Ranking Judiciary Committee member Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) took apart Barr’s interpretation that Robert Mueller found no Trump/Russia collusion.
Trump’s No Collusion Claim Goes Up In Smoke
Sen. Feinstein said:
While the March letter to Congress and the April press conference left the impression there were no remaining questions to examine, this report notes several limitations Mueller faced while gathering the facts that Congress needed to examine. More than once, the report documents that legal conclusions were not drawn because witnesses refused to answer questions or failed to recall the events. In addition, numerous witnesses, including but not limited to Jared Kushner, Sarah Sanders, Rudolph Giuliani, Michael Flynn, Steve Bannon and John Kelly all stated they could not recall events. The president himself said more than 30 times that he could not recall or remember enough to be able to answer written questions from the special counsel.
The special counsel also recounted that, quote, relevant communications or communicated during the relevant period using applications that featured encryption or do not provide for long-term retention of data end quote. Based on these gaps, the Mueller report concluded and I quote, again. The office cannot rule out the possibility that the unavailable information would have shed additional light on or cast a new light on events described in the report, end quote. And contrary to the conclusion that the special counsel’s report did not find evidence of communication or coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia, the Mueller report explicitly states and I quote, a statement that the investigation did not establish particular facts does not mean there was no evidence of those facts. Volume two, page two.
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No collusion is not the same as witnesses hid evidence that might have proven collusion and additional crimes. Sen. Feinstein exposed a spin by Barr that is often overlooked. The mainstream press has assumed that Mueller found no collusion, but as Feinstein pointed that isn’t what Mueller wrote.
Trump has no defense at all as even no collusion has gone up in smoke.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
