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brooklynite

(93,878 posts)
Wed May 17, 2017, 09:50 AM May 2017

For those pondering the meaning of "obstruction of justice", consider the following...

...in Watergate, a CRIME occurred (the breaking of the DNC office). President Nixon ordered his aides to obstruction the investigation into that crime.

...in the Flynn/Russia case, an investigation was being carried out into the aspects of their relationship. Sally Yates was concerned about POSSIBLE blackmail. However, no criminal activity had been identified at that point. (reminder: Flynn was fired for allegedly lying to the VP, which is also NOT CRIMINAL). Therefore asking the FBI to leave Flynn alone does not, arguably, rise to the level of obstruction.

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shraby

(21,946 posts)
1. Sally Yates told the committee that Flynn had broken the law. When asked which law, she
Wed May 17, 2017, 09:54 AM
May 2017

had to demur because if she told which law, the committee would know what he had done and that would be secret information pertaining to the investigation.
She did tell the trump legal counsel when she notified him of Flynn because it was information passed in a skif

unblock

(51,974 posts)
2. there need not be a provable crime, only a reasonable basis for investigation of a possible crime.
Wed May 17, 2017, 09:55 AM
May 2017

otherwise a provable but successful obstruction of an actual crime(s) would not be criminal.

4139

(1,893 posts)
3. Well... I've been Afraid to post what McCabe told congress...
Wed May 17, 2017, 09:57 AM
May 2017

"There has been no effort to impede our investigation to date."

We are not there yet, we would need three of similar events like they Comey memo

shraby

(21,946 posts)
4. Comey wrote a memcon for every time he talked to trump one on one. We don't know
Wed May 17, 2017, 10:02 AM
May 2017

what those say, or how many there are. We do know there is more than one.

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