Following the announcement of details from the Russia investigation by Robert Mueller, leading Democrats demand the publication of the full report of the Special Investigator. Justice Secretary William Barr's summary raises as many questions as they give answers. This was stated by Democratic House Chair Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic faction leader Chuck Schumer.
They emphasized that Mueller did not relieve President Donald Trump of the alleged disability. Therefore, the full report and the underlying documents should be published immediately.
The American people deserve the truth. AG Barr must #ReleaseTheFullReport.
Read my full statement with @SenSchumer here: https://t.co/rWLsszbNdk
Mueller had submitted his report to Justice Minister William Barr on Friday. On Sunday, Barr then sent a four-page summary of the results to the US Congress. Mueller concluded that there had been no collusion between Trump's electoral camp and Russia in the 2016 presidential election campaign to influence the outcome of the election (read a commentary on "Trump's Half Victory" here).
Not so clear are Mueller's results on the second point, whether Trump has obstructed the judiciary. According to Barr, the report said: "Although this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, he does not relieve him." Barr wrote to the congress that Mueller had instead listed clues that spoke in favor or against.
However, Barr already made an important decision on this basis: he said he had consulted with his deputy, Rod Rosenstein, on the results of Mueller's investigation into a possible impediment to justice; Together, they concluded that the evidence was not sufficient to prove that Trump had committed an offense on this point. The Democrats sharply criticized this approach. Pelosi accused Barr of not being neutral.
Democrats want to summon US Attorney General
The Democrats in the US Congress want to interview Barr now. This was announced by the chairman of the Judiciary Committee in the House of Representatives, Jerry Nadler, on Twitter. There are "very worrying disagreements", so he'll ask Barr to testify in the "near future" to the committee. Nadler pointed out that Mueller Trump had not relieved. Mueller had calculated 22 months to the question, however, Barr had decided within two days that Trump could not be accused of obstruction of justice.
How did Trump react to the results?
Trump first commented on Twitter: "No collusion, no disability, complete and total relief." He made a brief statement before returning from Palm Beach, Florida to Washington. "It's a shame that our country had to go through this," he said. "It's a shame your president had to go through this."
No Collusion, No Obstruction, Complete and Total EXONERATION. KEEP AMERICA GREAT!
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 24, 2019Trump had always rejected the accusations and presented the investigations as a plot against himself and his presidency. On Sunday, he called the now completed investigation an unsuccessful attempt to force him out of office illegally.
Was Trump's environment burdened during the investigations?
Mueller's nearly two-year investigation has led to charges against six people from Trump's environment - including his former campaign manager Paul Manafort, his longtime confidant Roger Stone and his ex-lawyer Michael Cohen. These charges alone put Trump under pressure.
All in all, Mueller's work resulted in more than 30 charges, including several Russian intelligence officers, who will never have to answer to a US court. Mueller's team obtained close to 500 search warrants, filed 13 requests to foreign governments, and interviewed around 500 witnesses, including Trump's former communications chief, Hope Hicks. The president did not personally ask Mueller. Trump answered the questions of the Special Investigator in writing.
Are all investigations finished now?
Only Mueller's investigations are complete. But there are still investigations by the prosecutor in New York. The agency was behind the raids on Trump's longtime lawyer Michael Cohen. He later pleaded guilty to paying Trump's hush money to two women who said they had an affair with Trump years ago.
In addition, according to media reports, southern district investigators are scrutinizing the finances of Trump's inaugural committee. In addition, several lawsuits are still pending - for example, in the case of Trump's longtime confidant Roger Stone.