Why the Justice Department Is Defiant

[Free Vulcan]

The feud that has simmered for months between Congress and the Justice Department erupted this week into a cage match. That’s because the House is homing in on the goods.

Until this week, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and fellow institutionalists at the department had fought Congress’s demands for information with the tools of banal bureaucracy—resist, delay, ignore, negotiate. But Mr. Rosenstein took things to a new level on Tuesday, accusing House Republicans of “threats,” extortion and wanting to “rummage” through department documents. A Wednesday New York Times story then dropped a new slur, claiming “Mr. Rosenstein and top FBI officials have come to suspect that some lawmakers were using their oversight authority to gain intelligence about [Special Counsel Bob Mueller’s ] investigation so that it could be shared with the White House.”

Mr. Rosenstein isn’t worried about rummaging. That’s a diversion from the department’s opposite concern: that it is being asked to comply with very specific—potentially very revealing—demands. Two House sources confirm for me that the Justice Department was recently delivered first a classified House Intelligence Committee letter and then a subpoena (which arrived Monday) demanding documents related to a new line of inquiry about the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Trump investigation. The deadline for complying with the subpoena was Thursday afternoon, and the Justice Department flouted it. As the White House is undoubtedly monitoring any new congressional demands for information, it is likely that President Trump’s tweet Wednesday ripping the department for not turning over documents was in part a reference to this latest demand.

Read more at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-the-justice-department-is-defiant-1525388245

[Formerly Once-Ler]

I guess I'll have to wait until somebody posts this outside WSJ's paywall.  It looks very interesting.

[truth_seeker]

It appears the DOJ-FBI want to assert their primacy, over the other two branches.

The sooner the USSC smacks them back into line, the better.

A permanent fishing expedition, sans probable cause, sans even a stated specific crime, is not what our founders ever intended.

I feel this is a twofold situation: 1. Payback for Clinton's Impeachment, and 2. disable Trump.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

It appears the DOJ-FBI want to assert their primacy, over the other two branches.

The sooner the USSC smacks them back into line, the better.

A permanent fishing expedition, sans probable cause, sans even a stated specific crime, is not what our founders ever intended.

I feel this is a twofold situation: 1. Payback for Clinton's Impeachment, and 2. disable Trump.

@truth_seeker
The DOJ and FBI are executive branch departments.  I understand they are refusing to provide document to the legislative branch, but I don't see how the "DOJ-FBI want to assert their primacy, over the" judicial branch.   I think the SCOTUS usually lets Congress proceed with contempt hearings in these disagreements between branches.  I wouldn't expect rapid movement. 

An investigation often doesn't have a stated specific crime.  That comes after evidence is collected and charges are issued.  I think there is lots of probable cause, and our Founders never intended President Trump.

If there was such a thing as the Deep State, packback for Clinton's impeachment is not a factor.

[Mesaclone]

@truth_seeker
The DOJ and FBI are executive branch departments.  I understand they are refusing to provide document to the legislative branch, but I don't see how the "DOJ-FBI want to assert their primacy, over the" judicial branch.   I think the SCOTUS usually lets Congress proceed with contempt hearings in these disagreements between branches.  I wouldn't expect rapid movement. 

An investigation often doesn't have a stated specific crime.  That comes after evidence is collected and charges are issued.  I think there is lots of probable cause, and our Founders never intended President Trump.

If there was such a thing as the Deep State, packback for Clinton's impeachment is not a factor.

Its unconscionable to investigate a person rather than a crime. Its, quite literally, a fishing expedition with the ability to generate crimes rather than expose them. Its indefensible.

[libertybele]

The DOJ is defiant because its leadership is involved in the corruption that they are investigating.

[To-Whose-Benefit?]

A Full investigation of the mechanisms and support staff behind this lynching would implicate more underlings to be questioned/deposed themselves.

Rearranging the deck hairs on the Titanic as those underlings scramble for a seat in the lifeboats.

[Bigun]

The DOJ is defiant because its leadership is involved in the corruption that they are investigating.

Yep!  They have been in full cover-up mode since Trump won the election.