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Transcript from www.nbcnews.com. It has been slightly annotated to improve formatting and readability.
“Head-lines” have been offered by the poster — as examples of what should have been “the News” from yesterday’s Mueller Testimony before Congress.
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The Mueller Report did NOT exonerate the president
NADLER:
So the report did not conclude that he did not commit obstruction of justice, is that correct?
MUELLER:
That is correct.
NADLER:
And what about total exoneration? Did you actually totally exonerate the president?
MUELLER:
No.
NADLER:
Now, in fact, your report expressly states that it does not exonerate the president.
MUELLER:
It does.
NADLER:
And your investigation actually found, quote, "multiple acts by the president that were capable of exerting undue influence over law enforcement investigations, including the Russian interference and obstruction investigations." Is that correct?
MUELLER:
Correct.
The Trump Campaign welcomed Russia’s Help, the Mueller Report finds.
SCHIFF:
In fact, the campaign welcomed the Russian help, did they not?
MUELLER:
I think we have - we report in our - in the report indications that that occurred, yes.
SCHIFF:
The president's son said when he was approached about dirt on Hillary Clinton that the Trump campaign would love it?
MUELLER:
That is generally what was said, yes.
SCHIFF:
The president himself called on the Russians to hack Hillary's emails?
MUELLER:
There was a statement by the president in those general lines.
SCHIFF:
Numerous times during the campaign the president praised the releases of the Russian-hacked emails through WikiLeaks?
MUELLER:
That did occur.
Mueller calls the Acceptance of Election Help from a Foreign Government: Unethical, a Crime, and Unpatriotic. And a gateway to Extortion.
SCHIFF:
Director Mueller, I want to close out my questions, turn to some of the exchange you had with Mr. Welsh a bit earlier. I'd like to see if we can broaden the aperture at the end of your hearing. From your testimony today I'd gather that knowingly accepting assistance from a foreign government is an unethical thing to do.
MUELLER:
And a crime.
SCHIFF:
And a crime.
MUELLER:
Given the circumstances.
SCHIFF:
And to the degree that it undermines our democracy and our institutions, we can also agree that it's unpatriotic.
MUELLER:
True.
SCHIFF:
And wrong.
MUELLER:
True.
SCHIFF:
The standard behavior of a presidential candidate, or any candidate for that matter shouldn't be merely whether something is criminal, it should be held to a higher standard, you would agree?
MUELLER:
I'm not going to answer that because it goes to the standards to be applied by other institutions besides ours.
SCHIFF:
I'm just referring to ethical standards. We should hold our elected officials to a higher standard than mere evidence of criminality, shouldn't we?
MUELLER:
Absolutely.
[...]
SCHIFF:
Because when someone acts unethically in connection with a foreign partner, that foreign partner can expose their wrongdoing and extort them.
MUELLER:
True.
Mueller indicates that Trump’s Written Answers were Untruthful
DEMINGS:
Director Mueller, isn't it fair to say that the president's written answers were not only inadequate and incomplete because he didn't answer many of your questions, but where he did his answers show that he wasn't always being truthful.
MUELLER:
There (ph) -- I would say generally.
[...]
Robert Mueller vouches that he has Never Once made a “Hiring Decision” on the basis of “political affiliation”
MUELLER:
Can I speak for a second to the hiring practices?
ARMSTRONG:
Sure.
MUELLER:
We strove to hire those individuals that could do that job.
ARMSTRONG:
OK.
MUELLER:
I have been in this business for almost 25 years, and in those 25 years I have not had occasion once to ask somebody about their political affiliation. It is not done. What I care about is the capability of the individual to do the job and do the job quickly and seriously and with integrity.
[...]
STANTON:
Some people have attacked the political motivations of your team, even suggested your investigation was a witch hunt. When you consider people to join your team, did you ever even once ask about their political affiliation?
MUELLER:
Never once.
STANTON:
In your entire career as a law enforcement official, have you ever made a hiring decision based upon a person's political affiliation?
MUELLER:
No.
This just in: The Mueller Investigation was NOT a “Witch Hunt” — and Russian Interference in our Elections is NOT a “Hoax” either — Despite what Trump might claim, falsely
SCHIFF:
And when Donald Trump called your investigation a witch hunt, that was also false, was it not?
MUELLER:
I'd like to think so, yes.
SCHIFF:
Well, your investigation is not a witch hunt. Is...
MUELLER:
It is not a witch hunt.
SCHIFF:
When the president said the Russian interference was a hoax, that was false, wasn't it?
MUELLER:
True.
Mueller agrees that: The Trump Campaign made use of the Russian Stolen emails as part of their Campaign “messaging strategy” — and then Lied to Cover-up that Acceptance of Help from a Foreign Government
SCHIFF:
When the president said he had no business dealings with Russia, in fact he was seeking to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, was he not?
MUELLER:
I think there — there are some questions about when this was accomplished.
SCHIFF:
You would consider a billion dollar deal to build a tower in Moscow to be business dealings, wouldn't you, Director Mueller?
MUELLER:
Absolutely.
SCHIFF:
In short, your investigation found evidence that Russia wanted to help Trump win the election, right?
MUELLER:
I think generally that would be accurate.
SCHIFF:
Russia informed campaign officials of that?
MUELLER:
I'm not certain to what conversation you're referring to.
SCHIFF:
Well, through an intermediary then informed Papadopoulos that they could help with the anonymous release of stolen emails?
MUELLER:
Accurate.
SCHIFF:
Russia committed federal crimes in order to help Donald Trump?
MUELLER:
When you're talking about computer crimes in the charge...
SCHIFF:
Yes.
MUELLER:
... in our case, absolutely.
SCHIFF:
The Trump campaign officials built their strategy — their messaging strategy around those stolen documents?
MUELLER:
Generally that's true.
SCHIFF:
And then they lied to cover it up.
MUELLER:
Generally, that's true.
Mueller agrees that: The Trump Campaign Chairman gave internal Polling Data to a Russian Asset, specifically describing 4 key Midwestern States.
CARSON:
In addition to the June 9th meeting just discussed, Manafort also met several time with a man named Konstantin Kilimnik, who the FBI assessed to have ties with Russian intel agencies. Is that right, sir?
MUELLER:
Correct.
CARSON:
In fact, Mr. Manafort didn't just meet with him; he shared private Trump campaign polling information with this man linked to Russian intelligence. Is that right, sir?
MUELLER:
That is -- that is correct.
CARSON:
And in turn, the information was shared with a Russian oligarch tied to Vladimir Putin. Is that right, sir?
MUELLER:
Allegedly.
CARSON:
Director Mueller, meeting with him wasn't enough. Sharing internal polling information wasn't enough. Mr. Manafort went so far as to offer this Russian oligarch tied to Putin a private briefing on the campaign. Is that right, sir?
MUELLER:
Yes, sir.
CARSON:
And finally, Mr. Manafort also discussed internal campaign strategy on four battleground states -- Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Minnesota -- with the Russian intelligence-linked individual. Did he not, sir?
MUELLER:
That's reflected in the report, as were the items you listed previously.
[...]
CARSON:
Well, I think it does, sir. I think it shows an infuriating lack of patriotism from the very people seeking the highest office in the land. Director Mueller, Manafort didn't share this information in exchange for nothing. Did he, sir?
MUELLER:
I can't answer that question without knowing more about the -- the question.
CARSON:
Well, it's clear that he hoped to be paid back money he was owed by Russian or Ukrainian oligarchs in return for the passage of private campaign information. Correct, sir?
MUELLER:
That -- that is true.
The Mueller Report does NOT clear the president of Obstruction — in fact the Report finds that: Trump “exerting undue influence over law enforcement investigations” instead
NADLER: [...] Director Mueller, the president has repeatedly claimed that your report found there was no obstruction and that it completely and totally exonerated him, but that is not what your report said, is it?
MUELLER:
Correct. That is not what the report said.
NADLER:
Now, reading from page 2 of Volume 2 of your report that's on the screen, you wrote, quote, "If we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the president clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state. Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, however, we are unable to reach that judgment," close quote. Now does that say there was no obstruction?
MUELLER:
No.
[...]
NADLER:
So the report did not conclude that he did not commit obstruction of justice, is that correct?
MUELLER:
That is correct.
NADLER:
And what about total exoneration? Did you actually totally exonerate the president?
MUELLER:
No.
NADLER:
Now, in fact, your report expressly states that it does not exonerate the president.
MUELLER:
It does.
NADLER:
And your investigation actually found, quote, "multiple acts by the president that were capable of exerting undue influence over law enforcement investigations, including the Russian interference and obstruction investigations." Is that correct?
MUELLER:
Correct.
And that’s just the half of it.
If there were any Justice left in the world, these outrages would already have Trump under Censure and Impeachment Inquiry.
Just ask this question: What if Barack Obama had done these things — what would the GOP’s reaction have been then?
What if Hillary had narrowly won the Electoral College, by such unpatriotic and unethical acts — would the Republicans-enablers in Congress, had dared to speak out and “protect the Constitution” THEN?
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With respect to:
“the Reading-challenged Public” mentioned in the post’s Title --
The Special Counsel Report documents it all.
Friday, Jul 26, 2019 · 2:58:06 AM +00:00 · jamess
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as just cited by Lawrence O’Donnell, as the most important statement yesterday:
DEMINGS:
Director Mueller, a couple of my colleagues right here wanted to talk to you or ask you about lies, so let's talk about lies. According to your report, page 9, Volume 1, witnesses lied to your offices and to Congress. Those lies materially impaired the investigation of Russia interference according to your report other than the individuals who plead guilty to crimes based on their lying to you and your team. Did other witnesses lie to you?
MUELLER:
I think there are probably a spectrum of witnesses in terms of those who are not telling the full truth and those who are outright liars.
DEMINGS:
Thank you very much, outright liars. It is fair to say then that there were limits on what evidence was available to your investigation of both Russia election interference and obstruction of justice.
MUELLER:
That's usually the case.
DEMINGS:
And that lies by Trump campaign officials and administration officials impeded your investigation?
MUELLER:
I would generally agree with that.
Here’s a headline:
Mueller concedes that the Conspiracy Investigation was IMPEDED BY Trump Campaign officials and Trump Administration Officials who Lied in their Testimony