Mueller

When the Witch-hunt Turns Up Witches

Apparently there is an indictment coming today from the Special Counsel.

But the "Russian influence" in the election with Trump's possible "collusion" has morphed into a very different beast. And, so, perhaps, must the Special Counsel.
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“Strip out the middlemen,” the Wall Street Journal’s editors argue, “and it appears that Democrats paid for Russians to compile wild allegations about a US presidential candidate.” The editorial demands a “full investigation” into the FBI’s activities during the previous presidential cycle, saying that collusion may have taken place — only in a completely different direction than previously thought. And that puts the special counsel in an impossible position, the editorial concludes:

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"The more troubling question is whether the FBI played a role, even if inadvertently, in assisting a Russian disinformation campaign. We know the agency possessed the dossier in 2016, and according to media reports it debated paying Mr. Steele to continue his work in the runup to the election. This occurred while former FBI Director James Comey was ramping up his probe into supposed ties between the Trump campaign and Russians.
Two pertinent questions: Did the dossier trigger the FBI probe of the Trump campaign, and did Mr. Comey or his agents use it as evidence to seek wiretapping approval from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Trump campaign aides?
Congressional investigators need to focus on the FBI’s role, and House Speaker Paul Ryan was correct Wednesday to insist that the bureau comply with Congress’s document demands “immediately.” Mr. Sessions has recused himself from the Justice Department’s Russia probe, but he and Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein can still insist on transparency. Mr. Ryan should also reinstall Intelligence Chair Devin Nunes as lead on the Russia investigation, since it appears the Democratic accusations against him were aimed in part at throwing him off the Fusion trail."
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Also, WSJ editors note, this impacts on the supposed independence of special counsel Robert Mueller.  The Uranium One issue  took place while Mueller ran the FBI. The dossier case will directly reflect on James Comey, Mueller's friend and protege. And the initial probe has changed. Originally the FBI was presumed to be merely a collector of evidence; it now appears that the agency he led will have to get scrutinized as well.
The Journal continues, "Mr. Mueller is a former FBI director, and for years he worked closely with Mr. Comey. It is no slur against Mr. Mueller’s integrity to say that he lacks the critical distance to conduct a credible probe of the bureau he ran for a dozen years. He could best serve the country by resigning to prevent further political turmoil over that conflict of interest."


The country continues to bumble along with no one to bell its numerous cats.
What a mess.