DOJ releases less redacted version of Mueller’s scope memo, reveals Flynn was investigated for violating LOGAN ACT

This afternoon the DOJ released a less redacted version of Robert Mueller’s scope memo, written by former DOJ deputy director Rod Rosenstein, which reveals that Mueller was tasked with investigating Michael Flynn of the age old Logan Act, among other things:

The key there is the portion in the red square, which says that Flynn is to be investigated for “Committing a crime or crimes by engaging in conversations with Russian government officials during the period of the Trump transition.” Remember, the lead agent who interviewed Flynn was satisfied that he hadn’t done anything wrong. And yet this becomes a legitimate part of the Mueller investigation?

Here’s more from Politico:

The Department of Justice has released a less redacted copy of a memo laying out the scope of former special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation to Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) after the Judiciary Committee chairman requested it.

The memo, “The Scope of Investigation and Definition of Authority,” was sent on Aug. 2, 2017, to Mueller by Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general at the time.

The unredacted bullet points include four names, beginning with former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page. It tasks Mueller with determining whether Page committed a crime by “colluding with Russian government officials” as they interfered in the 2016 election.

Mueller was also tasked with investigating whether former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort likewise colluded with the Russian government, whether he committed crimes related to his work in Ukraine, and whether he committed a crime by taking loans from a bank CEO who was pursuing a job in the Trump administration.

The memo makes the same collusion allegation regarding former Trump campaign volunteer George Papadopolous, and also asks Mueller to look into whether he was an unregistered agent of the government of Israel.

The memo asks Mueller to probe four questions regarding Michael Flynn, the former Trump national security adviser who was fired less than a month into the job: whether he committed crimes by talking to Russian government officials during the Trump transition, whether he lied to the FBI about contacts he had with the Russian government, whether he failed to report foreign contacts and income on his background investigation application and whether he did not properly register as an agent for the Turkish government.

Of course now we know this was based on what appears to be the targeting of Flynn by the FBI, something for which he still hasn’t been exonerated yet. Hopefully that exoneration is only days away, as is the results of John Durham’s investigation into the Russia probe.


Comment Policy: Please read our comment policy before making a comment. In short, please be respectful of others and do not engage in personal attacks. Otherwise we will revoke your comment privileges.