DOJ: Trump campaign did not coordinate with Russia in 2016

President Donald Trump speaks with the media after stepping off Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Sunday, March 24, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump speaks with the media after stepping off Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Sunday, March 24, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department said Sunday that special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation did not find evidence that President Donald Trump's campaign "conspired or coordinated" with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election. Mueller also investigated whether Trump obstructed justice but did not come to a definitive answer.

In a four-page letter to Congress, Attorney General William Barr quoted Mueller's report as stating it "does not exonerate" the president on obstruction. Instead, Barr said, it "sets out evidence on both sides of the question."

Trump, in Florida, celebrated that the report showed "there was no collusion." He also claimed it showed there was no obstruction.

"It's a shame that our country has had to go through this. To be honest, it's a shame that your president has had to go through this," he complained.

Barr released his summary of Mueller's report Sunday afternoon. Mueller wrapped up his investigation on Friday with no new indictments, bringing to a close a probe that has shadowed Trump for nearly two years.

But the broader fight is not over.

The Justice Department summary sets up a battle between Barr and Democrats, who called for Mueller's full report to be released and vowed to press on with their own investigation.

"Attorney General Barr's letter raises as many questions as it answers," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer said in a statement.

"Given Mr. Barr's public record of bias against the special counsel's inquiry, he is not a neutral observer and is not in a position to make objective determinations about the report," they said. Trump's own claim of complete exoneration "directly contradicts the words of Mr. Mueller and is not to be taken with any degree of credibility," they added.

Mueller's investigation left open the question of whether Trump obstructed justice by firing FBI Director James Comey and drafting an incomplete explanation about his son's meeting with a Russian lawyer during the campaign. That left it to the attorney general to decide. After consulting with other department officials, Barr said he and his deputy, Rod Rosenstein, determined the evidence "is not sufficient to establish that the president committed an obstruction of justice offense."

Barr, nominated to his job by Trump last fall, said their decision was based on the evidence uncovered by Mueller and not based on whether a sitting president can be indicted.

Trump was at his Florida estate when lawmakers received the report. Barr's chief of staff called Emmet Flood, the lead White House lawyer on the investigation, to brief him on the findings shortly before he sent it to Congress.

Mueller's investigation ensnared nearly three dozen people, senior Trump campaign operatives among them. The probe illuminated Russia's assault on the American political system, painted the Trump campaign as eager to exploit the release of hacked Democratic emails to hurt Democrat Hillary Clinton and exposed lies by Trump aides aimed at covering up their Russia-related contacts.

Mueller submitted his report to Barr instead of directly to Congress and the public because, unlike independent counsels such as Ken Starr in the case of President Bill Clinton, his investigation operated under the close supervision of the Justice Department, which appointed him.

The House Judiciary Committee chairman says Congress needs to hear from Barr about his decision and see "all the underlying evidence."

Mueller "clearly and explicitly is not exonerating the President," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y. in a series of tweets, but Barr took two days "to tell the American people that while the President is not exonerated, there will be no action by DOJ."

"There must be full transparency in what Special Counsel Mueller uncovered to not exonerate the President from wrongdoing. DOJ owes the public more than just a brief synopsis and decision not to go any further in their work," Nadler tweeted

Barr said that Mueller "thoroughly" investigated the question of whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia's election interference, issuing more than 2,800 subpoenas, obtaining nearly 500 search warrants and interviewing 500 witnesses.

He said Mueller also catalogued the president's actions including "many" that took place in "public view," a possible nod to Trump's public attacks on investigators and witnesses.

In the letter, Barr said he concluded that none of Trump's actions constituted a federal crime that prosecutors could prove in court.

Democrats are reminding that the House voted nearly unanimously, 420-0, to release the full Mueller report, which they say is more important now than ever. "This is about transparency and truth — and a 4 page summary from Trump's AG doesn't cut it," tweeted Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., the chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee. "The American people deserve to see the whole thing."

EARLIER

WASHINGTON — Evidence gathered in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation "is not sufficient to establish" that President Donald Trump committed obstruction of justice.

That's according to Attorney General William Barr in a letter to Congress summarizing the finding of the Mueller probe.

Barr says Mueller did not reach any conclusions in evaluating the president's conduct, leaving it to the Justice Department.

Barr says he and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein reached the conclusion without considering constitutional questions regarding bringing criminal charges against a sitting president.


2:46 p.m.

Special counsel Robert Mueller did not exonerate President Donald Trump of obstruction of justice or find that he committed a crime.

That's according to a summary of Mueller's findings provided to Congress by the Justice Department.

The summary also says Mueller did not find that the Trump campaign or its associates "conspired or coordinated" with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 election.


3:35 p.m.

The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee says a letter from the Justice Department describing special counsel Robert Mueller's findings "does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him."

The department sent the letter to Rep. Jerrold Nadler on Sunday afternoon. Nadler tweeted that the Justice Department "determined not to make a traditional prosecutorial judgment."


2:09 p.m.

The Justice Department has told Congress to expect a summary of Robert Mueller's findings in the Russia investigation within the hour.

That's according to two people familiar with the Justice Department's plans. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly about the plans.


12:35 p.m.

Special counsel Robert Mueller's "principal conclusions" in the Russia investigation are still expected to be sent to Congress on Sunday.

That's according to a person familiar with the planned delivery of a letter from Attorney General William Barr.

Barr is expected to summarize a confidential report that Mueller turned in on Friday, concluding his 22-month investigation into Russian election interference and possible coordination with President Donald Trump's campaign.


10:55 a.m.

Rep. Jim Jordan has yet to see the special counsel's report on the Russia investigation, but the Ohio Republican insists it shows no evidence of "coordination, collusion, conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia."

Jordan tells ABC's "This Week" that "everyone in town" was confident Robert Mueller would lead a thorough investigation.

Jordan says Mueller is seen as "right next to Jesus, he can almost walk on water, this is the guy and - and he will have the definitive statement on that fundamental question."

He says Democrats are concerned there'll be no "bombshell" in the report, so they're pursing more investigations of the president.

Attorney General William Barr received Mueller's report on Friday and says he'll give Congress a summary as soon as this weekend.


9:50 a.m.

The chairman of the House intelligence committee says he trusts special counsel Robert Mueller's judgment on who should be prosecuted following the nearly two-year Russia investigation.

But Rep. Adam Schiff of California says that doesn't mean "there isn't compelling and incriminating evidence that should be shared with the American people."

Attorney General William Barr received Mueller's report on Friday and says he'll give Congress a summary as soon as this weekend.

Schiff says his committee wants the full report and the underlying materials made public and will head to court to compel Barr to release them.

He says the intelligence committee has an obligation to determine whether the president is compromised in any way, whether criminal or not.

Schiff spoke on ABC's "This Week."


9:05 a.m.

The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee says Democrats won't be willing to wait months for the Justice Department to release special counsel Robert Mueller's full report.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler says Congress and the public deserve to see the underlying evidence, not just a summary of conclusions, to make their own judgments. Attorney General William Barr says he'll provide that summary as soon as this weekend.

Asked how long Democrats will be willing to wait before considering subpoenas, Nadler says, "It won't be months."

The New York Democrat says there has been "collusion" and "obstruction" by Trump and his associates, but "whether it's criminal is another question."

He stressed that while Justice Department policy is not to indict a sitting president, Congress has a broader mandate to find abuses of power.

Nadler spoke on CNN and Fox.


8:50 a.m.

Presidential spokesman Hogan Gidley says the White House still has not received and has not been briefed on the Russia report issued Friday by special counsel Robert Mueller.

On Sunday, Trump went to the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, near his Mar-a-Lago resort. He sent a good morning tweet, wishing everyone a great day and another that said: "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" but so far has not commented on the release of the report.

Attorney General William Barr is reviewing the report with his advisers and will be deciding how much Congress and the American public will get to see of the two-year probe into Trump and Moscow's efforts to elect him. Barr could release his first summary of Mueller's findings as early as Sunday.


1:00 a.m.

Attorney General William Barr is preparing a summary of the findings of the special counsel investigating Russian election interference.

The release of Barr's summary of the report's main conclusions is expected sometime Sunday.

The White House says it hasn't been briefed on Robert Mueller's confidential report. The nation's top Democrat, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has told House Democrats that a summary of conclusions won't be enough as she pressed for the entire report.

Mueller's 22-month investigation reached its official end on Friday, the day the report was submitted to Barr. It's expected to focus on whether President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign coordinated with Russia to sway the election and whether Trump later sought to obstruct the investigation.

Trump has denied any collusion and disparaged the investigation as a "witch hunt."

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