Indictment-O-Rama Megathread: Mueller indicts 13 Russians

[GeorgiaModerate]

Grain of salt but https://mobile.twitter.com/TrueFactsStated/status/949684763929075712

Possible, but Taylor isn't the world's most reliable source.

[KingSweden]

Treat Claude Taylor’s pronunciations with extreme skepticism

[Silent Hunter]

It'll drop with very little notice, I would say.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Treat Claude Taylor’s pronunciations with extreme skepticism

[Obama-Biden Democrat]

It'll drop with very little notice, I would say.

Yea, look at how sudden and out of nowhere the Manafort and Papadopoulos indictments were.

[Silent Hunter]

I meant we know the balloon is going to pop, but we're likely to be doing the ironing when it does.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

https://nypost.com/2018/01/08/trump-lawyers-discuss-strategy-for-interview-with-mueller/

Trump lawyers discuss strategy for [expected] interview with Mueller

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Someone in on the President's team seems to understand that if Mueller gets him on mic, under oath, freely answering questions (even if he has lawyers present) then he's toast.

[Silent Hunter]

Yes, the legal team seem to be smart. You can't say the same about their client, based on his Twitter behaviour.

[anvi]

I'm poking my head into this thread late, and only having looked at the last few pages of posts.  But isn't the only realistic scenario here, in the case of Trump himself, Mueller reporting his findings and recommendations to the House Judiciary Committee?  (Ken Starr in '98 had no compunctions about making impeachment recommendations to House Judiciary, and the GOP reps on that Committee had no difficulty running down the field with that ball.). I mean, the legal questions about whether a president can be criminally indicted while in office are so murky that they would likely have to be settled by a SCOTUS decision, which would be a protracted process.  And, as others here have noted, it's unlikely the Judiciary Committee or House would do anything given that the GOP on the Hill now appears to be all-in with protecting Trump no matter what Mueller reports.  So, the only thing Mueller can do is report his findings and perhaps recommendations, and depending on how substantive they are, they might create political fire for House GOP candidates in the midterms, as they might be less able to run on their own issues than needing to defend Trump from what they would call an "attempted coup." 

The long and short of it is that, even if Meuller uncovers fairly damning stuff, the best strategy the political opposition has is to come up with someone the voters will prefer to Trump in 2020, as it's really unlikely that the Meuller investigation will oust the president.  Isn't that the most realistic case?

[emailking]

From what I can tell, if he suspects Trump has broken the law, he can list Trump as an unindicted co-conspirator and recommend impeachment (or not), or conceivably he could sue to overturn the DOJ policy that a sitting President cannot be indicted. The latter is probably unlikely.

[Landslide Lyndon]

FWIW, Ken Starr had written a memo back in the day where he opined that the President CAN be indicted and tried like any other citizen.

[GeorgiaModerate]

FWIW, Ken Starr had written a memo back in the day where he opined that the President CAN be indicted and tried like any other citizen.

Leon Jaworski had the same opinion during Watergate, but like Starr he chose to defer to Congress rather than pursuing an indictment.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

I'm poking my head into this thread late, and only having looked at the last few pages of posts.  But isn't the only realistic scenario here, in the case of Trump himself, Mueller reporting his findings and recommendations to the House Judiciary Committee?  (Ken Starr in '98 had no compunctions about making impeachment recommendations to House Judiciary, and the GOP reps on that Committee had no difficulty running down the field with that ball.). I mean, the legal questions about whether a president can be criminally indicted while in office are so murky that they would likely have to be settled by a SCOTUS decision, which would be a protracted process.  And, as others here have noted, it's unlikely the Judiciary Committee or House would do anything given that the GOP on the Hill now appears to be all-in with protecting Trump no matter what Mueller reports.  So, the only thing Mueller can do is report his findings and perhaps recommendations, and depending on how substantive they are, they might create political fire for House GOP candidates in the midterms, as they might be less able to run on their own issues than needing to defend Trump from what they would call an "attempted coup."  

The long and short of it is that, even if Meuller uncovers fairly damning stuff, the best strategy the political opposition has is to come up with someone the voters will prefer to Trump in 2020, as it's really unlikely that the Meuller investigation will oust the president.  Isn't that the most realistic case?

The President can be indicted and tried on federal charges such as obstruction of justice while in office.

Yes, the legal team seem to be smart. You can't say the same about their client, based on his Twitter behaviour.

Nah, they’re basically a group of D-list clowns.  OTOH, Kushner’s lawyer is a top guy.

[anvi]

I remember Starr maintained that a president could be criminally indicted while in office, and there are lots of people who believe he can be.  But Trump's lawyers and perhaps the WH Counsel will argue. and will file briefs to the effect, that this can't be done, and in fact the Attorney General's Office of Legal Counsel has come to this conclusion in '73 and 2000.  So my understanding is that this question has no clear legal answer, and that lack of clarity would have to be worked out constitutionally.

[The Other Castro]

Another Mueller Trump interview story:

"Mueller indicates he will likely seek interview with Trump"

You must be logged in to read this quote.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mueller-indicates-he-will-likely-seek-interview-with-trump/2018/01/08/86100bb2-f473-11e7-beb6-c8d48830c54d_story.html?tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.eadb0b207c50

[Silent Hunter]

I remember Starr maintained that a president could be criminally indicted while in office, and there are lots of people who believe he can be.  But Trump's lawyers and perhaps the WH Counsel will argue. and will file briefs to the effect, that this can't be done, and in fact the Attorney General's Office of Legal Counsel has come to this conclusion in '73 and 2000.  So my understanding is that this question has no clear legal answer, and that lack of clarity would have to be worked out constitutionally.

Couldn't any indictments just be put on hold until Trump leaves office?

[anvi]

Couldn't any indictments just be put on hold until Trump leaves office?

Definitely, they could.  Eventual criminal indictments could easily be delivered after Trump is out of office if there is evidence of criminal conduct.  But I think a lot of people who are expecting big things from the Meuller investigation are expecting that investigation to lead to his removal from office.

[junior chįmp]

Another Mueller Trump interview story:

"Mueller indicates he will likely seek interview with Trump"

You must be logged in to read this quote.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mueller-indicates-he-will-likely-seek-interview-with-trump/2018/01/08/86100bb2-f473-11e7-beb6-c8d48830c54d_story.html?tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.eadb0b207c50

Jail time for Trump is back on the menu

[Dr Oz Lost Party!]

Another Mueller Trump interview story:

"Mueller indicates he will likely seek interview with Trump"

You must be logged in to read this quote.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mueller-indicates-he-will-likely-seek-interview-with-trump/2018/01/08/86100bb2-f473-11e7-beb6-c8d48830c54d_story.html?tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.eadb0b207c50

Jail time for Trump is back on the menu

Trump is bound to say something self-incriminating.

[junior chįmp]

Another Mueller Trump interview story:

"Mueller indicates he will likely seek interview with Trump"

You must be logged in to read this quote.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mueller-indicates-he-will-likely-seek-interview-with-trump/2018/01/08/86100bb2-f473-11e7-beb6-c8d48830c54d_story.html?tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.eadb0b207c50

Jail time for Trump is back on the menu

Trump is bound to say something self-incriminating.

"Hello Mr Mueller....I'm Donald Trump, a very successful business man who's made billions-..."

[Landslide Lyndon]

Trump should invoke the 5th.

[junior chįmp]

Trump should invoke the 5th.

Trump's aides tried to educate him on the Amendments to the Constitution but luckily they gave up after the Fourth

[Sestak]

Trump should invoke the 5th.

Trump's aides tried to educate him on the Amendments to the Constitution but luckily they gave up after the Fourth

Also trump invoking the 5th would be blatantly hypocritical.

Even by his standards.

[Cold War Liberal]

Trump should invoke the 5th.

Trump's aides tried to educate him on the Amendments to the Constitution but luckily they gave up after the Fourth

Also trump invoking the 5th would be blatantly hypocritical.

Even by his standards.

It would be extremely hypocritical and slightly ironic.

[Silent Hunter]

Of course "pleading the 5th" screams "I'm guilty" to any casual observer regardless of whether you are or aren't.