Much of the discussion on dailykos about the Trump transition team GSA emails have focused on the backstory, Trump’s lawyers’ letter to congress and how screwed Trump and his minions must be with Mueller inside information on their deliberations (if you can call it that). In the midst of all this, I think the diaries and comments on the hubbub over Mueller’s capture of Trump’s transition team emails have missed a very telling statement from Peter Carr, the Special Counsel’s spokesman:
When we have obtained emails in the course of our ongoing criminal investigation, we have secured either the account owner’s consent or appropriate criminal process.
The quote is almost an afterthought at the very end of the Buzzfeed article, which has fueled the discussion here, although Chris Geidner, the article’s author, highlights it in a tweet.
Since the Special Counsel apparently didn’t ask the account owner’s permission to obtain the emails (unless you consider the GSA, not the Trump team, the owner), the implication is clearly that the Special Counsel is looking at the emails as part of criminal investigation. I don’t think Mueller — or most other government officials involved in this — have characterized the investigation in such stark terms. But here you have it from the horse’s mouth. They have good reason to think crimes were committed and that the Trump transition was either party to the crimes or had knowledge of them.
Breaking: The White House denizens have just upped their order for adult diapers.