Discussion: Loretta Lynch To Accept Prosecutors' Call On Clinton Email Case

[captaincommonsense]

@normankelley

No, it isn’t. Imagine a well-connected husband of an accused woman going to speak to the administrative judge of the court overseeing the prosecution of the man’s wife. Or such a man going to see the administrative prosecutor of the department that is handling the investigation. It may be innocent or may not be, but Lynch should have said no to his invitation or recorded the 30-minutes.

This is bad form, and it basically underscores what many Americans feel about the administration of justice in the US; the well-connected can do what they want and the rest of us get the hammer. Don’t be surprised if Lynch gets called before the Senate Judiciary committee and grilled about it; she should. It was a dumb idea for Atty. Gen. Lynch to have allowed Bill Clinton to board her plane for a 30-minute conversation while the Justice Dept. is investigating his wife. It gives the appearance of impropriety, and special access.

I don’t agree.

[bradbennett]

@normankelley

…an accused woman going to speak to the administrative judge of the court overseeing the prosecution of the man’s wife. Or such a man going to see the administrative prosecutor of the department that is handling the investigation.

Neither of which are relevant to this “story”. Are you not clear on the responsibilities of the US Attorney General? Lynch is neither the judge or the prosecutor (and of course no charges have actually been brought).

[old_curmudgeon]

This should not have needed to be said–of course the AG would follow the advice of career investigators and prosecutors in a matter involving a presidential candidate. That this is front-page news is evidence how how dumb Bill Clinton (and Loretta Lynch) were to have their meeting.

I’ve got to wonder whether Bill harbors some unconscious desire for Hillary to lose.

[maxaroo]

“Both Lynch and Comey have stressed for months that the email investigation is being handled without regard for politics. But the meeting between Lynch and Bill Clinton caused an immediate political backlash, prompting renewed calls from Republicans for an independent prosecutor.”

The thing I don’t understand is, if Hillary is so anti-gun, why did she shoot Vince Foster? And Ambassador Stevens, for that matter?

[bradbennett]

As always, conservatives only project what their behavior would be in the same situation.

It’s the conservative way!

[va_dawg]

@sonsofares

Our Media Glitterati have a narrative to push, and since they’re nostalgic for the 90s, everything is a scandal waiting to happen. A demonstration of “the Clinton way,” and then marveling at “look how negative Hillary’s numbers are!” when it’s all they push.

I honestly think they’re just terrified of Faux and Limpbaugh and the fact that the media sector in general is getting slaughtered economically.

[centristdem]

Former President Clinton compromised the Attorney General of the United States. This was another unforced error by the former president. This conversation was unseemly and, once again, placed Secretary Clinton in a very difficult position. When will he learn?

[baffie2]

That could very well be true, but just once I would like him to show good judgment. This is not one of his strong suits.

[lizzymom]

You can say that again. And again. And again.

[humpback]

Special prosecutor? I hear Ken Starr is available, and he has a lot of background already.

[hahagoodman]

Dog bites man.
Film at 11

[brooklyndweller]

Former Pres. Clinton should have just spit in her face and walked off.

That would have shown impartiality.

[humpback]

@old_curmudgeon

how dumb Bill Clinton (and Loretta Lynch) were to have their meeting.

Oh, pish. This whole tempest is nothing.

Hey, did you know that Loretta Lynch’s boss is President Obama, and that Hillary Clinton herself (never mind her spouse) went over Lynch’s head and talked directly to Obama!

The horror!

[ralph_vonholst]

The FBI needs to finish this investigation up and draw their conclusions; charges or no charges; with all due alacrity. It’s been many months since it started. A couple of months ago, Comey said he felt a lot of pressure to finish it up. Fair enough, but that was two months ago! Just get on with it.

[ignoreland]

@normankelley

Don’t be surprised if Lynch gets called before the Senate Judiciary committee and grilled about it

Would that be the Republican-controlled Judiciary Committee that can’t even find time to talk to a SCOTUS nominee. Yeah, they will make time to disrupt the working processes of the Justice Department.

And as silly as the whole thing is, it is about “optics”. We talk about Trump’s off the cuff craziness, but we have to admit that in this campaign climate any action without consideration of consequences has consequences. Now, had Lynch and Clinton invited other people on the plane to listen in on the conversation, and those people refuted any idea of attempted influence, the would be a non-story. We can say the AP are biased fuckups, but we don’t have a platform to discredit them unless the people who can discredit them come forward.

[hoagie]

Yes, calling this a “meeting” is just spreading the crap on the bread. It was a chance encounter and Bill can’t help but say hey to everyone he knows.

[professorpoopypants]

Sure would be nice if the FBI was able to wrap up their investigation soon. (Not saying they should hurry it, just saying it sure would be nice if they are just about done.)

Hillary’s not going to get indicted, because there’s nothing to indict her for.

Trump and the GOP are going to say that not indicting her was a political decision by the Obama administration and that it reflects special treatment for Hillary (“anyone else would have been prosecuted” blah blah blah).

They were always going to say that, Bill Clinton’s chat with Loretta Lynch doesn’t change that strategy one bit.

But it does provide Trump and the GOP with a handy talking point, and as such, it wasn’t a great idea on Bill’s part.

Basically I’d call it a minor “optics” error, which will probably make little to no difference in the way the whole thing plays out, but one that we will nonetheless be hearing a lot about from Trump and the GOP, because they have so little to work with, and much of it is even weaker than this.

[cmj]

it wasn’t a meeting and it wasn’t a “request.” It was just a man who walked over from one airplane to the other to say hello.

[tflick]

@captaincommonsense

As opposed to…doing what?

Exactly. This story is stating what was always going to be the case.

[reggid]

What an unnecessary statement. She shouldn’t comment AT ALL, but if she must say something about the case, just say that she, like all her prosecutors, will do the jobs they have sworn to do based on the evidence and the law and nothing else, period, end of discussion. It’s her job to exercise her judgment and her discretion, just as it is for the prosecutors under her.