any crime what's to keep them from literally doing whatever they want regardless of the law as long as congress won't impeach them?
 
Z

Zolo

Member
I'm interested in if a pardon's ever been handed out where it wasn't already accepted that the person was guilty.
 
K

Kevtones

Member
But is committing a crime even committing a crime? I mean obviously the crime is a crime but is committing a crime really a crime? We're all committing all the time and that doesn't make it a crime. Liberal logic says we're all criminals. Real story is the leakers and they must be punished for treason for their fake news.
 
J

JettDash

Junior Member
Zolo said:
I'm interested in if a pardon's ever been handed out where it wasn't already accepted that the person was guilty.
Click to expand...

Gerald Ford pardoned Nixon for any federal crimes he may have committed while president. Nixon hadn't been charged with anything.
 
L

Lightning_Roller

Banned
Kevtones said:
But is committing a crime even committing a crime? I mean obviously the crime is a crime but is committing a crime really a crime? We're all committing all the time and that doesn't make it a crime. Liberal logic says we're all criminals. Real story is the leakers and they must be punished for treason for their fake news.
Click to expand...

I just know that some dimwitted republican is gonna use this exact excuse somewhere, I can feel it.
 
M

Maxim726X

Member
Republicans will let him fire AG and put someone in to dismiss Mueller.

Just a matter of time now.

All up to the press at this point.
 
S

skullmuffins

Banned
Not said:
If a President can pardon themself from any crime what's to keep them from literally doing whatever they want regardless of the law as long as congress won't impeach them?
Click to expand...
A 1974 OLC memo says he cannot, but it's never been put to the test before. It also lists two ways which the president could be pardoned while keeping the office.

https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/olc/opinions/1974/08/31/op-olc-supp-v001-p0370_0.pdf

Under the fundamental rule that no one may be a judge in his own case, the president cannot pardon himself.


If under the Twenty-Fifth Amendment the President declared that he was temporarily unable to perform the duties of the office, the Vice President would become Acting President and as such could pardon the President. Thereafter the President could either resign or resume the duties of his office.

Although as a general matter Congress cannot enact amnesty or pardoning legislation, because to do so would interfere with the pardoning power vested expressly in the President by the Constitution, it could be argued that a congressional pardon granted to the President would not interfere with the President’s pardoning power because that power does not extend to the President himself.
Click to expand...
 
Z

Zolo

Member
JettDash said:
Gerald Ford pardoned Nixon for any federal crimes he may have committed while president. Nixon hadn't been charged with anything.
Click to expand...

Sure, but it seems at that point, it was well accepted he was guilty and the pardon was just to "move on" now that he wasn't president.
 
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