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Bannon Aims to Best Jared Kushner's Biggest Mistake in Modern Political History

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emptywheel
In September, Steve Bannon said firing Comey was the dumbest decision in modern political history. Now, as the investigation implicates matters he was known to be involved in, Bannon wants to one-up Jared by firing Rod Rosenstein.
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Manafort Wants DOJ to Return Some of the Information Seized in His [Condo*] Search

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emptywheel
Among other things, Paul Manaforts motions to suppress searches show how the investigation mushroomed between May and July 2017.
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Facebook, Hot Seat, Day Two — House Energy & Commerce Committee Hearing

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Rayne
This is a dedicated post to capture your comments about Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's testimony before the House Energy & Commerce Committee today.
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Yet More Proof Facebook's Surveillance Capitalism Is Good at Surveilling -- Even Russian Hackers

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emptywheel
After Robby Mook tried to fact check Mark Zuckerberg yesterday, Alex Stamos provided more details about what Facebook saw of Russian hacking in real time yesterday.
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Facebook on the Hot Seat Before Senate Judiciary Committee

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Rayne
This is a dedicated post to capture your comments about Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee this afternoon.
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Why Are Republicans Still Squealing about FISA Applications If HPSCI Report Cedes Carter Page Concerns?

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emptywheel
A little-noticed passage in the HPSCI Russia report seems to complain that the FBI didn't warn Trump about people working on the campaign about whom it had counterintelligence concerns. If that's right, the GOP should shut up about the Carter Page dossier.
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Michael Cohen's Stormy Weather: Four Observations

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emptywheel
Trump's comments disavowing Michael Cohen's payment to Stormy Daniels probably made today's raid on his attorney far worse.
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The Day The Music Died In F1

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bmaz
This is not to detract from a few other similar dates, Von Trips and Senna come to mind (see here for background on Von Trips at the Italian at Monza and Senna at the closely related venue of Imola). They are dark days, but bookend maybe…
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What Did Wikileaks Do with the DCCC Emails It Monopolized?

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emptywheel
When Wikileaks convinced Emma Best not to publish the DCCC emails Guccifer 2.0 offered, it created the opportunity for Guccifer 2.0 to share them with individual Republicans around the country.
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In Addition to Mueller, Six People Are Prosecuting Paul Manafort ... and Trump Has No Appropriate Defense Attorney

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emptywheel
An update to my obssession with how Mueller is deploying his team of 17 prosecutors: even the prosecution of just one defendant, Mueller has now deployed three primary prosecutors and three different appellate specialists. 
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Is Manafort Getting Close to Crying "Uncle"?

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emptywheel
In a hearing today in Paul Manafort's civil suit against Robert Mueller, he pushed hard to prevent Mueller from bringing anymore indictments against him. Perhaps something he's seen from an ex parte exchange Mueller's team had with Judge Berman Jackson on February 14 or the extra details from Rod Rosenstein's August 2, 2017 authorizing memo has him worried.
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Mueller Tells Guy Who Legally Can't Be a Target That He's Not a Target, Perhaps in a Bid to Make Him Legally Targetable

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emptywheel
Mueller seems to be prepping a choice for the GOP Congress: either they move quickly on a Trump impeachment on his obstruction of justice, or they try to save Congress only to face more serious charges next term.
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About the Oleg Deripaska Reference in the Mueller Memo

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emptywheel
The most telling (and clever) line of the Mueller memo responding to Manafort's challenge to his authority dropped in a legally permissible line to Oleg Deripaska, who up until yesterday didn't appear in any public mention in the Manafort docket. By putting it there, it will pre-authorize where Mueller is going.
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There Are Almost Certainly Other DAG Rosenstein Memos

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emptywheel
The memo that Robert Mueller released in a filing last night is likely not the first memo Rod Rosenstein wrote to memorialize the scope of Mueller's authority. And it's almost certainly not the last.
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The Mueller Filing

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emptywheel
While Mueller redacted all the details on other investigative targets, the memo defending his authority to prosecute Paul Manafort situates the investigation solidly within the precedent approved in the Libby prosecution.
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Alex Van Der Zwaan: "Gone Native"

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emptywheel
The court documents behind the Alex Van der Zwaan plea reveal what an anonymous witness meant when claiming Van der Zwaan had "gone native." He was discussing working for Manafort and Gates during the period when he shared Skadden stuff he wasn't supposed to with them.
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The MalwareTech Poker Hand: Calling DOJ's Bluff

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emptywheel
On Friday, Marcus Hutchins' lawyers submitted five motions challenging the case against him, basically calling DOJ's bluff on the prosecution overall.
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Did Ecuador Gag Julian Assange for Interference in Spain AND the US?

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emptywheel
Is there a Mueller aspect to the gagging of Julian Assange?
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Parkland and the Twittered Revolt

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Rayne
Marvel at the teen survivors of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneham Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. They are leading a revolution -- but note the platform they're using to best effect.
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