‘Crooked Cop’ Mueller Demands Transparency, Honesty in Trump Investigation But Hides Expense Reports
Above photo: Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is finally being shown the door after all of his backroom, political shenanigans which included allegedly helping to frame President Donald Trump.
The above video illustrates the enormous press coverage of President Donald Trump’s former National Security Adviser Gen. Michael Flynn (U.S. Army-Ret.) pleading guilty to allegations he lied to the FBI when questioned about his communications with the Russia’s Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. During the media feeding frenzy, Democrats, political commentators and federal law enforcement executives spoke about the importance of honesty and openness during Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation being performed by every Trump-hating politically-motivated attorney and investigator he could find.
But when a non-profit, public-interest law firm filed an appropriate and legal request the Justice Department refused to release the proposed budget of Robert Mueller’s Special Counsel Office. Judicial Watch is now seeking the information through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit.
Judicial Watch sought “the copy of the budget prepared or submitted” by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. But, on Friday, January 19, the Justice Department notified Judicial Watch that it refuses to turn over documents, stating: “seven pages were located that contain records responsive to your … request. We have determined that this material should be withheld in full because it is protected from disclosure under the FOIA.” The Justice Department asserts the Mueller budget information cannot be released because its release could interfere with “law enforcement proceedings” and the material is protected from disclosure by the “deliberative process privilege.”
Judicial Watch filed a FOIA lawsuit against the DOJ on October 5, 2017, after it failed to respond to a July 10, 2017, request (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:17-cv-02079)). Judicial Watch is seeking:
- A copy of the budget prepared and submitted by Robert S. Mueller III or his staff….
- A copy of all guidance memoranda and communications by which the Justice Management Division will review the Special Counsel’s Office’s “Statement of Expenditures”…
- A copy of each document scoping, regulating, or governing the Special Counsel’s Office appointed under the leadership of Mueller III…
The Justice Department has thus far ignored Judicial Watch’s requests for documents about its management of the Mueller operation.
The Justice Department also sent Judicial Watch a copy of a previously published document showing expenditures by the Special Counsel’s Office from May 17, 2017, to September 30, 2017. The total was $3,213,695, nearly a million dollars per month.
On July 7, 2017, The Washington Post reported that Special counsel Mueller submitted a proposed budget to the Justice Department, “but officials declined to make the document public and committed only to releasing reports of the team’s expenditures every six months.”
Judicial Watch is pursuing numerous additional FOIA lawsuits related to the surveillance, unmasking, and illegal leaking targeting President Trump and his associates during the FBI’s investigation of potential Russian involvement in the 2016 presidential election.
“Special Counsel Mueller’s operation is not above the law. The American people have a right to know how much taxpayer money is planned for his massive investigation,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “No one else in DC seems to be providing oversight of the Mueller operation, so once again it is up to the citizen’s group Judicial Watch to fight for accountability.”
Jim:
Heck of a job! You’ll be getting some hits on this one for I’ll be sharing the link with all in my org, my groups and all on my mailing lists. Great work!
BZ