Mueller Report ‘mostly just regurgitated press stories’ – Republican Rep. Debbie Lesko
With Robert Mueller’s report partly relying on media stories to paint a picture of alleged obstruction, Republican Rep. Debbie Lesko asked the special counsel why she couldn’t have got a “$50 cable news subscription” instead.
Questioning Mueller at a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, Lesko (R-Arizona) ridiculed the notion that President Donald Trump impeded the former special counsel’s investigation.
“Were you ever fired Mr Mueller?” she asked, to which Mueller replied “No.”
“Were you allowed to complete your investigation unencumbered?” she continued. Mueller replied “Yes.”
Lesko: Were you fired by the president?Mueller: No.Lesko: Were you allowed to conduct and conclude your investigation unhindered?Mueller: Yes.
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) July 24, 2019
From there, Lesko chose a peculiar angle of attack to cast doubt on the second half of Mueller’s 440-page report. Outlining 10 potential cases of obstruction by the president, the report’s second half quotes mainstream media exposes more than 150 times to piece together an image of a president scrambling to prevent Mueller from doing his job.
Here's Rep Lesko suggesting that Mueller is biased because he cited the Washington Post and New York Times in footnotes more than Fox News pic.twitter.com/F8q990DCgq
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 24, 2019
“Rather than purely relying on the evidence provided by witnesses and documents, I think you relied a lot on media,” she said. “I’d like to know how many times you cited the Washington Post in your report.”
“Volume two is mostly regurgitated press stories,” she said. “Honestly, there’s almost nothing in volume two that I couldn’t already hear or know simply by having a $50 cable news subscription.”
Lesko was mocked by Democrats and the anti-Trump crowd for her line of questioning.
The biggest bombshell the Republicans have come up with is that Debbie Lesko somehow only pays $50 for cable.#MuellerHearing
— Nick Jack Pappas (@Pappiness) July 24, 2019
Rep Debbie Lesko is edging aside Matt Gaetz, Jim Jordan, and Louis Gohmert for dumbest insinuations of the day. She suggests that because Mueller report cited some news articles the whole investigation was a waste of time.
— Max Boot (@MaxBoot) July 24, 2019
Debbie Lesko: "Nobody but lawyers read footnotes."I hate how proud the @GOP is of their mediocrity.
— Elie Mystal (@ElieNYC) July 24, 2019
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