- Oct 17, 2011
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The pattern is the most concerning element
What we see is a pattern of unusual investigative steps in what appears to be leak investigations, almost all involving to some degree stated foes of Trump, who occupied senior government positions that usually would not be pursued this aggressively.
We now know Apple was directed to turn over records on 109 phone numbers and emails. That large a number suggests investigators may have already mined a target's phone records and were seeking to determine identities of the numbers they found. On the other hand, we know Trump was calling for leak investigations and declaring Schiff a leaker.
So one key question for Justice Department leaders now is this: If Schiff and Swalwell were not the targets of these investigations, why doesn't the Justice Department just come out and simply say that?
Trump's public complaints suggest but do not prove he is tied to the investigations
The DOJ is supposed to operate independently of political influence. What makes these revelations so concerning is that he specifically complained about leaks to the press -- and DOJ sought press communications. He complained that Democrats in Congress were leaking, and DOJ sought Democrats' communications. He was at odds with McGahn, who was blocking Trump from firing then-special counsel Robert Mueller, and a month later McGahn's data was being sought by the Justice Department.
That all sounds very bad, but it's also completely circumstantial. There is a lot we don't know about what prompted each of these. The Justice Department's inspector general will investigate.
What we see is a pattern of unusual investigative steps in what appears to be leak investigations, almost all involving to some degree stated foes of Trump, who occupied senior government positions that usually would not be pursued this aggressively.
We now know Apple was directed to turn over records on 109 phone numbers and emails. That large a number suggests investigators may have already mined a target's phone records and were seeking to determine identities of the numbers they found. On the other hand, we know Trump was calling for leak investigations and declaring Schiff a leaker.
So one key question for Justice Department leaders now is this: If Schiff and Swalwell were not the targets of these investigations, why doesn't the Justice Department just come out and simply say that?
Trump's public complaints suggest but do not prove he is tied to the investigations
The DOJ is supposed to operate independently of political influence. What makes these revelations so concerning is that he specifically complained about leaks to the press -- and DOJ sought press communications. He complained that Democrats in Congress were leaking, and DOJ sought Democrats' communications. He was at odds with McGahn, who was blocking Trump from firing then-special counsel Robert Mueller, and a month later McGahn's data was being sought by the Justice Department.
That all sounds very bad, but it's also completely circumstantial. There is a lot we don't know about what prompted each of these. The Justice Department's inspector general will investigate.
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