Republicans now calling on attorney general to step down after meeting on private jet

[GeorgiaPeanuts]

http://www.salon.com/2016/06/30/bill_clinton_just_put_a_target_on_loretta_lynchs_back_republicans_now_calling_on_attorney_general_to_step_down_after_meeting_on_private_jet/?

Don't repukes have anything better to do with their time. The meeting does seem kind of shady, but it is hardly a reason for someone to step down for unless they have evidence of impropriety.

Excerpt:

As if anymore fuel needed to be added to the conservative fire that the Obama administration is simply unable to conduct an impartial investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of private servers and emails while secretary of state, her husband decided to hold an impromptu meeting with the chief prosecutor in the investigation this week.

On Monday, Bill Clinton and Attorney General Loretta Lynch had what has been described as a chance meeting at the Phoenix Airport, where the former president allegedly held back his private jet on the tarmac to wait to board Lynch’s government plane to hold a 30-minute meeting that was described by Lynch as “primarily social.”

And From Axelrod Tweet:

I take @LorettaLynch & @billclinton at their word that their convo in Phoenix didn't touch on probe. But foolish to create such optics.

[madaboutharry]

1. More poutrage.

[riversedge]

2. Oh crap. they just can't let a chance meeting go can they. Everything is a conspiracy to the

[Press Virginia]

7. appearances matter. sometimes they matter more than evidence of wrongdoing

[Press Virginia]

3. She should have used better judgement with this

She was probably being polite when accepting the offer to meet but she should have known what it would look like and how people would question it.

[chillfactor]

10. oh good grief!

....is every chance meeting a conspiracy to you too?

[Press Virginia]

12. Her position requires impartiality and independence. Therefore she has to hold herself to a higher

Last edited Thu Jun 30, 2016, 05:14 PM - Edit history (1)

standard so as not to have her abilities, to be impartial and independent, questioned.

Appearances matter. Whether she spoke about the ongoing investigation or didn't, people are going to wonder.

If the judge in a trial over a cop shooting a black teen is seen playing golf with the police chief, during the trial, people are going to question his ability to be impartial.

[metroins]

15. I agree with you

It was bad judgement only because of appearances.

Hillary will likely be the next POTUS, it would be smart to create a relationship with the current AG.

This goes to show us how well the GOP is at hyping fake scandals. Team Hillary must question every move they make but Donald Trump can make fun of handicap people and call judges unfair because they're Mexican.

Crazy world we live in.

[Press Virginia]

16. yep. a nothing conversation but certainly bad optics

[GeorgiaPeanuts]

19. I thought that, but there are apparently rules in the Justice Department...

Specifically

18 USC §§ 202 – 209; Executive Order 12674 on Principles of Ethical Conduct as amended by EO 12731; Uniform Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, 5 CFR Part 2635; Department of Justice regulations, 5 CFR Part 3801; Department of Justice regulations, 28 CFR Part 45; Executive branch standards of conduct, 5 USC § 735; and, United States Department of Justice Ethics Handbook for On and Off-Duty Conduct, 14 Principles for Ethical Conduct:

“14. Employees shall endeavor to avoid any actions creating the appearance that they are violating the law or the ethical standards set forth in this part. Whether particular circumstances create an appearance that the law or these standards have been violated shall be determined from the perspective of a reasonable person with knowledge of the relevant facts.”

5 C.F.R 2635.101 (b)

“An employee shall endeavor to avoid any actions creating the appearance that the employee is violating the law or the ethical standards set forth in this part.”

5 CFR 2635.101(b)(14)

So in theory even doing something that creates the appearance of unethical behavior is considered a violation of Dept of Justice Ethics Code.

[Press Virginia]

35. That's pretty straight forward. As AG she should have conducted herself in that manner

even if there wasn't a written rule.

[Hortensis]

44. Supreme Court Scalia went on at least 258 trips

over 10 years, many of them gift vacations and all with lavish accommodations, that he did not pay for by himself -- without a murmur from the right. He died at a highly suspicious secret gathering, with most of the attendees still unidentified, without a murmur from the right.

The AG and Clinton knew perfectly well that how standards are applied varies to an extreme degree, also that everything to do with the Clintons in any way is subject to examination by the character assassination industry to see if it can be fashioned into ammunition. Also that this is an extremely high stakes election year.

I'm in no mood to excuse them for subjecting me to avoiding what will be weeks, perhaps months, of opportunistic attacks, including right-wing swiftboating pieces, posted here by anti-Democrats.

[Press Virginia]

45. Scalia was wrong. She was wrong.

[Hortensis]

47. Scalia was probably engaged in a criminal conspiracy

to reinterpret the Constitution and should have died in federal prison, at very least in severe disgrace after being removed from the Court. Even without scrutiny many links are documented to exist between him and people who intend just that.

I agree she did a mistake--as is clear in retrospect. We have no idea who witnessed this meeting and if it was documented, so no idea if appearance of propriety was violated. The character assassins leaping to declare it so does not make it so.

[Press Virginia]

48. No doubt he was. They don't have to be equal to give the appearance of undue influence

she now has her ability to be impartial being questioned.

[Hortensis]

50. She did anyway. I repeat -- we have no idea

if there was impropriety, but the rest of your statement demonstrates its own truth.

[840high]

18. agree.

[morningfog]

20. Not a conspiracy or a chance meeting.

Bill waited when he learned she would be landing there and went on the plane uninvited. Dumb move on his part. Lynch did nothing wrong.

[Press Virginia]

36. She doesn't have to do anything wrong for the event to appear wrong

Bill doesn't care about ethical standards...she probably didn't want to be rude but it was a bad decision on her part

[morningfog]

61. I agree. It looks awful and it's all Bill's fault.

[NorthCarolina]

70. He knew exactly what he was doing. This was no

"impromptu chance meeting" or "coincidence", of that I am sure.

[4139]

22. No such thing as a 'chance meeting' on board a private jet. Was Bill wondering around the tarmac..

and boarding every jet he saw??

This was just dumb on Lynch

[leftofcool]

54. You should self delete this.

Smearing Democrats is against the TOS

[Press Virginia]

58. Awww. It was Bill. And a joke

but I'll heed the advice

[GeorgiaPeanuts]

59. I thought it was fact Epstein was convicted of lewd contact with a minor...

...is Epstein even a democrat too?

[scscholar]

32. So we're not allowed to talk to former Presidents?

That is what you're suggesting.

[Press Virginia]

34. Uh no. I'm saying she shouldn't do something that calls into question

her impartiality.

[NCTraveler]

4. They are deranged and would benefit from the additional access...

Clinton wants to provide to mental health care facilities.

[chillfactor]

5. oh my goodness...

the Democrats shook the cage of the rethugs again....everything is a conspiracy to the GOP....

[mcar]

6. It does't seem shady to me

Just more R poutrage and innuendo about Clinton "scandals."

[MohRokTah]

8. Fuck them and their shitgibbon nominee.

No resignation.

Just lots of laughter at asshat Republicans.

[DemonGoddess]

9. yet another attempt at manufacturing yet

another scandal that doesn't exist

[Orrex]

11. They didn't object to a SCOTUS justice going on a fishing trip with a litigant...

Why all this concern about conflict of interest now?

[JoePhilly]

14. +1

[mcar]

17. This!

[Press Virginia]

39. A lot of people, here, objected to it.

it was wrong then and it's wrong now.
And by wrong I mean it casts doubt on her ability to be impartial

[Hekate]

40. +10000 Always remember: IOKYAR

Quite a handful of DUers have fallen right into that trap as of now. It doesn't get more public than the tarmac of a major airport, but you'd think they'd struck a major deal in an alley in deepest Chicago.

Twice I've encountered people from my workplace at the airport in Denver, of all places. Just because we hallooed each other doesn't mean we were committing industrial espionage.

[99th_Monkey]

21. Lynch should 'step down' alright

step down on Rep Gowdey's neck for wasting millions of our tax dollars on bullshit
fact-free hearings where Democrats were excluded from the entire process.

[timlot]

23. FBI won't recommend Hillary for indict so she won't have to worry about taking the case up.

Although I still think it was bad judgement. If she wanted to be polite should have done it out in the open on the tarmac.

[Hekate]

41. Yeah sure. Have you ever been stuck on the tarmac at that airport? 110 degrees and rising.

[YouDig]

24. Well there's a shock. The GOP calling for someone to step down. I don't believe it!

[Hekate]

42. When will DUers ever learn: there is no pretext too small for the GOP.

[Tanuki]

25. They really only care about spite and obstruction. It took

10 times the normal amount of time for the Repugs to even allow a confirmation hearing on Lynch's nomination, eminently qualified as she was. If she were to step down, they would drag their feet in confirming anyone President Obama would nominate to replace her, and we would be without an AG for the duration of his term. They couldn't care less about this "meeting." It's just the same unconscionable gambit they have been playing since they met on the day of Obama's first inauguration to strategize about how they would achieve their biggest priority of undermining anything and everything he tried to accomplish.

[BlueNoMatterWho]

26. Looks like they're requesting the IG to look into this.

[radical noodle]

27. Bill Clinton has been around the block enough

to have scheduled any "secret" meeting in the dark of night in a parking garage.

[BlueNoMatterWho]

28. LOL

[Hekate]

43. awwwww

[Lord Magus]

30. The Republicans can go fuck themselves. -nt-

[politicaljunkie41910]

31. I saw the show this morning and Mark Halprin, the guy from Bloomberg news

mentioned that they are good friends and have a long established friendship. If this is the case, and it's widely known; aside from the fact that Bill Clinton showed poor judgment by coming onboard and she for permitting it, wouldn't you think that if there was anything nefarious about this visit, couldn't that have taken place by phone out of the presence of cameras and others at a public airport.

[KingFlorez]

33. OMG!!!!!

[Cali_Democrat]

38. HAHAHAH!!! Ya...that'll happen....

[davidn3600]

46. Considering they are both lawyers.....they damn well should have known better

This is legitimately a big deal in the legal realm. You cannot have secret meetings like this. Even if this was 100% completely innocent, you just can't do it.

[amandabeech]

64. This is a huge deal in my profession.

It is extremely difficult to explain to non-lawyers, particularly if they have a high opinion of the individuals involved.

Thanks for posting.

[spanone]

49. i fart in their general direction.

pfffft.

[deathrind]

51. Axelrod is right.

It is bad optics. Not a very wise move on BC's part given the issue. Chance meetings generally do not include delaying (allegedly) your flight for said "chance" mtg. Why give anymore fuel to this fire. The appearance of impropriety applies equally to all sides.

[Blaukraut]

52. I'm guessing Hillary is pissed at him. I wouldn't blame her n/t

[deathrind]

55. I wouldn't either...

Provided this is as much as a surprise to her as everyone else (which would be disconcerting in and of itself, presidential campaigns have a high degree of choreography and a well set script but entirely possible) she would have every right to be pissed. She has more than enough crap to deal with no sense having your own team manufacture more.

[DonCoquixote]

60. Bill cost her 2008

and we cannot allow that mistake AGAIN. If it takes sending Bill to the doghouse and taping his mouth shut, so be it. Bill, there is only so much rope we can give you before you hang yourself, and we will NOT let you hang Hillary in the process.

[Rex]

53. Of course they do, if they keep continually pretending to be outraged over nothing

they will never have to write a single policy!

[LuvLoogie]

56. TarmacGate! Yeah!

Can we count on at least 10 threads from you on this?

[Grassy Knoll]

57. If This Pissed Off Repigs , Faux Noise,& Limpnutz...

...It Was Another glorious day!!!

[realmirage]

62. What about Cheney marrying Halliburton in full gown and veil while invading Iraq?

I consider that conflict of interest horrific, and yet the GOP didn't care. So fuck them.

[amandabeech]

65. This is a huge deal in the legal profession,

and the anger and disgust is bipartisan there. Many, many people in DC are lawyers, including the participants in this little soiree and the President. The Cheney and Scalia actions were horrendous, and there was particular upset about Scalia because unlike Cheney, Scalia was an attorney and a judge who abused his own ethics rules. I'd hate to see the AG in his company. She's better than that.

[realmirage]

66. I agree it's really stupid. Bill should have known better.

But compared to what I watched W and Cheney get away with, this is nothing. So that's why I don't care about the republicans' faux outrage.

[amandabeech]

68. Well, you're not a lawyer, and as I have posted before, for lawyers this is a huge deal.

It goes to the issue of whether we can trust our legal system at the highest level.

I watched Cheney and Bush and those other dipshitz destroy our country for 8 years. It made me sick.

But we're better than they are, by a lot. I know that we can do better. I want our folks to play tough, but play by the rules. I don't want our team to be the one to let down our country.

If we're no better than the repukes on ethics, then why should anyone really want to vote for us?

"They did it before we did" simply isn't good enough!

[realmirage]

74. What does being a lawyer have to do with anything?

I recognize the stupidity of what Bill did. I also recognize this whole case has been just another faux scandal driven by republicans. Should we be cool with what happened? No, but that doesn't mean the world is ending or that I've forgotten all the real scandals that have occurred while we've been distracted with fake ones.

People will learn from this and move on.

[silvershadow]

63. And so it begins... Sigh. They won't stop for as long as she is in office. Once this

general election is over, I think I will turn off the tv and internet until the next election.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

67. They won't stop till there is a republican in office

[SidDithers]

69. And some "Dems" can't help but buy into the fake scandal...nt

Sid

[GeorgiaPeanuts]

71. Scalia did similar in the past, and I was outraged and I hope you were too...

I'm not outraged much at this though I do think it was very bad judgement on Lynch's behalf... It is par for the course with Bill Clinton.

[SidDithers]

72. I agree with my friend Cali_Democrat...nt

Sid

[GeorgiaPeanuts]

73. Good for you....

Do you want a gold star?



I don't have to prove anything to you.