During the Impeachment hearings, many Republicans referred to The Mueller Report and stated that it exonerated Donald Trump. Many other people feel the same way; that the Mueller Report found no Russian collusion by Trump.
However, let’s focus on facts, real facts.
Special counsel Robert Mueller stated that charging President Donald Trump with a crime was “not an option.” Mueller emphasized that he did not exonerate the president. He said that he believed such an action would be unconstitutional.
He also said that “If we had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.” To repeat, “we would have said so.”
Volume 1 of the report stated that Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election was illegal and occurred “in sweeping and systematic fashion,” but was welcomed by the Trump campaign as it expected to benefit from such efforts.
It also identifies links between Trump campaign officials and individuals with ties to the Russian government, about which several persons connected to the campaign made false statements and obstructed investigations. Mueller later stated that his investigation’s conclusion on Russian interference “deserves the attention of every American.”
Volume II of the report addresses obstruction of justice.
The investigation intentionally took an approach that could not result in a judgment, to repeat, “could not result in a judgment,” that Trump committed a crime, abiding by an Office of Legal Counsel opinion that a sitting president cannot stand trial, fearing that charges would affect Trump’s governing and preempt impeachment and feeling that it would be unfair to accuse Trump of a crime without charges or a trial.
As such, the investigation “does not conclude that the President committed a crime”; however, “it also does not exonerate him,” to repeat, “does not exonerate him,” with investigators not confident of Trump’s innocence, to repeat, “not confident of Trump’s innocence.”
The report describes 10 episodes where Trump could have obstructed justice while president and one before he was elected, noting that he privately tried to “control the investigation”.
Obstruction of justice
Regarding obstruction of justice, the report stated that the investigation “did not establish that the President was involved in an underlying crime related to Russian election interference”, but investigators wrote that obstruction of justice could still occur “regardless of whether a person committed an underlying wrong.”
Episodes of alleged obstruction
Trump campaign’s response to Russian support
President’s conduct in Michael Flynn investigation
President’s reaction to the FBI’s Russian investigation being publicized
Dismissal of James Comey
President’s efforts to remove the Special Counsel
President’s efforts to curtail the Special Counsel investigation
President’s efforts to prevent disclosures about Trump Tower meeting
President’s efforts to have Attorney General control investigation
President orders McGahn to deny reports
President’s conduct towards Flynn, Manafort, and “redacted name”
President’s conduct involving Michael Cohen
These are the facts. The Truth: Trump was not exonerated.
Alvin Goldberg
Great Neck
