Pirate's Cove

Strange, one would think that if President Donald Trump had something to hide, he’d want the Mueller witch hunt report kept secret. Though I’m sure some of the Conspiracy Dems are saying that it is a psych-out, that he’s saying this so that the opposite happens

‘Let them see it’: Trump just nixed a major argument against releasing the Mueller report

President Trump said Wednesday for the first time that he would be okay with making the Mueller report public. And in doing so, he nixed a major argument against its release.

But that doesn’t quite mean it will be available for all to see.

Ever since now-Attorney General William P. Barr testified at his confirmation hearing earlier this year that he would be constrained in releasing special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s findings in the Russia investigation, the conventional wisdom has shifted. While many expected to see a Starr Report-style public document detailing everything Mueller found, it quickly became clear that probably would not happen — at least initially. Mueller is operating under a different statute than Kenneth Starr was during the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, and Justice Department guidelines prohibit revealing information about people who are not being indicted and that is obtained via grand jury.

But the reason that information generally is not released is to protect the people involved. And the most high-ranking person involved — Trump — just gave it the green light.

“I don’t mind,” he said when asked whether the report should be public. “I mean, frankly, I told the House if you want, let them see it.”

However, interestingly, Aaron Blake, who wrote the Washington Post analysis article above, continues

As I wrote during Barr’s confirmation period, DOJ guidelines combined with Trump’s status as the sitting president created something of a Catch-22 for the Mueller report:

Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 6 says that, unless and until details are revealed by court order as part of an indictment or other proceeding, they must be kept secret. This is to guard against the government releasing derogatory things about people for political purposes.

Lots more to that, but it breaks down to the notion that it kinda must be kept secret, unless there is an indictment or other proceedings. And they sure do not seem to have anything on Trump, and, based on the non-leaks these past years, there is nothing, despite all the Russia Russia Russia conspiracy idiocy.

And don’t forget that Trump himself last week suggested that fellow Republicans at least profess to be all in favor of transparency with the Mueller report. “Makes us all look good and doesn’t matter,” he assured.

“Play along with the game!” he added.

Perhaps Trump has been advised he might as well do the same — and that statements of support for the report’s public release ultimately will not matter.

I hadn’t gotten beyond the first half of the article when I wrote about Trump’s statement being a psych-out for the conspiracy minded. I didn’t expect the Washington Post to go there so fast.