After almost two years, the Special Counsel's report was submitted to the Justice Department on March 22, 2019. The investigation which the president incessantly called a "witch hunt", submitted a 380 page document to the department. The Attorney General then summarized it over a weekend into four pages, concluding that the president and his associates had not colluded or coordinated with the Russians to manipulate the 2016 elections.
On the matter of obstruction of justice, the conclusion was less certain. The Attorney General quoted "while the report does not conclude the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him". The indeterminate nature of this statement left a lot to be explained. As a result, a call to make the entire report public, has since gone louder and louder.
Spearheaded by Robert Mueller, the investigation launched eight days after President Trump abruptly dismissed FBI director James Comey. The FBI director at that time was investigating possible links between Trump associates and Russian officials. Following Comey's firing a slew of Democrats called for a special independent probe to ascertain if the president had engaged in the obstruction of justice. The special counsel's office that was formed as a result, took over both the investigations from the FBI.
As soon as the investigation began, speculations ran amok. As Robert Mueller along with his band of assistants methodically went about his business, the media went into a frenzy. As dubious men associated with the Trump organization began to be thwarted and prosecuted, everyone began to theorize that the noose around the president was tightening. Late night comedians began to have a field day by conjuring images of a president in handcuffs. The New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, MSNBC and their ilk, were all forecasting a doom and gloom scenario for the president. And the president himself was helping along by lashing out on Twitter against Robert Mueller and his own Justice Department, and calling the whole affair repeatedly a "witch hunt". His propaganda network, Fox News, was helping him develop a false narrative, that the "deep state" was out to stymie his presidency.
While the investigation proceeded under the threat of being shut down anytime, the Justice Department was in turmoil. The hand picked loyalist Jeff Sessions was jettisoned for being at odds with the president. The deputy attorney general was seen as disloyal and was constantly publicly berated by the president. The person who temporarily stepped in as acting attorney general was inept and unqualified. By the time the new attorney general was appointed the investigation was reaching its end. And when William Barr received the report, he had only been in command for a few weeks and his decision to summarize the massive document into four pages and not willingly submit it to congress, was perceived suspect.
In June 2018, William Barr had sent an unsolicited memo to the Justice Department, asserting that Mueller’s investigation of Trump for alleged obstruction of justice was “fatally misconceived.” In the memo, Barr made an argument — that presidents cannot be investigated for actions they are permitted to take, such as firing officials who work for them, based on their subjective state of mind.This was an argument consistently made by the president's lawyers.
On the matter of obstruction of justice, the conclusion was less certain. The Attorney General quoted "while the report does not conclude the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him". The indeterminate nature of this statement left a lot to be explained. As a result, a call to make the entire report public, has since gone louder and louder.
Spearheaded by Robert Mueller, the investigation launched eight days after President Trump abruptly dismissed FBI director James Comey. The FBI director at that time was investigating possible links between Trump associates and Russian officials. Following Comey's firing a slew of Democrats called for a special independent probe to ascertain if the president had engaged in the obstruction of justice. The special counsel's office that was formed as a result, took over both the investigations from the FBI.
As soon as the investigation began, speculations ran amok. As Robert Mueller along with his band of assistants methodically went about his business, the media went into a frenzy. As dubious men associated with the Trump organization began to be thwarted and prosecuted, everyone began to theorize that the noose around the president was tightening. Late night comedians began to have a field day by conjuring images of a president in handcuffs. The New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, MSNBC and their ilk, were all forecasting a doom and gloom scenario for the president. And the president himself was helping along by lashing out on Twitter against Robert Mueller and his own Justice Department, and calling the whole affair repeatedly a "witch hunt". His propaganda network, Fox News, was helping him develop a false narrative, that the "deep state" was out to stymie his presidency.
While the investigation proceeded under the threat of being shut down anytime, the Justice Department was in turmoil. The hand picked loyalist Jeff Sessions was jettisoned for being at odds with the president. The deputy attorney general was seen as disloyal and was constantly publicly berated by the president. The person who temporarily stepped in as acting attorney general was inept and unqualified. By the time the new attorney general was appointed the investigation was reaching its end. And when William Barr received the report, he had only been in command for a few weeks and his decision to summarize the massive document into four pages and not willingly submit it to congress, was perceived suspect.
In June 2018, William Barr had sent an unsolicited memo to the Justice Department, asserting that Mueller’s investigation of Trump for alleged obstruction of justice was “fatally misconceived.” In the memo, Barr made an argument — that presidents cannot be investigated for actions they are permitted to take, such as firing officials who work for them, based on their subjective state of mind.This was an argument consistently made by the president's lawyers.
Even though the summarized report was not entirely decisive, the president and his propaganda machinery declared total and complete vindication. While there are many parallel investigations still on going, and probably more will be launched, the president rightfully decided to gloat in his usual manner by again calling it all a massive witch hunt and a waste of precious federal dollars. The public had pretty much lost all interest in the proceedings and a certain apathy had set in which was palpable.
The election of Donald Trump was a shock to many on the left and the right. His administration has been a disaster from the get go. His association with dubious characters should not have come as a surprise to anyone, as it was all in the open in plain sight, to anyone who was paying attention. Despite all his deplorable uncivil antics and untrustworthy behavior, he was elected president. Many hoped his tenure would be cut short by other means. The media also hoped that reporting on all his unsavory dealings, would result in an impeachment or resignation. Many were openly making jokes about the president and his family in orange jumpsuits. All based on a wishful assumption that there was a "smoking gun".
Now that Robert Mueller has completed his task, the manner in which it is being revealed, is still causing many to believe that there is a smoking gun. The House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, a democrat, will authorize a subpoena this week to obtain the full, un-redacted report from special counsel Robert Mueller, starting a showdown between congressional Democrats and the Trump administration. There is talk of even summoning Robert Mueller to testify in front of a committee. The long partisan confrontation in this matter, displaying the acute polarized state of affairs, has barely begun.
The last time a special counsel's office was established in America, was to investigate if President Bill Clinton had had an affair with his intern Monica Lewinsky and if he had then asked her to lie about it. Known as the Starr Report, it was released directly to the House of Representatives on September 11, 1998. Within hours of receiving the report the House voted to release it to the public online.
A year after the report was published, the Ethics in Government Act, which required special counsels to submit reports directly to Congress, expired. The act was replaced by the Department of Justice regulations currently governing the Mueller report.
Whether the full un-redacted report will ever be released to the public is up for debate. But having spent so much of the public's time and resources, they are entitled to know what the president did or did not do in every possible detail. Since doubt has been cast, the citizens of this nation have every right to know in earnest, if the person they have put in charge is actually working for them or not.
It is what it is.
No comments :
Post a Comment