Why It's Impossible for Republicans to Investigate the Trump-Russia Scandal

[.99center]

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/04/why-its-impossible-republicans-investigate-trump-russia-scandal

Why It's Impossible for Republicans to Investigate the Trump-Russia Scandal
Is Lindsey Graham the only hope?

David CornApr. 26, 2017 6:00 AM

Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP; J. Scott Applewhite/AP; Alex Brandon/AP

On Monday, Yahoo News broke an important—but unsurprising—story: the Senate Intelligence Committee's investigation of the Trump-Russia scandal has made little progress, with its Republican chairman, Richard Burr of North Carolina, refusing to sign off on subpoenas and witness interviews and failing to devote to the inquiry sufficient staff power and resources.

This was the latest blow to the effort to scrutinize Russia's effort to disrupt the 2016 election and the connections between Donald Trump's inner circle and Russians. Several weeks earlier, the House Intelligence Committee led by Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) imploded, when Nunes discredited himself with a bizarre stunt: He claimed he had obtained from secret sources classified evidence that Obama administration officials had improperly obtained the identities of Trump associates who were unintentionally picked up in intelligence intercepts, and he dashed to the White House to inform President Trump before sharing (and evaluating) this information with his staff and committee colleagues. It turned out Nunes' sources were White House officials and his conspiratorial characterization of the material was inaccurate and overblown. This curious episode led to the House Ethics Committee launching a probe into whether Nunes had revealed sensitive information, and Nunes recused himself from his committee's Russia investigation.

All of this rigmarole leads to an obvious question: Can the Republicans mount an independent and effective investigation of Moscow's hacking during the 2016 campaign and the interactions between Trump's crew and Russia? There is now a good argument that the answer is no.

From the start, it appeared this would be a dicey assignment for the GOP. An investigation of these matters threatened to taint Trump's victory by providing more information to back up the intelligence community's assessment that Vladimir Putin launched an extensive covert operation to subvert the 2016 elections in order to help Trump become president. Worse for Republicans, a probe could possibly produce evidence of contacts between Russians and Trump's political and business associates that might be related to Moscow's assault on American democracy.

[byronius]

1. K&R.

[Sculpin Beauregard]

2. Yup, it's going to be obstructed at every path.

It's up to NY AG Schneiderman to get them on RICO charges. There will be no satisfactory investigation done in the House or Senate because they are being blocked and stalled.

Here's a question: can a former president be charged with treason after he's left office? Because maybe that will happen. It sure won't happen while he's in office.

[Mr. Ected]

3. I certainly hope some prosecutor out there has the stomach to disembowel the Republican Party

This was a Russian/Republican joint venture agreement implicating dozens of members of the GOP.

We deserve the truth. This is not a witch hunt. This is a veritable treason trove.

[Amaryllis]

4. Far too many of them are complicit themselves. Help us, Obi Wan Kenobi, you're our only hope....

[WhiteTara]

5. One reason is that they

are all complicit. Ryan and the Turtle took Russian money and laundered it through their super PACs.

[MedusaX]

6. My vote is for NY AG....

I have a sinking feeling that early on in the Transition period....
before the true degree of each players involvement was known....
some federal deals were made way too prematurely.....


Once the evidence began to reveal the depths of criminality.... I think someone realized that they needed to find a way around any deals made...

Enter NY AG....


Hopefully I am dead wrong about premature deals....

[Bernardo de La Paz]

7. Need Independent Counsel / Special Prosecutor. When do we want it? Yesterday would not be too soon.

[ffr]

8. Might get more urgency if we were 3 months from an election

Otherwise, expect KGOP members to do what's in the interests of the lobbies and corporations. Fuck all of you whom they represent. You should have learned from the economic disaster 2007 - 2009 and not elected anyone with an R by their name. They won't stop until they return us to those days.

Care to invest in Bear Stearns or AIG after the KGOP removed Wall Street regulations?

[zentrum]

9. The country, Democracy,

.....and the concept of Democracy don't mean an effing thing to these bastards. Just so long as they can get their tax reform and stay permanently in power. They are the termites within.

[Stonepounder]

10. I don't think we are going to recover.

Since all three branches of government have now been taken over, with two of them bought and paid for by the Russians, there will never be another free and fair election in the US. Gerrymandering and voter suppression of Democratic voters will be the norm and the GOP/Putin part will retain its lock on our government. Oh, we will still have elections, but they will be like the ones in the old USSR where there is really only one party on the ballot.

[L. Coyote]

11. April Doss, former NSA lawyer, named special counsel of SSCI Russia probe

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10028982251

[hurple]

12. If the lawmakers won't uncover the truth

The reporters will.

Give them time.

[Mr. Ected]

13. Best way for Republicans to investigate Trump-Russia?

Hand them all mirrors.

[NRaleighLiberal]

14. Graham as the only hope equals hopeless.