http://ace.mu.nu/archives/382248.phpJuly 12, 2019
Judge Rebukes Mueller for Falsely Alleging Evidence of Russian Government Involvement In Hack; Muller's Own Prosecutor Admits No Evidence
Mueller Testimony to House Postponed
Gee, I wonder if these things are related. I wonder if Mueller needs time to, um, recalibrate his claims.
So Mueller's testimony has been delayed a week.
Former special counsel Robert Mueller’s highly-anticipated Capitol Hill testimony will be delayed one week under a tentative arrangement he reached with House Democrats, according to multiple sources briefed on the discussions.
Although it’s unclear why Mueller's testimony was delayed until July 24, lawmakers familiar with the matter said one reason was an ongoing negotiation about how much time they would have to question the former special counsel.
It is possible that's part of the reason -- Nadler is trying to limit who can ask Meuller questions, and grandstanding Democrats aren't happy that they won't get TV Time.
But I think it might also have to do with Mueller and Nadler gaming out Mueller's answers to Republican questions about why Mueller insinuated evidence of a Russian government connection to the DNC hack, but then, when rebuked by a judge for insinuating it without providing evidence of it, had to claim they never claimed it at all.
See below.
This is a major blow not just to Mueller but to the entire "Russian Active Measures" talking point. As the judge acknowledges, the IRA (which, btw, put out juvenile clickbait mostly unrelated to the election) is a private entity & Mueller never establishes a Kremlin connection. pic.twitter.com/WT2n5nZ5Fy
— Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate) July 9, 2019
This inconsistency, confirmed by a DC judge, raises new Qs about the validity of Mueller's claim of a "sweeping and systematic" Russian gov't interference campaign. If Mueller was disingenuous in falsely trying to link it to Russian gov't, what else was he disingenuous about?
— Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate) July 9, 2019
I should clarify re: validity, above: given how disingenuous Mueller is overall -- ignoring Steele dossier; obscuring how weak the official Papadopoulos predicate; omitting Kilimnik's extensive State Dept ties & falsely hyping him as GRU indictment -- this is only latest example. pic.twitter.com/vHWR7bF40O
— Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate) July 9, 2019
Now that a judge has rebuked Mueller for claiming this, one of Mueller's prosecutors comes before the judge and says that the Mueller team never claimed evidence of a Russian government connection:
Kravis is right, & accordingly acknowledging that Mueller report is disingenuous. While the report does not explicitly claim troll farm was Russian gov't activity, it gives the false impression that it was, by including it as 1 of 2 "principal" Russian interference "operations": pic.twitter.com/8APfYkbwjA
— Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate) July 11, 2019
The Federalist's Adam Mill has an article about this admission:
A newly released transcript reveals details of a humiliating hearing that took place the day before Mueller’s puzzling press conference. The judge asked the prosecutor, “Can you address also the specific tie to the Russian government, which is the overarching comment that the attorney general made tying both this case and then the case involving the hacking and the release of the e-mails, the GRU case, to the Russian government?”
Buckle up, buttercup, because you’re not going to believe DOJ’s response: “The report doesn’t say that.” What? I thought we “knew” that the Russian government committed an act of war by posting politically charged information on the internet. Now the DOJ is backing away from any tie between the internet troll farm and the Russian government?
The DOJ has now admitted that the Mueller report “itself does not state anywhere that the Russian government was behind the Internet Research Agency [and Concord] activity.” Whoa. The judge then asked, “So it is the government’s position that tying Concord and its co-defendants to the Russian government is not prejudicial?”
In the subsequent order, Judge Freidrich wrote: “On May 29, 2019, following the Court’s hearing, the Special Counsel held a press conference…[in which he] carefully distinguished between the efforts by ‘Russian intelligence officers who were part of the Russian military’ and the efforts of” Concord. This, the Judge found, made the criminal contempt proceedings she contemplated against Mueller’s team “unnecessary and excessive under the circumstances.”
A narrow escape it was indeed. Freidrich found that both the release of the Mueller report and Barr’s statements boosting the report violated DC Rule 57.7 prohibiting lawyers from trying cases in the press. Judge Freidrich rejected the government’s argument that the Mueller report did not smear Concord with unproven links to the Russian government.
Mate's taking a victory lap:
Post-report, we’ve seen Mueller’s disingenuousness exposed: Kilimnik had extensive US ties that were minimized; Mueller team had to admit IRA, Russian troll farm, was not the Russian govt, & was rebuked by judge for suggesting otherwise;
— Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate) July 12, 2019
Or additionally, buying more time to prepare for the critical Qs he’ll inevitably face.
— Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate) July 12, 2019
Also: July 24th is just two days before the August recess. After endlessly hyping collusion & impeachment expectations, this July 24 delay gives Russiagate-peddling Democrats a quick exit from DC & the camera lights after Mueller’s testimony delivers yet one more dud.
— Aaron Maté (@aaronjmate) July 12, 2019
To be honest, I'm feeling that Robert Mueller is a tired old man who was really only the face of this operation. I get the sense that Weissman is the main operator.
Mate's report for Real Clear Investigations was highly recommended to me, but I never read it. I'll correct that this weekend. Here's the link.
