Giuliani Urges Suspension of Mueller's Russia Probe in Wake of Watchdog Report
The Department of Justice Inspector General’s report that disclosed widespread anti-Trump bias is reason enough to halt special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into President Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, one of Trump’s lawyers, said Thursday.
Giuliani made the case that the report proves the Mueller team is infested with the same bias that the DOJ’s top watchdog found was rampant in the FBI’s investigation of Hillary Clinton.
“I believe that (Deputy Attorney General) Rod Rosenstein and (Attorney General) Jeff Sessions have a chance to redeem themselves and that chance comes about tomorrow. It doesn’t go beyond tomorrow,” Giuliani said during his appearance on the Fox News show “Hannity.”
The report, which can be read at the Justice Department’s website, depicted a pervasive culture of bias against Trump at the FBI and Justice Department. The report did not dispute the findings of the year-long investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while she was secretary of state, but said that the rampant bias was a threat to the public’s ability to trust the nation’s top law enforcement officials.
Some individuals mentioned in the report have had roles in the Mueller investigation.
For example, FBI special counsel Lisa Page and FBI Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok sent anti-Trump text messages, including one in which Strzok, talking about Trump potentially being elected president, wrote, “We’ll stop it.”
Strozek at one point worked on the Mueller investigation.
An FBI attorney who spent time on the Mueller investigation texted, “Viva le resistance” after Trump was elected president, the report said.
“Tomorrow, Mueller should be suspended and honest people should be brought in, impartial people to investigate these people like Strzok,” Giuliani told host Sean Hannity. “Strzok should be in jail by the end of next week.”
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the report “reaffirmed the president’s suspicions about Comey’s conduct and the political bias amongst some of the members of the FBI.”
During his appearance on “Hannity,” Giuliani said he was speaking for himself and not Trump.
He said Trump’s criticism of the investigation Mueller is heading has been justified.
“We are way beyond Hillary Clinton. We now have an investigation that in the words of President Donald Trump from the very beginning has been a fix, a frame-up and a witch-hunt. It was led by Peter Strzok, who is disgraceful and even for the present director of the FBI to have him there tomorrow would be disgraceful. Every FBI agent should demand that that man be fired and tomorrow Mueller should suspend his investigation,” Giuliani said, according to Real Clear Politics.
Giuliani said the report shows the Mueller investigation is every bit as tainted as the Clinton one.
“I feel that this whole thing has made fools of all of us. I mean, they think we are idiots. We supplied 1.4 million documents. We supplied 32 witnesses. No privilege arguments. And who are we supplying them to?” he asked.
Giuliani then answered his own question, drawing upon the report.
“People who have already concluded to frame Donald Trump, agents who started a phony Russia investigation. That’s the whole core of this. That’s why the investigation should be suspended. And I am talking for myself now, not the president. But I believe he would agree with this. A very serious investigation has to be done of the FBI agents at the very top by FBI agents who are honest in order to prosecute them,” Giuliani said.
Giuliani said the report showed vast misconduct, including large numbers of FBI personnel talking to the media and agents taking tickets to sporting events.
“That’s called bribery where I come from. They took tickets to games,” he said. “FBI agents selling out and leaking like sieves and then the statement of Strzok, ‘We’re going to stop Donald Trump.’ And he is put in charge the Russia investigation?
“And the guy who should be head of this RICO case is Jim Comey because he is the guy who created this atmosphere in the Justice Department,” he added. “He’s the reason Strzok was able to operate, Page was able to operate.”
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