[Check the byline, thanks. /~Rayne]
Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller testifies before two different House committees today. This post is dedicated to these hearings. Please take any other topics to the open thread.
Hearing schedule:
• 8:30 a.m. ET – House Judiciary Committee (HJC) Hearing
• 12:00 p.m. ET – House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) Hearing
Who to follow:
https://twitter.com/emptywheel (of course)
https://twitter.com/bmaz (naturally)
https://twitter.com/BarbMcQuade – will be on MSNBC to cover at least one of these hearings
https://twitter.com/ZoeTillman – BuzzFeedNews
https://twitter.com/NatashaBertrand – Politico
https://twitter.com/BBuchman_CNS – CourthouseNews
https://twitter.com/jentaub – (late adder – she’s live tweeting a numbered thread)
Apart from our team, here’s a list containing these and other folks who cover Trump-Russia at https://twitter.com/raynetoday/lists/trump-russia.
According to late Tuesday evening reports, Aaron Zebley, former deputy to Mueller, will be sworn in and appear alongside Mueller during at least one of the House committee hearings. (I see differing reports that Zebley will appear before the Judiciary, Intelligence, or both committees.)
The right-wing/Trump supporters are completely freaking out about Zebley’s appearance, blabbering he “was an attorney for Justin Cooper, the IT staffer who set up #HillaryClinton’s private email server & the aide who destroyed Clinton’s old Blackberry phones with a hammer.” (source on Twitter)
The likely loudest GOP voices on the House Judiciary Committee: Doug Collins (ranking minority member, GA-9); Louis Gohmert (TX-1); Jim Jordan (OH-4); Matt Gaetz (FL-1). If past HJC hearings are predictive, expect lots of hot-headed pontificating and few rational questions. Hard to say who will be the worst of the lot but Gaetz has the foolhardiness of youth and past approval from Trump to goad him on. Jordan will focus on “insufficient evidence” to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt about the Special Counsel’s report and the investigation.
As for the HPSCI, the GOP’s most problematic participant will be Devin Nunes (CA-22) who is the ranking minority member. He’s been meeting with Trump this week about a replacement for Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats (who Trump wants to jettison for being too determined to protect the country). At least the explanation offered is Coats’ replacement; it’s possible that Nunes has been meeting with Trump about Mueller’s appearance before the HPSCI.
Content here may be subject to updates.
Again, this post is dedicated to these hearings. Please take any other topics to the open thread.