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[webfact]

Trump says not considering firing U.S. special counsel Mueller

Reuters Staff

 

FILE PHOTO: FBI Director Robert Mueller testifies before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on "Current and Projected National Security Threats to the United States" on Capitol Hill in Washington March 12, 2013. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump, when asked on Sunday if he was considering firing U.S. special counsel Robert Mueller, told reporters, “No. I‘m not.”

 

Democratic lawmakers in recent days have expressed concern that Trump might fire Mueller, who is investigating allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and whether Trump or anyone on his team colluded with Moscow. Russia denies meddling in the election and Trump has denied any collusion.

 

Reporting by Jan Pytalski; Editing by Paul Simao

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-12-18

[wayned]

He can't fire Trump!  Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein has to fire him and has said that he will not unless there is cause.  So if he won't, then Trump will have to fire him and continue down the list until he finds someone that will.  I'm sure that his attorneys are advising him not to do it but who knows what world he is going to wake up in tomorrow!

[PhonThong]

10 minutes ago, wayned said:

He can't fire Trump!  Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein has to fire him and has said that he will not unless there is cause.  So if he won't, then Trump will have to fire him and continue down the list until he finds someone that will.  I'm sure that his attorneys are advising him not to do it but who knows what world he is going to wake up in tomorrow!

Actually, Trump only has to fire the DAG and then he can fire Mueller himself. Or order someone else to fire him as you said.

[wayned]

Starting at the end of this week, congress will be in recess for the next two weeks.  There's no telling what Trump plans to do during this period.  When they come back they might find that his daughter is Secretary of State, his son in law is Secretary of Defense, and he has negotiated a deal with Bob Igor to have Donald Junior as the star attraction in Fantasy Land at Disney Land in Orlando!

[FreddieRoyle]

It must be so disappointing for the Clinton-ites to see the wheels fall of this wagon, to see the hounds lose their scent, it's only a matter of time before the mournful wail of the bugle signals the end of this hunt. Well, it was an exciting time, and the 24/7 msm coverage of this non existent collusion was all good fun, and in fact good practice for when a significant political event occurs. Nice try chaps, now for the love of Mary can we finally let POTUS Trump govern for the remaining 3 years of his first term.

[sirineou]

38 minutes ago, wayned said:

Starting at the end of this week, congress will be in recess for the next two weeks.  There's no telling what Trump plans to do during this period.  When they come back they might find that his daughter is Secretary of State, his son in law is Secretary of Defense, and he has negotiated a deal with Bob Igor to have Donald Junior as the star attraction in Fantasy Land at Disney Land in Orlando!

I think all of the above positions except star attractions of Disneyland which is actually in California (disney world is in Orlando) need to be confirmed by congress ,

But I get your point.Don't worry Mueller would still be there, if Mueller is fired no one is going home.  

 

  

[wayned]

29 minutes ago, sirineou said:

I think all of the above positions except star attractions of Disneyland which is actually in California (disney world is in Orlando) need to be confirmed by congress ,

True, but any recess appointments do not have to be confirmed until the end of the yearly congressional session, so they could remain and act  in their appointed positions until confirmed or denied.  That's why Congress does not actually ever go into recess when the President is from a different political party, they hold pro forma sessions every three days to stop him from making any appointments.  What will happen over the holidays is a "crap shoot"..

[spidermike007]

Many of us are hoping he attempts to fire Mueller. It will simply be another bullet in the foot, of the circus huckster, primary deflector in chief. He would probably not survive that move. Remember, impeachment does not require a crime to be committed. It is anything congress deems to be. If they deem him unfit to lead the nation, that is enough. Get ready to say President Pence. Or President Ryan, as there is a chance that if Trump goes down, Petty Pence goes down with him. Hallelujah. Joy to the world.

 

Relating to the President's Official Duties

The fourth view is that an indictable crime is not required, but that the impeachable act or acts done by the President must in some way relate to his official duties. The bad act may or may not be a crime but it would be more serious than simply "maladministration." This view is buttressed in part by an analysis of the entire phrase "high crimes or misdemeanors" which seems to be a term of art speaking to a political connection for the bad act or acts. In order to impeach it would not be necessary for the act to be a crime, but not all crimes would be impeachable offenses.

Some hold the opinion that Congress could pass laws by declaring what constitutes "high crimes and misdemeanors" which would, in effect, be a list of impeachable offenses. That has never happened. (Query: If Congress passed such a code of impeachable offenses, could that be applied retroactively, much as a definition, to a sitting President? Would such an application be viewed as an ex post facto law? Also, would such a statue be an attempt to amend the Constitution, without following the amendment procedure?)

 

http://litigation.findlaw.com/legal-system/presidential-impeachment-the-legal-standard-and-procedure.html

 

 

[craigt3365]

2 hours ago, FreddieRoyle said:

It must be so disappointing for the Clinton-ites to see the wheels fall of this wagon, to see the hounds lose their scent, it's only a matter of time before the mournful wail of the bugle signals the end of this hunt. Well, it was an exciting time, and the 24/7 msm coverage of this non existent collusion was all good fun, and in fact good practice for when a significant political event occurs. Nice try chaps, now for the love of Mary can we finally let POTUS Trump govern for the remaining 3 years of his first term.

It wasn't all about collusion.  It's about violation of laws and obstruction of justice.  Keep up!

 

And it's far from over.  Which must be so disappointing for the Trumpateers!

 

I read an interesting piece about this.  It'd be a huge problem for Trump if he fired Muller.  The consequences would be huge...or bigly. LOL

[spidermike007]

7 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

 

2 hours ago, FreddieRoyle said:

It must be so disappointing for the Clinton-ites to see the wheels fall of this wagon, to see the hounds lose their scent, it's only a matter of time before the mournful wail of the bugle signals the end of this hunt. Well, it was an exciting time, and the 24/7 msm coverage of this non existent collusion was all good fun, and in fact good practice for when a significant political event occurs. Nice try chaps, now for the love of Mary can we finally let POTUS Trump govern for the remaining 3 years of his first term.

This is not even close to being over. The special counsel has great powers. And they extend well beyond the purview of the Russia investigation. Trump has more skeletons in his closet than a Papuan Highlander cannibal. This man is the filthiest person to ever lead any major country. And I am including some of the most infamous. Just wait. The fun has just begun. To all the ones out there living in denial, just wait. To even consider that Russia did not try to influence the election is beyond comprehension. And to consider that Trump not only knew everything that was going on and actually directed the interference in whatever way he could, is totally realistic. That is simply who he is. That is the work of the crime lord he is. He does filthy very well. That is who he is. 

[craigt3365]

27 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

This is not even close to being over. The special counsel has great powers. And they extend well beyond the purview of the Russia investigation. Trump has more skeletons in his closet than a Papuan Highlander cannibal. This man is the filthiest person to ever lead any major country. And I am including some of the most infamous. Just wait. The fun has just begun. To all the ones out there living in denial, just wait. To even consider that Russia did not try to influence the election is beyond comprehension. And to consider that Trump not only knew everything that was going on and actually directed the interference in whatever way he could, is totally realistic. That is simply who he is. That is the work of the crime lord he is. He does filthy very well. That is who he is. 

If they went after Trump's financials, which is a bigly deal to him, they most have found something.  Just building the case now.  Much to the dismay of the Trumpateers. LOL

[riclag]

6 hours ago, FreddieRoyle said:

It must be so disappointing for the Clinton-ites to see the wheels fall of this wagon, to see the hounds lose their scent, it's only a matter of time before the mournful wail of the bugle signals the end of this hunt. Well, it was an exciting time, and the 24/7 msm coverage of this non existent collusion was all good fun, and in fact good practice for when a significant political event occurs. Nice try chaps, now for the love of Mary can we finally let POTUS Trump govern for the remaining 3 years of his first term.

Freddie "good fun" ?  To put it mildly ,those chaps wrecked havoc with my country.When the collusion bus left the station,they scurried for the obstruction bus but that bus will fail to arrive when the Justice Department's inspector general  completes it's investigation into the staff of Mueller and finds that they( Peter Strzok ) and others(Comey and McCabe specifically )  conspired and colluded to undermine the newly elected President.

 

It will be Rosenstein firing Mueller not PT, declaring violations of ethics. And  that the practices of the Special Council were inappropriate according to the general scope of the investigation .According to Reg.600.7(C)(D) ,the conduct and accountability of the Special Council will have violated the rules, regulations, procedures, practices and policies of the Department of Justice. 

 

§ 600.7 Conduct and accountability.

(a) A Special Counsel shall comply with the rules, regulations, procedures, practices and policies of the Department of Justice. He or she shall consult with appropriate offices within the Department for guidance with respect to established practices, policies and procedures of the Department, including ethics and security regulations and procedures. Should the Special Counsel conclude that the extraordinary circumstances of any particular decision would render compliance with required review and approval procedures by the designated Departmental component inappropriate, he or she may consult directly with the Attorney General.

(b) The Special Counsel shall not be subject to the day-to-day supervision of any official of the Department. However, the Attorney General may request that the Special Counsel provide an explanation for any investigative or prosecutorial step, and may after review conclude that the action is so inappropriate or unwarranted under established Departmental practices that it should not be pursued. In conducting that review, the Attorney General will give great weight to the views of the Special Counsel. If the Attorney General concludes that a proposed action by a Special Counsel should not be pursued, the Attorney General shall notify Congress as specified in § 600.9(a)(3).

(c) The Special Counsel and staff shall be subject to disciplinary action for misconduct and breach of ethical duties under the same standards and to the same extent as are other employees of the Department of Justice. Inquiries into such matters shall be handled through the appropriate office of the Department upon the approval of the Attorney General.

(d) The Special Counsel may be disciplined or removed from office only by the personal action of the Attorney General. The Attorney General may remove a Special Counsel for misconduct, dereliction of duty, incapacity, conflict of interest, or for other good cause, including violation of Departmental policies. The Attorney General shall inform the Special Counsel in writing of the specific reason for his or her removal.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/28/600.7

Edited December 18, 2017 by riclag

[FritsSikkink]

6 hours ago, FreddieRoyle said:

It must be so disappointing for the Clinton-ites to see the wheels fall of this wagon, to see the hounds lose their scent, it's only a matter of time before the mournful wail of the bugle signals the end of this hunt. Well, it was an exciting time, and the 24/7 msm coverage of this non existent collusion was all good fun, and in fact good practice for when a significant political event occurs. Nice try chaps, now for the love of Mary can we finally let POTUS Trump govern for the remaining 3 years of his first term.

It must me so good for the Trump supporters to live in a world of their own without any issues for their big love of their life.

[Srikcir]

8 hours ago, PhonThong said:

Actually, Trump only has to fire the DAG and then he can fire Mueller himself. Or order someone else to fire him as you said.

No, Trump cannot personally fire Mueller.

See Post #12 Part (c)  by Riclag.

 

[wayned]

29 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

No, Trump cannot personally fire Mueller.

See Post #12 Part (c)  by Riclag.

 

I imagine that it would be a really convoluted legal mess.  Can Trump actually fire the guy that hired the legal consul to investigate him because he wants him to stop him from investigating him and wants to hire somebody to replace the DAG that will fire him? He'll have to put his "celebrity apprentice" hat back on and line up the successors to the DAG  and ask each one in turn if they will fire Mueller and if not tell them that "you're fired" until he finds one that says YES!  I would say that would be clear obstruction of justice in anybody's book!

 

AS far as Mueller not following his mandate, I think that the mandate says that he can investigate and prosecute any other illegal activities that arise from his investigation as long as he clears it with the DAG once he has established that there is evidence of that illegal activity.  Maybe Trump could be charged with tax evasion alla Al Capone!

 

He's a crook and you most likely can't be a New York real estate magnate all of your life without  committing some illegal activity.  But he put himself in the situation by choosing to become POTUS and should have realized what the consequences were and be prepared to face the outcome before making the choice.

[riclag]

35 minutes ago, wayned said:

I imagine that it would be a really convoluted legal mess.  Can Trump actually fire the guy that hired the legal consul to investigate him because he wants him to stop him from investigating him and wants to hire somebody to replace the DAG that will fire him? He'll have to put his "celebrity apprentice" hat back on and line up the successors to the DAG  and ask each one in turn if they will fire Mueller and if not tell them that "you're fired" until he finds one that says YES!  I would say that would be clear obstruction of justice in anybody's book!

 

AS far as Mueller not following his mandate, I think that the mandate says that he can investigate and prosecute any other illegal activities that arise from his investigation as long as he clears it with the DAG once he has established that there is evidence of that illegal activity.  Maybe Trump could be charged with tax evasion alla Al Capone!

 

He's a crook and you most likely can't be a New York real estate magnate all of your life without  committing some illegal activity.  But he put himself in the situation by choosing to become POTUS and should have realized what the consequences were and be prepared to face the outcome before making the choice.

It's simple, the case is being built  that the top FBI officials and others have conspired to undermine the  Presidential Candidate,President Elect and  President of the USA. This will surely bring DAG to the difficult conclusion that the policies of the DOJ was grossly misused and will result in the disbandment of the Special Counsel under article § 600.7 Conduct and accountability(C,D).

Edited December 18, 2017 by riclag

[wayned]

2 minutes ago, riclag said:

It's simple, the case is being built  via evidence and intent that the FBI and others have conspired to undermine the  Presidential Candidate,President Elect and  President of the USA. This will surely bring DAG to the difficult conclusion that the policies of the DOJ was grossly misused and will result in the disbandment of the Special Counsel under article § 600.7 Conduct and accountability(C,D).

It's simple that neither you nor I have a clue other than the political BS continues so we will both just have to wait and see.

[riclag]

6 minutes ago, wayned said:

It's simple that neither you nor I have a clue other than the political BS continues so we will both just have to wait and see.

I agree that it is political BS that their was collusion. But the fact remains the very investigator's that are investigating are being investigated.

[PhonThong]

2 hours ago, Srikcir said:

No, Trump cannot personally fire Mueller.

See Post #12 Part (c)  by Riclag.

 

This according to Fact Check

Q: Can President Donald Trump fire special counsel Robert Mueller?

A: Not directly. Only the deputy attorney general who appointed Mueller can fire him and only for cause. But Trump could fire the DAG, or order the special-counsel regulations repealed and fire Mueller himself.

[wabothai]

9 hours ago, FreddieRoyle said:

It must be so disappointing for the Clinton-ites to see the wheels fall of this wagon, to see the hounds lose their scent, it's only a matter of time before the mournful wail of the bugle signals the end of this hunt. Well, it was an exciting time, and the 24/7 msm coverage of this non existent collusion was all good fun, and in fact good practice for when a significant political event occurs. Nice try chaps, now for the love of Mary can we finally let POTUS Trump govern for the remaining 3 years of his first term.

no

[riclag]

3 hours ago, PhonThong said:

This according to Fact Check

Q: Can President Donald Trump fire special counsel Robert Mueller?

A: Not directly. Only the deputy attorney general who appointed Mueller can fire him and only for cause. But Trump could fire the DAG, or order the special-counsel regulations repealed and fire Mueller himself.

Why would PT fire DAG? He doesn't have to fire Rosenstien(DAG).Rosenstien will remove the Mueller team for violating and misuse of  article § 600.7 Conduct and Accountability(C,D).It's all building up to that.The original scope of the investigation was for Russian Collution.

1.There have been 4 arrests (all process crimes ) that have nothing to do with the original intent of the investigation.

2.Top officials in the FBI are being investigated for text messages that show  misconduct, dereliction of duty, incapacity, conflict of interest, and including violation of Departmental policies.

3.Email's given to the Mueller team from the GSA dept.without permission. Mueller team  committed a violation of the 4th Amendment.("The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized".)

 

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2012-title28-vol2/pdf/CFR-2012-title28-vol2-sec600-7.pdf

Edited December 18, 2017 by riclag