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What Robert Mueller said about not indicting Trump in the Russia interference probe
Former FBI chief Robert Mueller, who investigated ties between Russia and Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign as special counsel, has died
Former FBI chief Robert Mueller, who investigated ties between Russia and Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign as special counsel, has died. He was 81 years old. Reacting to Mueller's passing, Trump quickly posted on Truth Social that he is ‘glad'.
"Robert Mueller just died. Good, I'm glad he's dead." The Republican president added, “He can no longer hurt innocent people!”
With Trump's controversial comment, the interest in Mueller's Russia probe has spiked. What did he find? Why does Trump ‘hate’ Mueller? Social media users asked several questions.
Read More: ‘When Trump dies…’: Trump's remark on Robert Mueller's death irks voters; Laura Loomer weighs in
What Robert Mueller said about Trump
A surprise for many, Mueller did not indict Trump in 2019, despite finding a Russia link in his 2016 campaign. The former FBI chief explained his decision briefly.
Mueller made it clear that his investigation into Russian interference was constrained by long-standing Justice Department rules, not a lack of scrutiny.
“Under longstanding department policy, a present president can not be charged with a federal crime while he is in office. That is unconstitutional. Charging the president with a crime was therefore not an option.”
That policy, issued by the DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), ultimately meant Mueller could not pursue criminal charges against Trump while he remained in office.
Read More: Robert Mueller family: All we know about ex-FBI boss wife Ann Standish and children
‘We did not exonerate’ the president
While Mueller declined to bring charges, he emphasized that his report did not clear Trump of wrongdoing.
“If we had had confidence that the president clearly didn't commit a crime, we would have said so. We didn't, however, make a determination as to whether the president did commit a crime.”
No conclusion on obstruction of justice
Mueller repeatedly stated that his team chose not to reach a prosecutorial judgment on obstruction of justice.
“Based on Justice Department policy and principles of fairness, we decided we would not make a determination as to whether the President committed a crime. That was our decision," he added.
Mueller held no news conferences and made no public appearances during the investigation, remaining quiet despite attacks from Trump and his supporters and creating an aura of mystery around his work.
All told, Mueller brought criminal charges against six of the president's associates, including his campaign chairman and first national security adviser.
The second-longest-serving director in FBI history, behind only J Edgar Hoover, Mueller held the job until 2013 after agreeing to Democratic President Barack Obama's request to stay on even after his 10-year term was up.
After several years in private practice, Mueller was asked by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to return to public service as special counsel in the Trump-Russia inquiry.
(With AP inputs)
