"If we had confidence that Trump did not commit a crime, we would have said so"

[rambot]

1) Does this statement from Mueller's press conference today change your understanding of the report?

2)If it does: How?
If it does not: Why not?


Personally, it doesn't change my understanding as this is what I have understood from the beginning.

 

[dogs4thewin]

They found him to have committed no crime. They need to let it go.

 

[iluvatar5150]

They found him to have committed no crime.

That's the exact opposite of what Mueller said.

 

[dogs4thewin]

That's the exact opposite of what Mueller said.

so they did convict or charge him with something?

 

[iluvatar5150]

so they did convict or charge him with something?

Okay, you obviously haven't read or watched what he said today. Maybe go do that before arguing about it.

 

[JosephZ]

so they did convict or charge him with something?

"If we had had confidence that the President clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so... under long-standing Department policy, a President cannot be charged with a federal crime while he is in office. That is unconstitutional. Even if the charge is kept under seal and hidden from public view, that too is prohibited. The special counsel’s office is part of the Department of Justice and by regulation it was bound by that Department policy. Charging the president with a crime was, therefore, not an option we could consider." -- Robert Mueller

In other words, all the evidence is there to say that Trump committed obstruction of justice, but Mueller could not do anything per DOJ rules.

 

[dogs4thewin]

Okay, you obviously haven't read or watched what he said today. Maybe go do that before arguing about it.

no admitting I did not read anything today.

 

[dogs4thewin]

"If we had had confidence that the President clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so... under long-standing Department policy, a President cannot be charged with a federal crime while he is in office. That is unconstitutional. Even if the charge is kept under seal and hidden from public view, that too is prohibited. The special counsel’s office is part of the Department of Justice and by regulation it was bound by that Department policy. Charging the president with a crime was, therefore, not an option we could consider." -- Robert Mueller

In other words, all the evidence is there to say that Trump committed obstruction of justice, but Mueller could not do anything per DOJ rules.

then why would he mention it now? Trump is still in office and unless they impeach him he will remain in office for about another year and a half.

 

[iluvatar5150]

then why would he mention it now? Trump is still in office and unless they impeach him he will remain in office for about another year and a half.

no admitting I did not read anything today.

You should. Everything you've asked was addressed in his statement.

 

[rambot]

They found him to have committed no crime. They need to let it go.

It's a pretty simple OP with a very simple question. Did it seem too difficult to answer? Besides that, you seem to be using the word "they" to talk about two different groups without even identifying who "they" are.

Why did he mention it now? Well, because CLEARLY there was a LOT of misunderstanding or ignorance of what counsel was even capable of doing (it wasn't able to charge him). So the options really are:
1) Clear him of wrong doing and pronounce that clearly within the context of the report.
2) Present the facts of the case, and make no pronouncements of guilt or innocence.

 

[wing2000]

Why did he mention it now? Well, because CLEARLY there was a LOT of misunderstanding or ignorance of what counsel was even capable of doing (it wasn't able to charge him). So the options really are, clear him of wrong doing and pronounce that clearly within the context of the report. Or, present the facts of the case, and make no pronouncements of guilt or innocence.

Additionally, his statement today was given to mark the formal end of the investigation, closure of the Special Counsel office and his departure from the US Justice department.

LIVE: Robert Mueller Statement on Russia Probe

 

[GoldenBoy89]

"I don't see any reason why it would be Russia"

 

[rjs330]

That's the exact opposite of what Mueller said.

So Mueller said they have confidence he committed a crime?

 

[rjs330]

What crime does Mueller say he committed?

 

[rambot]

What crime does Mueller say he committed?

Where does it say in his instructions that he is able to charge or incriminate Trump?
Also, would he LEGALLY be able to share that information if it was redacted?

 

[Allandavid]

So Mueller said they have confidence he committed a crime?

Yes. If you took the time to read the report, you would see Mueller outline at least 10 obstructive acts committed by Trump. If you listened to his statement today, you would have heard him say, yet again, that the reason no charges resulted from that obstruction was because he cannot do so, under DOJ guidelines.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

So Mueller said they have confidence he committed a crime?

No he said if there was confidence he did not commit a crime he would have said so. He didn't say so, so they must not be confident of the president's innocence. This is about as close as we're going to get to him saying "the president has committed a crime."

 

[iluvatar5150]

So Mueller said they have confidence he committed a crime?

The opposite of "They found him to have committed no crime" is "They have not found him to have committed no crime."

And that's exactly what Mueller said.

What crime does Mueller say he committed?

He didn't say that he did commit a crime. He said that they weren't confident he didn't commit one, and since they wouldn't have been allowed to charge him anyways, it was improper to make allegations against him.

 

[Sparagmos]

1) Does this statement from Mueller's press conference today change your understanding of the report?

2)If it does: How?
If it does not: Why not?


Personally, it doesn't change my understanding as this is what I have understood from the beginning.

This is also what I understood from the beginning. But I’m really glad Mueller did his best to make it CRYSTAL CLEAR.

 

[Go Braves]

Hardly a surprise that Barr misrepresented the Mueller report. This wasn't a you say pota-toe, I say pota-tah thing it was you say potato, I say orange. Not comparable at all. Good thing about Donald having failed to actually read the dang thing is that he managed to validate it while running an unearned victory lap.