Cannon questions Special Counsel funding, independence. Gets schooled.

[bigtree]

Katie Phang @KatiePhang 2h
Next up was James Pearce, on behalf of the Special Counsel's Office.

Pearce: Special Counsel is independent counsel that can access Congressionally-enacted permanent, indefinite funding.

Cannon: So it's limitless appropriations?

Pearce: Yes, consistent with the idea of

Cannon: Can you provide some examples of limitless appropriations?

Pearce: Yes, I can think of two. And it means that they are not limited by time or by amount.

Cannon then started to ask Pearce about the Special Counsel's website that showed the latest expenditure report. She even drilled down on specific line items, including the total amount of expenditures for November

Cannon: Is it $5.4 million or really $9 million?

Pearce: I'm not sure, but we can supplement w/the Court.

Cannon: That would be helpful because these are public documents.

Pearce: I understand, but your Honor, there is no case where any court has suggested that the total amount of expenditures is relevant.

Cannon: But when it's limitless, there is a separation of powers concern...

Pearce: In fact the caselaw says only to focus on the source [of funding] and the purpose [of the funding].

Cannon: Don't interrupt me.

Cannon: What about other funding sources? What is your substantiation for your argument that there is alternate funding available to the SCO?

Pearce: I can represent that there is the full commitment of the DOJ to fund the Special Counsel in this prosecution.

Pearce: The DOJ has over a billion dollars that can be used as appropriations to fund the Special Counsel's Office.

Pearce: There is “sufficient independence” and the special counsel “strikes that balance of independence and accountability.”

Pearce furthers that the special counsel can and should be able to operate outside of the DOJ.

Cannon: Are there any examples that you can think of when an Attorney General rescinds or modifies order of appointment of SC?

Pearce: I can't think of any examples where regulations were rescinded midstream, other than perhaps the Saturday Night Massacre.

Cannon: So this idea of

Pearce: So it's not really a question of whether the rescission happened or not, it's how is the power structured.

Cannon: Janet Reno said it's too much political pressure to yank a special prosecutor.

Pearce: There is a presumption of regularity. As far as our SC are concerned, SC have complied with specific framework, complying with DOJ policies, etc.

Pearce: The test of what makes someone a "principal officer" is not whether they are President-nominated and Senate-confirmed.

Link to tweet

"Don't interrupt me!"
https://www.rawstory.com/judge-cannon-hearing/

[edhopper]

1. Her lack of legal knowledge

is astounding

[erronis]

25. She may not have much history but she is very well coached.

I'd love to be able to ask Cannon who is funding her?

[bluestarone]

2. She is DETERMINED to make Jack Smith the defendant rather than

TFG. WTF is wrong with this STUPID judge?

[Mister Ed]

3. What is wrong with her is that she serves neither the law nor the public.

She is answerable only to those who put her where she is: Donald Trump and the Federalist Society.

[crickets]

4. ☝️☝️

[japple]

15. That would also apply to the majority of SCOTUS even though

GWB also had a hand in it.

[mitch96]

13. "WTF is wrong with this STUPID judge?"... I think (with no proof) she is being coached on what to say and do.nt

[johnnyfins]

19. Could be multiple things

1) She is overseeing a case against the guy who put her in office

2) OPINION ONLY: She could be getting rewarded and threatened at the same time.

3) She actually has consumed the kool aid and thinks that TSF could never do wrong.

4) She actually thinks that after all of this horseshit, she has a shot at being confirmed to SCOTUS one day.

[onethatcares]

5. well hell.

isn't a certain someone known for line iteming any bill that passed across his desk? sounds like that certain person is acting like it's his money being spent to convict his self

[chowder66]

6. I swear (I have been thinking this for ages now with Trump and his lawyers).I think they are so uneducated

in matters of law that they use their lawsuits to learn on the job.

Same goes for Cannon in this case.

[Pepsidog]

7. She has clearly taken a deep dive down the Q-conspiracy rabbit hole. A total lunatic.

[triron]

8. She is a traitor.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

9. I have no respect for Cannon, but respect for the role of judges means she is right. She should not be interrupted. . nt

[NoRethugFriends]

26. given her egregious behavior, my response to that is BS

[Emile]

10. Any judge who purposely delays justice needs

to be arrested and removed as a judge.

[Aviation Pro]

11. She will soon partner with Alina Habbadabbado

And specialize in parking lot law.

If they keep their licenses.

[WiVoter]

12. Can Nothing Be Done About Her?

A leak, 11th circuit, something? It is clear that justice will not be done here.

[Diraven]

14. She's fishing for a way to throw out the case

But not sound like an idiot. Not going great so far.

[live love laugh]

28. Or to handicap the case by removing key counsel.

[NoMoreRepugs]

16. Bullshitters gotta sling bullshit cuz they aren't very smart.

[Skittles]

17. SHE IS PERFORMING FOR THE CULT

WHY THE FUCK IS THIS EVEN ALLOWED

[LiberalFighter]

18. How is that within her scope to consider?

[GiqueCee]

20. Good Gawd!

This woman is an imbecile! How did she ever get a law degree?

Aileen, sweetie, baby, cookie, honey. When the hole you've dug for yourself starts to look like a grave, it's time to stop digging.

[Katcat]

21. She's sticking her nose where it doesn't belong.

[Retrograde]

22. Focusing on irrelevant minutiae

is often a sign that the person is in way over their heads and doesn't understand the bigger picture. So they focus on things they think they understand, whether it has bearing on the issue or not. Next I expect her to go into detail about the brands of office supplies the Special Prosecutor's office uses.

[ms liberty]

27. This is closest to what I think is happening. She's way out of her league

[Raven123]

24. It's like she has an earpiece and someone is feeding her the questions