Mueller Report Release and Reaction Watch
Posted by Fuzzy Slippers Saturday, March 23, 2019 at 12:00pm
https://legalinsurrection.com/2019/03/mueller-report-release-and-reaction-watch/
Will a summary be released today?
The long-awaited Mueller report was submitted to the Attorney General yesterday, and to the stunned, unhappy shock of the left, he has reportedly not recommended any further indictments.
Reports are circulating that Attorney General William Barr could release a summary to Congress as early as today.
CBS News Radio
@CBSNewsRadio
Attorney General #WilliamBarr could release a summary of the #MuellerReport as early as today.
Listen here: (link:
http://bit.ly/cbsnewscast) bit.ly/cbsnewscast
9:08 AM · Mar 23, 2019 · Twitter Web Client
If that happens, there are sure to be reports on the summary contents, and we’ll keep you posted should and as those unfold.
Meanwhile, Ken Starr has penned an interesting piece
at the Atlantic that reminds readers of the regulations surrounding the special counsel investigation and report.
Under the regulations that governed his appointment and now guide his final acts, Mueller is to provide a confidential report to one person only: the attorney general. The regulations, which were promulgated 20 years ago during the final months of the Clinton administration, do not contemplate any sort of report sent directly from the special counsel to Congress or the general public.
To the contrary, the regulations call upon the attorney general, William Barr, to receive the confidential report and then do two things: First, to notify Congress of the investigation’s completion and, second, to provide an explanation for certain specifically enumerated actions. There is no requirement for a Barr-edited version of the Mueller report.
In short, there may be no Mueller report at all, save for the confidential document that lands on Barr’s desk. And these same regulations do not require the attorney general to simply pass along a “confidential” report that may very well contain unflattering information about one or more individuals. Including the president.
. . . . This is not to say that Barr’s hands are tied. Mueller is in regulatory handcuffs, but Barr—as the attorney general—still maintains a goodly amount of discretion as to what he will choose to report to Congress. In his exercise of discretion, Barr may well opt in favor of transparency, while complying with statutory obligations not to reveal grand-jury information. (His letter to Congress said that he is “committed to as much transparency as possible,” and that he would consult with Mueller and Rosenstein to “determine what other information from the report can be released to Congress and the public consistent with the law, including the Special Counsel regulations, and the Department’s long-standing practices and policies.”)
Barr also has inherent discretion, as an officer of the Justice Department, to share whatever he intends to report to Congress with the president and the president’s lawyers. Why would he do that? To ensure that the president’s constitutionally recognized privilege—executive privilege—is dutifully safeguarded.
The attorney general also has the raw power to jettison the regulations entirely. Unlike a statute, the regulations may be dispatched by the stroke of a pen, and new ones put in place. He may determine that the public interest requires maximum transparency, as long as grand-jury secrecy is scrupulously maintained. But unless and until the attorney general takes that bold action, the current regulations stand and have the force of law.
With no idea at all what is in the report, 2020 Democrat hopefuls are demanding that it be made public.
Releasing the Mueller report to the public is about protecting our democracy and the people’s confidence in our elections and government. The White House must not interfere in any way — give the information to the American people.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) March 23, 2019
This report should be made public immediately.
https://t.co/Q2JCExqYaA
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) March 22, 2019
Release the Mueller report to the American people.
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) March 22, 2019
With the Mueller investigation over, The Washington Examiner notes five things that did not happen.
1. Mueller did not indict Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, or other people whose purported legal jeopardy was the subject of intense media speculation in the last year.
2. Mueller did not charge anyone in the Trump campaign or circle with conspiring with Russia to fix the 2016 election, as was the subject of intense media speculation in the last year.
3. Mueller did not subpoena the president, as was the subject of intense media speculation in the last year.
4. The president did not fire Mueller, as was the subject of intense media speculation in the last year.
5. The president did not interfere with the Mueller investigation, as was the subject of intense media speculation in the last year. In his letter to Congress, Barr noted the requirement that he notify lawmakers if top Justice Department officials ever interfered with the Mueller investigation. “There were no such instances,” Barr wrote.
Meanwhile, House Democrats are planning a conference call to discuss the report.
There will be a conference call with the entire House Democratic caucus at 3 pm to discuss The Mueller Report. Stay tuned…
— Alana Abramson (@aabramson) March 23, 2019
They want it released, too.
Now that Special Counsel Mueller has submitted his report to the Attorney General, it is imperative for Mr. Barr to make the full report public and provide its underlying documentation and findings to Congress. #ReleaseTheReport pic.twitter.com/v1ROpZBqZJ
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) March 22, 2019
Around Twitter, there are some great responses to the report’s release.
Via Twitchy:
#MuellerTime certainly not Happy Hour for #Democrats. Robert Mueller just got President Trump re-elected by a landslide…
To all the whining, loser liberals… pic.twitter.com/AexswlHcgo
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) March 23, 2019
Can’t wait to watch the #Democrats do a u-turn on their hero… #MuellerReport pic.twitter.com/ux2143SiBg
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) March 23, 2019
Apparently, they’re already saying that the report might not be a big deal over at MSNBC.
Amazing to hear people on *MSNBC* saying Mueller report might not be a big deal
— Rich Lowry (@RichLowry) March 23, 2019
Some predictions made earlier this month did not age well:
"…I think it’s entirely possible, if not likely, that there will be other indictments."
–@RepAdamSchiff 3/22/19#MuellerReport pic.twitter.com/VtQ4fMbIiG
— Larry Elder (@larryelder) March 23, 2019
FLASHBACK: John Brennan Predicted Additional Mueller Indictments Just Two Weeks Ago
https://t.co/y7M1GrdNpL pic.twitter.com/qj6xvHJWEt
— The Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) March 23, 2019
Lara Logan appeared on Fox & Friends Saturday morning and noted that there are no headlines about President Trump being vindicated.
The Daily Caller reports:
Journalist Lara Logan said Saturday that the response to the Mueller report was striking because of what was not happening: there were no blaring headlines boldly proclaiming the vindication of President Donald Trump.
. . . . Logan, during an appearance on “Fox & Friends” Saturday, argued that if the Mueller report had resulted in indictments or charges of any kind, that would most certainly be the top story in every paper.
My question is this: If charges had been brought against the president, then the headlines would all be screaming about, you know, victory, right, for the left. Vindication. This proves that what the left has been saying is right. Now, no charges have been brought but I don’t see screaming headlines that say this vindicates the president.
We don’t know what is in the report at this point, but I think that Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) asks a good question:
Democrats have spent the past two years using speculation about the Mueller Report to vilify @realDonaldTrump and threaten impeachment. If the report proves there was no collusion, will they finally admit to the American people that this was a witch hunt and move on? pic.twitter.com/IUrvvTRZuv
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) March 23, 2019
