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[Joe]

House intel Democrat on Russia probe: 'If you had seen what I have seen, you'd want me to go full throttle'

Representative Mike Quigley (D), member of the House Intelligence Committee, spoke at an event yesterday.

The highlights from the article:

• The committee's probe "is closer to its infancy than conclusion."
• Republican Rep. Devin Nunes "has been much more difficult and troublesome" since the Russia investigation began.
• While Nunes stepped aside from the probe in April, he "has not fully given up" the responsibilities of that role.
• "For instance, he insisted that he still be the one who signs the subpoenas," Quigley said. "So who's the boss? You can't have two people running the investigation on the House side."
• Nunes "is not the only" committee Republican creating problems.
• "I'm there as we're questioning witnesses. And some day these transcripts will be made public. Many of you are going to say, 'what the hell are they doing?' They seem to be taking over the role of a second attorney for the witness testifying before us. And it's conflicting, and it's difficult. It's difficult enough as it is to do this job when you're running into all of these obstacles."
• It is "conceivable that Republicans and Democrats would have separate reports" if they issued their findings about the investigation today.
• "I was old enough to understand, and watch, Watergate. This is so much more important. Because I believe, that if you had seen what I have seen, you'd want me to go full throttle."
• Quigley added that he is very concerned that special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation "could be shut down."

Watch the talk, archived on Periscope: https://www.pscp.tv/renato_mariotti/1YpJkmNNeeMKj

 

[The Technomancer]

He also mentions the possibility of a constitutional crisis. Is this the first time an official has gone on record as being concerned about that?

 

[Volimar]

I have zero faith in the committee. At best it will drag its heels and wait for Mueller's investigation to complete and see how solid his case is before deciding how to wrap it up.

 

[Ethical Hedonism]

[*]"I'm there as we're questioning witnesses. And some day these transcripts will be made public. Many of you are going to say, 'what the hell are they doing?' They seem to be taking over the role of a second attorney for the witness testifying before us. And it's conflicting, and it's difficult. It's difficult enough as it is to do this job when you're running into all of these obstacles."

...and the right will dismiss the criticism as it was some kind of leftist agenda to take over the world or something.

 

[Sephzilla]

Since Republicans are involved in the committee I've always held the belief that the committee wouldn't get much done and most things would fall on Mueller.

 

[Sulik2]

At the end of the day my guess would be that nearly every member of the GOP that sits on a committee or is in a senior leadership role in congress is going to end up being found dirty in terms of Russian association. Either directly or in obstructing justice of the investigation. I want to see dozens of GOP members, Trump's cabinet and Trump himself in jail for life for life for treason.

 

[Hubbl3]

I have zero faith in the committee. At best it will drag its heels and wait for Mueller's investigation to complete and see how solid his case is before deciding how to wrap it up.

Same here.

I don't really care about the House investigation at this point. I only slightly care about the Senate investigation, but Mueller's investigation is the one I'm sending all of my power to.

 

[entremet]

Since Republicans are involved in the committee I've always held the belief that the committee wouldn't get much done and most things would fall on Mueller.

Comey hearings were proof of this lol.

 

[Omadahl]

Nunes should be hanging from his toes in Guantanamo for the crap I'm sure he's tied up in. That goes for anyone, Democrat or Republican, that can be bought by a foreign power.

 

[Gaogaogao]

then do it, I believe you

at what point do you call it obstruction of justice?

 

[Super Moop]

Comey hearings were proof of this lol.

Let's not forget that, though he made the right choice today, John McCain chose to ask Comey about possible ties between Russia and the Clinton Foundation.

I remember laughing at how Comey was just as confused about what McCain's point was as the rest of us.

 

[K.Sabot]

The committee existed so they could say they didn't need an independent investigative party, so now that we have it they only exist to obstruct.

 

[timetokill]

I haven't seen it and I want him to go full throttle

Throttle these fucks

 

[Jeremy]

The constitutional crisis comment is intriguing




but maybe more so in a movie I'm watching in a different timeline where none of this is actually happening

 

[ISOM]

I haven't seen it and I want him to go full throttle

Throttle these fucks

Basically. I don't need to see what he's seen. Just from what I've seen or heard so far has been enough that Trump should be impeached.

 

[Brock Reiher]

Let's not forget that, though he made the right choice today, John McCain chose to ask Comey about possible ties between Russia and the Clinton Foundation.

I remember laughing at how Comey was just as confused about what McCain's point was as the rest of us.

Not a big McCain fan but this is likely because it was before he was put on brain cancer medicine yeah?

 

[Plinko]

Of course they act as "second attorneys." The rabbit hole probably implicates them at some point.

Remember Tom Cotton in the Comey hearings?

 

[platocplx]

Republicans are more concerned with protecting their party than their country that by far is the hugest issue here. Knew this from the beginning and we need to have ways to have investigations that are apolitical. Its clear we need a body that doesnt consist of elected officials.

 

[Wilsongt]

At the end of the day my guess would be that nearly every member of the GOP that sits on a committee or is in a senior leadership role in congress is going to end up being found dirty in terms of Russian association. Either directly or in obstructing justice of the investigation. I want to see dozens of GOP members, Trump's cabinet and Trump himself in jail for life for life for treason.

No one gets punished for white collar crimes other than lowly peons.

An assistant, who leaked to the press, might get charged.

But everyone else gets pardoned or a free pass.

 

[Zubz]

I want them too, as well. But it's becoming more & more apparent that the Republicans are generally complicit in this, with Russia's unconstitutional donations & what-not. Nunes alone was enough to make the probe ineffective. Until the results of Mueller's investigation becomes more publicly known, we're going to be sitting ducks. Hopefully the Mueller investigation casts a bigger light on all of this.

 

[B-Dubs]

No one gets punished for white collar crimes other than lowly peons.

An assistant, who leaked to the press, might get charged.

But everyone else gets pardoned or a free pass.

Considering Mueller is treating this as a mob case, that would be a no. If he gets the evidence he's going to wind up picking up everyone implicated all at once, Trump wouldn't be able to pardon anyone in that situation because he'd be in cuffs. It's the whole reason he hasn't moved on Manafort and Flynn yet despite seeming to have the needed proof against them.

 

[BlueTsunami]

Nunes must be fighting for his life

 

[PersonAndStuff]

Devin Nunes is my home town congressman. I'm sorry guys.

 

[LegendofJoe]

The constitutional crisis comment is intriguing




but maybe more so in a movie I'm watching in a different timeline where none of this is actually happening

The only thing that comment implies is that the results of the election were altered and are therefore invalid. This country will be ripped assunder if that's true.

And I'm with you, given the choice I'd prefer to not live in that reality.

 

[ReAxion]

Devin Nunes is my home town congressman. I'm sorry guys.

I know how you feel. I've got Darrell Issa.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

Of course they act as "second attorneys." The rabbit hole probably implicates them at some point.

Remember Tom Cotton in the Comey hearings?

Republicans are more concerned with protecting their party than their country that by far is the hugest issue here. Knew this from the beginning and we need to have ways to have investigations that are apolitical. Its clear we need a body that doesnt consist of elected officials.

I think plato is closer to the truth here, this is simply party over all. They are the equivalent of DAs feeding a grand jury reasonable doubt for the evidence they're supposed to be presenting impartially, to get a cop off the hook. It's likely that the vast majority of the party not only doesn't know what the admin has been up to, but they don't want to know, because they fear it would damage the legislative power swing they have for the next 2-4 years.

The downplaying, whataboutism, witness leading, and misdirection is all in the hope that this blows over before something truly irredeemable is testified/admitted in an open forum (rather than leaked/insinuated).

 

[bebop242]

Wonder if things go south and it starts to appear that most of the corruption slides off scott free if someone is going to say fuck it and release everything public. Sure it would be suicidal but it seems like this could threaten the very fabric of the Constitution and democracy of the US.

 

[StoOgE]

The House committee is about as serious as the House Benghazi hearing was. That, plus tipping off the White House and letting them get in front of incriminating findings.

The Senate committee seems to be doing *some* actual work. Not from all the members mind you. But Marco, Burr and Collins have shown real concern (along with McCain who I think is off the committee at this point).

Which Republican Committee was it who snuck of to England?

 

[sleepykyo]

Wasn't there at least Congressman owned by the Russians? I remember Paul Ryan blatantly joked about. There are definitely some of them that need to be convicted of treason.

 

[SolarPowered]

I feel bad for democrats on the house committee investigation. Having all your work constantly under threat from fellow public servants that are basically aiding and abetting folks under suspicion presumed treasonous activity must be mind breaking. The founding fathers would be incensed.

 

[StoOgE]

Wasn't there at least Congressman owned by the Russians? I remember Paul Ryan blatantly joked about. There are definitely some of them that need to be convicted of treason.

There is one in California and a couple others with some very iffy ties. The Houses' problem stems from them mostly being batshit insane though, not outright cronies.

 

[Surfinn]

I'm surprised Nunes has been out of the public eye for so long (since his infamous stealth ninja midnight disappearance and press conference). Though it seems like there's a lot going on behind the scenes with him.

 

[Socivol]

I have to wonder how much of this is a real concern and how much is hyperbole. I'm sure something is going on but to say it could be a constitutional crisis after admitting the investigation is basically in it's infancy is a large claim.

 

[Shadow Puppetry]

Devin Nunes is my home town congressman. I'm sorry guys.

Same here, unfortunately..

 

[Random Painted HIghway]

Good stuff. This stuff won’t all get whitewashed to oblivion.

 

[cameron]

It is "conceivable that Republicans and Democrats would have separate reports" if they issued their findings about the investigation today.

This was mentioned before a few times about the House Intelligence Committee. Not something anyone would want in a "fact-finding" investigation of this type meant for the public.

 

[Carpe Carnim]

The only thing that comment implies is that the results of the election were altered and are therefore invalid. This country will be ripped assunder if that's true.

And I'm with you, given the choice I'd prefer to not live in that reality.

Other than some helacious protests in cities,the fascists in the GOP and their cultist fans will ignore it and tell everyone else to 'suck it up,and move on'

The only question at that point will be if the sane, yet apathetic, portions of the population have enough guts to drag these cretins out of the Capitol, and give them all tumbrel rides

 

[chadskin]

That was surprisingly frank.

There have been a few ominous statements by Democrats on the intelligence panels. This one, before Trump fired Comey, in particular stuck with me because of the access Mark Warner has and also because he comes across as a pretty level-headed guy:

The White House maintains that it was unaware of any links to the Kremlin, and the details of the investigations are classified. But select members of Congress who oversee the intelligence agencies have access to the findings. Recently, one of them, Senator Mark Warner, of Virginia, the ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, privately told friends that he puts the odds at two to one against Trump completing a full term. (Warner's spokesperson said that the Senator was ”not referring specifically to the Russia investigation, but rather the totality of challenges the President is currently facing.")

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/05/08/how-trump-could-get-fired

 

[SlickShoesRUCrazy]

Republicans are probably complicit. $$$$ is the language republicans speak. Russians were happy to give tons of $$$$.

Of course they are going to drag their feet.

 

[malfcn]

Full throttle as opposed to..?
Unless there is a concern about being slow and steady, go hog wild.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

I have to wonder how much of this is a real concern and how much is hyperbole. I'm sure something is going on but to say it could be a constitutional crisis after admitting the investigation is basically in it's infancy is a large claim.

A crisis could be any number of things, but in this specific case he said:

Quigley added that he was very concerned that the Russia investigation led by the FBI's special counsel, Robert Mueller, "could be shut down."

"We've come very close to the edge" of a "constitutional crisis," he said, pointing to Trump's controversial pardon of Joe Arpaio, the former Arizona sheriff, late last month.

"The president always foretells what he's out to do by messaging to his base," Quigley said. "So when you saw him start to criticize Sessions, you got a clue that he wanted to get rid of him.

If Trump starts telling people in the media that he's going to pardon someone for _____, wouldn't that person then go into a congressional hearing with more power than they had before?

If Trump says publicly (on Twitter or an interview) that he's thinking about firing someone because of ______ and then fires them, does that not imply that his social media use is an insight into his thought process?

And if Trump tries to maneuver his way towards firing Mueller with the implication that he did so to stifle an investigation against him, is that a conflict of interest that should be allowed, full stop, by the executive branch? As a nation, we went along with the SC decision of US v Nixon that:

The Supreme Court does have the final voice in determining constitutional questions; no person, not even the president of the United States, is completely above the law; and the president cannot use executive privilege as an excuse to withhold evidence that is "demonstrably relevant in a criminal trial."

Any attempt by Trump to impede the investigation would be a direct test of this ruling.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

The constitutional crisis and Mueller's team being dismissed is new...

There is one in California and a couple others with some very iffy ties. The Houses' problem stems from them mostly being batshit insane though, not outright cronies.

Oh, you mean Dana Rohrabacher, who lied about his reasons to go to London where, along with Alt-Right Dickhead and Floor Shitter Chuck Johnson, got "evidence" that the DNC hack was an "inside job" and wanted said "seriously true for real" info to get to the president's desk personally?

And yeah, insanity, along with ineptitude, impotence, and a few big fish like Rohrabacher and Nunes manipulating things as following the money, testimony, and SIGINT begins to paint the picture those are in.

It's actually my real, serious worry about this: Mueller starts slapping cuffs on perps and the GOP does...nothing of note given the circumstances. They can't govern, they can't pass bills (much less craft functional ones), they can't root out blatant corruption, they can't stand up to their voters, nor their big-time donators and lobbyists. We could be looking next year at a soft whimper instead of an earth-shattering bang of at least 24 reps and 18 senators moving to impeach when this goes down which would completely set this country off in ways I don't want to think about. ie, instant constituional crisis.

But then again, Mueller keeps getting kudos and quiet support even from GOP who signed off on the open-ended program he's got going there. Only the real smoky dudes like the above two are actually truly questioning anything found, (aka the GUILTY AS FUCK SHOOK LOOK), and again, the GOP is splintering and fearful. That would be action, not inaction.

I have to wonder how much of this is a real concern and how much is hyperbole. I'm sure something is going on but to say it could be a constitutional crisis after admitting the investigation is basically in it's infancy is a large claim.

I don't know. They have seen documents and heard testimony we ain't yet, and there's yet more they aint seen and heard yet, and even more so what ain't been found yet.

I can see both that he's scared to death that this is being clumsily and blatantly obstructed by Dipshit Cowpoke Devin Nunes and at least one other from his words (which wont be punished cuz Ryan has no political capital to do something so powerful), or yeah, he's raising the alarm that it could be that bad but right now is only a fraction of that level.

 

[Laevateinn]

Glad my rep is working hard on this.

 

[theechrisfox]

How do you treat an infestation?

 

[the_firewithin]

Nunes is who we thought he was

 

[rokkerkory]

Mueller save us all

 

[Guy.brush]

Yes please.

 

[gcubed]

Considering Mueller is treating this as a mob case, that would be a no. If he gets the evidence he's going to wind up picking up everyone implicated all at once, Trump wouldn't be able to pardon anyone in that situation because he'd be in cuffs. It's the whole reason he hasn't moved on Manafort and Flynn yet despite seeming to have the needed proof against them.

hence a constitutional crisis

 

[StoOgE]

hence a constitutional crisis

My guess is the NY AG is going to be the one making RICO related arrests and not Mueller. I could see a decent chunk of Trumps inner circle all going away at once and a real crisis over whether or not a sitting president can be arrested. It never got solved during the Nixon admin.

 

[Skinny Pete]

This committee is clearly a mess. Thank god Trump is a fucking moron and basically gave us Mueller as he's really our only hope.