He’s subject to sanction
Did Trump just spill the beans?
“The inner workings of the Mueller investigation are a total mess,” tweeted President Trump this morning. But why would the president have access to the inner workings of the Mueller investigation, which is supposed to be firewalled away from his influence?
There’s a strong chance Trump is just making this up, of course. On the other hand, over the last week, the Mueller investigation has been supervised by acting attorney general Matt Whitaker, who would have access to the investigation’s inner workings. It might be the case that Trump actually has access to the inner workings of the Mueller investigation because he finally has somebody running the Justice Department who is pliant and unethical enough to give it to him.
“Unethical” is putting it politely, from what we’ve been learning.
Here, lying about in plain sight, is Trump’s response yesterday to a question from the conservative Daily Caller, which asked, “Could you tell us where your thinking is currently on the attorney general position? I know you’re happy with Matthew Whitaker, do you have any names? Chris Christie?”
In response Trump embarked on a rant about the Mueller investigation:
I knew [Whitaker] only as he pertained, you know, as he was with Jeff Sessions. And, um, you know, look, as far as I’m concerned this is an investigation that should have never been brought. It should have never been had.
Oh look, he’s admitting that’s why gave Whitaker the AG gig.
If your assumption that somehow this will work out rests on the belief that Whitaker will conform to the ethical norms of the legal profession, you need to think about the people he has worked with in the past. You also need to consider what his future might bring. Matthew Whitaker is nobody’s idea of a bright young legal mind. He might make a nice living hosting a show on Fox News about the the Democrats who should be locked up and the Republicans who are being unfairly investigated. His career incentive is to do Trump’s bidding.
Norm Eisen says it’s not Whitaker’s call whether or not he recuses himself.
It’s not up to Whittaker. If he violates the ethics rules, he’s subject to sanction, including by DOJ and his state bar. We explain: https://t.co/1a5Gn7AyMo https://t.co/zvZjd8wEgt
— Norm Eisen (@NormEisen) November 15, 2018
*very Jon Oliver voice* Did…did we get him?
Trouble is, you can’t take take anything Trump says as evidence for… well, anything besides his own awfulness. Does it mean Trump knows about the inner workings of the investigation? Maybe, and that’s bad because he shouldn’t. But it’s just as likely that he wants the investigation to be shambles, so he just says it is. Maybe he just forgot to prefix this one with “people are saying”.
It boggles the mind to think that he lies so often, he can’t even be trusted to incriminate himself.
Yeah, I sort of agree with Catwhisperer. His detailing of the investigation being a mess doesn’t necessarily mean he knows anything, especially since it’s difficult to imagine that Mueller would be heading up a “mess”. Unlike Trump, he appears to be qualified and capable.
I suspect it’s mostly Trump being Trump and saying whatever comes to his mind, most of which should remain locked inside that orange scalp forever, but which will come spewing out no matter what.
Well remember Chait did say “There’s a strong chance Trump is just making this up, of course.” But he’s pointing out that the appointment of Whitaker has made it quite possible that he is getting access to the inner workings of the Mueller investigation.
And he can, at the same time, be Freudian slipping that knowledge and lying his ass off about it in the same breath, thinking that his access will give the lie more weight. The options are definitely not ‘lying about access’ and ‘telling the truth about the contents’. He could also be being honest about access and simultaneously lying about the contents.
It bothers me that Whitaker is getting briefed on the investigation. He hasn’t been confirmed, he should have almost no authority over anything.
Ditto.