Mueller Report Released, Other Investigations Continue

On April 18, nearly two years after the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, the American people got their clearest look at the evidence obtained from the investigation into the interference of the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election. Divided into two volumes and containing redactions, the report summarized Mueller’s findings as they pertain to the possibility of Trump campaign officials colluding with Russian operatives to influence the election, as well as the question of if the president obstructed justice through his actions since the commencement of the investigation.

The report concluded that neither Trump nor his associates coordinated campaign actions with Russian officials but stopped short of exonerating the President on obstruction charges. Instead, the report cited ten possible instances of obstruction and determined that Congress retains the authority to investigate these possible crimes. The report did little to quiet the maelstrom of divide in Washington and across the country.

Attorney General William Barr addressed the nation at 9:30 a.m. on the day of the release, explaining his department’s rationale behind the heavily-criticized summary letter he had released prior to the full report. The press conference, as well as the advance notice given to the White House of the report’s details, received considerable criticism from Democratic lawmakers, who questioned Barr’s motives. Rep. Eric Swalwell, now a 2020 presidential contender, described Barr’s actions as representative of “Trump’s defense attorney” instead of the highest prosecutorial office of the American republic.

While Democrats and political commentators argued that the report creates more questions than it answers, the White House and supporters of the president claimed victory in the lack of criminal charges presented against the president. The American people remain divided on the report and the president, with the president’s approval rating dropping to 37% as of Saturday, April 20, the lowest recorded approval rating of 2019 so far.

Investigation into the 2016 election and actions of Trump and his campaign are far from over, however, as the Special Counsel referred a total of fourteen cases to various other judicial districts across the country. Many will be reviewed by the Office of the Attorney General for the Southern District of New York, an office already investigating potential criminal charges against the Trump Organization headquartered in Manhattan.

In the days following the release of the report, various lawmakers publicly spoke of impeachment proceedings against both the president and attorney general. Those considering impeaching inquiries included Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the recently-elected congresswoman making waves across the nation with her progressive values. It remains unclear if Trump or Barr will face impeachment hearings, as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has repeatedly stated that the House of Representatives will not consider impeachment hearings, preferring to let the American people decide on the president’s fate in 2020.

While the Department of Justice maintains that a sitting president cannot be charged with a crime, former presidents are civilians subject to the laws of the nation.

The investigation by the special counsel resulted in criminal charges being levied against 34 individuals, with seven guilty pleas from Trump associates Michael Cohen, Rick Gates, Alex van der Zwaan, Richard Pinedo, Michael Flynn, and George Papadopoulos. One conviction was reached in court at the trial of Paul Manafort while Roger Stone remains currently indicted. A number of Russian operatives have been indicted, as well as WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, recently ejected from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.

Both volumes of the redacted Mueller report may be found below.