Scoop: Barr tells Republicans Durham report won't be ready by election

[brooklynite]

Source: Axios

Attorney General Bill Barr has begun telling top Republicans that the Justice Department’s sweeping review into the origins of the Russia investigation will not be released before the election, a senior White House official and a congressional aide briefed on the conversations tell Axios.

Why it matters: Republicans had long hoped the report, led by U.S. Attorney John Durham, would be a bombshell containing revelations about what they allege were serious abuses by the Obama administration and intelligence community probing for connections between President Trump and Russia.

“This is the nightmare scenario. Essentially, the year and a half of arguably the number one issue for the Republican base is virtually meaningless if this doesn't happen before the election," a GOP congressional aide told Axios.

Barr has made clear that they should not expect any further indictments or a comprehensive report before Nov. 3, our sources say.


Read more: https://www.axios.com/barr-durham-report-election-3c02ec6a-7613-4083-b35c-4844de6da16b.html

[agingdem]

1. I guess Barr is more than willing to play Eichmann to Trump's Hitler

but he's not willing to follow him into madness... who knew that odious Weeble had "screw-ples"????...

[yardwork]

15. Nah, Barr has no principles.

The report probably makes Republicans worse, not better.

We all know that Putin and his troll farms are actively colluding with the GOP.

[agingdem]

23. you're right...he has no principles

Last edited Fri Oct 9, 2020, 08:40 PM - Edit history (1)

but he has an agenda...he understood trump and he was savvy enough to "audition" for the job...isolate the United States, torch the constitution and replace it with an authoritarian regime with Bill Barr as puppet master...and then covid came calling...and because of Trump's malignant neglect, his apathetic disregard for human life, one tell-all tome after another, losers and suckers, his taxes and massive debt, the BLM protests, and finally Trump as patient zero decimating the White House reality slammed into Barr...btw..where is that repulsive asshole...in quarantine? sick?...

[Ohioboy]

29. I think you hit the nail on the head

The report, if it is honest at all, will most likely shed light on why Trump was being investigated, and not just the process.

[lark]

17. Nah, I don't think that's it.

Barri is nothing but a slimy toad and has zero morals. This means there's nothing there and they don't need to make up lies to steal the presidency. They now seem assured that SCOTUS will steal the election for them no matter how badly they lose so they don't need to roll out the Russia provided lies and expose that to further discussion. Barr wont risk his already soiled reputation for nothing, it's got to have a huge payoff, like with Mueller.

My whole family is voting early to help Biden's early numbers outpace aassmouths. If we can get the numbers for Biden higher than drumpfs of election day, he's fucked. If they count all the votes, he's fucked. Only if they somehow rig something to show fraud (which itself can b proved as fraud) will they have a chance at SCOTUS and I believe that's what they were trying with the NC story which turned out to be totally a lie. Now they will try harder.

We have to overwhelm them, VOTE!!!

[still_one]

2. Translation - there is nothing. If there was something they would release it

[soothsayer]

3. This

[ResistantAmerican17]

10. Ding ding!!! We have a winner. It's exculpatory so dopey is holding on to it.

His time is up.

[MissMillie]

35. Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

Sunday. My place.

Roast Chicken, candied sweet potatoes, steamed green beans and homemade carrot cake.

[still_one]

45. ............

[GulfCoast66]

57. Candied sweet potatoes! It been years since I've had my mother's.

I swear she has held back on the recipe she gave me.

[MissMillie]

59. I don't know that I have one either, actually

I know that I peel them, and cut them up a bit (most of the sweet potatoes you can get in the store are HUGE), and bake them in a covered dish w/ water, brown sugar and butter until tender. When I don't have brown sugar, I use maple syrup.

That's it.

[StevieM]

50. I would phrase it differently.

Barr could easily release a bogus report, whether there was anything to it or not. He is not above lying.

The problem is that nobody takes him seriously anymore, so the report won't do the GOP any good. This way Republicans can keep talking about a report that is coming, and how lucky the Democrats are that it hasn't come out yet. It is easier to lie when you are are making generic, cryptic claims, rather than specific ones that can be rapidly rejected.

[ashredux]

4. Trump is TOAST....even Barr is backing away. Barr would just lie normally

[brooklynite]

7. But Barr could TELL Trump the report would be out "any day now"

Sort of like German Generals telling Hitler that the Firth Army was gloriously fighting back the Russians at the Elbe River.

[wnylib]

24. So maybe he's expecting Trump's theft of the election

to succeed and then would use the "report" to start rounding up the opposititon? That's what a dictator would do. Releasing the report now would show their cards before they are ready to play them. Not that there is anything of substance in the report. But Barr has demonstrated before that he is skilled at spinning report results.

[brooklynite]

28. Silly assumption

NB - I've LIVED in a Dictatorship where "rounding up the opposition" occurred. You round up people who could actually oppose you. Trump's fixation is on people who've been out of power for four years.

[wnylib]

31. Those people who have been out of power

for 4 years are popular leaders in the political opposition party. One of them is the current candidate running against Trump. They are the most likely to lead the public outcry and backing of court cases against an attempted election theft by Trump. Discount those leaders with the report and portray them as the ones who are leading a coup, in order to quash opposition.

BTW, what dictatorship did you live under? Do you distinguish between the tactics of an established dictatorship versus the tactics of crushing a 2 centuries old democracy in order to transform it into a dictatorship?

[brooklynite]

32. Philippines 1970-1979...

And it's precisely BECAUSE the US isn't a banana republic with a corrupt military leadership and and centralized law enforcement that I discount the conspiracy theories about how Trump will be able to seize power.

[wnylib]

36. I am not saying that Trump will succeed.

I am saying what he and his team will try to do.

A few months ago, based on following reliable (not ct) reports and books on RW hate groups and militias, I warned about violent attempts by them to attack seats of government. I did not predict that they would succeed, but said that some of them would start to organize such actions, especially as we got closer to the election.

People said I was being silly because they claimed that those groups are full of fat, beer-guzzling loudmouths who are all talk and no action. Apparently the ones in Michigan do more than just talk.

[brooklynite]

37. And I'm saying it's not...

Trump rants about, promises, demands, and threatens many things. They never come to fruition. His staff has learned to ignore his railings. Hence Barr isn't fast tracking this "investigation".

[mahina]

62. That's encouraging. Thanks.

[dixiechiken1]

30. More like Trump telling us he's got a beautiful healthcare plan...

The most beautiful health care plan anyone's ever seen, and he'll be releasing it in two weeks.

[Iliyah]

5. Which prompt Ratcliff into releasing . . .

bullshit documents. John Brennan has already debunked them. republicans know this is total crapola on taxpayer's dime. Instead of moving bills, aid package, they rather push unqualified RW judges for their ultimate power grab.

Vote them out.

[Politicub]

55. And Rat's disinformation falls out of the news cycle in a day

I am more worried about the Supreme Court.

[PJMcK]

6. Barr realizes there's nothing there

He's listened to Trump's rantings and demands but he's kicking the can down the road till after the election. When Trump loses, Durham's report will be meaningless.

I get a sense that Republicans are starting to see self-preservation as a better course than blindly following Trump.

The election results will be fascinating.

[honest.abe]

8. I am surprised they were not able to come up with some bogus scandals...

and report that just before the election. It shows Trump has lost his influence even with Barr. Sounds like Barr and others see the writing on the wall and see no reason to stick their necks out for a loser and a madman.

[liberalla]

12. Well they tried! But everything was exposed as phony repug plots

Ukraine, burisma, hunter biden...
continuing with rudy being strung along, played by russian assets...

[yardwork]

16. That's it. Ukraine was their go-to, and that fantasy was annihilated during impeachment hearings.

[sharp_stick]

9. Much like Kobach's voter fraud idiocy

this looks more and more like an idiotic waste of time and money that only existed to keep Trump quiet.

[ananda]

11. bc it's a nothingberder

imho

[Dr. Jack]

13. So they aren't even pretending to be impartial anymore

Barr is running to Republicans telling them a report meant to hurt Democrats won't be ready until after the election. I thought this was supposed to be an impartial, non political investigation

[crimycarny]

53. Exactly--"meaningless"??

I thought the point of ANY investigation was to find out the truth, not find dirt. They aren’t even trying to hide their intent which was that this was a taxpayer funded investigation solely for the purposes of smearing a political opponent. How are these guys not in jail or being investigated themselves? We’ve fallen so far and become numb to the corruption (speaking of our leaders).

[bucolic_frolic]

14. Meaningless? They'll use it after the election to delegitimize the election /nt

[GreenPartyVoter]

19. Hmmm... you may be onto something there.

[bucolic_frolic]

20. to them it's a reserve tank of gas /nt

[wnylib]

27. Most likely. I think it is naive to just

dismiss the report as meaningless. They went to the trouble of producing one, so they have a purpose for it.

[Miguelito Loveless]

18. Translation:

James O'Keefe failed to produce what we need and Jack Wohl iis in custody.

[Ferrets are Cool]

21. It wont be released cuz we got NOTHING

[mountain grammy]

22. Because it's bullshit.

[SayItLoud]

25. Don't believe it. Barr will do a summary and release that on tRUMPS orders. nt

[kacekwl]

26. Like everything else in the covid administration

it will be ready in two weeks.

[CoryTrevor]

33. [ whimper ]

[ananda]

34. Lol, and Trump prolly can't fire him either..

.. bc he knows too much.

[Fiendish Thingy]

38. Uh oh, Billy gonna be in trouble with President Superspreader, who warned "I won't forget". Nt

[marble falls]

39. So Trump is getting no October surprise.

[lagomorph777]

43. Oh, he's gotten his October Surprise.

[NCjack]

56. Maybe the Durham Report makes the case that Trump was cooperating with Putin.

That would be a real hoot, er, exploding TNT.

[zentrum]

40. LMAO

[MineralMan]

41. Translation: "There is nothing to report."

It was all bogus. Not that it's surprising, but that's the story.

[dansolo]

60. Just like what they tried with Ukraine

They knew there was nothing there. They just wanted to announce an investigation to give the impression of wrongdoing. That is exactly what Trump tried with Ukraine (and got impeached over).

[Maeve]

61. That's my bet, too

Like the study into "ballot fraud" in 2016....the commission that just faded away

[lagomorph777]

42. So the scam was a complete failure.

Oops.

[patphil]

44. If Barr thought Trump had any chance of winning, the report would have been released.

He knows all is lost. Trump's campaign is unraveling at an alarming rate. Issuing an obvious political hit piece at this time would be just another payment on an extend stay room at a federal prison for him.

He may be a loyal sycophant, but he isn't the type to fall on a live grenade.
Regardless of Barr's statements that he doesn't care how history views him, there has to be some sort of upside to supporting Trump at this time.
My guess is that Barr has decided there isn't one.

[Nitram]

46. I wonder if Barr has decided to hedge his bets on a second term for Trump by not rushing release

of this purely political hatchet job of a "report."

[beastie boy]

47. Methinks he came up with jack shit and doesn't want to embarrass himself.

At least not until the elections.

[MissMillie]

48. There is, OTOH, something he can easily release before election day

The unredacted Mueller report.

I mean, that report is already finished. Nothing to do but release it.

And a court has ordered him to do so.

[iluvtennis]

49. The Durham investigation and report is a BIG FAT NOTHING BURGER. nt

[Progressive dog]

51. The only thing stopping this is fear of jail

Barr doesn't quite dare release his regurgitated BS at this time. The Barr effort to let Flynn go free using false documents (inadvertent-haha) will make them lay low for a few weeks.
Look for him to give us a Comey type surprise closer to the election. They will do anything to win, and I mean anything.

[Texin]

52. Barr knew there was nothing to investigate to being with.

He was only doing it to benefit tRump. He would have invented *something* to charge them with. Ordinarily. He's proved throughout the years that he's more than willing to cover up shit for the rethug-in-chief. I think, based on everything that's piling up in the last nine months or so, and watching tRump's polling collapsing like a trap door and seeing that the other rethugs are struggling under the sheer weight of having beclowned themselves to him making themselves sacrificial goats - that it was beginning to dawn on Barr that the Trumptanic was taking on water and about to take everyone of them to the bottom of the deep blue sea. God willing.

For Barr to have rolled out this report at this time with no guarantee of tRump's relection*, it would have been foolishly dangerous. I'm thinking that his strategy will be to hold the so-called report until after November 3rd and make a decision pending the outcome. He may be hedging to find out if the results are such that the rethugs can contest it. The AG is only protected so long as the sitting POTUS allows him to be and an incoming Democratic POTUS would definitely have their DOJ investigate the *investigation*.

[cstanleytech]

54. Hoping to use it down the road as a defense for why he should not be disbarred?

[GulfCoast66]

58. Barr is now in the CYA stage. Keeping out of jail.

If the race looked close he would release some bogus report with bogus charges. But if he does do and Biden wins he could be looking at spending the rest of his life in prison.

He has ruined what reputation he had, could potentially be disbarred, but has not crossed a line where he can be charged. He won’t now.