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DonViejo

(60,536 posts)
Sun May 20, 2018, 04:46 PM May 2018

Comey associate: Rosenstein and FBI director will quit if Trump goes through with DOJ investigation

Source: RawStory



TOM BOGGIONI
20 MAY 2018 AT 15:48 ET

Writing on Twitter, a confidante of former FBI Director James Comey predicted high level non-compliance and resignations at the FBI and the Justice Department if President Donald Trump makes good on a Twitter threat to demand an investigation of both agencies on Monday.

-snip-

Responding to the threat, Benjamin Wittes — who writes for Lawfare and was privy to Comey’s notes on meeting with Trump before they were released — predicted chaos at the Justice Department and the FBI if Trump goes through with what Wittes called, “a nakedly corrupt attempt on the part of the President to derail an investigation.”

In a series of tweets, Wittes provided some perspective and predicted that FBI Director Chris Wray and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein would quit rather than bend to the will of the president.

-snip-


























Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/2018/05/comey-associate-rosenstein-fbi-director-will-quit-trump-goes-doj-investigation-demand/
52 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Comey associate: Rosenstein and FBI director will quit if Trump goes through with DOJ investigation (Original Post) DonViejo May 2018 OP
Oh please ... DURHAM D May 2018 #1
That does seem to have been lost in all the silliness hasnt it? 7962 May 2018 #26
so if they quit.... dhill926 May 2018 #2
My thought, too. CrispyQ May 2018 #4
Exactly. Instead of quitting, pull a "Nunez". Open an investigation, find nothing, close it. flibbitygiblets May 2018 #13
right.. What's this about quitting..??? pangaia May 2018 #36
It's what trump wants. Owl May 2018 #35
That's the way it seems to me, and probably what tRump wants. To me quitting is totally RKP5637 May 2018 #51
I think if they quit - Trump wins. Jim__ May 2018 #3
If Mueller's investigation is ended or suppressed we would no longer be a nation. byronius May 2018 #5
Yup. Former Yugoslavia times 20. roamer65 May 2018 #21
I doubt that. Jedi Guy May 2018 #40
The Shitstorm is 'a-fixin' to hit jpak May 2018 #6
Flaunting power to obstruct justice bucolic_frolic May 2018 #7
How about BOTH? Scarsdale May 2018 #48
Who really is Benjamin Wittes? FarPoint May 2018 #8
No he isn't a Trump team member. Appears on Lawrence O'Donnell occasionally, thoughtful guy emulatorloo May 2018 #9
Thanks for the update link.. FarPoint May 2018 #11
Anytime n/t emulatorloo May 2018 #12
He's giving an opinion not claiming that anything will certainly happen. NYC Liberal May 2018 #10
I believe he's a friend of Comey's. calimary May 2018 #32
And all the while the deplorables.... SergeStorms May 2018 #14
Exactly! Duppers May 2018 #41
I doubt they would... BigmanPigman May 2018 #15
Do not quit. Investigate at institutional (glacial) speed. Report the truth. NCjack May 2018 #16
If it comes to a bogus investigation I hope Rosenstein et al call Trump's bluff & force him to fire. Bernardo de La Paz May 2018 #17
No. That would set a precedent for future administrations. Sophia4 May 2018 #24
Au contraire, it was a key point in the downfall of Nixon. Your post is not clear on your precedent. Bernardo de La Paz May 2018 #30
I don't want Rosenstein and other FBI members to quit. Sophia4 May 2018 #31
Yes, my feeling too. . . . nt Bernardo de La Paz May 2018 #37
Congressional leaders need to have an impeachment discussion with Trump. Lonestarblue May 2018 #18
Trump's divesting his businesses would by no means repair the damage done. Sophia4 May 2018 #29
Translation to Trumpers: Those who quit...THEY are the spies. Honeycombe8 May 2018 #19
More abuse of power for impeachment and removal. roamer65 May 2018 #20
Both Wray and Rosenstein are tenacious and capable of outsmarting Trump wishstar May 2018 #22
It is past time for Republicans in Congress to support the special counsel's Sophia4 May 2018 #23
quitting is stupid. stand & fight. quitting is what the shit weasel wants. pansypoo53219 May 2018 #25
Nothing that dramatic is going to happen. creeksneakers2 May 2018 #27
If they quit, Trump wins. Bleacher Creature May 2018 #28
I wish Ben Wittes Clarity2 May 2018 #33
They can be polite Turbineguy May 2018 #34
So doing want trump wants is a good thing how?.... these guys are running away beachbum bob May 2018 #38
They should stay in their jobs and comply with the demand. D23MIURG23 May 2018 #39
So what did that POS Paul "ayn rand" Ryan have to say about this..................... turbinetree May 2018 #42
They will not quit Takket May 2018 #43
K & R & R & R Duppers May 2018 #44
Yes. Silver1 May 2018 #46
This is disappointing. Silver1 May 2018 #45
Huh? Isn't that exactly the result Trump would want? Puzzler May 2018 #47
Well, considering Rosenstein already ordered an investigation by the DoJ IG Calista241 May 2018 #49
He will do it because... SayItLoud May 2018 #50
NO! NO! NO! Their quitting is exactly what he wants! sweetroxie May 2018 #52

DURHAM D

(32,595 posts)
1. Oh please ...
Sun May 20, 2018, 04:52 PM
May 2018

no need to quit. Just stonewall.

Carry on.



Meanwhile, never forget that Comey brought this hell to the FBI and the country.

 

7962

(11,841 posts)
26. That does seem to have been lost in all the silliness hasnt it?
Sun May 20, 2018, 06:55 PM
May 2018

And every day I hear some version of "this is it!!"......

flibbitygiblets

(7,220 posts)
13. Exactly. Instead of quitting, pull a "Nunez". Open an investigation, find nothing, close it.
Sun May 20, 2018, 05:38 PM
May 2018

If you quit, there's a corrupt asshole out there somewhere willing to carry Rump's water.

RKP5637

(67,031 posts)
51. That's the way it seems to me, and probably what tRump wants. To me quitting is totally
Mon May 21, 2018, 09:35 AM
May 2018

wrong and will hand the control of the investigation over to tRump gangsters. Then, he would probably have Mueller fired and whitewash the whole thing ... and spread lots of propaganda with all nodding their heads about the greatness of tRump.

byronius

(7,369 posts)
5. If Mueller's investigation is ended or suppressed we would no longer be a nation.
Sun May 20, 2018, 05:07 PM
May 2018

But a gangsterocracy sitting on top of millions of really angry fed up formerly free people with skills.

That sounds like fun.

roamer65

(36,739 posts)
21. Yup. Former Yugoslavia times 20.
Sun May 20, 2018, 06:40 PM
May 2018

The complete disintegration of a multi-ethnic state of 325 million people, along with nuclear weapons.

Jedi Guy

(3,171 posts)
40. I doubt that.
Sun May 20, 2018, 10:47 PM
May 2018

The sad reality is that most Americans don't really care as long as they've got theirs. Folks here on DU are hyper-political; we're all news hounds and politics junkies. The average American isn't, and doesn't pay attention beyond the sound bites in the news.

If voter turnout was a lot higher I'd agree with radical consequences, but from where I'm sitting most Americans are apathetic to politics as long as things are okay in their lives.

As further evidence, watch some of those videos where random people are quizzed on civics and recent politics. Most of them are utterly oblivious and ignorant. It's quite depressing, really.

bucolic_frolic

(42,663 posts)
7. Flaunting power to obstruct justice
Sun May 20, 2018, 05:14 PM
May 2018

Any of you get to rant and rave when lawmen are after you? Like at a traffic stop? I didn't think so.

The stable genius is racking his swiss cheese brain to find a remedy to the investigation. He's either horrifically paranoid or thoroughly guilty.

Scarsdale

(9,426 posts)
48. How about BOTH?
Mon May 21, 2018, 06:30 AM
May 2018

It is obvious he is guilty. The gop owns this entire mess. They always have done anything for $$$$, this time they outdid themselves. I hope it brings the entire group of traitors down. They took Russian $$$ and are trying to keep that under wraps. If the obese orange ass is exposed, then so are they. Ryan would not be retiring if he really thought he could go on with all his corruption. He sees the end coming, so he is doing what he does best - getting out ahead of the storm. I still think he will be spending time and some of his easy money, in a court of law.

FarPoint

(12,208 posts)
8. Who really is Benjamin Wittes?
Sun May 20, 2018, 05:19 PM
May 2018

Is he a tRump Teamster laying bait? Just saying.. I'm always much more suspicious of out of the thin air Tweets from unknowns.

NYC Liberal

(20,132 posts)
10. He's giving an opinion not claiming that anything will certainly happen.
Sun May 20, 2018, 05:31 PM
May 2018

Article says he is/was a confidante of Comey, so he knows people and that presumably is where his opinion that they’d resign rather than comply is coming from.

calimary

(80,693 posts)
32. I believe he's a friend of Comey's.
Sun May 20, 2018, 07:15 PM
May 2018

First time I heard of him was when it was revealed that Comey shared his notes from "that" meeting with trump with Wittes, shortly after he met with trump. That was the meeting where trump told everybody else to leave the room, and then pushed him to "let this one go" on the Michael Flynn mess. Comey has since described how uncomfortable he was about that and documented everything in his notes - which he then shared with Ben Wittes. Wittes is a Brookings Institution guy who co-founded and runs a law-related website called Lawfare.

The Brookings Institution is a liberal-leaning think tank. Back during bush/cheney, when the talking heads were starting to come out on either side of the Iraq War and other blunders, TV and cable panels were populated by the rightward-leaning American Enterprise Institute (home of the PNAC), the rightward-leaning Heritage Foundation, the rightward-leaning Cato Institute, and the Hoover people. So that's at least four CON-covens. The ONE AND ONLY, SINGLE voice on the panel was inevitably from the Brookings Institution, usually Michael O'Hanlon - who isn't exactly immaculate, either. I noticed that he's on the list of PNAC signatories as well.

I digress, BUT - take a look down this list of signatories. MANY of the usual suspects, but some surprising ones, too.

http://www.publiceye.org/pnac_chart/pnac.html


Ironically, when I looked Wittes up, I saw he also has an affiliation with the conservative-leaning Hoover Institution.

Benjamin Wittes (born November 5, 1969) is an American journalist who focuses on issues of national security and law. He is a Senior Fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution, where he is the Research Director in Public Law, and Co-Director of the Harvard Law School – Brookings Project on Law and Security.[1] He works principally on issues related to American law and national security. Along with Robert M. Chesney and Jack Goldsmith, Wittes cofounded the Lawfare Blog,[2] which is devoted to the discussion of U.S. national security choices. Wittes is also a member of the Hoover Institution's Task Force on National Security and Law.[3][4] Wittes is a frequent speaker on topics of detention, interrogation, and national security, before academic, government, policy, and military audiences.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Wittes

SergeStorms

(18,885 posts)
14. And all the while the deplorables....
Sun May 20, 2018, 05:49 PM
May 2018

become more convinced that the FBI and Justice are corrupt, out-of-control agencies determined to undermine the honestly elected and wonderfully capable Trump "presidency". They absolutely know this because it's been reported on FOX Noise ad nauseum (and it is the only legitimate news source remaining on the planet!).

And that's the way it is in Trump Amerikkka, May 20, 2018.

BigmanPigman

(51,430 posts)
15. I doubt they would...
Sun May 20, 2018, 05:57 PM
May 2018

they are too patriotic and if they did it would harm the country. If they actually do however...I have a feeling there would be a lot of protests around the US.

NCjack

(10,279 posts)
16. Do not quit. Investigate at institutional (glacial) speed. Report the truth.
Sun May 20, 2018, 06:04 PM
May 2018

Make Trump fire you, but don't quit. Otherwise, the truth will not come out.

 

Sophia4

(3,515 posts)
24. No. That would set a precedent for future administrations.
Sun May 20, 2018, 06:53 PM
May 2018

It is too great a risk. It could result in placing the president above the law.

Had Hillary (or Bernie for that matter) conspired with Russians and officials or representatives of countries in the Middle East in running her campaign, or even talked to them about their contributing to his or her campaign and not reported the discussions to the FBI, then she would be under investigation.

Yes. She had the dossier and it included some information that is believed to have been obtained from Russians. But the person who obtained that dossier, that information, reported it himself to the FBI.

That is a major difference between the campaigns.

Trump and his campaign did not report the offers of assistance made to them to any American authorities. That's why they are in trouble. If you talk to a Fox News viewer who thinks Hillary should be investigated because of the dossier, please point out that her source for the dossier reported it to the FBI. That is the difference.

Bernardo de La Paz

(48,786 posts)
30. Au contraire, it was a key point in the downfall of Nixon. Your post is not clear on your precedent.
Sun May 20, 2018, 07:00 PM
May 2018

Precedent about what?

1) If you mean that it is too great a risk for tRump to call for an investigation by the DoJ of the FBI on bogus allegations of a "mole" in the campaign, then yes, I hope tRump is not that stupid because it is too risky to the American political system.

2) If you mean that it is too great a risk for Rosenstein (and maybe Sessions and/or others) to stand firm against such an investigation and require tRump to fire them, then I say that is the least risky approach if #1 comes to pass.

The Saturday Night Massacre was a series of events on the evening of Saturday, October 20, 1973, during the Watergate scandal in the United States. U.S. President Richard Nixon ordered Attorney General Elliot Richardson to fire independent special prosecutor Archibald Cox; Richardson refused and resigned effective immediately. Nixon then ordered Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus to fire Cox; Ruckelshaus refused, and also resigned. Nixon then ordered the third-most-senior official at the Justice Department official Solicitor General Robert Bork, to fire Cox. Bork considered resigning, but did as Nixon asked. The political and public reaction to Nixon's actions were negative and highly damaging to the president. A new special counsel was appointed eleven days later on November 1, 1973,[1] and on November 14, 1973 a court ruled that the dismissal had been illegal.[2][3]


Lonestarblue

(9,878 posts)
18. Congressional leaders need to have an impeachment discussion with Trump.
Sun May 20, 2018, 06:27 PM
May 2018

Unfortunately, McConnell and Ryan have spines of jelly when it comes to this president, and they are willing to let the country go down the tubes rather than try to rein in his worst impulses. Congress needs to pass a resolution that if Trump does not stop undermining the Mueller investigation, they will give him 30 days to fully divest his businesses and if he refuses the House will begin impeachment proceedings on his violations of the emoluments clause. I know—it’s a pipe dream, but if Obama had done one quarter of the things Trump has done, he would have been impeached long ago. The hypocrisy of this group of Republicans is becoming too much to bear.

 

Sophia4

(3,515 posts)
29. Trump's divesting his businesses would by no means repair the damage done.
Sun May 20, 2018, 06:59 PM
May 2018

Trump should have reported the discussions of members of his campaign with Russians and with representatives of Middle Eastern countries to the FBI -- as the author of the dossier that was prepared and given to a law firm associated with Hillary did.

Such contacts should have been reported to the FBI.

Trump did not report them and now wonders why he was being investigated during the campaign. Our intelligence agencies (note the plural) probably observe a lot of international contacts just to protect Americans.

Trump and Bannon, Papadapoulos and friends, et al, should have known that they needed to report their foreign contacts with all the suspicious characters they were dealing with to the FBI.

The problem is that Trump's crew has a lot of opinions about things, but they aren't very smart at thinking about how the world works. Their mistakes are so obvious. And they are due to conceit. No humility. They thought they could get by with anything.

Honeycombe8

(37,648 posts)
19. Translation to Trumpers: Those who quit...THEY are the spies.
Sun May 20, 2018, 06:29 PM
May 2018

"No one who is innocent would fear an investigation!"

This plays right into Trump's hands. So much so that I wonder if this is a fake planted story.

wishstar

(5,267 posts)
22. Both Wray and Rosenstein are tenacious and capable of outsmarting Trump
Sun May 20, 2018, 06:45 PM
May 2018

I don't think they will resign. Instead they will find ways of placating him and defusing situation as they have with all the previous attempts by Nunes and Trump to undermine the Mueller probe.

 

Sophia4

(3,515 posts)
23. It is past time for Republicans in Congress to support the special counsel's
Sun May 20, 2018, 06:47 PM
May 2018

work and vote to insure the continuation of this investigation.

They are setting a precedent that will make future presidents uniquely positioned above the law.

And that, no matter how they feel about Trump, is a great danger to our country.

Our government rests on the assumption that we have no royalty, no privileged class, no privileged person who can place him- or herself above the law.

Granted, the law does not always prosecute everyone with equal justice. But to have a president who places himself above investigation? When you think of the history of the past century and the many investigations of administrations -- including Iran/Contra -- which was about a conspiracy involving foreign nations -- and, the endless investigations of the Clintons -- that have been independent and allowed to take all the time they needed, we really need the Republicans to step up to the plate and vote to endorse and support the Mueller investigation.

The Republicans are being irresponsible and forgetting their duty to the future of our country.

creeksneakers2

(7,468 posts)
27. Nothing that dramatic is going to happen.
Sun May 20, 2018, 06:55 PM
May 2018

DOJ asks watchdog to probe Trump campaign surveillance claims

“If anyone did infiltrate or surveil participants in a presidential campaign for inappropriate purposes, we need to know about it and take appropriate action," Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said in a statement."

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/388548-rosenstein-asks-doj-watchdog-to-probe-trump-campaign-surveillance

Clarity2

(1,009 posts)
33. I wish Ben Wittes
Sun May 20, 2018, 07:19 PM
May 2018

wouldnt give trump more incentive. He should have just let the “bluster” most likely blow over. Now its like a challenge (trump is a wuss).

But if Rosenstein and Wray think of abandoning ship, I hope they dont. Stonewall him till the end. Give in and we become a full dictatorship, where Trump removes all his enemies.

Turbineguy

(37,206 posts)
34. They can be polite
Sun May 20, 2018, 07:51 PM
May 2018

and tell trump to get stuffed.

Or they can do a Cheney and tell him to go fuck himself.

Or they say "Yassir, we'll be right on it!" and stonewall.

 

beachbum bob

(10,437 posts)
38. So doing want trump wants is a good thing how?.... these guys are running away
Sun May 20, 2018, 09:06 PM
May 2018

From their constitutional duties...quitting would make trump very happy

D23MIURG23

(2,833 posts)
39. They should stay in their jobs and comply with the demand.
Sun May 20, 2018, 09:51 PM
May 2018

There is no reason to stonewall such an investigation as long as confidential information is not released and trump isn't allowed to tamper with the investigation or dictate the results. More than likely the DOJ will find that the FBI used standard procedure and acted on the basis of probable cause. That will make trump look even worse.

turbinetree

(24,632 posts)
42. So what did that POS Paul "ayn rand" Ryan have to say about this.....................
Sun May 20, 2018, 11:06 PM
May 2018

and that other POS the fucking turtle.....................................


Still waiting for the pin to drop...........................fucking nothing



November 2018 cannot get here fast enough..................if you have primary in your state ..................Vote








Takket

(21,424 posts)
43. They will not quit
Sun May 20, 2018, 11:15 PM
May 2018

Drumpf will get his investigation and find nothing. Just like Benghazi, her emails, Seth Rich, Whitewater..... etc etc

Silver1

(721 posts)
46. Yes.
Mon May 21, 2018, 02:06 AM
May 2018

Same conversation last night in our house. I guess we're getting a little freaked out. Just a little, we hope.

Silver1

(721 posts)
45. This is disappointing.
Mon May 21, 2018, 02:04 AM
May 2018

I assume they're threatening quitting because staying on is probably almost unbearable, and they feel it's compromising their moral integrity ... which I get. But really, don't they have a job to do other than working for the president? What about the rest of us? Aren't they hired and bound to stand up for our political system as a whole? I mean, when the times get tough ... YOU DON'T JUST WALK AWAY.

This is not good. Someone convince me otherwise, please.

Puzzler

(2,505 posts)
47. Huh? Isn't that exactly the result Trump would want?
Mon May 21, 2018, 06:12 AM
May 2018

Unless I’m misunderstanding something, any and all threats to quit/resign could lead to an easy victory for Trump.

This shows weakness and not resistance.

So: absolutely NOT.

Don’t do this under ANY circumstances, UNLESS there is some other plan I’m absolutely unaware of.

So to repeat: NO!!!


(FYI: my remarks are directed to the news item, and not the actual post)


-Puzzler

Calista241

(5,584 posts)
49. Well, considering Rosenstein already ordered an investigation by the DoJ IG
Mon May 21, 2018, 08:39 AM
May 2018

I would speculate that the quoted tweets are wildly inaccurate with regards to Rosenstein resigning rather than proceeding with an investigation.

SayItLoud

(1,696 posts)
50. He will do it because...
Mon May 21, 2018, 09:11 AM
May 2018

It's a way to get rid of the thorns he has wanted to pull out for months. This way they resign and he didn't fire them. Just gave them an order he's allowed to issue. Again, nothing will happen to him, the Repubes will not do a thing. Some bluster, some talk, some this is *something he shouldn't have done*...bla bla bla, bullshit and nothing will happen. He will then install the loyal suck ups he wants...Rudy will finally be AG and all funding to the Mueller investigation into the attack past and present on AMERICA will dry up.
If we do not get out the VOTE and VOTE VOTE!! We deserver what we have and will get more of the same in the future.

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