“If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.”
Two things are more clear than ever after Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s press conference:
- Mueller’s report did not exonerate Trump: “If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.”
- Mueller’s report was an impeachment referral. Mueller didn’t charge Trump because he couldn’t based on DOJ policy. Congress can—and Mueller gave them the roadmap to do so.
Share Mueller’s words on Facebook and Twitter: It’s up to Congress now. The American people are relying on our elected officials to hold Trump and his associates accountable.
What we know and how we know it:
- Mueller told us today to let the report “speak for itself.” It does. The Mueller report makes a damning case for both obstruction of justice and collusion. It’s clearly an impeachment referral to Congress.
- He also made clear that Trump’s obstruction was so consequential because it was an attempt to prevent our government and the American people from uncovering the truth about a foreign attack on our democracy.
- Mueller emphasized TWICE today that Russia attacked our democracy in a systematic fashion. As noted by the Moscow Project, he left out a key detail that’s underscored in his report: The Trump campaign knew about these attacks before anyone else did and were willing partners in Russia’s attack.
- Nearly 1,000 former federal prosecutors have signed on to a letter arguing in plain terms that if Trump weren’t president, he would have been indicted on multiple felony charges of obstruction.
What House Democrats are saying:
- As we await next steps from House Democrats, House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler agreed that the ball is in Congress’s court: “It falls to Congress to respond to the crimes, lies and other wrongdoing of President Trump – and we will do so. No one, not even the President of the United States, is above the law.”
- House Oversight Chairman Elijah Cummings took a similar stance: “Special Counsel Mueller’s statement today confirms both the evidence of obstruction by the President and the critical role of Congress under the Constitution going forward.”
- Speaker Nancy Pelosi: “The Congress holds sacred its constitutional responsibility to investigate and hold the President accountable for his abuse of power…The American people must have the truth.”
- Many of the Democratic candidates for President are also recognizing that Mueller’s report was an impeachment referral, and are even urging the House to begin an impeachment inquiry.