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Impeachable Offenses?

~ Examining the Case for Removal of the 45th President of the United States

Impeachable Offenses?

Tag Archives: robert

Mueller’s Questions Exclude Obstruction

14 Sunday Oct 2018

Posted by crosbysamuel in Articles, Uncategorized

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Tags

donald, Elie Honig, impeach, investigation, Jonathan Turley, Mueller, Obstruction of Justice, president, questions, robert, russian collusion, Special Counsel, trump, written answers

Special Counsel Robert Mueller sent President Trump and his lawyers questions this week regarding collusion between the Trump Campaign and Russian officials. This represents a breakthrough in negotiations between the parties as to the scope of questioning of the President; however it is limited. The President’s answers will only be written. Given Trump’s history of contradictions this may be a safeguard against perjury. Commentators have noted that the series of questions leave out obstruction of justice.

Jonathan Turley, in an opinion piece written for The Hill, has theorized that the absence may indicate Mueller is not pursuing an obstruction charge. His supports his opinion by pointing out that obstruction of justice is a bad fit for the President’s alleged crimes, since the charge is normally applied to the obstruction of some kind of judicial proceeding. Elie Honig, a former federal prosecutor from New York, disagrees with Turley. He theorizes that if Mueller is presenting questions about collusion that must be because he is focused on specific conduct and doesn’t see “wiggle room” for the President in his answers. In his mind, the fact that Mueller isn’t giving questions about obstruction does not mean that he has given up on the charge, but rather that he is preparing for a legal battle that could go to the Supreme Court.

Regardless of Mueller’s motivation, readers would do well to remember that the crimes of obstruction and collusion are intimately involved. If it could be established that President Trump was involved in the Russian election interference, that would go a long way in establishing the mens rea required to convict the President of obstruction of justice — his corrupt influence, if you will.

trumpfirst_opi2jd.jpgKevin Lamarque/Reuters

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Mueller and Starr Compared

06 Friday Apr 2018

Posted by crosbysamuel in Articles, Uncategorized

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affair, clinton, Collusion, counsel, daniels, Impeachment, independent, ken, lewinsky, Mueller, robert, russia, special, Starr, stormy

This article, from TIME, compares the methods of Special Counsel Robert Mueller to those of former Independent Counsel Ken Starr. Starr was charged with investigating the Clinton-Whitewater real estate scandal, and released a report which eventually lead to President Clinton’s impeachment. Notably, however, the report was not centered around Whitewater, but rather the lie Clinton told to cover up his affair with Monica Lewinsky. Unlike Starr, TIME notes, Mueller is remaining focused on his task — the investigation of Russian collusion.

It would be easy for Mueller to become distracted with all the stories of Trump’s sordid acts floating around; such as those surrounding Stormy Daniels. But those of us in the audience should be glad that Mueller has remained focused. Though nailing Trump with some ignoble deed may be enough to lower his public esteem and get him impeached, we should want more. We should want the whole truth.

1-mueller-2.w1200.h630.jpgAlex Wong/Getty Images

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Frank O. Bowman, III


Floyd R. Gibson Missouri Endowed Professor of Law
University of Missouri School of Law

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