BREAKING NEWS: Trump transition team sends letter to lawmakers; claims Mueller team inappropriately obtained private documents. pic.twitter.com/fWAqEdnz09
— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 16, 2017
Translation: they obtained embarrassing emails appropriately. https://t.co/frPjpEjT4M
— wealthy elitist urban dweller (@RaisingOneBrow) December 17, 2017
Raise your hand if you’re old enough to remember still-nominally-President Nixon, at the height of the Watergate investigation, insisting that he was only stonewalling release of various CREEPster conspiratorial documents and RNC receipts to professional bagmen because he “feared” setting a precedent that would “unduly restrict” the actions of future Oval Office residents. The rest of you can easily infer that the tactic didn’t work — but also, it was widely mocked at the time, even by otherwise sympathetic centrist-right critics.
If the squatting Oval Office Occupant’s legal team is trying the same tactic, I’m convinced that (a) They’re desperate enough to be reading up on Watergate, and (b) They’re not smart enough — or have so few other choices available — that “trying the case in the media” has become their last resort.
Welcome to being investigated by the FBI although it doesn't surprise me no one in Trumpland understands the rule of law. https://t.co/clcQYF1D4r
— Howard Dean (@GovHowardDean) December 17, 2017
Part of a most informative twitter thread from Renato Mariotti, who is a lawyer, and from all reports a damned good prosecutor:
THREAD: Why are Trump’s lawyers upset that Mueller obtained transition emails from a government agency? (Hint: They’re just playing politics, but this is a bad sign for them.)
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) December 16, 2017
2/ @axios reported that the emails included very frank discussions as well as emails from Jared Kushner. Trump’s team was unaware that Mueller possessed the emails and were surprised when Mueller’s team asked questions based on the emails.
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) December 16, 2017