Michael Cohen Offices Raided by the FBI

[Birds Away]

It's very sad that the DOJ/FBI now chooses who to investigate and/or prosecute based upon political affiliation. There will have to be a house cleaning so that public trust can be restored. I never thought I would see the day when so many departments within our government only serve one party.

 

[kings650]

I can't wait to see what Mueller finds or not finds out after all these investigations so that we can pay more attention to other priorities. Hopefully nothing too serious so that we can deal with other problems.

 

[Kutnupe14]

So a Trump appointed judge didn't sign off on the warrant?

Yeah, I may have heard it wrong. They may have been referring to Rosenstein, and the attorney that applied for the president warrant. Mea culpa.

 

[Kutnupe14]

It's very sad that the DOJ/FBI now chooses who to investigate and/or prosecute based upon political affiliation. There will have to be a house cleaning so that public trust can be restored. I never thought I would see the day when so many departments within our government only serve one party.

Which party? Because, I think I know which one you mean, but I'm incredulous that you would actually think what I'm thinking, so I gotta actually see/hear you say it.

 

[Birds Away]

Which party? Because, I think I know which one you mean, but I'm incredulous that you would actually think what I'm thinking, so I gotta actually see/hear you say it.

You may have to untangle that statement (or question?) for me a bit.

 

[rw02kr43]

I can't wait to see what Mueller finds or not finds out after all these investigations so that we can pay more attention to other priorities. Hopefully nothing too serious so that we can deal with other problems.

I doubt he ever finds anything. I kinda think that is the goal. Never find anything, but keep looking. Drag this out the entire term of the presidency. What better way to obstruct something than to have a cloud of "investigation" hanging over the entire time. When Trump leaves office, the investigation magically disappears.

 

[spec4]

Ken Starr was tasked with finding any wrongdoing surrounding Whitewater, found nothing, and ended up investigating a blow job. Mueller's investigation has already resulted in multiplecharges and guilty pleas for fraud and campaign violations and it's nowhere near done yet. Trump created a swamp and Mueller (a Republican) is draining it.

Trump created a swamp? Shouldn't that be in purple?

 

[bobzilla]

You may have to untangle that statement (or question?) for me a bit.

Denial is more than a river in Egypt.

 

[Punkinhead]

Trump created a swamp? Shouldn't that be in purple?

You're right, poor choice of words on my part. There was already a swamp in that town. He replaced one set of slimy swamp creatures with another by surrounding himself with crooks and traitors.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I was just checking out the claim that was made earlier that a Trump-appointed judge signed off on the warrant. Not having seen the affidavit, I have no idea whether there are things there that would make any judge sign off on it, but I found the claim that a Trumo appointed judge did unsupportable as Trump hasn't appoint that many judges and we have no idea who signed off on it.

Magistrates generally do this (judges can) and magistrates serve 8 year terms and are not appointed by the President.

Once again with the understanding I'm just passing on info from people who seem like they know what they are talking about, it seems like there's a lot of people who woud have had to sign off on this:

Given the importance of the A/C priv., in ANY case involving ANY atty, less intrusive means need to be considered and even the issuing of subpoenas to an atty would require the approval of an Asst. AG at Main Justice. If it was determined that a SW was still needed, the level of review re this search warrant package ( the Search warrant itself, the attachment describing the premises to be searched and items to be seized and the affidavit in support of the same) as it pertains to the search of ANY atty, would be bare minimum as follows
1. The drafting agent
2. Their immediate supervisor
3. In house FBI Counsel with the SAC being in the loop as well
4. The assigned AUSA
5. Another AUSA and/or his supervisor
6. The Presidentially appointed US Atty
7. "Consultation" with an Asst AG from Main Justice
8. The Federal Magistrate or District Judge who signs the warrant itself

In this particular case I suspect it went something like this. Again, I do not know anything about this particular case.
1. The drafting agent
2. Their immediate supervisor
3. In house FBI Counsel
4. The Special Agent in Charge being fully involved in real time as opposed to just being notified
4. The assigned AUSA
5. The AUSA's direct supervisor
6. The AUSA's Criminal Chief (almost always a career prosecutor, lots of experience, the day to day boss of all things criminal in a given office)
7. The First Asst U.S. Atty ( sometimes career, sometimes brought in by the US Atty when they come in)
8. The US Atty (Presidentially appointed)
9. Significant and real time consultation with an Asst AG from Main Justice at least
10. The Federal Judge who signs the warrant.

 

[Expat]

https://www.politicususa.com/2018/0...ohen-search-warrant-is-a-trump-appointee.html

The US Attorney is a Trump appointee.

 

[Fargo]

https://www.politicususa.com/2018/0...ohen-search-warrant-is-a-trump-appointee.html

The US Attorney is a Trump appointee.

Berman recused, dunno who is handling it for SDNY but it isn’t the appointed US atty. A bunch of news outlets have had to retract that claim.

 

[Expat]

Berman recused, dunno who is handling it for SDNY but it isn’t the appointed US atty. A bunch of news outlets have had to retract that claim.

You are correct. Rosenstein signed off on it instead...
https://nypost.com/2018/04/10/trump-appointed-prosecutor-recused-from-cohen-probe/

 

[Libertarian01]

I do see this as a bit concerning.

The entire premise of the Mueller probe was to investigate possible Russian "collusion." Even though, as I understand it, collusion is not a federal crime. But OK, fine, investigate Russian collusion with the Trump campaign.

Now, IF this search of Cohen's office is trying to follow up on the Stormy Daniels payoff, THEN it has no relation to anything to do with "Russian collusion." While they payoff may or may not have violated federal election laws is not relevant to the Russian thing. In my opinion that possible crime should have been turned over to another investigation team to follow up on in a separate process.

The reason I believe this is because now President Trump can be 100% honest when he claims there is a "witch hunt" out to get him. He has much more solid ground to claim that Mueller is going off the reservation and operating outside of the scope of his original mandate. In other words, he has a fair reason for firing him and shutting down the now established "witch hunt."

It won't look good, but it will look far more reasonable than it would have a week ago. It gives justification to an action that I don't think should occur.

Perhaps I am all wrong on this, but I don't see the optics of this going very well for Mueller in the long run.

Regards,

Doug

 

[Kutnupe14]

I do see this as a bit concerning.

The entire premise of the Mueller probe was to investigate possible Russian "collusion." Even though, as I understand it, collusion is not a federal crime. But OK, fine, investigate Russian collusion with the Trump campaign.

Now, IF this search of Cohen's office is trying to follow up on the Stormy Daniels payoff, THEN it has no relation to anything to do with "Russian collusion." While they payoff may or may not have violated federal election laws is not relevant to the Russian thing. In my opinion that possible crime should have been turned over to another investigation team to follow up on in a separate process.

The reason I believe this is because now President Trump can be 100% honest when he claims there is a "witch hunt" out to get him. He has much more solid ground to claim that Mueller is going off the reservation and operating outside of the scope of his original mandate. In other words, he has a fair reason for firing him and shutting down the now established "witch hunt."

It won't look good, but it will look far more reasonable than it would have a week ago. It gives justification to an action that I don't think should occur.

Perhaps I am all wrong on this, but I don't see the optics of this going very well for Mueller in the long run.

Regards,

Doug

Isn't that exactly what happened?

 

[Libertarian01]

Isn't that exactly what happened?

If it was turned over outside of Muellers reach entirely then I am happy to be corrected and am glad.

However, my understanding is that this is happening under Mueller's direction.

Doug

 

[BehindBlueI's]

If it was turned over outside of Muellers reach entirely then I am happy to be corrected and am glad.

However, my understanding is that this is happening under Mueller's direction.

Doug

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan obtained the search warrant after receiving a referral from the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, according to Mr. Cohen’s lawyer,

Mueller referred it per the above.

 

[BugI02]

Hmmm. Grassley, Graham and the SJSCT refer Chris Steele for prosecution to the DoJ more than three months ago for making false statements to the Feds. Rosenstein and Wray do nothing so far

I can't find the exact timing, but Mueller refers Cohen and in what I suspect is a matter of a day or two Cohen has his entire life's records tossed

Seems fair and balanced, nothing to see here

 

[trailrider]

Which party? Because, I think I know which one you mean, but I'm incredulous that you would actually think what I'm thinking, so I gotta actually see/hear you say it.

I think most of us can agree you're incredulous. (couldn't resist )

 

[Kutnupe14]

I think most of us can agree you're incredulous. (couldn't resist )

Ha, ha.. fair enough