Saturday, February 17, 2018

Mueller Is Apparently Still Tracking Co-Conspirators. Hi, Ho, Silver!

Keep this in mind. Common sense tells us that if Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller were through  investigating a possible Trump/Russian campaign conspiracy, he wouldn't still be interviewing potential suspects/witnesses. But last week his team spent 20 hours interviewing one-time Trump advisor Steve Bannon and is still negotiating terms with Trump's attorneys for interviewing the president. I doubt they are gathering to discuss canasta rules.

What follows here is a pretty good column from the Washington Post explaining the apparent Mueller strategy. I must admit though that I would sure like some reassurance that Mueller has not dismissed this original grand jury that issued the indictment. Read this piece and you'll see why that bit of information is key as to where we are in this investigation. Here's the relevant part of the Post column which appears in full at Mueller’s indictment only scratches the surface of a widespread conspiracy.

"There were reports late Friday afternoon that Mueller’s inquiry into Russian meddling is not yet complete. With a grand jury investigation shrouded in secrecy, any prediction is an exercise in reading tea leaves. But there could be any number of reasons for Mueller to not yet show his full hand.
Once an indictment is returned, the grand jury’s work on the charged offenses must cease. If the investigation is not yet complete, prosecutors could choose to bring an initial indictment against Russian participants while continuing the grand jury investigation against others.

"That procedure could make sense. Friday’s indictment sets a dramatic stage for anything that will follow. It provides the most detailed public account to date of the activities that Mueller is charged with investigating, and puts to rest any notion that there is “no there there.” It also lets other potential targets know that Mueller’s knowledge of Russian interference is extensive, and that the wisest course may be to cooperate rather than to try to obfuscate or obstruct.
"Bringing the first major indictment against only Russian individuals is also a brilliant rebuttal to those who argue (without basis ) that Mueller’s inquiry may be politically motivated. It allows Mueller to reveal the breadth and seriousness of the misconduct without any distracting political sideshows. Surely the condemnation of the conduct set forth in Friday’s indictment will be bipartisan and overwhelming. That will give Mueller’s investigation considerable momentum and should provide substantial political insurance against any potential moves to fire the special counsel.
"If the investigation into election meddling remains ongoing, then a superseding indictment could later add additional co-conspirators and charges. On that point, it is interesting to note the indictment’s allegation that the defendants conspired not only with each other , but also with “others known and unknown to the Grand Jury.” This could just be boilerplate language — or it could be a signal about things to come.
"Finally, the other unanswered questions surrounding Mueller’s inquiry relate to other criminal areas such as obstruction of justice. There have been clear signs that Mueller may be probing potential efforts to thwart the Russia investigation and/or efforts by campaign officials to conceal Russian contacts. That parallel area of inquiry is not affected by this indictment. The obstruction of justice-related shoes, if any, still remain to drop.

"The indictment alleges an astonishing conspiracy. It remains to be seen just how widespread the conspiracy was, and whether there were criminal efforts to cover it up. Mueller may be just getting started." 
                                                **********
Meantime while we await further shoe-fall, be glad of these things:
1. Trump has been completely stripped of any claims that "the Russian thing is a hoax";

2. He and Congressman Devin Nunes and the other GOP Congressional Trump stooges look like such utter fools, even worse than usual;

3. Even the GOP in Congress must now see they have a duty to act against the Russian "warfare";

4. If they don't, the Democrats have a juicy issue to run against them in the fall election;

5. Mueller has sure put the lie to Trump & Company's lament that the FBI & Mueller are just out to get him as part of a Democratic conspiracy because some FBI guy's wife ran as a Democratic candidate in some state and a friend of Clinton's gave her money. (Wha? Mueller was indeed brillliant to go after the Russians right off the bat. Who would waste time on parrying such nonsense about the alleged partisan conspiracy?)

6. By focusing on the Russians in this initial indictment, Mueller has probably provided himself a shield against being fired by Trump.  With a lovey bunch of indictments in one hand, plus two confessed transgressors in the other, and a couple more apparent co-conspiritors in his back pocket, Mueller doesn't look like someone on an anti-Trump crusade but like an authentic law enforcement juggernaut cranking toward a satisfying enforcement of the laws protecting the nation.

In short, Mueller is a regular Lone Ranger!  So Hi, Ho, Silver, and let's get the bad guys into the hoosgow!

And enjoy the weekend. It was 60 degrees here yesterday and it is now snowing. The weather is mighty changeable, just like this week's politics! But spring will come, and Mueller's work will go on. I predict hot times by the Fourth of July!

No comments:

Post a Comment