Mueller rejects Trump request to answer questions in writing

[riversedge]

Source: cbs






May 7, 2018, 7:12 PM




Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who is now on President Trump's legal team, told CBS News correspondent Paula Reid Monday afternoon that special counsel Robert Mueller's office has rejected proposals to allow Mr. Trump to answer questions from investigators in writing.

The president's legal team has previously signaled that this would be their preferred format for a possible interview as it helps protect Mr. Trump from the possibility of lying or misleading investigators, which is a criminal offense.

Giuliani told CBS News that it will take up to three weeks for him to get fully up to speed on the facts of the investigation and be prepared to engage in formal negotiations with the special counsel about the terms of a possible interview with Mr. Trump.

Giuliani told Reid that he and the president's legal team continue to be in communication with the special counsel, but that he wants to have a better sense of the facts before engaging in formal negotiations about a possible interview.

................

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mueller-rejects-potus-request-to-answer-questions-in-writing/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab7e&linkId=51439091

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I have to wonder if Rudy knows what a fact is!!

Link to tweet

[rzemanfl]

1. Wasn't Rudy supposed to wind this up in two weeks? n/t

[Croney]

2. That would be like giving kids a take-home exam

and expecting them not to google the answers.

[Igel]

5. The defense lawyer has to be in charge of his client.

I've seen high-school math teachers subjected to the kinds of questioning that teacher-trainers insist never should be done.

After a minute, the math teacher when cognitively overloaded and stressed will confidently say things like "2+2=5" or "x/1 = 0". Not because they don't know better, but because too many questions, under stress, will trip you up. Moreover, a few minutes later they'll deny ever having said that.

The purpose was to tell teachers never, ever, engage in that kind of questioning. It shows ill-will and constitutes academic bullying. However, it's precisely the kind of ill-will that reigns in courts (as well as used-car lots). And bad tv shows. It says "victory over truth," which is, to my thinking, the kind of thinking that should get a lawyer, prosecution or defense, immediately disbarred and removed from the courtroom.

When confronted with that, the best course of action is to say you don't recall, you might be mistaken, do all kinds of hedging. This is politically toxic.

[unblock]

10. well, not really. the goal really is to learn the truth.

the goal isn't really to put someone in a position where they might say something incorrect when they might say something truthful had they been given more time to think about it and consult with counsel. at least, that's not the stated goal of having people testify before a grand jury.

generally speaking, if the questions are complete and the answers are complete and truthful, then there's no problem with this approach. it's far better, from the point of view of overall justice, to have donnie and counsel respond with complete and truthful answers than for donnie to appear alone in person and either take the 5th or answer "i don't remember" to everything. additionally, it would avoid further delay to simply agree, rather than to continue to negotiate.

what's interesting is that mueller rejected it. the only real reason for this is that he expects that donnie and counsel would, even with the benefit of time and the ability to "google the answers", would still *not* supply complete and correct answers.

furthermore, mueller's only stands to gain by refusing if he is convinced that he can convince the judge of this as well. this shouldn't be too hard, given donnie & co's track record of lying relentlessly in public, but still, it's impressive that he believes he can convince a judge that a sitting president is such a liar that he can't even be trusted to respond to written questions without lying and/or giving incomplete or evasive answers.

the real advantage of a live interview is that it allows for follow-up questions, so if his first answers are evasive, follow-ups can be used to pin him down.

mueller is saying he can convince a judge that he'll need to ask follow-ups because donnie would not be forthcoming even with the benefit of time and counsel and "google".

[Sophia4]

15. If Trump is permitted to answer in writing, his lawyers will answer, and if later

Trump has to answer the questions in court, he won't remember what the written answers were.

Mueller is giving Trump the opportunity to answer questions. Trump should take it if he really believes he has done no wrong.

[PJMcK]

28. "Trump should take it if he really believes he has done no wrong."

Thanks for the laugh, Sophia4!

You and I both know that Trump KNOWS he's guilty of everything and more. Since I don't have to prove anything, I'm comfortable in my common-man's knowledge of his guilt having watched Trump in public for decades.

Here's what I've learned from his public persona:

He's a crook.
He's a cheat.
He's a deadbeat.
He's a liar.
He's abusive.
He's nasty.
He's greedy.
He's really stupid.
He's lazy.
He's a sexual predator who hates most women.
His buildings are as ugly as he is.
His 3 older children are as corrupt as he is.

If Trump is taken down by any one of the legal cases he's facing, it will be a glorious day.

[Sophia4]

34. Beautifully said.

[PJMcK]

41. (wink)

[flibbitygiblets]

35. LOL if Rudy were the lawyer answering Mueller's questions in writing.

Q: Did you collude with the Russians?
A: Yes, well, that's the rumor I heard...who can tell the difference between rumors and facts? But even if he did, it's okay because this kind of things happens all the time with my other clients.

[PJMcK]

42. Hey, Rudy!

Who are your "other clients" that you're arranging hush-money payoffs to? Are you an expert on non-disclosure agreements, too? You've already said that you're an expert on campaign finance law. You must be awesome!

By the way, something's off about you, Rudy.

Oh, I know.

You're an idiot just like Trump.

[sandensea]

12. +1

Petulant child metaphors are always a sure bet whenever the subject is Republicans - especially Cheeto.

[Volaris]

13. Well if they did that theyed really be screwed...

The only parts of the Google Machine that don't know the facts already are 4chan, various assorted subreddit threads on 'I'm a Great White Nazi' and 'why can't I get laid', and fauxnewz.com.

[FailureToCommunicate]

3. (Answering in writing) "...helps protect Mr. Trump from the possibility of lying..."

"The president's legal team has previously signaled that this would be their preferred format for a possible interview as it helps protect Mr. Trump from the possibility of lying or misleading investigators, which is a criminal offense."

[NastyRiffraff]

31. Of course they KNOW he'll lie

because he does all the time, even when he doesn't really need to. It's his native language. But it's funny that they come right out and admit it out loud.

[RockRaven]

4. Given that Rudy is the source

I'm not even sure I believe that Mueller has made this declination. I think he ought to decline, but I don't know if he has, because I don't believe a damn thing Rudy says.

[flibbitygiblets]

37. Rudy heard a rumor that Mueller rejected them. Who can tell the difference between rumor and facts?

Not Rudy.

[DUgosh]

6. 🤣

[C Moon]

7. I almost spit out my water when I read his request. :D

What a fucking joke that idiot is. How the hell did he even get CLOSE to being in that honorable chair.

[ailsagirl]

8. GOOD!!

Hold dump's feet to the fire!!!!!!

[sheshe2]

9. WTF?

This isn't the Onion?

The president's legal team has previously signaled that this would be their preferred format for a possible interview as it helps protect Mr. Trump from the possibility of lying or misleading investigators, which is a criminal offense.

They need to council him and protect him from lying?

OMG!

[PSPS]

11. "helps protect Mr. Trump from the possibility of lying"

Remember that trump's attorneys had a policy to never meet with him without another attorney present because he would just lie all the time.

[forgotmylogin]

17. Um...isn't that basically admitting he's guilty?

"We want to be able to edit what he says to prevent him from lying"....WHAT?

[maryellen99]

14. He does not accept answers written in crayon nt

[pecosbob]

16. I want Rudy to fill out all the proper security clearance forms

before he is ever given access to any top secret classified information. Even if cheeto can waive it.

[LudwigPastorius]

18. It's on like a pot of neckbones!

This is the true beginning of the end of that bloated, human-ham-with-hair.

Trump WILL be forced to testify.

Trump WILL lie.

Trump WILL be forced to resign.

[benld74]

19. tRump wouldn't be able to keep the crayon sharp enough

[Beartracks]

20. Rudy seems to have been hired to work the media, not actually do "legal" stuff. n/t

[TheRealNorth]

33. BINGO

Or BANGO if you're a Bucks fan

[BobTheSubgenius]

21. I'm hard pressed to believe this.

Any of it. The paradox is, I see what appears to be proof positive that it is true. At the very least, highly suggestive of truth.

Someone actually said they would respond to a VERY public criminal investigation if they could WRITE the answers? Not that that process could ever be subverted.

That person is the POTUS???

And his attorneys want the take-home exam (no peeking at the answers!!) so their client, once again - POTUS! won't be over-tempted to lie???

This can't really be happening, can it? It's like the Keystone Kops (anyone have a third "K"?) written by Hunter Thompson. Holy shit.

[muriel_volestrangler]

26. The Keystone Kop Kakistocracy? (nt)

[Blue Owl]

22. Trump to answer in tweeting

n/t

[turbinetree]

23. WEll if he his like his criminal enterprise tweets..........spelling and babbling fucking idiot

and he has to bring out his crayon coloring books to connect the dots................it will a long hot summer...........................this stalling is just stupid,,,,,,,,,,bring his traitorous ass into grand jury and listen to him squeal like PIG....................

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

24. What if he answers them in crayon?

Or he could just have Melania copy them from someone else's paper.

[muriel_volestrangler]

25. 1790 President: "I cannot tell a lie". About the 2018 President: "He cannot avoid telling lies"

Of course, there's a problem with quoting the 2018 president: since he can't avoid telling lies, he would actually say "I cannot tell a lie" too, because that's a lie.

Hey, we have a new way of expressing those logic puzzles: "You can ask a question of George Washington or Donald Trump, but it'll come back in their laywers' writing, so you don't know which one will have answered it. What do you ask to save the country?"

[Cha]

27. That's trump and doormats trying to insult

the intelligence of the SP and the American People.

[MyOwnPeace]

29. Let him talk.............

after all, isn't he the smartiest, bestest guy with the biggest, most magnificent brain?

What could possibly go wrong?

[Javaman]

30. here is tRump talking to the Mueller...

[Maxheader]

32. Had a couple of small claims

I filed against people in the past that tried to do me wrong..
And standing in front of one judge,I was prepared to read off
my prepared statement..the facts. Judge told me to put that
down and say in my own words what the facts are...I believe
it is a way to get at the real reasons and facts behind
accusations...

[left-of-center2012]

36. True reason -- Trump can't read or write

[apnu]

38. Didn't Bill Clinton try this before his famous "is" interview?

I recall something like that and Republicans losing their minds that he'd even try to answer questions on paper.

[Calista241]

39. I foresee a change in tactics by the Trump team.

They're going to stop cooperating. They'll say Mueller has all the documents he's ever requested, he's conducted dozens of interviews, and unless things change, they're done cooperating. After all, Trump has a full time job being President of the US, and taking time out to do this is too big a time commitment.

Mueller will have to sue to get Trump in front of the grand jury, and if he ever goes there, he'll just take the 5th.

This strategy is kind of Emmet Flood's MO. And according the polls, half the country thinks it's a partisan inquiry anyway. Since Mueller cannot or will not defend his investigation publicly, Trump will have all the air time on convincing the country of this.

[Cold War Spook]

40. Is there any reason that he can't take the 5th?

What are they going to do, give him immunity? He will just pardon himself which he can do as long as it is before he is impeached.