Posted on 01/24/2018 11:51:33 AM PST by Bigtigermike
If something was perpetrated against you based on a fraud and evidence was presented to court under false pretense and you know it’s a fraud because obviously you didn’t do it. So you tell people it’s ridiculous why this fraud investigation is still going on and you tell people to end this ridiculous thing, and you may even fired people that was stalling on an obvious fraud. How can it be obstruction of justice?
Ask Martha Stewart.
The entire fraud is predicated on the idea that Trump may have committed the crime of “collusion”.
But collusion is not a crime.
So “obstruction of justice” is ridiculous on multiple levels.
The obstruction charge would be when Trump hinted to Comey to let Flynn go.
It’s ridiculous, but that’s where it stems from.
It is the same government judicial nonsense that says the government can confiscate your assets and keep them, when no underlying crime has even been charged let alone been proven and then show that the crime was the source of the assets taken.
Best answer.
If the FBI knowingly presented false data in order to harm Trump, then Trump's actions in response would not be criminal, since the initiating act against him was the crime.
Secondarily, there is Misprision of felony, which says it's a crime to know that a felony is taking place and not report it to authorities in a timely manner. This means that if there are other FBI agents who were aware of the plot to falsify records against Trump in order to harass him and stayed silent, they are guilty of misprision of felony.
-PJ
There are 2 obstruction charges they are going for:
1) Asking Comey to back off of Flynn
This never happened. Comey’s own notes and testimony was that Trump said he hoped Comey could go easy on Flynn, because he has suffered enough. Comey’s own notes also say that trump was interested in knowing if anyone else in his admin had done anything wrong, so there was never an attempt to stop the investigation
2) Firing Comey to end the Russia investigation.
This also never happened. Previous reports all state that Trump was told that firing Comey would not make the investigation go away and would probably make it worse. Trump chose to fire Comey anyway. There were probably many reasons to fire Comey, and none of them amount to obstruction:
a) Comey wouldn’t publicly admit that Trump himself wasn’t under investigation. That’s more of a case of Comey insubordination to his superior than obstruction by Trump.
b) Bad advice by javanka that democrats would be happy if Trump fired Comey.
c) Comey screwed up the hillary investigation/announcement, and had lost the support of his bosses (Sessions/Rosenstein)
d) Comey is a weasel, as confirmed by his leaking of classified memos to force the special counsel.
Study the Founders and Framers' ideas of liberty; and, then, search reliable and factual information about the roots and demands of the Progressive ideology, and today's events will become much clearer.
Below are the words from a major address by Ohio State Legislator and A.M.E. Bishop Benjamin W. Arnett, in an Address in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Note that the Address is delivered only a few years after the Civil War. Arnett's theme: Righteousness Exalteth a Nation, but Sin is a Reproach to Any People.
In one section of that Address, Legislator/Bishop Arnett warns of what he called "Dangers to our Nation" arising from the published goals of self-described "Liberals" of the Year 1876:
"Withdraw from Christendom the Bible, the Church with its sacraments and ministry, and Christian morality and hopes, and aspirations for time and eternity; repeal all the laws that are founded in the Christian Scriptures; remove the Christian humanities in the form of hospitals and asylums, and reformatories and institutions of mercy utterly unknown to unchristian countries; destroy the literature, the culture, the institutions of learning, the art, the refinement, the place of woman in her home and in society, which owe their origin and power to Christianity; blot out all faith in Divine Providence, love, and righteousness; turn back every believer in Christ to his former state; remove all thought or hope of the forgiveness of sins by a just but gracious God; erase the name of Christ from every register it sanctifies—in a word annihilate all the legitimate and logical effects of Christianity in Christendom—just accomplish in fact what multitudes of gifted and learned minds are wishing and trying to accomplish by their science, philosophy, and criticism, and what multitudes of the common people desire and seek, and not only would all progress toward and unto perfection cease, but not one of the shining lights of infidelity would shine much longer. Yes, the bitterest enemies of this holy and blessed religion, owe their ability to be enemies to its sacred revelations - to the inspiration and sublimity of that faith which reflects its glories on their hostile natures. They live in the strength of that which they would destroy. They are raised to their seats of opportunity and power by the grace of Him they would crucify afresh; and is it to be thought that they are stronger than that which gives them strength? Can it be supposed that a religion which civilizes and subdues, and elevates and blesses will succumb to the enmities it may arouse and quicken in its onward march? Are we to tremble for the ark of God when God is its upholder, and protector, and preserver?” - Dr. Benjaming W. Arnett, St. Paul A.M.E. Church, Urbana, Ohio, Centennial Thanksgiving Sermon, November 1876. Arnett's "Sermon" is available in the "Library of Congress - Historical Collections" - "African-American Pamphlets from the Daniel A. P. Murray Collection," 1820-1920; American Memory, Washington, DC.
And now further confirmed by he and the leakee, a law professor friend, now claiming after the fact that the professor is his attorney. Shades of Cheryl Mills.
“2) Firing Comey to end the Russia investigation.”
Trump was allowed to fire Comey for any reason at all, including ending the Russia investigation.
Mueller knows this.
As I understand it there has to be a chargeable crime being investigated for there to be any chance of obstruction. However there has to be a chargeable crime before an independent prosecute can be appointed, so....
You forgot the most important reason why Trump fired Comey. Both Sessions and Rosenstein recommended that he do so. I’m on a cell phone, so can’t find and link the Rosenstein letter spelling out the reasons, but they were solid. So a president takes the advice of top DOJ officials and that’s supposed to be obstruction of justice? Hold much beer while I laugh my butt off.
“Trump was allowed to fire Comey for any reason at all, including ending the Russia investigation.”
And Comey even stated this himself in a departing letter to FBI personnel.
If he fired Comey with an intent to obstruct, that would be obstruction even though he has the authority to fire for any reason. However, he will never say he fired Comey to obstruct the investigation.
Thus, obstruction is going to go nowhere, just like collusion went no where. So, the whole plan now is to try to catch Trump in a lie, so they can claim perjury.
And if they can’t get him on perjury, they will get him to admit something in questioning that is different than his public/political statements, so that the media can continue to label him a liar.
I think he’d better off taking the 5th and saying he is not going to allow them to get him in a perjury trap for some minor inconsistency in statements.
The issue has never been whether he could fire people and direct what things the DOJ investigates. He has always had that power. The issue has always been whether the dirtbags in the House would impeach him over a bogus charge that they knew was bogus but which they were using to hamstring him and keep him in check. He had to play their game, at least long enough until he had the goods on Mueller and the FBI, which he does now.
The obstruction charge would be when Trump hinted to Comey to let Flynn go.
_______________________________
From what I remember Trump asked Comey to go easy on the guy. So, it was more a clemency request that a drop the case request.
To answer your question as you asked it, about how “you” would react, i.e. anybody, not just Trump. You have charges being brought against you that you know are false because you didn’t do it. Still, you cannot interfere in the investigation of whether or not you did it because of the principle that no one should be the judge of his own case. You have to let others discover the truth. You can lead them to it, but cannot penalize them for not following where you lead.
The obstruction charge is as to an investigation and legal process, which means that an underlying crime does not have to be proved.
“How can it be obstruction of justice?”
Geez, dontya know anything?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.