CNN and NBC News reported Monday that special counsel Robert Mueller told Attorney General William Barr some three weeks ago that his report would not be conclusive on the question of whether Donald Trump obstructed justice.
CNN correspondent Laura Jarrett also reports that a definitive answer on obstruction was “not expected.” That means Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversaw most of the Russia investigation, had three weeks to plan for the summary they wrote in which they decided to unilaterally exonerate Trump, even though Mueller did no such thing. It’s also unclear whether they had access to the full range of evidence Mueller laid out in his report.