Mueller Report: Not Exactly Exoneration

Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation is now complete, and the report of the inquiry has been delivered. According to U.S. Attorney General William Barr, Mueller’s report stated that the investigation found no evidence of collusion between Donald Trump and Russia regarding interference with the 2016 presidential election.

Many have concluded, “No collusion, no crime, Trump is innocent, let’s move on.”

As Trump and his administration celebrated, Trump tweeted, “”No Collusion, No Obstruction, Complete and Total EXONERATION. KEEP AMERICA GREAT!”

But, said Barr, quoting Mueller’s report, “While this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.”

Still, Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein have determined that there was not sufficient evidence supporting prosecution of Trump for obstruction of justice in the ongoing investigation.

This does not mean that all investigation against Trump will cease, Americans can begin working together in harmony, and the remainder of Donald Trump’s presidency will proceed happily ever after.

Though Robert Mueller did not recommend any further indictments, we should keep in mind that most legal experts agree that a sitting president cannot be indicted, anyway. And though Mueller’s report concludes that no evidence was found regarding Trump’s collusion with Russia, evidence does show that Russia interfered with the 2016 U.S. presidential election. We should also remember that Robert Mueller’s investigation of Donald Trump was specifically directed at uncovering and determining criminal activity around election collusion with Russia.

Other investigations of Trump, independent of Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation, have been ongoing, and will continue. Congress, as well as other federal and state entities, are still investigating Trump and examining other activities around his 2016 presidential campaign, as well as looking into questionable business activities by Trump and the Trump Organization. It’s still possible that criminal charges against Trump could result from these investigations.

George Conway, in response to Robert Mueller’s report, tweeted, “Whatever happens this day or the next, or in this investigation or the next or the one after that, we should always remember this: We should expect far more from a president than merely that he not be provably a criminal beyond a reasonable doubt.”

The public may never see Robert Mueller’s full report. For Trump’s supporters, “No evidence of collusion” is a complete “win” for Trump. But for many others, we should, as Conway said, expect much more than a report stating that nothing was proven.

Trump claims ‘complete exoneration’ by Mueller report | DW News
[2019-03-25]

Trump: Mueller acted honorably in his investigation and report | Fox News [2018-03-25]