Robert Mueller on Robert Mueller
Robert Mueller has finally spoken, and says his statement today is his final word on the subject:
CNN:
Special counsel Robert Mueller said in a rare and remarkable public statement Wednesday that charging President Donald Trump was not an option his office could consider.
Mueller, speaking from the Justice Department, said he’s closing the special counsel’s office and returning to private life.
This is his first public statement regarding the investigation.“It’s important the office’s written work speaks for itself,” Mueller said about his report, which was delivered in March to Attorney General William Barr.
The statement is being delivered amid political disputes about the findings of Mueller’s investigation, particularly regarding whether President Donald Trump obstructed justice.
The White House got a heads up Tuesday night that Mueller would likely deliver a statement on Wednesday about the Mueller investigation, according to a senior administration official, who added that the White House is going to wait until after his remarks to comment.
1. If we’d found evidence that made us confident that the President did not commit a crime, we’d have explicitly exonerated him. You’ll notice we did not do that.
2. We could not charge the President with violating the law, because of DOJ policy. So we didn’t charge him with a crime. Instead, we gave you the facts as we found them.
3. It’s up to you all to put #1 and #2 together, and that needs to be done in the forum identified for that by the Constitution.
4. The Russians systematically interfered in the 2016 elections and you all need to CARE about that. Start caring about that.
That’s a couple of nice slow ones right over the plate to you, Madam Speaker…Report
“If we’d found evidence that made us confident that the President did not commit a crime, we’d have explicitly exonerated him.”
Yes. Yes! We need more prosecutors to do this!Report
I think that would be a first for prosecutors. They’ve never exonerated anybody up to this point in history.Report
It’s amazing. We have a investigator playing it close to the vest and not going all out to throw every charge possible, who seems to be scrupulous in following the highest standard of the law as he sees it. It’s broken peoples brains because the report screams about violations and concerns but without a prosecutor making the case the see/hear no evil crew just keeps on seeing/hearing nothing. And the Dem pols,most of them, want Mueller to do all the work for them, instead of making the obvious argument with 400+ pages of evidence in their hand.Report
I think there are a few things are going on. Biden is campaigning on the idea that Trump is in “aberration” and that once he is gone, the GOP will return to normal, and the parties will meet and confer in good faith and there will be compromise and bills will go forward.
There are lots of Democrats (myself included) that do not think Trump is an aberration but think the GOP has become a revolutionary, Bolshevik Party (LeeEsq’s term) and they will never compromise or surrender. The nilihism will continue apace and even if Trump is soundly defeated, the quasi to actually authoritarian rhetoric and tactics he uses (like giving Barr carte blanche to launch an investigation into the Russian investigation and release documents as he sees fit.)
There are also lots of things Trump is doing to defy Congressional will like the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia. McConnell just proved his complete hypocrisy re Supreme Court nominees.
To the Democrats (like me) who think the GOP does nothing but operate in bad-faith and are radicalized nihilists openly and brazenly saying the quiet parts loud, people like Mueller and Biden (more Biden) sound like they need to learn “Denial is not just a river in Egypt.”Report
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere’s Justin!
Report
Bob Loblaw Lobs Lawbombs.Report
I’m really not clear on why he doesn’t want to testify. Because he’ll be badgered to go further, to say more?
I’d be happy with putting him on camera, just going over the stuff in the report and having him break it down and make it easy to understand for the average person. One would think he’d be on board with that. Apparently not?Report
It’s not the Democrat questions that probably have him worried. The Republicans will also get to grill him, and he might find that extremely unpleasant, and potentially self-incriminating. So it seems he is wisely trying to exercise the option to get out of town as quickly as possible.Report
Well he’s a remarkable civil servant; that’s for sure.Report
Does Gary Condit have an opinion? Yes! Yes, he does.
Report
Is there a single true sentence in there?Report
I’m pretty sure that Condit didn’t kill Chandra Levy, for what it’s worth.Report
Me too, but I don’t think the DOJ accused him of it.Report
He was never indicted?
My goodness, if I hadn’t googled it, I would have sworn I remembered an indictment.
He was just a “Person of Interest” for several months (years) allowing everybody else to assume that he was being accused by the DOJ.
(For what it’s worth, I’m sure he *FELT* accused by the DOJ.)Report
So the Feds released a phone transcript in the Flynn case where Trump’s personal lawyer asked Flynn for a heads up about any incriminating info about Trump and made a point to remind Flynn that Trump has always liked him (insert 100 obvious winks). Nothing to see here move along, this is only the base level of obstruction, not anything really big.Report