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Matt Whitaker appears to be singing a different tune this time around … no longer is he the die-hard staunch supporter of Trump-teriffic; no longer is he willing to go down with the floundering Trump-ship ...
Jerry Nadler: Matt Whitaker "did not deny" that Trump tried to meddle in Michael Cohen case
House Judiciary chair says Whitaker changed his story on Trump, Cohen in private meeting. Republicans disagree
by Igor Derysh, Salon.com — March 14, 2019
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Nadler told reporters Wednesday that Whitaker “did not deny” that Trump called him to discuss the prosecution of his longtime attorney Michael Cohen and whether or not to fire federal prosecutors involved in the case. The closed-door meeting came after Nadler requested that Whitaker clarify the answers he gave at a public hearing last month when he refused to discuss his conversations with Trump about the Cohen case. Whitaker has since left the Justice Department.
Nadler said that Whitaker “did not deny” that he spoke with Trump about Cohen’s case and “whether to fire one or more U.S. attorneys.”
Nadler said Whitaker was also involved in conversations about Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman, who recused himself from the Cohen case, and “whether the Southern District [of New York] went too far in pursuing the campaign finance case in which the president was listed as Individual Number 1.”
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Obstruction, thy name is Donald Trump — but apparently it is no longer Matt Whitaker, if his abrupt resignation from his cushy ‘soft landing’ follow-up job at the DOJ, is any additional indication:
Trump's one-time acting attorney general Matt Whitaker quits Justice Department completely as William Barr takes the reins
by Associated Press; www.dailymail.co.uk, 4 March 2019
Former acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker has left the Justice Department. His last day was Saturday.
Whitaker was replaced last month when William Barr was confirmed as attorney general.
He became a counselor in the associate attorney general's office.
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In one of his final acts as acting attorney general, Whitaker testified before the House Judiciary Committee where combative Democratic lawmakers pressed him on whether he had tried to interfere with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into whether Trump's campaign colluded with Russia. [back on Feb 8, 2019].
Whitaker denied any interference and said he had not talked to Trump about the probe. Trump has denied colluding with Russia, and has repeatedly called Mueller's investigation a 'witch hunt.'
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Whitaker must have talked to a real Constitutional Lawyer since his first clown-show appearance before the Congress. A Lawyer who informed him in no uncertain terms that he was ‘on the hook’ too, for Perjury and Obstruction after that pathetic attempt to stonewall the Congress, a month ago.
What else explains his abrupt about-face this time around, according to Jerry Nadler.
What else explains his abrupt resignation, suddenly cutting ties with all things stained by the Trump-taint.
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Maybe Matt saw what just happened to Manafort, and did the equivalent math in his own case. Maybe Matt Whitaker came to the conclusion, that no way was he taking the rap for the reverse-Midas Trump, when all he wanted was to raise his own (money-grubbing) profile.
Consider it “raised” Matthew. You’re now a house-hold name, you buffoon. Just like your mercurial mentor. And not in a good way.
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