Today, DOJ turned over a March 2019 memo that was written for then-Attorney General Bill Barr, by DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel. It was signed-off on by the head of that office, Steven Engel and by the number two person in the Deputy Attorney General’s office, Ed O’Callaghan. It is a starkly disingenuous whitewash of Trump’s ongoing efforts to prevent Special Counsel Robert Mueller from learning the truth during his investigation. Or, as prosecutors say, obstruction of justice.
I spent a miserable weekend reading the Mueller Report when it finally became available. I was left with indigestion, a headache, and no doubt at all that Trump was guilty of obstruction (at the very least).
Now this. I don't know which to do first, thank you or weep. Trump has quite successfully piled on so many lies and so much blatant obstruction that the public long ago got lost in the mountain of corruption, couldn't retain half of it, and gave up trying. I'm a fairly intelligent septuagenarian, and the Trump years ground me down to a point so low I lost faith in believing there would ever be any true accountability.
I voted (and was a poll watcher) for the first time in 1968. We've all seen corruption, including Nixon's, but Trumpism is the darkest, most virulent case we've ever experienced. When I think of John Dean's statement about a "cancer" on Nixon's presidency, it pales in comparison. Trump's cancerous tenure makes Nixon's look like little more than canker sores.
You mentioned the irony of the memo arising in the midst of the current “situation” (my words vs criminal/violation of espionage act etc). However, it is highly unlikely that the subject will ever be free of investigation as there are a myriad of opportunities and no moral compass. We may never know the full breadth or depth as his allegiance is to self vs country or others.
Thank you for what must have been a most difficult historical fact review of Barr's despicableness. How can he continue avoiding being disbarred!?
" Imagine if we could time-travel back to 2019 and, instead of a Justice Department that acted like they were Trump’s defense counsel, there had been accountability. The country could have been spared two impeachments, an insurrection, and who knows what damage from a spill of what a source has now characterized as “among most sensitive secrets” the country has at Mar-a-Lago. There is a cost when the people who are charged with upholding the rule of law protect an unfit president instead. We’re paying it now."
I love America! the concept by which we live with each other in a United States of America wells up in me a profound thankfulness which is very painfully being spit upon by a bunch of power hungry pigs!
After reading your brilliantly constructed review of the facts quoted above the anger in me became uncontrollable rage!
We must remove every one of these repugliecans and put them ALL where they belong as a just consequence of the choices they have willfully chosen.
Thank you Joyce for reassuring really good people continue their selfless fight protecting the highest ideals of The United States Of America!
Thanks Joyce. I read the Mueller report when it came out (free download at the time). It took awhile for me to get through it but even I knew there was obstruction of justice and other slimy things-he who shall go unnamed by me-that went on early in the presidency. Sadly his pattern just kept repeating itself and here we are stuck with his criminality still threatening our security. I can't wait for this to be over, if it ever is in my lifetime...
Wow! I'm not sure I needed that as it took me back to the day when I read the executive summary of the Mueller report and I distinctly recall the obstruction section and how, as you captured, Mueller clearly did not exonerate Trump. He seemed to punt to Congress...and caved to the 'too hard to indict a sitting President' thinking.
Is there nothing that Trump can't get away with? The DOJ is in a position of 'they're damned if they prosecute and they're damned if they don't.'
Maybe Trump really could shoot somebody on 5th avenue and get away with it. It's really sad, frustrating, and frightening all at once.
Thanks for your awesome coverage of what's going on with all of this.
Yes we could have been spared the impeachment, coup, violence .
It was early enough that the domestic terrorists hadn’t organize and the republicans wouldn’t not have acquiesced enmasse. It would have show no one is above the law. Our institutions and democracy would have held. This enabled TFG drive to autocracy/fascism. Barr was essential to the downward spiral. How will he be held to account.
Thanks Joyce for keeping me in the loop while I’m vacationing in Italy and they too are having extreme right wing political issues which a friend of mine recently described to me as scary. I will be voting here too since I’m a dual citizen to prevent the election of another extremist.
Yes, imagine if Trump was charged but it could’ve been another type of violence. His domestic terrorist would’ve picked up arms like they’re planning on doing if DOJ charges him and he goes to jail.
I hope we’re ready to rid our country from all these hateful terrorist organizations. This is extremely dangerous. We have to embrace that we might have another bloody civil war. How will we as a divided people come back from this?
Thanks for making this understandable. One question I have is this: you and Barb McQuade and others have such reverence for the DOJ, but something like this memo really makes me question how much reverence DOJ deserves. Should we trust the current DOJ?
So I read the entire ( but redacted ) Mueller report when it came out and that is just the conclusion I came to. It seemed pretty blatant to my admittedly naive legal understanding ( just about all my formal education is in the sciences and not law ) that Trump tried to obstruct his own obstruction when he ordered McGann to create a document falsifying Trump’s order in re: firing Mueller. Of course, there was much more damning info in the report, but I thought that was the most obvious and straightforward incident.
Thank you, Joyce, for this explanation. Is this circular reasoning the core of all of Barr's arguments? I have yet to read anything comprehensive about the memo--just people's anger with bits and pieces. Your essay helps very much. Thank you.
I spent a miserable weekend reading the Mueller Report when it finally became available. I was left with indigestion, a headache, and no doubt at all that Trump was guilty of obstruction (at the very least).
Now this. I don't know which to do first, thank you or weep. Trump has quite successfully piled on so many lies and so much blatant obstruction that the public long ago got lost in the mountain of corruption, couldn't retain half of it, and gave up trying. I'm a fairly intelligent septuagenarian, and the Trump years ground me down to a point so low I lost faith in believing there would ever be any true accountability.
I voted (and was a poll watcher) for the first time in 1968. We've all seen corruption, including Nixon's, but Trumpism is the darkest, most virulent case we've ever experienced. When I think of John Dean's statement about a "cancer" on Nixon's presidency, it pales in comparison. Trump's cancerous tenure makes Nixon's look like little more than canker sores.
Are we reaching a measurable tipping point?
Dog love you, Joyce.
You and Doc Richardson give me a grip on my sanity every day, just when I need it.
Yes, imagine what we could have been spared. It seems criminal. Barr himself, as well as Engel and O'Callaghan, appear guilty of obstruction, as well.
Joyce,
You mentioned the irony of the memo arising in the midst of the current “situation” (my words vs criminal/violation of espionage act etc). However, it is highly unlikely that the subject will ever be free of investigation as there are a myriad of opportunities and no moral compass. We may never know the full breadth or depth as his allegiance is to self vs country or others.
Joyce:
Thank you for what must have been a most difficult historical fact review of Barr's despicableness. How can he continue avoiding being disbarred!?
" Imagine if we could time-travel back to 2019 and, instead of a Justice Department that acted like they were Trump’s defense counsel, there had been accountability. The country could have been spared two impeachments, an insurrection, and who knows what damage from a spill of what a source has now characterized as “among most sensitive secrets” the country has at Mar-a-Lago. There is a cost when the people who are charged with upholding the rule of law protect an unfit president instead. We’re paying it now."
I love America! the concept by which we live with each other in a United States of America wells up in me a profound thankfulness which is very painfully being spit upon by a bunch of power hungry pigs!
After reading your brilliantly constructed review of the facts quoted above the anger in me became uncontrollable rage!
We must remove every one of these repugliecans and put them ALL where they belong as a just consequence of the choices they have willfully chosen.
Thank you Joyce for reassuring really good people continue their selfless fight protecting the highest ideals of The United States Of America!
Thanks Joyce. I read the Mueller report when it came out (free download at the time). It took awhile for me to get through it but even I knew there was obstruction of justice and other slimy things-he who shall go unnamed by me-that went on early in the presidency. Sadly his pattern just kept repeating itself and here we are stuck with his criminality still threatening our security. I can't wait for this to be over, if it ever is in my lifetime...
Wow! I'm not sure I needed that as it took me back to the day when I read the executive summary of the Mueller report and I distinctly recall the obstruction section and how, as you captured, Mueller clearly did not exonerate Trump. He seemed to punt to Congress...and caved to the 'too hard to indict a sitting President' thinking.
Is there nothing that Trump can't get away with? The DOJ is in a position of 'they're damned if they prosecute and they're damned if they don't.'
Maybe Trump really could shoot somebody on 5th avenue and get away with it. It's really sad, frustrating, and frightening all at once.
Thanks for your awesome coverage of what's going on with all of this.
Yes we could have been spared the impeachment, coup, violence .
It was early enough that the domestic terrorists hadn’t organize and the republicans wouldn’t not have acquiesced enmasse. It would have show no one is above the law. Our institutions and democracy would have held. This enabled TFG drive to autocracy/fascism. Barr was essential to the downward spiral. How will he be held to account.
Will their be justice? Will they all pay for their crimes?
Thanks Joyce for keeping me in the loop while I’m vacationing in Italy and they too are having extreme right wing political issues which a friend of mine recently described to me as scary. I will be voting here too since I’m a dual citizen to prevent the election of another extremist.
Yes, imagine if Trump was charged but it could’ve been another type of violence. His domestic terrorist would’ve picked up arms like they’re planning on doing if DOJ charges him and he goes to jail.
I hope we’re ready to rid our country from all these hateful terrorist organizations. This is extremely dangerous. We have to embrace that we might have another bloody civil war. How will we as a divided people come back from this?
Thanks for making this understandable. One question I have is this: you and Barb McQuade and others have such reverence for the DOJ, but something like this memo really makes me question how much reverence DOJ deserves. Should we trust the current DOJ?
So I read the entire ( but redacted ) Mueller report when it came out and that is just the conclusion I came to. It seemed pretty blatant to my admittedly naive legal understanding ( just about all my formal education is in the sciences and not law ) that Trump tried to obstruct his own obstruction when he ordered McGann to create a document falsifying Trump’s order in re: firing Mueller. Of course, there was much more damning info in the report, but I thought that was the most obvious and straightforward incident.
Thanks for helping us to understand this and the other Trump related criminal doings.
Absolutely appalling
Thank you, Joyce, for this explanation. Is this circular reasoning the core of all of Barr's arguments? I have yet to read anything comprehensive about the memo--just people's anger with bits and pieces. Your essay helps very much. Thank you.
It’s painful to see so many people prop up the leader of Cult 45. The list of enablers is long and dirty.
“If you have your integrity, nothing else matters. If you DON’T have your integrity, nothing else matters.”