Attorney General Merrick Garland to name special counsel in Trump criminal probe, report says

[babylonsister]

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/18/attorney-general-merrick-garland-to-name-special-counsel-in-trump-criminal-probe-report-says.html

Politics
Attorney General Merrick Garland to name special counsel in Trump criminal probe, report says
Published Fri, Nov 18 20221:27 PM ESTUpdated 4 Min Ago
Dan Mangan
@_DanMangan

Key Points

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland will appoint a special counsel to determine whether criminal charges should be filed against former President Donald Trump, according to a report.
News of the planned appointment of the special counsel, which was reported by The Wall Street Journal, came three days after Trump announced plans to run for president in 2024.
NBC News reported that the special counsel, whose name has not been announced, will make decisions for two Department of Justice investigations of Trump.
One is focused on whether Trump broke the law and obstructed justice in connection with his removal of hundreds of documents from the White House, which were shipped to his residence at Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.
The other probe is related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot by a mob of Trump supporters.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland will appoint a special counsel to determine whether criminal charges should be filed against former President Donald Trump in connection with two pending investigations, according to reports Friday.

News of the planned appointment of the special counsel, which was reported by The Wall Street Journal, came three days after Trump announced plans to run for president in 2024. The Republican faces multiple criminal investigations.

NBC News reported that the special counsel, whose name has not been announced, will make decisions for two Department of Justice investigations of Trump.

One is focused on whether Trump broke the law and obstructed justice in connection with his removal of hundreds of documents from the White House, which were shipped to his residence at Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. The other probe is related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot by a mob of Trump supporters.

Garland’s appointment of a special counsel could tamp down concerns that he would have a conflict of interest if he were the one to decide whether Trump should be prosecuted. The attorney general was appointed by President Joe Biden, a Democrat who defeated Trump in his 2020 re-election bid.

Biden could again face Trump again in the 2024 election.

This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.

[claudette]

1. Proving

He is not up to the job of indicting him so he gets someone else to do it

[babylonsister]

3. HUH?? His job is to appoint others. nt

[claudette]

7. I thought the job

Of the DOJ was to indict criminals

[Ocelot II]

20. No, it isn't. It's a grand jury's job to indict people who might be criminals.

Prosecutors present evidence to a grand jury, which then decides whether there's probable cause to believe certain crimes were committed. Then there is an ongoing prosecution only if the grand jury returns an indictment. Appointing a special counsel doesn't change the process at all; it just removes the AG from direct involvement and accusations of a conflict of interest.

[claudette]

25. Why would he have to

Remove himself? He can’t indict but he could have charged him long ago in my opinion.

[The Magistrate]

33. I Agree, Ma'am

A lot depends on who is appointed, and how current with the investigation the appointee is.

This does not necessarily mean further delay, and likely was long-contemplated.

[Johnny2X2X]

9. It's literally not the AG's job to indict anyone

His job is to appoint others to handle these things so there's no appearance of politicization at all.

[global1]

29. So Now - It's The Attorney General Who Was Appointed By Biden A Dem That Defeated Tr**p....

in his 2020 re-election bid that appointed a special prosecutor.

The appointed by a Dem is still in the equation. Repugs will still hollar 'politicization'.

You just can't win.

[Johnny2X2X]

34. It's the freaking way the law works

US AGs don't prosecute cases, they're not the person handling it, they delegate, that's their role.

This was the exact thing to do, Garland couldn't just announce a prosecution just because politics. What country do people think we live in?

[malaise]

2. Let's Go

Lock him up!

[babylonsister]

8. Could happen!

[malaise]

26. Garland will be speaking shortly - 2.15pm

I think he will be indicted but this is really taking long

[edhopper]

4. Another Mueller

to drag things out and end with nothing.

[greatauntoftriplets]

5. Smart move with the GQP about to take over the House.

He won't do it, but I'd love for President Obama to be named the special counsel.

[babylonsister]

32. I'd love to see

Preet Bharara get this job.

[greatauntoftriplets]

39. That's a great idea.

drumpf will cry foul whoever it is, of course. Just heard on CNN that MAGA has been dreading a special counsel.

[calimary]

6. Good Grief!

Seriously, what more do they need to see???

I want indictments AND prosecution NOW.

[claudette]

10. Isn't this

Passing the buck?

[Ocelot II]

12. No, it's avoiding claims of a conflict of interest,

and a special counsel would have to work with DoJ anyhow.

[JohnSJ]

30. Why wasn't it done 2 years ago. I am tired of defending him. There should be a case ready to go

To the grand jury.

He is going to get heavily criticized for sitting on this for two years, and it will be extremely demoralizing to the base.

Without a doubt, I predict this will end up just like the Mueller investigation, that is assuming congress even allows funds to be allocated for another special prosecutor

After the Capital was attacked, and our elected representatives lives were put at risk, Garland is afraid that it will appear there is a conflict of interest

What planet is he living on after everything that has happened

[calimary]

45. This.

[Cosmocat]

35. There is literally no one they can make special counsel

that if that person recommend prosecution, the lunatics won't scream that person has some kind of conflict or is a partisan.

[calimary]

46. And this!

[Ocelot II]

11. Maybe DU should name the special counsel

since we all seem to know exactly what ought to be done, and when.

[MineralMan]

15. +1 Million!

[babylonsister]

18. Yea, the 'experts' on here boggle the mind. nt

[iscooterliberally]

27. OK. I'm going with Dave. The special counsel will be called 'Dave'.

[TwilightZone]

44. Agreed.

Moments like this are why I don't spend much time here anymore....

[babylonsister]

13. And I think this is a step in that direction. nt

[50 Shades Of Blue]

14. Merrick Christmas!

Interesting take (link to Mueller She Wrote Twitter thread):

Link to tweet

I have been calling for a special counsel for a while for multiple reasons - but most importantly - TRANSPARENCY. A special counsel must say what they’re investigating, and they have to report to congress any prosecutorial decisions OR declination decisions. 2/

[calimary]

47. Unfortunately, that reminds me of "Fitzmas".

That was the last time we were excited by one of these fellows.

Jargon Database
https://www.jargondatabase.com › F...
Fitzmas - The best definition
Fitzmas. The joyous day (to progressives) when Patrick Fitzgerald will come and issue indictments to the Bush administration.

And we waited. And waited. And kept our hopes up. And waited some more. And there wound up being nothing in our Christmas stockings. Not even lumps of coal.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

48. That was the joke.

[calimary]

50. Yeah. I'm afraid the whole thing is turning into a joke.

A bad joke.

What I’d do, if I were in position to do something?

Summon a fleet of bulldozers. Run ‘em through the gates of Mar-a-Lago, and not stop til the whole damn joint was ground into the ground.

Well, I can dream, can’t I?

[Takket]

16. fantastic

so how long is that going to take for a special council to go over all the evidence? months? years?

more delays

more excuses

more worrying more about appearances than getting to the bottom of things.

Does he actually think that if he does everything to maintain the "appearance of political impartiality" that when it is over the rethugs aren't still going to SCREAM that it is a political hit job? Stop worrying what they think and just get this done.

[claudette]

21. Personally

I don’t think Dump will ever be charged. Deflect. Delay. Done.

[montanacowboy]

17. Back to Fitsmas again

what a joke - hahahaaaa

[GenXer47]

19. it's absurd to worry about what Trump supporters will say

since we know they will cry "all political" and "so unfair!" no matter who investigates or what happens.

[PCIntern]

22. This is the right thing to do but...

It should’ve been done 15 months ago. How many months is the hiring process, reviews, reports, testimony, and who knows what else? Trump may die of old age before anything happens…

[RANDYWILDMAN]

23. It feels like he punted

does it not.


Trump is a conflict of interest in everything he says and does and yet walks and talks like a free man who did it!!!

LFG

[brush]

24. He was caught with thousands of gov. docs, several top secret.

Anyone else caught with evidence like that in their home would already be in jail. What's this now, another months' long delay? trump has got Garland playing from his "delay, delay, delay" playbook.

Ridiculous.

[Ocelot II]

37. The problem is that those documents can't be used as evidence

until the 11th Circuit decides whether the special master can turn them back over to the prosecutors. That decision will probably come pretty fast, since oral arguments are scheduled for (I think) next week, but as of right now those documents are unavailable as evidence and they can't bring charges based on them until they are.

[brush]

40. Thanks. trump and Judge Cannon's delay game.

Fingers crossed that the DOJ gets past it.

[Ocelot II]

43. I think the 11th Circuit will dispatch this matter in favor of DoJ

in a matter of weeks, not months.

[dsc]

28. If he was going to do this, he should have done so early on

we are nearly two years into this investigation, and every single, solitary step will now have to be redone, meaning if we don't win in 2024 he will get away scot free. People who have taken $10 from pizza delivery people are serving life in prison and he is now a coin flip at worst from getting away with treason.

[JohnSJ]

36. Exactly. He is definitely not up to the job

[fightforfreedom]

31. Lets wait and see who he appoints.

Garland can still indict people in Trumps inner circle while the special counsel decides whether or not Trump can be charge. This news tells me the investigations are still moving forward and may be nearing there conclusions.

[fightforfreedom]

38. The special counsel does not have to start a new investigation.

I believe Garland is asking him or her to examine the evidence already gathered and decide if there is enough evidence to charge traitor Trump. It should not take long.

How long will it take for a special counsel to decide whether or not Trump obstructed justice when he was subpoenaed for the documents. That one shouldn't take very long. Garland knows what he is doing.

[malaise]

41. Garland on now n/t

[fightforfreedom]

42. Thank you.

[GuppyGal]

49. Frikkin AWESOME

WHO KNOWS WHERE THIS LEADS