Post by robeiae on Nov 28, 2017 8:31:15 GMT -5
Disclaimer: I want to see the current Russia investigation completed in full and Mueller should continue to be in charge, imo.
From David Willman at the LA Times: www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-mueller-record-20171122-story.html
Some snippets:
Hell's Angels:
Anthrax:
An older piece on Whitey Bolger-related stuff:
Failures that Mueller has been a part of have cost taxpayers a lot of jingle. Of course, he's hardly alone in this regard. Really, such failures--along with high monetary costs--are a prime feature of Special Prosecutors in general, form Kenneth Starr to Patrick Fitzgerald.
Anyway, I guess the point is that there's a lot of money being spent, and while I think the investigation needs to be completed, I wonder if the people in charge--specifically Mueller--actually have the ability to say "okay, we're done; there's nothing else here" (supposing that such turns out to be the case).
From David Willman at the LA Times: www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-mueller-record-20171122-story.html
Some snippets:
Hell's Angels:
The first trial, of 18 defendants, ended with only five convictions. All were overturned on appeal.
Mueller, who led the U.S. attorney’s special prosecutions unit, then took over the case. He dropped many of the charges, including those against Ralph “Sonny” Barger, leader of the club’s Oakland chapter, whose charismatic testimony had dominated the first trial.
Mueller led a team of four prosecutors in court when the second trial, with 11 defendants, began in October 1980. But after four months, the jury said it was deadlocked, and the judge declared a mistrial. Mueller decided not to ask for a retrial.
Mueller, who led the U.S. attorney’s special prosecutions unit, then took over the case. He dropped many of the charges, including those against Ralph “Sonny” Barger, leader of the club’s Oakland chapter, whose charismatic testimony had dominated the first trial.
Mueller led a team of four prosecutors in court when the second trial, with 11 defendants, began in October 1980. But after four months, the jury said it was deadlocked, and the judge declared a mistrial. Mueller decided not to ask for a retrial.
Anthrax:
A handful of letters laced with powdered anthrax killed five people and sickened 17 others. The government closed congressional office buildings, the Supreme Court and postal facilities as the country braced for further biological terrorism.
But Mueller’s FBI struggled for nearly seven years to determine who was responsible — even as he personally managed the case...
After media leaks fingered Hatfill, he sued the FBI and the Justice Department on privacy grounds. In June 2008, the government agreed to pay Hatfill about $5.8 million.
But Mueller’s FBI struggled for nearly seven years to determine who was responsible — even as he personally managed the case...
After media leaks fingered Hatfill, he sued the FBI and the Justice Department on privacy grounds. In June 2008, the government agreed to pay Hatfill about $5.8 million.
An older piece on Whitey Bolger-related stuff:
In 2001, the four men convicted of Teddy Deegan’s murder were exonerated. Turned out the FBI let them take the rap to protect one of their informants, a killer named Vincent “Jimmy’’ Flemmi, who just happened to be the brother of their other rat, Stevie Flemmi. Thanks to the FBI’s corruption, taxpayers got stuck with the $100 million bill for compensating the framed men, two of whom, Greco and Tameleo, died in prison.
Albano was appalled that, later that same year, Mueller was appointed FBI director, because it was Mueller, first as an assistant US attorney then as the acting US attorney in Boston, who wrote letters to the parole and pardons board throughout the 1980s opposing clemency for the four men framed by FBI lies.
Of course, Mueller was also in that position while Whitey Bulger was helping the FBI cart off his criminal competitors even as he buried bodies in shallow graves along the Neponset.
Albano was appalled that, later that same year, Mueller was appointed FBI director, because it was Mueller, first as an assistant US attorney then as the acting US attorney in Boston, who wrote letters to the parole and pardons board throughout the 1980s opposing clemency for the four men framed by FBI lies.
Of course, Mueller was also in that position while Whitey Bulger was helping the FBI cart off his criminal competitors even as he buried bodies in shallow graves along the Neponset.
Failures that Mueller has been a part of have cost taxpayers a lot of jingle. Of course, he's hardly alone in this regard. Really, such failures--along with high monetary costs--are a prime feature of Special Prosecutors in general, form Kenneth Starr to Patrick Fitzgerald.
Anyway, I guess the point is that there's a lot of money being spent, and while I think the investigation needs to be completed, I wonder if the people in charge--specifically Mueller--actually have the ability to say "okay, we're done; there's nothing else here" (supposing that such turns out to be the case).