Mueller asks for aide to appear as witness during hearings

[pnwmom]

Source: NY Times

WASHINGTON -- Robert S. Mueller III has asked that his longtime right-hand aide be sworn in as a witness during Wednesday's hearing with the House Judiciary Committee about the special counsel's investigation, according to congressional officials familiar with the request.

Democrats have yet to agree to the request, and Mr. Mueller is the only witness listed for the hearing, according to a committee spokesman. It was unclear if Mr. Mueller had made a similar request to the House Intelligence Committee, the panel holding the second of two highly anticipated hearings on Wednesday where Mr. Mueller is scheduled to testify.

If the aide, Aaron Zebley, were to take an oath to testify, he could be questioned by lawmakers on the panel, taking pressure off Mr. Mueller to respond to questions he may not be able or want to answer. But his presence would upend carefully laid plans by Democrats and Republicans over how to use their scant time with Mr. Mueller, a reluctant witness known for his concision while under oath.

There could be other consequences, too. Under House rules, the arrangement could disqualify Mr. Zebley from privately conferring with Mr. Mueller during the hearing — a role he could play if he were not sworn in.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/23/us/politics/mueller-zebley-witness-testimony.html

[customerserviceguy]

1. Anyone waiting for

a "Great Revelation" tomorrow should take this as a sign that they're not going to get it.

Mueller's not going to give us squat.

[William769]

2. I'm not giving up hope yet.

[pnwmom]

3. Me, neither. n/t

[Lulu KC]

22. me treither n/t

[PoliticAverse]

5. He gave you a 450 page report. n/t

[customerserviceguy]

6. And we're not going to get anything that's not already in there. n/t

[BamaRefugee]

17. He gave US the report? Where is my copy then? You got your copy?

[neohippie]

18. download your copy here

You can download what's available here

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/18/politics/full-mueller-report-pdf/index.html

[BamaRefugee]

19. ahh yes, "what's available"...that's the rub

[JI7]

9. it's already the report.

[customerserviceguy]

11. Yes, there's a report

and what has it done about getting Speaker Pelosi and new freshman Democratic representatives any closer to impeachment?

My comment is directed towards those who feel that a Congressional hearing is somehow a more sincere pumpkin patch this time around. Go home, Linus, the Great Pumpkin's not coming here either.

[JI7]

12. the problem has always been the Republicans protecting Trump

that's not going to change.

[customerserviceguy]

14. Absolutely

This is not Watergate, where we had some GOP'ers with scruples. That ship has sailed.

[LanternWaste]

13. Very few are conflating 'dramatic' and 'modus tollens'

Ironically however, the only melodramatic prophecies and sensationalized chicken entail fortunes we read with any real consistency on DU seem to mirror yours.

[customerserviceguy]

15. Not sure what all that meant, but

I expect nothing, thus leaving me the opportunity to be pleasantly surprised if I'm wrong, rather than almost certainly disappointed.

We all have our coping mechanisms to deal with this troubled time.

[a kennedy]

4. I'm so hoping for something....but feel we're going to get nothing.

I see now that faux noise will be covering the hearing as well.....hahaha, just noticed it’s on their schedule as of today.....wasn’t on there yesterday.

[beachbum bob]

7. Actually might be smart so aide can defy DOJ gag order

[Bayard]

10. That's what I'm thinking

Could be genius!

[beachbum bob]

21. I am concern the house democrats can't see it....they been

too timid to date.

[Mr.Bill]

8. Never forget that we don't have the whole report.

It's redacted and members of Congress with the proper security clearances should see the entire thing. They should be talking about this every day.

[Owl]

24. Exactly. The unredacted version needs to be read by them.

[FBaggins]

16. All we need to know is that Republicans are unhappy about it

The news can't be too bad.

[usaf-vet]

20. I'm tired of being told the report is all we need to know. Read it!

Years ago, I was a co-author for a how-to book. I submitted my first draft and was told by the editor that it was written for a reader who was reading at an 11-12 grade reading level.

UNFORTUNATELY, at the time, most adults were reading at a 7th-grade reading level. The short version was to dumb the manuscript down.

Now twenty to twenty-five years later I don't know if the national reading skills have improved.... but I'll bet the pResident could not independently read and comprehend what he was reading or should I say skimming if reports from aides are accurate.

The GOP wants a dumb ill-informed voter/citizen.

In my opinion, Mueller should spell it out. Each point one by one. And the Democrats should do all they can to facilitate that with well thought out lines of questioning. Including sequential follow-up questions.

[bluestarone]

23. Wondering here IF Mueller could talk about the parts that are hidden?

Would this be possible, IF he wanted too?

[in2herbs]

25. The other night on PBS Judy Woodruff said that attached to Mueller's opening statement

was going to be an unredacted copy of his report. Haven't heard this anywhere else, but it would be a milestone if true.

[FBaggins]

26. No. It will be the public version of the report

Pretty standard for a congressional committee. If he's going to constantly refer to something, it needs to be an official part of the record.

Also - he isn't part of the DOJ any longer. He probably technically can't have an unredacted copy of the report.

[in2herbs]

27. I was aligned with your thinking, too. Thanks for clarification. Things are really getting bad

when PBS can't get the news right, cuz this isn't the first I've noticed errors in their reporting.

[Captain Zero]

28. Is this a DOJ (read Barr) ploy?

Have this guy sworn in and he takes up extra time answering with non-answers, and then, darn, don't ya know it? Time is all gone for the hearing. I worry I'm thinking too much like them.