By Judi McLeod ——Bio and Archives--April 18, 2019
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“On Thursday morning, as some Democrats demanded Barr cancel the press conference, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer issued a joint statement calling on Mueller himself to testify. “Attorney General Barr’s regrettably partisan handling of the Mueller report, including his slanted March 24th summary letter, his irresponsible testimony before Congress last week, and his indefensible plan to spin the report in a press conference later this morning — hours before he allows the public or Congress to see it — have resulted in a crisis of confidence in his independence and impartiality," they said. "We believe the only way to begin restoring public trust in the handling of the Special Counsel’s investigation is for Special Counsel Mueller himself to provide public testimony in the House and Senate as soon as possible.” “The statement set the tone for what is sure to be a combative day, even by Trump-era standards. “It was not immediately clear exactly when on Thursday the DOJ would release the redacted version of the nearly 400-page investigation into Russian election meddling, but the document was expected to be delivered to lawmakers and posted online by noon. With just hours to go until that moment, hopes for finality amid a deep national divide -- and persistent accusations of far-flung conspiracies -- are all but certain to remain unrealized.”
“Barr has said redactions in the report's release are legally mandated to protect four broad areas of concern: sensitive grand jury-related matters, classified information, ongoing investigations and the privacy or reputation of uncharged "peripheral" people. (Fox News) “In a filing in the ongoing Roger Stone prosecution on Wednesday, the DOJ revealed that certain members of Congress will be able to see the Mueller report "without certain redactions" in a secure setting. Stone, a longtime confidant of the president, is awaiting trial on charges including giving false statements and obstructing justice."
“The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Democrat New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler, has said he is prepared to issue subpoenas "very quickly" for the full report if it is released with blacked-out sections, likely setting in motion a major legal battle.” (Fox News).Barr, who said he believed the president's campaign had been spied on and he was concerned about possible abuses of government power, told the Democrats and media what they didn’t want to hear.
“After Barr announced plans for the Thursday press conference, Nadler quickly charged that Barr "appears to be waging a media campaign" on behalf of Trump. (Fox News) "This press conference, which apparently will not include Special Counsel Mueller, is unnecessary and inappropriate, and appears designed to shape public perceptions of the report before anyone can read it," the Democrats wrote. "[Barr] should let the full report speak for itself. The Attorney General should cancel the press conference and provide the full report to Congress, as we have requested. With the Special Counsel’s fact-gathering work concluded, it is now Congress’ responsibility to assess the findings and evidence and proceed accordingly.”
“An op-ed in The Washington Post earlier in the week, entitled "Admit it: Fox News has been right all along," pointed to the role in the media in spreading the Russia collusion narrative. “That conclusion was perhaps not surprising given Barr's own unsolicited memo to the Justice Department from last June in which he said a president could not obstruct justice by taking actions — like the firing of an FBI director — that he is legally empowered to take.”The Democrat War to get rid of Trump wages on, even though both the president and Mueller have temporarily departed the scene. Mueller was photographed departing his Washington home yesterday. Trump is leaving today with his family to spend Easter at Mar-a-Largo. Meanwhile, the Democrats won’t like it one little bit, that Barr’s redacted release of the Special Counsel Report was expected to go online, at noon hour today, meaning members of the public at large can read it at the same time as they do. Read Here:
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