Lawyer Said Rosenstein Gave Mueller “Secret Authorization” To Target Manafort Behind Sessions’ Back

Constitutional lawyer Robert Barnes said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein gave Special Counsel Robert Mueller “secret authorization” to target Paul Manafort without telling Attorney General Jeff Sessions, according to the Gateway Pundit.

In a series of tweets, Barnes detailed four major problems with Rosenstein usurping Sessions and giving Mueller access to target Manafort, who briefly served as Trump’s 2016 campaign chairman.

In his first tweet, Barnes uploaded a copy of the newly released memo dated Aug. 2, 2017, which gave secret authorization to Mueller to probe Manafort for crimes unrelated to Russia.

Thread: Legal analysis on problems w/ Rosenstein's purported "authorization" of #Mueller to investigate matters outside the time frame & subject matter of the 2016 campaign. Upshot: Rosenstein usurped Sessions's power & gave secret authorization to Mueller to witch-hunt Manafort. pic.twitter.com/dnAJx45KA9

— Robert Barnes (@Barnes_Law) April 3, 2018

Barnes said the first problem was that Rosenstein was serving as the “acting attorney general” only on Russia-related matters that Sessions had recused himself from.

When Sessions recused himself, Rosenstein was only authorized to oversee the DOJ investigation that specifically related to the 2016 presidential election.

Yet, Rosenstein approved Mueller’s requests to investigate matters dating back to 2006, which was more than a decade before the election.

Problem 1: Rosenstein was "acting attorney general" only on matters Sessions had recused himself. Sessions only recused himself from DOJ investigations of 2016 campaign. Yet, Rosenstein claimed to authorize Mueller to investigate matters dating back to 2006 & ending before 2016.

— Robert Barnes (@Barnes_Law) April 3, 2018

Barnes said the second issue was that Rosenstein’s original authorization of Mueller’s investigation was only for matters regarding Russia government collusion in the 2016 election.

So why was Manafort indicted for crimes related to Ukranian politics in 2006?

Problem 2: Rosenstein's original authorization of Mueller extended only to matters of "Russia government collusion" in 2016 campaign, not to internal Ukranian politics from 2006 & ended years before 2016 campaign. A special counsel cannot be continually used as a substitute AG.

— Robert Barnes (@Barnes_Law) April 3, 2018

The third problem he listed was that Rosenstein does not have the legal authority to oversee tax crimes. Barnes said only the Assistant Attorney General leading the U.S. Tax Division can authorize indictments of tax crimes.

Manafort was charged with a slew of tax crimes by Mueller, which was only made possible because Rosenstein authorized it.

Problem 3: Rosenstein does not have authorization over tax crimes. Only the Assistant Attorney General in charge of Tax Division can authorize indictments of tax crimes. Rosenstein could not authorize Mueller to look at tax crimes when Rosenstein himself never had that authority.

— Robert Barnes (@Barnes_Law) April 3, 2018

The final issue was that Rosenstein’s 2017 letter informs Mueller that he can only speak with Rosenstein for clarification on what the special counsel’s office can or cannot investigate.

If Rosenstein can only oversee Russia-related issues during the 2016 election, why is he telling Mueller to only report to him and not Sessions?

More importantly, why is he allowing Mueller to investigate and indict Manafort for tax crimes stemming back to 2006?

Problem 4: Rosenstein's letter tells Mueller only to look to Rosenstein for clarification of Mueller's authorization. Rosenstein is not the Attorney General of the United States, and could not monopolize supervision of Mueller for matters that did not relate to Sessions' recusal.

— Robert Barnes (@Barnes_Law) April 3, 2018

The memo was presented to the courts on Tuesday in response to a motion filed by Manafort.

Rosenstein authorized Mueller to investigate and indict Manafort for crimes clearly outside the scope of Sessions’ recusal.

He also gave Mueller “secret authorization” behind Sessions’ back that allowed Mueller even more power to go after Manafort.

There are very serious issues with Rosenstein’s secret letter and why he undermined Sessions, his boss and the head of the DOJ.