Robert Mueller: Who is He?

Special Investigator Robert Mueller is no stranger to the Intelligence Community and no stranger to the FBI.  Many Americans have either never seen the man or do not remember his work as the FBI Director who served immediately before James Comey.  America is about to get to know him well as he now heads the investigation into Russia connections and purported interference in the 2016 election and also possible collusion with the Trump Campaign. 

Mueller was born in New York City and raised in Philadelphia. After attending St. Paul’s, a private school in Concord, NH, Mueller studied at Princeton University (B.A., 1966). He served as a Marine Corps officer for three years, including one year in Vietnam, and was awarded the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.  He next pursued a master’s degree in international studies from New York University and earned his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Though Mueller had worked in private law practices in San Francisco, Boston, and Washington, D.C., he left each position for work in public law enforcement.  As the assistant attorney general for the criminal division of the Department of Justice (1990–93), he led the prosecution of the men held responsible for the December 1988 bombing of PanAm 103.  Among his various other appointments, he served as U.S. attorney in two regions: the District of Massachusetts (Boston, 1986–87) and the Northern District of California (San Francisco, 1998–2001).    In his years investigating everything from street-corner crimes to terrorist bombings and bank fraud, Mueller established himself as a law enforcer who emphasized the government’s responsibility “to protect its citizens from criminal harm within the framework of the Constitution.”

However, even while U.S. Attorney in San Francisco, there were questions of his part in purported coverups in the Oklahoma City bombing, Waco, and Ruby Ridge evidence by changing the rules of evidence so that the FBI and prosecution did not have to share as much evidence with defense attorneys in the cases as would have been required in the past.  He changed the Brady rules of evidence in concert with the U.S. prosecutor Beth Wilkinson in the McVeigh and Nichols case who had assumed a position in the same department at Department of Justice that Mueller had worked earlier.  Mueller was brought into D.C. to head the transition team for Attorney General John Ashcroft at the beginning of the Bush 43 Administration.  Mueller did such a superb job that Ashcroft personally nominated Mueller to Bush for FBI director.  He was appointed FBI Director in September of 2001.

There were many FBI matters under Mueller that prompted various allegations of wrongdoing.  Some even resulted in Congressional investigations.  Congress investigated Mueller’s and the FBI’s handling of memos from FBI agents Coleen Rowley and Ken Williams before the 9/11 attacks about the Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda connections to hijacker pilots training in the U.S.  Mueller worked closely at several points with Larry Potts, the former Deputy Director of the FBI, who was kicked out of the FBI for lying about the FBI having Vickie Weaver murdered.

Investigations into the financial holdings of Director Robert Mueller before and after his FBI service reveal astounding conflicts of interest. These relationships would have stopped anyone else from being offered the top law enforcement job in the country.  Just as James Comey did, Mueller in private business after leaving the FBI made millions.  Mueller served a 12-year term as chief counsel for London-based bank HSBC which was exposed in 2016 for sheltering $100 billion in client funds in murky offshore tax havens populated by drug dealers, money launderers, and arms traffickers.  Mueller’s salary went from $1.8 million in 2001 to $7.0 million in 2011.

Mueller held Defenders Multi-Strategy Hedge Fund LLC and Mellon Optima L/S Strategy Fund LLC. These “funds of funds” invest in other hedge funds.  Mueller’s exclusive funds were not open to the public. The minimum investment in several of the funds of funds is $10,000,000. But as HSBC whistleblower Hervé Falciani revealed in 2015, many are secret havens for money laundering, arms trafficking, and tax evasion.  Both Mueller hedge funds were managed by Mellon Bank of New York (BNY). No less than ten (10) BNY directors were shared between Mueller’s Defenders and Mellon Optima funds. Tellingly, the FBI never prosecuted any of these BNY Ponzi schemers associated with Mueller’s Defenders hedge fund or James Comey’s actions with Bridgewater.

Thoughts on Mueller

It seems odd that Mueller’s work both before and after the FBI seems to parallel that of his successor at the Bureau:  James Comey.  And both had issues with marginal activities they were involved in while heading the FBI.  Those facts surprised many when Mueller was named as Special Investigator on the Russia matters by the acting Attorney General.  Why?  Potential conflict of interest.

Also, typically in such a high profile investigation that begins as a political case has the possibility of becoming a criminal case.  Because of that, a prosecutor will carefully guard all potential evidence, protect obvious and potential witnesses from the possibilities of actions that may result in their testimony or evidence obtained from them during an investigation being disallowed in potential criminal action that may result.  It was shocking that Mueller would even allow Comey to testify before Congress for those very reasons.

There is no doubt in my mind that there has been specific and in-depth discussions and planning between Mueller and Comey setting up what will be offered to the Senate Intelligence Committee next week in the Comey testimony.  You can bet there is a master plan, and that plan has more than one purpose.  I feel strongly the testimony can be happening to potentially let Comey come clean and basically confess to some wrongdoing.  His doing so would likely (because of pending immunity or even because of that testimony confirming self incrimination that would definitely eliminate any possible criminal prosecution later as it did for Lt. Colonel Oliver North in the Iran-Contra Affair under Reagan) clear Comey from any past or present indiscretions on his part that may be revealed.

Why would Mueller allow it?  Remember:  Mueller and Comey worked in some of the same places and while there had similar major financial windfalls that fell under suspicion.  Comey you can bet knows all about them and could bury his FBI Director predecessor with knowledge of where all of the skeletons are.  THEY may have cut a deal with each other!

Conclusion

Folks, it’s Washington D.C.  The Potomac Swamp is full of snakes and alligators and bad people who will do just about anything to accomplish just about anything.  If it hasn’t been clear to you in the past, this may clear the picture up for you in the upcoming week:  People in government in D.C. don’t think, talk, or act like most people who don’t live there.  There is a definite “alternate reality” in Washington.  How else can you explain the craziness we see and hear each and every day from the mouths of those who are supposed to be the experts at governing our nation?

Buckle in:  if you think it’s been a wild ride up to now, wait until you see what happens on this one!