Mueller Time - After the Report

On 05/17/2017, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed Robert S. Mueller III as Special Counsel. Mueller was to investigate any possible collusion between the Trump presidential campaign or other Americans and the Russian government regarding the 2016 elections. The investigation was not limited to that issue and any crimes discovered while investigating were also subject to prosecution and/or being turned over to the Justice Department or state prosecutors.

On 03/22/2019 Mueller essentially completed his job with the submission of his report to Attorney General William Barr. Now we dissect that report and see what the fallout is.

• 03/24 - Attorney General William Barr submits a four-page summary letter of the Mueller report to Congress outlining the principal conclusions. The findings are no chargeable collusion (conspiracy) between the Trump campaign and Russia. On obstruction, neither guilt or exoneration. 
• 04/12 - In a Mueller investigation spinoff case, W. Samuel Patten, 47, a GOP political consultant, in August admitted steering $50,000 from a pro-Russian Ukrainian politician to Trump’s inaugural committee, is sentenced to probation.
• 04/18 - The redacted Mueller report is released to Congress and the public. It is 448 pages. 
• The report concluded that there was Russian interference in the 2016 election. 
• Russian interference was meant to benefit Trump. 
• There was no provable coordinate cooperation between Russian and the Trump campaign. 
• There were many links and contacts between Russia and the campaign, none prosecutable. 
• There was evidence of obstruction.
• The DOJ will not indict or prosecute a sitting president. 
• Mueller wrote a letter to AG Barr objecting to Barr's description and conclusions of the Mueller Report.
• Barr appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Softball questions from GOP members. Barr is evasive and combative with Democrat's questioning. 
• Barr refuses to testify about the Mueller Report before the House Judiciary Committee.
• 05/06 - Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, reports to prison for a three-year sentence. 
• 05/08 - Trump invokes Executive Privilege to block the release of full Mueller Report to Congress. 
• 05/08 - Over 700 former federal prosecutors say there is enough evidence in the Mueller Report to charge and prosecute Trump for obstruction. 
• 05/20 - Trump blocks Don McGahn from testifying before Congress.
• 05/23 - Manafort's banker, chairman Stephen M. Calk of Federal Savings Bank, is indicted in Manhatten for pushing through $16 million in high-risk loans.
• 05/29 - Mueller reiterates that his team cannot clear Trump of obstruction but DOJ cannot charge a sitting president. It is up to Congress. He also stated that he will not provide testimony to Congress beyond his report.
• 06/25 - Mueller agrees to testify before the House  Judiciary and Intelligence committees in open hearings on July 17th. 
• 07/12 - Hearings are delayed one week until July 24th.
• 07/24 - Mueller testifies before the House Judiciary Committee and House Intelligence Committee for about six hours. He was succinct with his answers and passed on answering many questions. While not a stellar or exciting appearance, Mueller did say, among other things, the following statements:
• The president was not exonerated.
• No chargeable conspiracy with Russia but certainly cooperation during the campaign.
• Russian interference was to benefit Trump
• Russia did and is interfering with our elections. Others too.
• Did not subpoena Trump because the White House would fight the subpoena and prolong/distract the investigation.
• DOJ policy stopped Muller from indicting Trump.
• Trump and others in the administration and campaign lied to investigators.
• Trump could be prosecuted for obstruction once out of office.
• The investigation was not a witch hunt and Russian interference is not a hoax.
• This may be the last we see or hear from Robert Mueller. He seems to want to fade into retirement out of the limelight. It is now up to Congress and the voters to act on the findings of the report.

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