FACT: Lindsey Graham Under Investigation For Campaign Finance Violations And Ties To Russia, DCTribune July 18, 2019
1. Why didn’t you subpoena the president?
THE CONTEXT
The Mueller report says his prosecutors did not want to delay the investigation at a late stage with a subpoena fight that could drag on. They also thought they had “substantial” information from other witnesses that allowed them to assess the president’s actions. Nonetheless, not subpoenaing Mr. Trump was one of Mr. Mueller’s most controversial decisions because it arguably allowed the president to evade hard questions without real political damage.
Read Appendix C-2 of the report »
4. If Mr. Trump were an ordinary citizen, would you have found that there was sufficient evidence to charge him with obstruction of justice?
After the 46th President is sworn in on Jan. 20th, 2021 #TrumpCuffs
THE CONTEXT
This is probably the most burning question for Mr. Mueller, but good luck getting him to answer it. His report cites a 2000 opinion by the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel which states that a sitting president cannot be criminally charged. Given that, the prosecutors never analyzed whether the evidence against Mr. Trump amounted to a prosecutable case. Still, one would assume the team discussed it, at least informally.
6. Did you intend for your report to serve as a referral for Congress for possible impeachment proceedings?
THE CONTEXT
The report says that accusing the president of a crime would not only inhibit the president’s ability to govern, but could “potentially pre-empt constitutional processes for addressing presidential misconduct.” A footnote cites the Constitution’s impeachment clauses. One interpretation is Mr. Mueller felt it was his job to gather evidence, and Congress’s job to decide whether and how to hold Mr. Trump accountable.
Read Vol. 2, Page 1 of the report »
8. During your investigation, did you see any evidence to support Mr. Barr’s suspicions that federal investigators bent rules to go after Trump?
THE CONTEXT
Mr. Barr is pushing forward with his review of the origins of the Russia investigation. He has said he wants to know how “the bogus narrative” began “that Trump was essentially in cahoots with Russia to interfere with the U.S. election.” Mr. Mueller presumably knows something about how it began because he inherited the inquiry, though it had already been underway for nearly 10 months. His report notes investigators had already collected “substantial evidence” by the time he was appointed in May 2017.
One question that should be asked.
Did Barr interfere or obstruct Mueller’s investigation?
