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UpInArms

(51,284 posts)
Sun Dec 30, 2018, 10:31 AM Dec 2018

A Holiday Mystery: Why Did John Roberts Intervene in the Mueller Probe?

A mysterious grand jury subpoena case has been working itself through the D.C. courts since August. Doughty reporting by Politico linked the grand jury case to Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Some of us, connecting the dots, wondered whether Mueller’s antagonist in this secret subpoena battle might be President Donald Trump himself. Speculation heightened two weeks ago when the D.C. Circuit cleared an entire floor of reporters assembled for the oral argument, in order to protect the identity of the litigants.

Four days later, the D.C. Circuit judges burst the speculative bubble with a decision that halfway revealed the identity of the party litigating against the government: not President Trump, but an unnamed corporation (“the Corporation”) owned by an unnamed foreign state (“Country A”). Although the case is still plenty mysterious (What foreign state? What records of what transactions? Why the hard-fought litigation?) the evident fact that President Trump was not directly involved in the litigation seemingly drained further proceedings of direct suspense. Mueller-watchers headed off for the holidays.

And then, this week, on the Sunday before Christmas, Chief Justice John Roberts personally intervened in this matter.

That’s right: The chief justice of the United States himself issued an order on a Sunday, in this very case. If you think that’s highly unusual, you’re right. And the action he took was equally unusual: At least for the moment calling into question the unanimous decisions of the courts below, the chief justice blocked the District Court’s order requiring the foreign corporation to comply with the grand jury subpoena, until the government’s lawyers could respond to the Corporation’s briefings.

So now, in abrupt fashion, Mueller’s investigation has suddenly reached the Supreme Court, and with the personal attention of the chief justice, no less.

More at https://www.politico.com/magazine/amp/story/2018/12/30/supreme-court-john-roberts-robert-mueller-investigation-223569

29 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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A Holiday Mystery: Why Did John Roberts Intervene in the Mueller Probe? (Original Post) UpInArms Dec 2018 OP
A guest on MSNBC suggested that it may have been Switzerland...? kentuck Dec 2018 #1
If I were to bet.... ewagner Dec 2018 #3
Deutsche Bank is not owned by a foreign government, and has provided info to Mueller already. marylandblue Dec 2018 #5
Thank you. I thought they were State-Owned. ewagner Dec 2018 #8
'The plot thickens' empedocles Dec 2018 #2
IMHO, it is a click-bait article with dramatized speculation manor321 Dec 2018 #4
The two banking institutions that I can think of 2naSalit Dec 2018 #6
Mueller filed a response on Saturday benld74 Dec 2018 #7
It wasn't mentioned in what I read on the page. Hotler Dec 2018 #18
From the link in the OP UpInArms Dec 2018 #20
Wasn't Cambridge Analytica a UK-owned company? CousinIT Dec 2018 #9
Not owned by the UK government. NT Adrahil Dec 2018 #15
Is Chief Justice Roberts stalling or obstructing the investigation? Baitball Blogger Dec 2018 #10
By doing his job? former9thward Dec 2018 #11
Thank you. Baitball Blogger Dec 2018 #13
What is the bank that Wilbur Ross is connected with? Texin Dec 2018 #12
Because he's the Justice assigned to hear emergency stay requests from the DC Circuit. onenote Dec 2018 #14
Speculation can be fun... most important thing to remember NoMoreRepugs Dec 2018 #16
I love how they dance around "JOHN ROBERTS IS TRYING TO THWART JUSTICE" Baltimike Dec 2018 #17
Exactly! Duppers Dec 2018 #22
And now the Court has lifted the temporary stay onenote Jan 2019 #25
'Every judge below agreed 'the corporation' arguments had no merit'. - Apple News empedocles Dec 2018 #23
I know, right? But DON'T SAY they fucked with the votes in swing states in 2016... Baltimike Dec 2018 #24
One thing we do know is that we don't know shit. watoos Dec 2018 #19
Because he's a judge and a case was appealed to him. EffieBlack Dec 2018 #21
Lol jberryhill Jan 2019 #26
Ummm EffieBlack Jan 2019 #27
yes, I'm aware of that jberryhill Jan 2019 #28
Ah, yes - I misunderstood you EffieBlack Jan 2019 #29

kentuck

(111,110 posts)
1. A guest on MSNBC suggested that it may have been Switzerland...?
Sun Dec 30, 2018, 10:39 AM
Dec 2018

...and secret bank accounts of Donald Trump?

Everybody is guessing at this time.

ewagner

(18,964 posts)
3. If I were to bet....
Sun Dec 30, 2018, 10:49 AM
Dec 2018

My first bet would be on Deutsch Bank...why?

1. The Trump family got a lot of financing through that bank
2. Jared got his 666 Building loan bailed out by that bank
3. Deutsch Bank has be NAILED for laundering Russian money...a LOT OF RUSSIAN MONEY on other cases.
4. There is a link between former Associate Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy's son who resigned from Deutsch Bank and Trump's kids?

Second guess would be the bank that wrote a memorandum of understanding to fund Trump's Trump Tower Moscow...I think it VPN or something like that...Russia would protest LOUDLY about releasing those records.

Just my humble opinion

 

manor321

(3,344 posts)
4. IMHO, it is a click-bait article with dramatized speculation
Sun Dec 30, 2018, 10:53 AM
Dec 2018

The case is obviously an important one, given the crazy secrecy. Roberts' action is a procedural one to give the court time to decide if it wants to do anything. We'll find out soon enough if they decide to rule on it.

2naSalit

(86,775 posts)
6. The two banking institutions that I can think of
Sun Dec 30, 2018, 11:02 AM
Dec 2018

UBS and Bank of Cypress... unless there's some south or central American bank accomplice.

OR the Saudi's bank.

benld74

(9,909 posts)
7. Mueller filed a response on Saturday
Sun Dec 30, 2018, 11:41 AM
Dec 2018

Did Politico take that into account? I didn’t read that in the article

Hotler

(11,445 posts)
18. It wasn't mentioned in what I read on the page.
Sun Dec 30, 2018, 01:25 PM
Dec 2018

It's a good short read, you may like it, things that make you go huuummmmmmm.

UpInArms

(51,284 posts)
20. From the link in the OP
Sun Dec 30, 2018, 01:38 PM
Dec 2018

last paragraph

What are we to make of his pre-Christmas intervention on behalf of Country A and the Corporation, and against Mueller’s office? We may know soon. Mueller’s office filed its submission early, on Friday evening. We’ll keep our eyes glued to the docket.

CousinIT

(9,257 posts)
9. Wasn't Cambridge Analytica a UK-owned company?
Sun Dec 30, 2018, 11:55 AM
Dec 2018

I know it's now renamed itself something else but the operation still exists with the same people running it and perhaps some others just as evil. But I remember reading that company was based outside the US.

former9thward

(32,077 posts)
11. By doing his job?
Sun Dec 30, 2018, 12:12 PM
Dec 2018

It is his job to respond to appeals. He made a response. The full court will look at it later. That is SOP.

Texin

(2,597 posts)
12. What is the bank that Wilbur Ross is connected with?
Sun Dec 30, 2018, 12:12 PM
Dec 2018

The articles I've been reading indicate that this delay is in order to allow the government's attorneys to prepare a response to the motion. I'm not certain which government is being referred to though.

onenote

(42,759 posts)
14. Because he's the Justice assigned to hear emergency stay requests from the DC Circuit.
Sun Dec 30, 2018, 12:54 PM
Dec 2018

He was the justice to issue the stay request because he is the justice assigned to the DC Circuit, which is the court that issued the order under review. And while the issuance of a stay of a appeals court order pending further review is not an everyday occurrence, it is not unheard of, particularly where, as here, not issuing the stay would render the challenge to the subpoena basically moot.

The Poitico article is basically crap.

Here is a list of the circuits and the justices assigned to them:
https://www.supremecourt.gov/about/circuitAssignments.aspx

NoMoreRepugs

(9,457 posts)
16. Speculation can be fun... most important thing to remember
Sun Dec 30, 2018, 01:11 PM
Dec 2018

in my opinion is that we have Mr Mueller and a team of ultimate professionals working for our side - our best team is on the field...PERIOD.

onenote

(42,759 posts)
25. And now the Court has lifted the temporary stay
Tue Jan 8, 2019, 06:00 PM
Jan 2019

The speculation that Roberts and the conservative majority on the court were up to no good turns out, as some of us predicted, to be utterly unfounded.

empedocles

(15,751 posts)
23. 'Every judge below agreed 'the corporation' arguments had no merit'. - Apple News
Sun Dec 30, 2018, 08:37 PM
Dec 2018

Robert's intervened anyway, suspiciously?

Baltimike

(4,146 posts)
24. I know, right? But DON'T SAY they fucked with the votes in swing states in 2016...
Sun Dec 30, 2018, 09:30 PM
Dec 2018

That goes too far.

 

watoos

(7,142 posts)
19. One thing we do know is that we don't know shit.
Sun Dec 30, 2018, 01:37 PM
Dec 2018

No one mentioned China or UAE banks. We are all assuming its a bank and I would agree, but one thing for certain, we aren't going to hear anything from Mueller's team.

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
28. yes, I'm aware of that
Tue Jan 8, 2019, 06:36 PM
Jan 2019

Clearly you did not understand my post.

My amusement is at the effort to piss against the tide here which demands "rule of law" and has no clue what it is.

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