Posted on 11/21/2018 1:03:47 AM PST by bryan999
WASHINGTON — President Trump told the White House counsel in the spring that he wanted to order the Justice Department to prosecute two of his political adversaries: his 2016 challenger, Hillary Clinton, and the former F.B.I. director James B. Comey, according to two people familiar with the conversation.
The lawyer, Donald F. McGahn II, rebuffed the president, saying that he had no authority to order a prosecution. Mr. McGahn said that while he could request an investigation, that too could prompt accusations of abuse of power. To underscore his point, Mr. McGahn had White House lawyers write a memo for Mr. Trump warning that if he asked law enforcement to investigate his rivals, he could face a range of consequences, including possible impeachment.
The encounter was one of the most blatant examples yet of how Mr. Trump views the typically independent Justice Department as a tool to be wielded against his political enemies. It took on additional significance in recent weeks when Mr. McGahn left the White House and Mr. Trump appointed a relatively inexperienced political loyalist, Matthew G. Whitaker, as the acting attorney general.
It is unclear whether Mr. Trump read Mr. McGahn’s memo or whether he pursued the prosecutions further. But the president has continued to privately discuss the matter, including the possible appointment of a second special counsel to investigate both Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Comey, according to two people who have spoken to Mr. Trump about the issue. He has also repeatedly expressed disappointment in the F.B.I. director, Christopher A. Wray, for failing to more aggressively investigate Mrs. Clinton, calling him weak, one of the people said.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
"The encounter was one of the most blatant examples yet of how Mr. Trump views the typically independent Justice Department as a tool to be wielded against his political enemies."
Kind of like how O'Bummer "wielded" the IRS to go after conservatives.. or how he "wielded" the FBI/DOJ to go after Trump...??
If this "encounter" did in fact happen, it just sounds like Trump was exploring his options.
"blatant example"... it also sounds like The Times might be getting nervous...
Independent Justice Department?
Like the independent State Department???
they serve the President.
The Clinton Crime Family needs to be taken down. That is the doj’s job.
Doesn’t matter if they are or are not “enemies” of the President.
Re: “The typically independent Justice Department”
Right...
Like when John Kennedy appointed his younger brother, Robert Kennedy, to be Attorney General?
Before becoming Attorney General, Robert Kennedy was John Kennedy’s campaign manager in 1952, for the U.S. Senate, and again in 1960, for President.
IS no surprise that according to some that some criminals have government protection. Any criminal or criminal enterprise knows there are criminals and “special” criminals
I know someone who just returned from a stay in DC, who told me that they really do think they are better than us. It was evident.
Hillary violated hundreds of laws by putting classified info on an unsecure ‘homebrew’ server and forwarding those emails to Huma/Anthony Weiner. They wound up on a laptop with his pedo-chats.
Sounds like something to investigate and prosecute to me.
“The lawyer, Donald F. McGahn II, rebuffed the president, saying that he had no authority to order a prosecution. Mr. McGahn said that while he could request an investigation, that too could prompt accusations of abuse of power. “
Jeez. No wonder why we’re so FUBARed. This is the same d!ckhead who told Trump to allow the mueller coup to continue.
His white house counsel and his AG were working for the other team—The deep-state...The corrupt state.
“The encounter was one of the most blatant examples yet of how Mr. Trump views the typically independent Justice Department as a tool to be wielded against his political enemies.”
I heard Fox’s Shannon Bream using similar talking points last night, “Of course President Trump can’t order the DOJ what to do” I’m yelling at the TV, “of course he can, shannon, you ignorant slut, he IS the executive branch. The reason why we have elections. The DOJ is not separate in any way.”
The propaganda by the media is out of control.
Too funny... The ‘independent’ Justice Department? The same one that looked at Hillary Clinton and decided that she was innocent, despite the massive amount of evidence pointing towards her being guilty of corruption?
The same one that decided based on information received from Hillary, that Trump should instead be investigated and that any connections she and her campaign had with Russia weren’t worthwhile looking at?
Over an 8 year period Obama created on the most politically biased and corrupt Justice Departments in American history and the NY Slimes didn’t even produce one story pointing that out to their readers.
And they have the audacity to insinuate that because Trump would like to see criminals brought to Justice that HE should be impeached? How rich is that?
Liars. Political opponent is the new invisible cloak to wrap Hillary! in? But Comey was never a ‘political’ opponent - at least not that we knew about and certainly not known to Trump until well after the fact.
And the corrupt Obama FBI conspired to obstruct justice.
Is that the kind of "independence" we want from the federal government?
-PJ
Must be a dem lawyer, to prosecute criminals is abuse of power.
Yeah, but he didn’t.
Next bogus issue, please?
#FakeNews designed to cripple DJTs pending AG appointment.
Sean Hannity said it best last night. “This is fake news,” Hannity said.
BTW, fake news media is the enemy of the people.
Agree BS. He will NEVER prosecute HRC.
I’m sure Trump was just wondering as we all were why the DOJ was not doing it’s goddam job.
Another NTY hit piece with unnamed sources?
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