The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“SPECIAL COUNSEL INVESTIGATION” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Senate section on pages S7199 on Nov. 29, 2018.
The Department is one of the oldest in the US, focused primarily on law enforcement and the federal prison system. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, detailed wasteful expenses such as $16 muffins at conferences and board meetings.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
SPECIAL COUNSEL INVESTIGATION
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, now, on another matter, the special counsel investigation.
To date, the special counsel's investigation has produced no less than 35 indictments or plea deals--35--and that does not include two additional guilty pleas of people initially investigated by Mueller but were handed off to other branches of the Justice Department.
Just this morning, Michael Cohen has pled guilty to lying to Congress about projects in Russia.
It is a reminder that there has been a remarkable volume of criminal activity uncovered by the special counsel's investigation. No one, especially not the President, can credibly claim that the investigation is a fishing expedition. Calling Mueller's investigation a witch hunt is just a lie--plain and simple, a lie.
The President's actions clearly show he has a lot to hide, that he is afraid of the truth, and doesn't want Mueller or anyone else to uncover it, but it hasn't stopped the President from repeating these lies. In fact, in recent days, President Trump has escalated his attack on Special Counsel Mueller. Almost daily, the President's Twitter feed is littered with baseless accusations about the investigation. President Trump retweeted an image of several of his political opponents, including Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein, behind bars. Can you believe that? The Deputy Attorney General behind bars? And this is the man--the President--our Republican colleagues refuse to call out against?
Just yesterday, President Trump said this about a potential pardon for Paul Manafort, now accused of lying to prosecutors and violating his plea agreement. He said:
I wouldn't take it off the table. . . . Why would I take it off the table?
That is a pardon.
Let's not forget, President Trump has already fired the Attorney General and replaced him with a lackey without Senate approval. The nominee's only qualification seems to be that he has a history of criticizing the special counsel.
So this idea that we don't need to pass legislation to protect the special counsel because there is no way President Trump will interfere with the investigation is flatout absurd.
I once again call on my friend the majority leader to schedule a vote on the bipartisan bill to protect the special counsel. If he continues to refuse, we will push for the bill in the yearend spending agreement.
I yield the floor.
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