BREAKING: Trump just fired Berman

[StarfishSaver]

On edit: So says Bill Barr

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/20/politics/trump-fires-berman-barr-says/index.html

[Botany]

1. Me thinks that Trump's taxes are about to come out.

And that the case would go through the SDNY.

[StarfishSaver]

2. I'm starting to think that, too ...

[Zoonart]

14. Yep... here'e my post from last night...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=13620718

[2naSalit]

37. Oh that's a good point.

I hadn't come to that part of the saga in my digestion of the newest info. It's going to come back around to Epstein in the end, he connects everyone. But you have a great point about the tax exposure issue and that has to be just about ripe enough to slither out into public view, maybe in the niece's book as well as the SCOTUS decision. It's not looking good for the bad guys right now. I suspect that any further attempts to trash the nation will be truncated by those who can do that.

[EarthFirst]

3. Is that what he's opening his spectacle with today?

To a cacophony of drooling slack jawed yokels during his Two Minutes Hate display in Tulsa...?

[Me.]

4. Can He?

as the judges appointed him?

[sunonmars]

5. Audrey Strauss is probably even worse for Trump than Berman........

The "acting" AG Audrey Strauss is most possibly an even worse adversary of Trump than Berman, she is a seasoned Mob prosecutor that took down Trump's mentor, Roy Cohn........and a fierce prosecutor of white collar crime.

[skip fox]

19. Great to hear!

This gives us hope that some investigations will continue and/or become publicly known.

[bdamomma]

39. Wow

took down Roy Cohn, go get him AG Strauss.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. It's time for Berman to spill as many beans as he can

without jeopardizing any investigations. And I hope somebody is protecting evidence.

[Lulu KC]

7. But this was last night, not just now.

Did it slip through news because there's just TOO MUCH??? If you have FaceBook, check Heather Cox Richardson. She and grandchildren are the only reasons I'm still on it.

[soothsayer]

8. Love her. I get her daily letter from an American

[StarfishSaver]

9. No. This just happened

Barr announced last night Berman had stepped down. Berman said, "no, I didn't. Not leaving until my successor is confirmed."

So Barr just sent Berman a letter telling him that Trump had fired him.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

10. Trump is probably afraid of what will happen after he loses the election

and can be prosecuted, so he wants Barr to be sure all investigations involving him are squelched. But Barr can be prosecuted, too. Anybody remember John Mitchell?

[2naSalit]

38. +1

Though I get the feeling that something ugly is about to be exposed in the near future. There's a pattern to the attacks.

[Lulu KC]

34. OH!!!!

Thank you!

[octoberlib]

11. Barr fired Berman claiming Trump told him to do so.

Since Barr has lied repeatedly about everything, Trump should be required to issue an official statement firing Berman instead of hiding behind Barr. Berman should refuse to leave until this is done. It's bullshit.

[StarfishSaver]

13. Agree

[octoberlib]

16. Trump just told a reporter before boarding Air Force One that he wasn't involved. Wtf?

Link to tweet

On the firing of SDNY Prosecutor Berman,
@POTUS
tells reporters that it's all up to Attorney General Barr, "I'm not involved."

[StarfishSaver]

21. Sooo, are you telling me that Bill Barr may have lied?

[octoberlib]

24. Again. Can you believe it? Trump probably wants Berman gone but from what I've read , he's the one

who has to fire him not Barr.

[Lulu KC]

35. ha ha ha n/t

[cwydro]

22. This guy will be known for "I take no responsibility."

Truman must be spinning like a top.

[Mike 03]

20. Yes, that's how they handle things in this administration.

They tell each other who to fire in order to mitigate direct culpability. Pompeo told Trump to fire the IG investigating Pompeo, he does it. Same in this instance.

[honest.abe]

12. America takes another step toward dictatorship.

Will we make it to November??

[mvd]

29. I am scared

The only mitigating factor is Trump’s incompetence. I can’t even imagine Trump’s evil and ignorance combined with intelligence.

[pecosbob]

15. Still haven't seen anything anywhere that says the 'President' has the power to do so

[StarfishSaver]

17. What if he doesn't?

Who's going to stop him and how will they do it?

[pecosbob]

26. A court challenge will slow the process down...

IMO they are only interested in quashing negative press from SDNY during the election run up. If a judge does eventually remove him from the post, his subordinate would become acting US Attorney until such a time as a new occupant can be confirmed by the Senate. Every time Trump has made this type of illegal replacement he has been challenged, but our justice system moves at glacial speed when the DOJ wishes it to do so.

[StarfishSaver]

27. Who will challenge it in court?

And if he's removed, his subordinate doesn't automatically take the job through the rest of the term. At most, it would it be until his successor is confirmed - in Mitch McConnell's Senate. And that's if the administration follows the laws of succession, which they haven't always done.

[pecosbob]

30. I have no clue who has standing, but someone does...

All the administration needs to do is nominate someone properly...they just want to appoint no one and leave the position vacant as they have done in the past. They screwed up and didn't nominate anyone until the judges had already appointed someone. Now it's too late.

28 US Code § 546. Vacancies

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), the Attorney General may appoint a United States attorney for the district in which the office of United States attorney is vacant.

(b) The Attorney General shall not appoint as United States attorney a person to whose appointment by the President to that office the Senate refused to give advice and consent.

(c) A person appointed as United States attorney under this section may serve until the earlier of —

(1) the qualification of a United States attorney for such district appointed by the President under section 541 of this title; or

(2) the expiration of 120 days after appointment by the Attorney General under this section.

(d) If an appointment expires under subsection (c)(2), the district court for such district may appoint a United States attorney to serve until the vacancy is filled. The order of appointment by the court shall be filed with the clerk of the court.

cribbed from Struggle4progress' thread...https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213624235

[NYC Liberal]

25. The president can fire anyone he appoints.

This was the basis of Andrew Johnson’s impeachment. Congress passed a law requiring congressional approval to fire appointed members of the executive branch. The Supreme Court later said that was unconstitutional. Myers v. United States

[pecosbob]

31. That's the point...he didn't appoint Berman...the judges did after he failed to NOMINATE a new one.

The president doesn't get to appoint U.S. Attorneys without the advice and consent of the Senate, as trivial a hurdle as that may be. He only get to NOMINATE someone for the position.

[Maeve]

32. Ah, but he didn't appoint Berman!

A panel of judges did.

The plot is so thick they have to keep stirring or it will burn

[GoCubsGo]

18. Here's hoping Berman has been sending Letitia James copies of everything he has.

I suspect they have been sharing a lot over the past few years...

[Varaddem]

23. I'm hoping

That the thunder clap I heard a little while ago was a big evidence dump to the AG of New York.Just to sort thru for tax implications you know. None of this should be classified. None of it is about people working for the good of the security of the United States.

[Takket]

28. So to summarize where we are at

The AG told the press that Berman resigned But Berman said he did not so AG told Berman that POTUS fired him but POTUS said he did not and we don’t know if POTUS has the power to do so even if he did which he said he did not even though AG said he did....

AND WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING?

[pecosbob]

33. Somehow SNAFU and FUBAR at once.

[Lulu KC]

36. YES!! What IS Happening? n/t