The Simple Equation That Is the Mueller Report

Contact: William Lutz media@acslaw.org

Washington, DC — Robert Mueller today offered further insight into his thinking behind the wording and nature of the report he submitted to the Attorney General on Russian interference in the 2016 election and alleged efforts to obstruct the investigation into that effort. Below is a statement from Caroline Fredrickson, President of the American Constitution Society.

“Robert Mueller today reiterated that he was unable to clear the president of wrongdoing but was also constrained from charging him with a crime by Justice Department policy. Given that equation, it is no stretch to conclude that he would have charged the President if he could.

“But as Mr. Mueller noted, even with the restrictions on his ability to hold the President accountable, there are other mechanisms in our Constitution for doing so, a not-so-veiled reference to congressional oversight and impeachment. Clearer still is Mr. Mueller’s expectation that his report constitutes a step in the accountability process, not the conclusion. He couldn’t charge the president, but he clearly thinks others might be able to do so using the evidence he uncovered.

“Mueller also made abundantly clear the threat to our democracy the FBI was concerned about when it launched this investigation. In doing so, he called into serious question the disproven notion that this investigation began as some anti-Trump conspiracy.

“The fact remains, the Trump campaign knew Russia was interfering in the 2016 elections but did little about it because they stood to benefit from that interference. As Mr. Mueller noted, they are coming for us again, with threats to our democracy looming in the 2020 race and beyond. The entire country knows this is an attack we need to counter, everyone except the denier-in-chief in the Oval Office whose actions to date to protect our country from this assault have been pathetic. Could that be because he stands to benefit from Russia’s help once again?”

AMERICAN CONSTITUTION SOCIETY
Founded in 2001, the American Constitution Society (ACS) is a leading progressive legal organization and network of attorneys, law students, scholars, judges, policymakers, and other concerned individuals, dedicated to making the law a force to improve people’s lives. For more information, visit us at www.acslaw.org or on Twitter at @acslaw. You can also follow Caroline Fredrickson on Twitter @crfredrickson.