5/11/2017 Here'sWhatHappensNextToTheFBI'sRussianProbeAfterComey'sFiring

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Home>Here'sWhatHappensNextToTheFBI'sRussianProbeAfterComey'sFiring

Here'sWhatHappensNextToTheFBI's
RussianProbeAfterComey'sFiring
ByTylerDurden
Created05/10/201718:39

[1]
byTylerDurden[1]
May10,20176:39PM

[2] [3]

TheterminationofFBIDirectorJamesComeyhaspromptedconcernsandquestionsaboutthe
futureoftheagency'sprobeintoRussianinterferenceand"hacking",muchtoPutin'samusement,
toswaythe2016presidentialelectionandpossiblecollusionwithTrump'scampaign.Democrats
areterrifiedComey'sfiringonTuesdaycouldjeopardizetheongoingFBIprobeandhaverenewed
callsforanindependentinvestigation.SomeRepublicanshavesaidthatcouldundermine
concurrentinvestigationsunderwayintheU.S.SenateandHouseofRepresentatives.

Here,accordingtoReutersandBloomberg,iswhatcouldhappennext:

Theinvestigationsalreadyunderwaycouldcontinue.Comey'sfiringdoesnotnecessarily
meantheFBI'sinvestigationintoMoscow'sroleinthe2016electionwillbedisruptedorend,
legalexpertstoldReuters.ThecareerFBIstaffersComeyputinchargeoftheprobewill
likelycontinueit,evenasthesearchforanewdirectorbegins.

TheparallelinquiriesunderwayinSenateandHousecommitteescouldlikewiseprogress.

TheJusticeDepartment,otherfederalagenciesortheU.S.Congresscouldconduct
independentinvestigations.

TheJusticeDepartmentcouldconductacriminalinvestigation.Butotherfederalagenciesand
departmentshavethepowertoconductfactfindinginquiries,accordingtoUniversityof
SouthernCalifornialawprofessorSamErman.
Congresscouldalsocreateaspecialcommissionorappointaspecialmasterseparatefrom
thecommitteeprobes,Ermansaid.

TheJusticeDepartmentcouldappointaspecialcounsel.

MostDemocratshavesaidtheyprefertheappointmentofaspecialcounselattheJustice
Departmenttooverseetheprobesinceitistheonlyagencythatcanbringacriminalcase.

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5/11/2017 Here'sWhatHappensNextToTheFBI'sRussianProbeAfterComey'sFiring

Alawrelatedtotheappointmentofaspecialprosecutorlapsedinthe1990sbutdepartment
regulationsprovidethattheattorneygeneralcanappointaspecialcounselfromoutsidethe
federalgovernment.
Iftheattorneygeneralignorestherecommendationsofaspecialcounsel,therulesspecify
thatareportmustbesenttoCongress,accordingtoJustinLevitt,aprofessoratLoyolaLaw
SchoolinLosAngeles.
Theattorneygeneralcanhirestafftodothejobofaspecialcounselwithouttriggering
departmentrules.Thisoccurredin2003whenaspecialcounselinvestigatedthedisclosureof
theidentityofintelligenceofficerValeriePlame.

DeputyAttorneyGeneralRodRosensteinwouldlikelyappointaspecialcounsel.

AttorneyGeneralJeffSessionshasrecusedhimselffrominvolvementinRussiarelated
probesaftermisstatinghisowncontactsin2016withRussiasambassadorinWashington.
Rosensteinwouldlikelyappointaspecialcounsel.
SomeDemocrats,however,havealreadyraisedquestionsaboutSessions'roleinadvising
RosensteinonComey'sfiringandcalledforanonpoliticalappointeeattheJustice
Departmenttomakethespecialcounseldecision.

Theappointmentofaspecialcounselwouldnotendthecongressionalprobes.

SenateRepublicans,includingsomefromleadership,havesaidaspecialcounselshouldnot
beappointedbecauseitwouldimperilongoingcongressionalprobesbutaspecialcounsel
wouldnothavetheauthoritytodemandCongresshaltaprobe.
Criminalprobescanattimescomplicatecongressionalmatters,particularlywithwitness
testimony.Butaninvestigationundertakenbyaspecialcounselwouldbenodifferentthanthe
onealreadyunderwayattheFBI."Itwouldn'tinterfereanymoreoranylessifaspecial
counselwereappointed,"Levittsaid.

***

AndhereisaquickQ&Aonthe5Topissues:

Whosinchargeofthefederalproberightnow?

RodRosenstein,thedeputyattorneygeneral,hasbeeninchargesincebeingsworninonApril
26astheJusticeDepartmentsNo.2leader.Thatsbecausehisboss,AttorneyGeneralJeff
Sessions,recusedhimself,havingcomeunderfirefornottellingCongressabouthiscontacts
withtheRussianambassadortotheU.S.duringTrumpscampaign.AttheFederalBureauof
Investigation,TrumpsfiringofJamesComeymeanshisdeputy,AndrewMcCabe,istheacting
directoratleastfornow.

HowlongwillMcCabeleadtheFBI?

NormallyhemightbeexpectedtoremainactingdirectoruntilTrumpnames,andtheSenate
confirms,asuccessortoComey.ButTrumpisclearlynofanofMcCabe,havingoncenoted
thatMcCabeswiferanforpublicofficeinVirginiaasaDemocrat.Anewtemporarydirector,
replacingMcCabe,couldbenamedatanytime.

Couldanindependentcounseltakeover?

Thatsnolongeranoption.InvestigationsintoBillClintonsfinancesandpersonalbehavior,and
intotheIranContraaffairthesecreteffortunderPresidentRonaldReagantoaidrightwing
guerrillasinNicaraguawithmoneyraisedfromthesaleofarmstoIranwerehandledby
"independentcounsels,"called"specialprosecutors"until1983.Theywerechosenbyapanel
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5/11/2017 Here'sWhatHappensNextToTheFBI'sRussianProbeAfterComey'sFiring

ofthreejudgesafteranattorneygeneraldeclaredaneedtobringinsomeonefromoutside
government.Butthatpositiondoesntexistanymorethelawauthorizingitwasallowedto
expirein1999.

Didanythingreplaceit?

Yes.Since1999,theJusticeDepartmenthashadtheauthoritytoappointa"specialcounsel"
fromoutsidegovernment"alawyerwithareputationforintegrityandimpartialdecision
making"totakeoveraninvestigationthatposesaconflictofinterestforthedepartment.A
specialcounselanswerstotheattorneygeneral,soisntfullyindependent,butissupposedto
"notbesubjecttothedaytodaysupervisionofanyofficialofthedepartment."

Howlikelyisaspecialcounselnow?

ThatsentirelyuptoRosenstein.PressedonthematterduringhisSenateconfirmationhearing
inMarch,hesaidhedwaittomakeadecisionuntilhewasfullyuptospeedonthe
investigation.TheleaderofSenateDemocrats,ChuckSchumer,hassaidRosenstein
"committedtomehewouldappointaspecialcounseltoconductthatinvestigationifoneis
required."

Source:ReutersandBloomberg

Congress DepartmentofJustice DismissalofUnitedStatesAttorneyscontroversy FBI

FederalBureauofInvestigation FederalBureauofInvestigation federalgovernment
Government House HouseofRepresentatives Iran JamesComey JusticeDepartment
Law Law LoyolaLawSchoolinLosAngeles Politics Prosecution Reuters RodJ.
Rosenstein Senate SouthernCalifornia Specialprosecutor Testimony U.S.Congress
UnitedStatesDepartmentofJustice UnitedStatesintelligenceagencies UnitedStatesOffice
oftheIndependentCounsel UnitedStatesSenate UniversityofSouthernCalifornia

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