(May 16 column by Quin);
Attorney General William Barr has the right idea for investigating the investigators.
Even for those of us who think some Trumpian fulminations about a “deep state” trying to undermine Trump’s campaign or presidency have reached ludicrous proportions, the appointment of experienced federal prosecutor John Durham to investigate it all looks necessary, proper, and wise.
Durham has a record as a superb and trusted prosecutor. He is charged with probing issues that are quite serious, even if not an “attempted coup” or whatever other poppycock Trump’s slavish minions are claiming it was.
We know the controversial “Steele dossier” that played a role in catalyzing the Trump-Russia investigation was largely bogus. We know that the investigation predated it and was nowhere near entirely reliant on it, but we also know it was misused for partisan, anti-Trump purposes even after its allegations were very much in doubt.
We know that Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz has blasted former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, and that former FBI lawyers Lisa Page and Peter Strzok exhibited horrendous anti-Trump bias in the course of the Russia investigation. And we know that the Trump team was subjected to some forms of surveillance that were at least somewhat unusual and perhaps more sinister than that.
In short, no matter what Democrats and their media sycophants might say, there is plenty of reason to investigate the whole rat’s nest for possible illegality. No prosecutors, ever, should be allowed to use their powers for nakedly political purposes.
On the flip side, just as what occurred a quarter century ago after the suicide of Clinton-family intimate Vince Foster, there are so many breathless “deep state” conspiracy theories flying around that only a thorough, formal, careful, professional investigation can separate fact from folderol….
[The rest of the column is here.]
