The House Judiciary Committee on Monday released the transcript of its interview with former U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman, who was ousted from his role leading the powerful Manhattan-based prosecutorial office last month.
I’m making popcorn, I’ll be right back.
https://twitter.com/emptywheel/status/1282796302229798913
On the same feed…
excellent graphic
I’m sure the number of quotes had to be pared down otherwise you couldn’t see the red line, or the white of the paper.
The money quote:
“I don’t know what the Attorney General’s motives were, but the irregular and unexplained actions by the Attorney General raised serious concerns for me,” Berman said. “In addition, the imposition of an acting United States attorney from outside of the office, as I explained, would necessarily delay and disrupt the ongoing investigations.”
Also this,
JUST IN: A NY judge has lifted the temporary restraining order on Mary Trump, the night before her book about the president is set to come out
I hope she hits the talk show circuit.
YES!!!
I pre-ordered the book, but really want to hear it from her.
Yeah, there’re no cleaning products, rectal lights or malaria drugs on there.
Whoa. Berman refuses to answer a question on whether he feels Barr has integrity. Which is an answer unto itself.
https://twitter.com/kyledcheney/status/1282803140207751171?s=21
Under repeated questioning from Castor, BERMAN repeatedly declines to answer whether he has concerns about Barr’s integrity.
I’m sure she’s trying to decide who gets the first interview—of dozens.
Matt Gaetz is hilariously stupid.
Mr. Gaetz. And why did you fear outsiders? What was the harm they were going to do, in your mind?
Mr. Berman. The problem with someone coming in as acting and bypassing the normal process of the deputy, the problem with that, it would inevitably cause disruption and delay in the ongoing investigations.
Mr. Gaetz. Which ongoing investigations were disrupted following your departure?
Mr. Berman. There was not a single investigation that was disrupted following my departure, because I only stepped down once I knew that Audrey Strauss, the deputy United States attorney, would be in charge.
Mr. Gaetz. Do you have any basis to testify to the committee today that Mr. Carpenito’s service would have disrupted a single investigation?
Mr. Berman. I just testified at length as to why it would have disrupted investigations.
Mr. Gaetz. But what is the evidence that he would have?
Mr. Berman. I can go through the points again, if you would like. Obviously, there’s no – because he was never appointed, I can’t point to an investigation that was impeded or delayed, because his appointment never occurred.
And more power to her.
Put your gas mask back on Gassy Gaetz.
Yeah, Gaetz totally got him: Prove the counterfactual Mr. Berman! Prove it!
So Trump has lost on the Bolton book, now the Mary Trump book, and will lose on the Andrew Weissmann book, when he files the inevitable lawsuit. Looks like that old dog can’t hunt anymore.
OK, it’s late in the day but remind me who the heck is Andrew Weissmann?
You keep focusing on his best qualities. . . .
One of Mueller’s best prosecutors, and a real stand-up guy.