Posted on 05/04/2018 6:39:48 PM PDT by NRx
A federal judge Friday accused special counsel Robert Mueller's team of using criminal charges to squeeze former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort to get his help in possibly either prosecuting or impeaching President Donald Trump, multiple reports said.
The judge also strongly suggested that Mueller exceeded the scope of his special counsel office's authorization by charging Manafort with crimes that have nothing to do with Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election or possible Trump campaign collusion with Russians.
"You don't really care about Mr. Manafort's bank fraud," U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III said at a hearing on Manafort's case in Virginia federal court, where the trial in the case is set to begin July 10.
"You really care about what information he might give you about Mr. Trump and what might lead to his impeachment or prosecution," Ellis said.
"That's what you're really interested in," the judge added, saying Mueller's prosecutors are trying to get Manafort to "sing."
Lawyers for Manafort, who served as Trump's campaign manager for several months in 2016, were asking Ellis to dismiss bank fraud charges brought by Mueller, saying the special counsel does not have the authority to bring such charges in this case...
...Ellis questioned why the United States attorney's office in Alexandria, Virginia, was not handling the case in federal court there, as opposed to the special counsel's office.
"I don't see how this indictment has to do with anything the special prosecutor is authorized to investigate," Ellis said.
He also told a prosecutor in Mueller's office at the hearing that he wants to see an uncensored copy of a memo that outlines the scope of the special counsel's investigation.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnbc.com ...
Note: I am not saying Rosenstein should do this, but
Rosenstein memo on Mueller gives OK to probe Manafort, Russia collusion
I'm reasonably well aware of that memo for a week or so. I don't understand your point in the context of this thread, that you drew me into.
Bump!
that is not the judge
Mueller ought to be [redacted].
That's a joke, son, get it? /Foghorn Leghorn>
Thanks! Very interesting.
That question is essentially a legal one, a matter of law. What is Mueller's subject matter jurisdiction? The original grant is ambiguous, but in principle should track Sessions' recusal. If the subject involves the Trump campaign, Sessions hands it to Rosenstein. Otherwise, Sessions keeps the case.
The Rosenstein memo claims territory that is within Sessions' territory, meaning subject matter that Sessions has not recused from. If Sessions' hasn't recused from it, Rosenstein never had it, and it Rosenstein never had it, Rosenstein couldn't give it to Mueller.
The Rosenstein scope-clarification memo claims territory that never left Sessions' jurisdiction.
Does the memo give Mueller the power/jurisdiction? Well, who has the authority to answer that? If DOJ/Rosenstein/Mueller is the authority, then yes, the memo does the trick.
If DOJ/Sessions is the authority, then no, the memo is evidence that Rosenstein and hence Mueller is out of bounds.
If the court is the authority, the court has to choose between competing interpretations of the circumstances that lead to the appointment of Mueller, and will make findings to suit the outcome that particular judge wants.
The left will try but fail to take down this judge. He’s a minority from Columbia South America.
Just leave the bare bones drying in the sunlight.
The Vikings called it a "Blood Eagle."
At last! God bless the judge.
Sessions was a U.S. Senator, they do nothing but make themselves Uber-wealthy by doing nothing.
thx
A windfall to be sure.
Sessions can’t hold Mueller or Rosenstein in contempt of court, a jailable offense. Sessions can only investigate and make recommendations that a grand jury be seated or an arrest warrant be issued.
And guest who he would have to ask in many cases, Rosenstein.
This judge, Ellis, may be the legal beagle who brings Mueller and Rosenstein to their knees, if not to also put them in jail.
Sessions totally destroyed his authority when he recused himself from the Mueller investigation in the beginning. He should have just excused himself from directing the investigation while maintaining complete control over its direction re “Russian collusion”.
The few honest liberal attorneys like Dershowitz, who are monitoring the Mueller investigation, the FISA court/warrant unethical affair, and related issues, are destroying Mueller, but more importantly, Rosenstein.
It could be that the cases against Flynn, Page, Mannafort, Nunberg, Papadopoulus, etc. will be thrown out of all the courts because of corrupt behavior by Mueller, Rosenstein, etc.
Two more leftists at the FBI resigned today, James Baker IV? and Lisa Page. Maybe Strzok has been turned, not by Mueller/Rosenstein, but by the FBI’s Inspector General and by the Republicans in congress. If he sings, then a lot of top FBI brass are going down and maybe to jail (Yates - DOJ; Weissman-FBI;the Ohrs - FBI/Fusion GSP, Page - FBI, Priestock? - FBI, and others.
Imagine the civil lawsuits by Flynn, Mannafort, Roger Stone, etc against these bastards, not to mention an criminal actions for violating their constitutional and civil rights.
Let’s see what Judge Ellis does in the next two weeks. He’s the key to stopping Mueller/Rosenstein’s investigations, while the House and Senate committees are the key to get out all the hidden documents that were used to create this phony/coup-making “Russian Collusion” Special Counsel and investigation with its hate-Trump hit team of Democrat turncoat lawyers. (They turned against the Constitution of the United States, which in my world means that they are guilty of TREASON).
#17. Dismiss with EXTREME PREJUDICE!!!!!
He'll probably raid his home in the early morning.
Google District Court Judge TS Ellis III and you have
a photo of a black gentleman along with the article
which describes him including the fact that he was
born in Bogata, Columbia.
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