Mueller facing new Republican pressure to resign in Russia probe

[Dashinka 25,869]

Special Counsel Robert Mueller is facing a fresh round of calls from conservative critics for his resignation from the Russia collusion probe, amid revelations that have called into question the FBI’s own actions and potentially Mueller’s independence.

This week’s bombshell that a controversial anti-Trump dossier was funded by the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign has Republicans asking to what extent the FBI – which received some of the findings and briefly agreed to pay the same researcher to gather intelligence on Trump and Russia – used the politically connected material.

Hill investigators also are looking into a Russian firm’s uranium deal that was approved by the Obama administration in 2010 despite reports that the FBI – then led by Mueller – had evidence of bribery involving a subsidiary of that firm.

Critics question whether Mueller’s own ties to the bureau as well as fired FBI director James Comey now render him compromised as he investigates allegations of Russian meddling and collusion with Trump officials in the 2016 race.

“The federal code could not be clearer – Mueller is compromised by his apparent conflict of interest in being close with James Comey,” Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., who first called for Mueller to step down over the summer, said in a statement to Fox News on Friday. “The appearance of a conflict is enough to put Mueller in violation of the code. … All of the revelations in recent weeks make the case stronger.”

 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/10/27/mueller-facing-new-republican-pressure-to-resign-in-russia-probe.html

[JimandChristy 1,689]

Republicans had no problem in hiring Mueller in the first place and we're supremely confident in his integrity.

[natty bumppo 297]

28 minutes ago, JimandChristy said:

Republicans had no problem in hiring Mueller in the first place and we're supremely confident in his integrity.

Keep your friends close ... and your enemies (Mueller) closer.

 

Give Mueller (swamp creature) enough rope and he will self-eliminate.

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1 hour ago, JimandChristy said:

Republicans had no problem in hiring Mueller in the first place and we're supremely confident in his integrity.

If he has integrity, then wouldn’t he have to resign due to his potential conflicts of interest?  Recusal is not an option in his case.

[JimandChristy 1,689]

35 minutes ago, Bill & Katya said:

If he has integrity, then wouldn’t he have to resign due to his potential conflicts of interest?  Recusal is not an option in his case.

Mueller is only in the job because Trump fired Comey. Self inflicted wound, Trump brought all of this on himself.

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2 hours ago, JimandChristy said:

Mueller is only in the job because Trump fired Comey. Self inflicted wound, Trump brought all of this on himself.

Comey needed to be fired, even most of the Hillary supporters would agree with that.  I just wish he had fired Koskinen as well.

[JimandChristy 1,689]

2 hours ago, Bill & Katya said:

Comey needed to be fired, even most of the Hillary supporters would agree with that.  I just wish he had fired Koskinen as well.

But Donnie didn't fire him over Clinton, he fired him over the Russia Investigation.

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8 hours ago, JimandChristy said:

But Donnie didn't fire him over Clinton, he fired him over the Russia Investigation.

And you know this how?  Or is this just speculation?

[JimandChristy 1,689]

6 hours ago, Bill & Katya said:

And you know this how?  Or is this just speculation?

Seriously? Did you even see the interview Trump gave to Lester Holt? He said it was because of the Russia Investigation, it's right there straight from the horses mouth.

 

Only thing I can think of as to why you're weren't aware of Trump's admission is because it probably wasn't shown on Fixed News.

[Amica Nostra 4,803]

4 minutes ago, JimandChristy said:

Seriously? Did you even see the interview Trump gave to Lester Holt? He said it was because of the Russia Investigation, it's right there straight from the horses mouth.

 

Only thing I can think of as to why you're weren't aware of Trump's admission is because it probably wasn't shown on Fixed News.

Sanders, May 10: I think he’s heard from the rank and file of the FBI, but particularly someone who had done a thorough review and someone who has the respect and reputation that the deputy attorney general has, he took that seriously. He took the recommendation seriously. And he made a decision based on that.

Trump, however, told NBC’s Lester Holt in a May 11 interview that he did not base his decision on Rosenstein’s recommendation.

Holt, May 11: Monday you met with the Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

Trump: Right.

Holt: Did you ask for a recommendation?

Trump: What I did is, I was going to fire Comey. My decision. It was not —

Holt: You had made the decision before they came in the room.

Trump: I was going to fire Comey. There’s no good time to do it, by the way.

Holt: Because in your letter you said, “I accepted their recommendation.”

Trump: Well, they also —

Holt: So, you had already made the decision.

Trump: Oh, I was going to fire regardless of recommendation.

Update, May 12: After we posted our story, NBC News posted the full interview with Trump. The president said that he thought about “this Russia thing with Trump and Russia” when he decided to fire Comey.

“[Rosenstein] made a recommendation, but regardless of recommendation I was going to fire Comey, knowing there was no good time to do it,” Trump said. “And, in fact, when I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said, ‘You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story. It’s an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should have won.’” 

http://www.factcheck.org/2017/05/trump-fire-comey/

 

A day earlier, former FBI Deputy General Counsel Ernie Babcock told CNN’s Jake Tapper that Comey “created an atmosphere of integrity and transparency, and, unfortunately, being transparent is now becoming a political football and one side or the other will not be happy if you actually do your job.”

Tapper, May 10: How was morale at the FBI under Comey when you were there?

Babcock: It was outstanding. Jim Comey is an inclusive leader. He would not make and did not make critical decisions on his own as some other leaders do. He brought the senior staff together on a regular basis and included them in making any of the difficult decisions.

This is obviously a developing story and more information likely will emerge.

But what we know right now is that the White House’s initial claim that the president acted based on Rosenstein’s recommendation has been contradicted by the president himself. And its portrayal of Comey as having lost the confidence of the FBI rank and file is at best a matter of dispute.

Edited October 28, 2017 by Il Mango Dulce