ONE OF THESE DAYS THESE BOOTS ARE GONNA

Here’s a short take on the significance of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s decision to empanel a grand jury to investigate the Russian election hack.  It comes from a Twitter user whose handle is “BeleaguredPopehat.” I’ve combined his tweets into paragraphs to make it easier to read.

“This is big.  Here’s why.  The Biggitude isn't necessarily that there's a crime, or that Mueller thinks that there is one or may be one.  The Biggitude is the procedural/investigative significance of starting up a grand jury investigation and what it suggests he'll do.”

“This suggests he can, and will, compel witnesses to appear to testify. That will either yield (secret) grand jury testimony or it will yield a cascade of invocations of the Fifth, cooperation negotiations, and the like. Or both. Moreover particularly with judgmentally challenged people, this phase increases pressure and thus dumb new crimes -- obstruction, perjury, etc.”

“Plus you've got your grand jury subpoenas for documents, which tend to leak and similarly drive dumb/self-defeating reactions.  With sensible, prudent, obedient clients, this is gravely dangerous. With this crew . . . well. Hold their beer.”

“It addition, it reflects that Mueller believes there's a certain level of "there" there to justify a GJ investigation. However, with even the most justifiably esteemed prosecutor, that belief is not worthy of uncritical acceptance. Prosecutors gotta prosecute.”

One other fun fact:  In 2014, The Washington Post reported that federal grand juries issued indictments 99% of the time. 

All those high powered attorneys who left good jobs to join Mueller’s team?  They didn’t do it because they thought there was no “there” there.  This isn’t a nothingburger.  It’s a somethingburger.  Exactly what that “something” is remains to be seen, but it’s going to be seriously bad news for Donald Trump.

This Vox link is a couple weeks old, but it's a nice overview of the legal issues around Mueller's investigation:  https://www.vox.com/world/2017/7/24/16008272/robert-mueller-fbi-trump-russia-explained