Mueller Resigns From DOJ, Won’t Testify, Made No Finding Whether Trump Committed Crime…( First 2 Attacks…)
by Tyler Durden
ZeroHedge.com
Wed, 05/29/2019
Update: Mueller started his statement by affirming that he would be resigning and closing the special counsel’s office.
“It’s important that the office’s written work speak for itself,” he said.
But the bigger takeaway: After recounting the circumstances of Russia’s interference in the vote, the special counsel said charging President Trump “was never an option” during the investigation.
The indictments allege and describe efforts to interfere in our political system that need to be investigated and understood. That is also a reason we decided to investigate efforts to obstruct the investigation.
“When a subject of an investigation obstructs that investigation or lies to investigators it strikes at the core of the government’s effort to find the truth and hold that individual accountable.”
Mueller reiterated that the investigation didn’t turn up sufficient evidence to bring charges relating to a broader conspiracy. He also said he wouldn’t be going into any ‘hypotheticals’ about the president.
“We concluded that we would not reach a determination one way or the other about whether the president committed a crime.”
“That is the office’s final position and we will not comment on any other conclusions or hypotheticals about the president.”
Seeming to respond to criticisms that the obstruction probe was outside the scope of his investigation, Mueller said his position had authorized him to investigate obstruction of justice, and “if we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so” but Mueller said it wouldn’t be fair to charge Trump with a crime since he would never be able to stand trial.
“It would be unfair to potentially accuse somebody of a crime when there can by no court resolution of a charge.”
In a statement that will likely send Jerry Nadler into paroxysms of rage, Mueller affirmed that he wouldn’t be testifying before Congress, adding that the report should be considered his testimony, and that he wouldn’t be saying anything beyond what’s contained in the report.
“I will not provide information beyond what is already public before Congress…the report is my testimony…I do not believe it would be appropriate for me to speak further.”
In other words – as one Twitter wit commented – Mueller’s statement could be summarized as: “Read the report, guys – I’m out”. His statement also vindicated AG Barr’s handling of the report, as Mueller reportedly wanted more of the evidence to be redacted, while Barr insisted on more transparency.
Notably, Mueller used his statement to reiterate that Russians carried out an interference campaign during the 2016 vote. In one ominous statement that Democrats are bound to seize on, Mueller said “if we had the confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.”
By the sound of it, Mueller is crushing the White House narrative and leaving Congressional Democrats enough wiggle room to pursue their goal of impeachment – whatever the political ramifications may be.
* * *
For the first time since he was appointed in May 2017 to lead the investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to sway the 2016 election, Special Counsel will make a public statement about the investigation that infamously ended earlier this year without finding evidence of collusion while declining to make a finding on obstruction.
The redacted 448-page Mueller report was released last month, prompting the Trump Administration to proclaim that it had been vindicated by the special counsel. Democrats in Congress are now toying with the idea of trying to impeach Trump based on some of Mueller’s findings.
The Rest…HERE
