Mueller is a freaking genius

[Takket]

Remind me to NEVER eff around with this dude. He has every base covered and is neutralizing the pardon.

Kudos of course to his staff too......... all of whom are part of a DOJ that has been insulted and derided by drumpf since day 1.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2017/12/robert_mueller_s_deal_with_michael_flynn_neutralizes_trump_s_pardon_power.html

Robert Mueller Has a Plan
How the special counsel’s deal with Michael Flynn neutralizes Trump’s pardon power.

Michael Flynn has offered a guilty plea, and he cannot rely on Donald Trump’s pardons to save himself or his son. There is broad consensus that the plea, to a single charge of lying to the FBI, is a clear sign Flynn has agreed to very significant cooperation against a very significant target. Reports indicate that Flynn has agreed to testify against Trump.

I write here to make three points. 1) The plea deal continues Robert Mueller’s strategy of neutralizing Trump’s pardon power. 2) The obstruction of justice charge against Trump just got a whole lot stronger. 3) Everyone is rightly focusing on Trump, but Vice President Mike Pence and White House Counsel Don McGahn are in bigger trouble than ever.

Mueller’s charges and Flynn’s plea still leave open the possibility of state charges, just in case Trump pardons Flynn federally. Presidential pardons apply only to federal crimes. I’ve written before about how Mueller’s prosecutorial strategy required him to navigate complicated state-level double jeopardy rules. His charges against Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, and George Papadopoulos reflected a sharp strategy to bring certain charges, while leaving plenty of others available to state prosecutors. (I’ve provided a long list of state crimes that relate to Trump-Russia allegations.)

Let me spell out how this strategy would apply to Flynn. The former national security adviser has pleaded guilty to one charge of making a false statement to the FBI. What are the other charges a state prosecutor could bring?

[pangaia]

1. I can not argue about Mueller being a brilliant tactician.

But, at this point, how will it help? Who will bring the assholes to justice? Who will stop the horror that just happened in the Senate and is happening everywhere a republican breathes air?

I have little if any hope.

I think it is over.

Hope I am wrong...

[babylonsister]

2. Crazy talk, my friend.

Keep the faith; this will eventually right itself, and then we can all get t-shirts proclaiming we lived through it!

I wholeheartedly think these assholes will be brought to justice.

[pangaia]

4. Thanks for that..

I go on and off., hopeful, and lost hope, we win, we are fucked..

[babylonsister]

5. We all do that, but things are looking up! nt

[Thekaspervote]

6. I think we all understand the on off thing hopeful one day down the next

I do try to keep the faith, please do so for yourself!

[pangaia]

10. Thank you.

I also have deep concerns for my many South Korean dear friends.

They are better at taking what comes day by day.

😍

[Motley13]

3. I'm hoping he is the messiah,

to save us from the moron

[world wide wally]

7. I think one more flip (listening Jarad?) and we may have a checkmate in a minimum of moves.

Now, if we do OUR job and get out and vote, we can redo the tax bullshit and right the boat before it sinks.

[BadgerMom]

8. Thanks.

This is true and we need to say it to one another more frequently. I know, I for one, would benefit from it. As others have said, I, too, vacillate between despair and hope. I think hope is the better response. I hope we have leaders who can point the way out of this. I am willing to work hard to improve our democracy.

[world wide wally]

9. I think we're all in the same boat

I have my down days too

Matter of fact, it goes from hour to hour these days. But I do see a way out.

[Shoonra]

11. Actually, the Prez's pardoning power doesn't need to be neutralized

Quite frankly, if the President were to pardon Flynn right now, then Flynn could be immediately forced by Mueller to testify ... testify against Trump or anyone else ... Flynn wouldn't be able to plead the Fifth Amendment because he's already been pardoned, so he cannot be incriminating himself. For that reason, if left up to Trump, Flynn wouldn't be pardoned until either the last week of Trump's presidency or after the end of Mueller's crusade. The same applies to anyone involved in this or another White House scandal.

(If the investigation were still going on when Trump left office, then Trump might leave office without pardoning Flynn or anyone else who knew anything about him.)

[mercuryblues]

12. The bonus

If trump pardoned Flynn, he still has to testify. Mueller has his signed, sworn testimony so if Flynn tries to lie, boom. New charges.2nd time around Flynn won't get off so easy.

[Pluvious]

13. And then New York's AG would step up to the plate n/t