U.S. House panel readies contempt vote against Barr over Mueller report

[webfact]

U.S. House panel readies contempt vote against Barr over Mueller report

By David Morgan

 

U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr walks to his car after a cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, U.S. May 8, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional Democrats moved closer on Monday to citing Attorney General William Barr for contempt of Congress over his failure to give them an unredacted version of the Mueller report, escalating a showdown with the White House.

 

The Democratic-led House Judiciary Committee released a report citing Barr, an appointee of President Donald Trump, for contempt of Congress after the expiration of a second deadline to produce the full report. Barr also skipped a hearing before the committee last week.

 

The panel will vote on whether to move ahead with a contempt citation on Wednesday, and if it does so, the full House will vote on the issue.

 

Barr has released a redacted version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report https://graphics.reuters.com/USA-TRUMP-RUSSIA/010091HX27V/report.pdf on his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler subpoenaed the full document and underlying evidence, setting an initial deadline that Barr missed last week.

 

Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd said he was disappointed with the committee's contempt move and invited committee staff to the Justice Department to discuss a possible compromise on Wednesday afternoon, after the committee's expected vote.

 

Later, Nadler said in a statement that Justice Department officials had agreed to shift the meeting to Tuesday. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

 

The Trump administration is stonewalling multiple probes by House committees.

 

A contempt citation could lead to a civil court case against Barr, raising the possibility of fines and even imprisonment for failure to comply.

 

Some Democrats on Nadler's panel say lawmakers could also exercise their own little-used "inherent" authority to act outside the U.S. judicial system to apprehend, fine and even imprison officials who do not comply with congressional subpoenas.

 

'NO CHOICE'

"The attorney general's failure to comply with our subpoena ... leaves us no choice but to initiate contempt proceedings," Nadler said in a statement. But he held out the possibility that Barr could avoid contempt by making a "good faith" offer for access to the material.

 

Republicans reject Nadler's efforts as political theatre, which they say is intended to satisfy the Democrats' voters.

 

"Democrats have launched a proxy war smearing the attorney general when their anger actually lies with the president and the special counsel, who found neither conspiracy nor obstruction," Representative Doug Collins, top Republican on the committee, said in a statement.

 

Some Democrats have called on Barr to resign, accusing him of protecting Trump by effectively clearing the president of criminal obstruction of justice and excusing actions viewed by them as evidence of misconduct.

 

Nadler's committee views the full Mueller report as vital to its own corruption and obstruction of justice investigation of Trump. The chairs of five other House committees investigating the president have also called for its release.

 

The Mueller report details extensive contacts between Trump's 2016 campaign and Moscow, but did not find that there was a conspiracy between Moscow and the campaign. The report also describes actions Trump took to try to impede Mueller's investigation.

 

If lawmakers established that Trump obstructed justice by seeking to impede Mueller, Nadler's panel could move to impeachment proceedings against the president.

 

Trump denied any wrongdoing in a tweet on Monday. "Also, there are 'No High Crimes & Misdemeanors,' No Collusion, No Conspiracy, No Obstruction.

 

ALL THE CRIMES ARE ON THE OTHER SIDE, and that’s what the Dems should be looking at, but they won’t. Nevertheless, the tables are turning!" the president wrote on Twitter.

 

(Reporting by David Morgan; additional reporting by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh, Alistair Bell and Lisa Shumaker)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-05-09

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

[quandow]

<Honest men have nothing to hide>

Around 700 former attorneys general, both Dem and Rep, have signed a document agreeing that Trump committed obstruction of justice at least four times and, had these felonies been committed by anybody other than a sitting president, they would have been tried and convicted with the evidence provided by the Mueller report. Barr lied to Congress - no one has disputed that fact - and warped the findings of the Mueller report in an attempt to lead people down the wrong path. This is a dangerous game being played, trying to run out the clock and hide the truth until after the 2020 election. History will take a dim view of Barr, Trump, and folks who have sold their souls in exchange for a slightly better return on their dividends. Folks - the emperor has no clothes!!!

</Honest men have nothing to hide.>

 

 

Edited May 8, 2019 by quandow
Plural correction

[Tug]

Donald Erned the negativity in spades and don’t worry donalds mishandling of the environment health care lack of ability to govern lousy deals squandered opportunity’s malfeasance criminality will all come to the fore in due time

[quandow]

11 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

What boggles my mind is that on 3rd November next year there is a Presidential election. We are entering the final straight and all the democrats and their supporters can offer is negativity.

Not true at all! Bernie specifically states in every stump speech he gives that he will NOT spend a bunch of time trashing Trump for the reason you state. He then goes on to logically break down his policies and how he can make them happen.

[Boon Mee]

38 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

What boggles my mind is that on 3rd November next year there is a Presidential election. We are entering the final straight and all the democrats and their supporters can offer is negativity. Is this really the best way to win an election? I suggest if an immediate change in democrat behavior and focus is not coming, they will get an electoral thumping the likes of which never seen before. 

It's all the Haters got. 

This nothing burger the Dems in Congress are serving up on Barr is a fart in the wind. 

Means absolutely zero. 

[Silurian]

36 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

What boggles my mind is that on 3rd November next year there is a Presidential election. We are entering the final straight and all the democrats and their supporters can offer is negativity. Is this really the best way to win an election? I suggest if an immediate change in democrat behavior and focus is not coming, they will get an electoral thumping the likes of which never seen before. 

 

That's rich since the Republican's were basically the party of "No" for 6 years during the Obama administration. The Democrats are trying to pass several important pieces of legislation but are consistently  shutdown by the both the slick Senate leader and the Reality TV President. If you think that Democrats are only fixated on the investigation then you need to read more news outlets and actually listen to the Democratic candidates instead of forming incorrect conclusions based limited news sources.

 

[quandow]

4 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

It's all the Haters got. 

This nothing burger the Dems in Congress are serving up on Barr is a fart in the wind. 

Means absolutely zero. 

I repeat: 

Not true at all! Bernie specifically states in every stump speech he gives that he will NOT spend a bunch of time trashing Trump. And I guess about 700 former attorneys general are wrong? THEY all signed a document clearly stating Trump committed felonies, and if not for his status as sitting president, he'd be in jail. Barr lied to congress. Nobody disputes this, he was caught on video. This is a WHOLE LOT MORE than "zero," wouldn't you agree?

Edited May 9, 2019 by quandow

[welovesundaysatspace]

1 minute ago, quandow said:

I repeat: 

Not true at all! Bernie specifically states in every stump speech he gives that he will NOT spend a bunch of time trashing Trump for the reason you state. He then goes on to logically break down his policies and how he can make them happen.

How would they know what’s happening in the world when they only read conspiracy theory blogs and the doofus’ Twitter? 

[Tug]

11 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

It's all the Haters got. 

This nothing burger the Dems in Congress are serving up on Barr is a fart in the wind. 

Means absolutely zero. 

Is this your safe room?

[quandow]

53 minutes ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

How would they know what’s happening in the world when they only read conspiracy theory blogs and the doofus’ Twitter? 

I just saw a clip from "Faux and Frenzy" where they were extolling the virtues of Trump's losses of billions! They have no shame, they care nothing for facts or truth, and there are millions of Bozos who drink their kool aid.

[spidermike007]

They need to go after Barr with everything they have. He is a partisan hack, who has been bought and paid for. He does not represent the American people, and represent the lowest common demoninator. He must go. 

[FritsSikkink]

2 hours ago, TopDeadSenter said:

What boggles my mind is that on 3rd November next year there is a Presidential election. We are entering the final straight and all the democrats and their supporters can offer is negativity. Is this really the best way to win an election? I suggest if an immediate change in democrat behavior and focus is not coming, they will get an electoral thumping the likes of which never seen before. 

Like you lost the house last election?

[Paul Henry]

No this has gone past Trump and his cronnies, it is about upholding the RULE of Law and the AMERICAN CONSTITUTION.Trump,Republicans and the DOJ are pushing the USA down a very dangerous path.If they succeed America will turn into a lawless third world country run by despots and self gratifying criminals.

NO TIME for political party biase. The REPUBLICANS will be held responsible for the outcome.

[Srikcir]

House committee votes to hold Barr in contempt after Trump invokes executive privilege

http://lite.cnn.io/en/article/h_066d43f8649e186f73b5802af73a114f

Capital police could arrest the AG and place him in a small jail down in the basement of the Capitol. That would be an interesting historical event.  

[mogandave]

Around 700 former attorneys general, both Dem and Rep, have signed a document agreeing that Trump committed obstruction of justice at least four times and, had these felonies been committed by anybody other than a sitting president, they would have been tried and convicted with the evidence provided by the Mueller report. Barr lied to Congress - no one has disputed that fact - and warped the findings of the Mueller report in an attempt to lead people down the wrong path. This is a dangerous game being played, trying to run out the clock and hide the truth until after the 2020 election. History will take a dim view of Barr, Trump, and folks who have sold their souls in exchange for a slightly better return on their dividends. Folks - the emperor has no clothes!!!
men have nothing to hide.>
 
 

What crime did Trump commit that he was trying to cover up with obstruction?

[quandow]

11 minutes ago, mogandave said:

 

What crime did Trump commit that he was trying to cover up with obstruction?
 

 

We don't know cuz he keeps obstructing. I repeat myself again - Honest men have nothing to hide!

[mogandave]

We don't know cuz he keeps obstructing. I repeat myself again - Honest men have nothing to hide!

That’s what I thought.

[doggie1955]

1 hour ago, Paul Henry said:

No this has gone past Trump and his cronnies, it is about upholding the RULE of Law and the AMERICAN CONSTITUTION.Trump,Republicans and the DOJ are pushing the USA down a very dangerous path.If they succeed America will turn into a lawless third world country run by despots and self gratifying criminals.

NO TIME for political party biase. The REPUBLICANS will be held responsible for the outcome.

Let take a good look at the rule of Law...

 

Edited May 9, 2019 by doggie1955

[doggie1955]

4 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

It's all the Haters got. 

This nothing burger the Dems in Congress are serving up on Barr is a fart in the wind. 

Means absolutely zero. 

Do you all remember when the Dems were crying about this...

 

[attrayant]

1 hour ago, mogandave said:

What crime did Trump commit that he was trying to cover up with obstruction?
 

 

 

First, explain why that even matters.

[AgMech Cowboy]

6 hours ago, quandow said:

History will take a dim view of Barr, Trump, and folks who have sold their souls in exchange for a slightly better return on their dividends. 

Only the history of the 'anybody but Trump backers'. No, I'm not a Trump backer, just a realist. Hillary was crooked and I would not have liked her either. I was a Kasich supporter.

 

A full, unredacted report is available to all the Senators and House Reps. They just need to get off their lazy behinds and go read it. It is not for public consumption because of the law. That is something the Democrats ignore blatantly.

[mogandave]

 
First, explain why that even matters.

No you first. You tell me what the crime is, and then I’ll tell you why the crime you believe he is guilty of mattes.

Otherwise, I’ll tell you why, then you’ll change the subject.

Seen?

[mogandave]

Only the history of the 'anybody but Trump backers'. No, I'm not a Trump backer, just a realist. Hillary was crooked and I would not have liked her either. I was a Kasich supporter.
 
A full, unredacted report is available to all the Senators and House Reps. They just need to get off their lazy behinds and go read it. It is not for public consumption because of the law. That is something the Democrats ignore blatantly.

Yes, but the fact that the un-redacted report is available to the does not sound good in the press.

By pretending that they have not be allowed to see it, they can keep the whole obstruction thing going, hopefully until the next election.

Remember it was going to be the Mueller report, then it was the Barr report, now it’s redaction and the press is now shifting back to tax returns and what a crappy billionaire businessman he is.

Notice how Democrats don’t seem to have any money until after they get elected? Too funny.

[mogandave]

Double post

[attrayant]

11 minutes ago, mogandave said:

No you first. You tell me what the crime is, and then I’ll tell you why the crime you believe he is guilty of mattes.

Otherwise, I’ll tell you why, then you’ll change the subject.

 

That's really dishonest of you.  The crime is obstruction of justice.

[Jingthing]

6 minutes ago, attrayant said:

 

That's really dishonest of you.  The crime is obstruction of justice.

Yes, and now obstruction of congress.

[riclag]

 Holding the head of the DOJ in Contempt  ain't a serious offense for the legislated body  of Government  to  charge  ,who decides the outcome,the DOJ ! This ain't rocket science 101, the dems are getting schooled! 

 

 

Edited May 9, 2019 by riclag

[attrayant]

21 minutes ago, riclag said:

Holding the head of the DOJ in Contempt is a serious offense

 

 

What's the punishment for such an offense?

 

21 minutes ago, riclag said:

This ain't rocket science 101

 

 

Do you really think there is an introductory level course in rocket science?

[mogandave]

 
That's really dishonest of you.  The crime is obstruction of justice.

I asked a question you refuse to answer and I am being dishonest, indeed.

So according to you, his crime is interfering with an investigation of a crime he didn’t commit.

If there was no crime, how is there obstruction?

[mogandave]

Yes, and now obstruction of congress.

How is he obstructing Congress, by not voluntarily leaving office?