I am really trying to find something positive from this Special Counsel appointment.

[kentuck]

Trump has successfully gotten a delay in his investigation.

Maybe that will cool off the "investigation fires" in the new Congress?

Maybe the Special Counsel will pick up where the DOJ has left off? Maybe it won't take a year or two to finish the investigation?

If the Special Counsel reports to AG Garland in 2 or 3 months that he believes there is enough evidence to charge Trump with crimes, how could Garland refuse to charge the former president?

With supreme patience, perhaps the Republicans will come around to understanding that this is the only way for them to rid themselves of Donald Trump and some of them may support the investigation? I doubt it, but it is a possibility, I suppose?

Will it remove politics from the investigation? What do you think?

[TreasonousBastard]

1. I think evrrything is goong as it should and th peanut gallery...

should quiet down.

[kentuck]

4. Do you have any thoughts about "how it should be going"?

Or do you have faith that the DOJ knows what it is doing and is way ahead of everyone else?

[TreasonousBastard]

7. I am not a Federal prosecutor and don't see any way it could...

be useful to tell them how their jobs should be done

[kentuck]

18. Well, it's not like they have a perfect track record.

To be sure.

[TreasonousBastard]

21. To our view, but every time I thought I knew something, a...

Lawyer or engineer set me straight.

[madamesilverspurs]

2. Barb McQuade had a great point:

Effectively, no special counsel is appointed when no action is planned.



.

[ok_cpu]

19. I know you didn't say it

but it's hard to feel like Mueller was appointed by Rosenstein because the trump DOJ planned to take action on the Russia investigation.

Edited for clarity: I do not think Garland is acting to scuttle the investigation. I just don't agree with the opinion that the appointment is any reflection of intent to indict.

[GenXer47]

3. plenty of republicans want someone else to do the dirty work of neutering Trump

so we might hear a conspicuous silence on the matter.
Of course the sycophants like MTG will never stop whining about it.
The problem I see is for us, the citizens - investigation fatigue sets in and we sort of "move on" while the investigation is happening. By the time we get to the end, people have tuned out.
It also sends a message that the crimes aren't really *that* serious, afterall, he's allowed to travel, spread lies, instigate violence and all the other shit he's known for.

[kentuck]

6. And permitted to be the next president?

Which is a possibility.

[fightforfreedom]

5. Garland just said the appointment of the special counsel will NOT slow the investigations,

In any way.

[intrepidity]

26. Left unsaid was that it could hardly go any slower. nt

[BlackSkimmer]

34. Oh, well, good, if he said that...

Cool.

[kentuck]

8. It is possible...

...that Garland believes he has enough evidence to indict and get a conviction, but it would carry more weight if a respected Special Counsel were to report the same opinion to him, so he would not look political in the charges and indictment.

It is possible that he knows Trump is going to be indicted, but he wants it to be as free from political charges as possible.

And Trump has bought a little time but he has lost political leverage.

[bdamomma]

22. I really want to

see some justice for this sick orange blob, he's arrogant among other things, twice impeached, and possibly a Russian agent (assuming). Plus stealing documents is a CRIME. His list is long.

Follow the money again.

[Ocelot II]

9. I don't understand why people think this is a negative development.

It's not like the special counsel will have to start from scratch and re-investigate every bit of evidence; whatever has been done already by regular DoJ staff will simply be transferred to the office of the SC and the process will continue. It alleviates claims of conflict of interest; as we learned from the Mueller investigation, a president can't fire a special counsel, and neither can the AG except for cause. This is the special counsel rule:

28 CFR § 600.1 Grounds for appointing a Special Counsel.
The Attorney General, or in cases in which the Attorney General is recused, the Acting Attorney General, will appoint a Special Counsel when he or she determines that criminal investigation of a person or matter is warranted and -

(a) That investigation or prosecution of that person or matter by a United States Attorney's Office or litigating Division of the Department of Justice would present a conflict of interest for the Department or other extraordinary circumstances; and

(b) That under the circumstances, it would be in the public interest to appoint an outside Special Counsel to assume responsibility for the matter.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/28/600.1

So: Garland has determined that a criminal investigation is warranted (and we know that an investigation has been in process for awhile already). He has also considered either the issue of a conflict of interest, or at least the appearance of one, or other extraordinary circumstances - the prosecution of a former president for actions done both while in office and afterwards - and that it would be in the public interest under the circumstances. Are any of these conclusions erroneous? Frankly, I don't get what all the whining is about. Considering the wording of the rule - especially the statement that "The Attorney General, or in cases in which the Attorney General is recused, the Acting Attorney General, will appoint a Special Counsel," - not may or can or should - I don't see that he had another choice.

[kentuck]

16. I think many folks believe it will only delay the investigation for a year or two.

But if he comes back to the AG in two or three months and recommends criminal prosecution, it will be seen as a positive move by Merrick Garland. He is not making the decision alone.

Trump may have bought a little time but nothing else.

[bdamomma]

25. Seems to be viable

to me. The wheels of justice are grinding along.

[Effete Snob]

10. I'm positive...

...that a special prosecutor has been appointed.

[BlackSkimmer]

35. Absolutely!

Me too!

[republianmushroom]

11. So am I 20 months and now this

22 months where has the DoJ been.

[uponit7771]

15. +1,

[Raven123]

12. Maybe there is just so much evidence, Garland needs the help

He’s been looking at this stuff for a long time. Having a fresh eye may be a good idea.

[intrepidity]

27. Fresh eyes? You don't have to squint to see the evidence of crimes here. nt

[Raven123]

38. You always want to avoid the traps of process that might give someone an out

[Fullduplexxx]

13. NEW from Special Counsel Jack Smith: "Pace of investigations will not pause or flag under my watch"

NEW from Special Counsel Jack Smith: "Pace of investigations will not pause or flag under my watch"
Ryan J. Reilly @ryanjreilly 10m
NEW from Special Counsel Jack Smith:

“The pace of the investigations will not pause or flag under my watch. I will exercise independent judgement and will move the investigations forward expeditiously and thoroughly to whatever outcome the facts and the law dictate.”

[GreenWave]

14. Repug house will demand an investigation of the investigation.

[bigtree]

17. that's false. There's no evidence of a delay

...and the new SC promises there won't be one.

[cachukis]

20. My twenty five cents is on Garland setting this up months ago.

Smith is probably very up to date and his team will come from those in the justice department already on task.

Garland is intent on the purity of American Justice and any objection to his following the law.

I suspect Garland has fortified the team and ready to prosecute the biggest case in American history in the midst of the most psychractic candidacy of all time.

Garland's job is to make the rule of law work in spite of a large portion of our countrymen applauding its demise.

He has my support.

[Blue Owl]

23. Special Masters, Special Councils... Benedict Donald must feel very special indeed

[kentuck]

24. Another point worth noting...

...is that the Special Counsel is appointed to investigate the January 6th attack on our Capitol and the Maralago stolen files.

There are people that have recently been elected to Congress that are screaming about investigations but they do not want to be investigated themselves by a Special Counsel. This should give pause to a few of those outlaws.

[H2O Man]

28. A Positive Vibration.

I think it is a good move. The Special Counsel will not be starting over. Or picking a new team of investigators. Rather, they will serve as the head of the team members already in place, evaluating what charges are both appropriate and have a 95% chance of resulting in a conviction.

I like the timing very much. I think that others here will, somewhere around February.


(Recommended.)

[kentuck]

30. I am hoping you are right.

Trump and his stooges in Congress were on their way to impeaching Merrick Garland, in my opinion. This has temporarily removed it from Garland's hands.

We have no idea what the SC might recommend? But Merrick Garland may have an idea?

He is removing the politics from the investigation as much as possible, it appears.

No one on the Trump Team should be doing cartwheels just yet.

[H2O Man]

31. Jack Smith

was an aggressive federal attorney. He became the head prosecutor in the Hague per war crimes in Kosovo. You are going to be happy that he was appointed. In my opinion, he is the perfect person for this.

[kentuck]

32. It's a little difficult to criticize the credentials of the head prosecutor at the Hague...

...who prosecuted war crimes.

[H2O Man]

33. I agree.

Though I wouldn't say any prosecutor has a perfect career -- for there is no such thing -- I do think he is perfect for this position. And having had two times serving in the international courts is a big factor.

[Sneederbunk]

29. Should satisfy those who thought the DOJ was moving too fast.

[Just A Box Of Rain]

36. This means the DOJ and AG have reached the point where indictments and prosecutions

are imminent.

This is the necessary step under the prevailing guidelines.

[kairos12]

37. MSNBC host just said is it not possible that by waiting for 2 years

Garland got played by Chump.

Good point.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

39. Special Counsel Jack Smith is moving at light speed

Link to tweet