I have a hard time understanding why Mueller reached any conclusion re foreign conspiracy (or campaign finance felonies), when he didn’t interview Trump or Trump Jr. , and had evidence like the Trump Tower meeting and email, and the Manafort-Kilimnik meeting — for which even Manafort was not even indicted.
Of course, Trump is lying about “no collusion,” as Jamess points out in his diary. The Mueller Report DID NOT say that. But he is not lying that Mueller concluded there was no chargeable crime despite all the collusion. Not just against Trump, but Jr., Manafort, Kushner, and Kilimnik too.
As to Trump, Mueller could have used the OLC as a shield on conspiracy as he did on obstruction.
He could have said he could not reach any conclusion because of insufficient evidence.
But he reached a conclusion on the incomplete evidence he had, e.g., He reached a conclusion on state of mind without interviewing Junior or Trump.
We can and should point out all the damning evidence of meetings, contacts etc. with Russia. But it still falls into the category “if you’re explaining you’re losing.”
Why exonerate when you admit the investigation wasn’t concluded? I don’t buy that waiting for the Courts to rule on Trump would take too much time. Why not say in the report that non-cooperation led to him being unable to reach a conclusion?
Either Rosenstein/Barr cut Mueller short or I’m afraid Mueller for whatever reason wrote a report that Trump could say exonerated him, and to some extent be right.
What are the consequences?
- Trump crowing “exoneration!”
- A rationale for the “investigation of the investigation.”
- In effect, legalizing what the Trump campaign did as to foreign campaign interference.
Below are three excerpts from a thread Armando @Armandokos wrote yesterday.
I hope he’s wrong.
5/14/19, 8:33 AM
I finally read the Mueller Report and I’m surprised how little commentary there is on the fact that Mueller declares “collusion “ with a foreign government for election purposes legal if you don’t specifically know it is illegal. I mean Mueller exonerated Manafort on this! /1
5/14/19, 8:36 AM
Consider this - Mueller recounts the facts that Jr, Jared and Manafort knew that they were meeting with reps of the Russian government who were offering them things of value in clear violation of campaign finance law - and Mueller says that there wasn’t evidence of scienter./3
5/14/19, 8:40 AM
I’m more convinced than ever that Mueller was scared of Trump. That’s why he came up with this complete bullshit analysis. Sorry Mueller Stans- I call bs. Mueller chickened our. Period.
|