Thread by @JohnWHuber

Yesterday, Senator @ChuckGrassley wrote a letter about the Special Counsel's scope & power to Deputy AG Rosenstein

Grassley's not a happy bunny

And he drops a MOAB. Robert Mueller may have the ability to sign off his own FISA warrant requests to the FISC 💥

(HT to @Nick_Falco)

Here is the letter: judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/…

I support the Special Counsel and that shouldn't stop Congress from carrying out its oversight duties

You've been misleading the public, Congress and the courts about the Special Counsel's scope

You failed to comply with @TheJusticeDept regulations on appointing a Special Counsel, which require specific factual statements of what is to be investigated. Now you say you were *deliberately* vague, not cleaning it up in writing for months

(Or: @AndrewCMcCarthy was right)

Why did you rely on certain parts of @TheJusticeDept SC regulations, but ignore the ones about "conflicts of interest", alternatives to a SC & why an SC needed to be appointed at all?

(or: if you as DAG can properly supervise Mueller, why not use a regular US Attorney instead?)

You've been redacting and withholding without justification. Don't make me come over there

HONEY BADGER MODE: Rod, I think you're "pontificating" and, well, your position that the DOJ always withholds investigative material just ain't true. I'm going to compare you unfavourably to @Comey, that's how bad this is

I want the unredacted Aug 2017 memo to Mueller you that you just gave to Judge Ellis. And I want to know why you waited until then to write it. I also want to know why Mueller was handed a @Comey counterintelligence operation instead of a criminal investigation

Rod, meet woodshed #questions

MOAB 💥💥💥

Rod, have you REALLY delegated to SC Mueller the powers of the Attorney General to sign FISA warrant requests to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court? ON HIS OWN?

Why did you not answer this question when we asked you in person? I like letters, but DAMN, son!

Does Mueller have almost unrestricted access to Intelligence Community tools while he is supposed to be carrying out a regular criminal investigation?

What are Mueller's limits, because I'm at my limit right now. We're done here. Bye.

Memo to self: don't make @ChuckGrassley angry, you wouldn't like him when he's angry

/ENDS