The attorney general also said Mueller examined 10 episodes involving Trump when he probed possible obstruction.
Attorney General William Barr on Thursday said he disagreed with some of special counsel Robert Mueller’s legal theories underlying his investigation of potential obstruction of justice by President Donald Trump in the FBI’s Russia probe.
“Although the Deputy Attorney General and I disagreed with some of the Special Counsel’s legal theories and felt that some of the episodes examined did not amount to obstruction as a matter of law, we did not rely solely on that in making our decision,” Barr said in an extraordinary press conference previewing the release of Mueller’s redacted report.
Barr said Mueller examined 10 episodes that could have amounted to obstruction, but that he and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein ultimately determined the facts failed to amount to evidence of a crime. Barr had previously said that Mueller reached no determination about whether the president obstructed justice.
Barr offered an alternative explanation for Trump’s behavior during the probe, suggesting he was justifiably angry that the probe was hamstringing his presidency and that his political enemies were exploiting it. He also said “illegal leaks” contributed to the president’s ire.
Trump repeatedly described “no collusion” between any Americans and the Russian government, echoing Trump’s rallying cry for the past two years. He also said Trump had been fully cooperative with the probe — though Trump notably declined to sit for an interview with Mueller.
“In assessing the President’s actions discussed in the report, it is important to bear in mind the context,” Barr said. “President Trump faced an unprecedented situation. As he entered into office, and sought to perform his responsibilities as President, federal agents and prosecutors were scrutinizing his conduct before and after taking office, and the conduct of some of his associates. At the same time, there was relentless speculation in the news media about the President’s personal culpability.”
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- Discussion
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BREAKING: Barr said Mueller examined 10 episodes involving Trump when probing possible obstruction https://t.co/aU4Yv4eNRf
— POLITICO (@politico) April 18, 2019
Reminder: 3 Trump campaign officials unknowingly worked with IRA trolls.
— emptywheel (@emptywheel) April 18, 2019
The way Barr just avoided implicating Stone there was really really really corrupt.
He just nodded to Stone's "collusion" but said it was legal but NBD.
— emptywheel (@emptywheel) April 18, 2019
Shorter Bill Barr: The poor little President should not be held to scrutiny.
And, again, he JUST LAID OUT EVIDENCE that Stone "colluded."
— emptywheel (@emptywheel) April 18, 2019
This is so hysterical. Barr doesn't even do cover-up credibly.
— emptywheel (@emptywheel) April 18, 2019
So the report was redacted by March 29.
The President has been delaying since then, then, not just Barr.
— emptywheel (@emptywheel) April 18, 2019
Again, HJC has a constitutional basis to get grand jury material. Especially given that Barr is usurping their constitutional role.
— emptywheel (@emptywheel) April 18, 2019
Barr's not answering the real question: The Q is whether Mueller didn't come to conclusion because it's not constitutionally proper.
— emptywheel (@emptywheel) April 18, 2019
Rosenstein makes a weird side-eye look when Barr claims that Mueller was okay with Barr making the decision.
— emptywheel (@emptywheel) April 18, 2019
Barr REALLY not happy about Reggie Walton's comment.
KEEP ASKING.
— emptywheel (@emptywheel) April 18, 2019
Barr: sense of impropriety to spin the report b4 public gets a chance to read it?
Presser ends.
Wow.
— emptywheel (@emptywheel) April 18, 2019
Attorney General Barr honestly said that no Trump campaign official encouraged the hack.
That's … utterly and totally false.
— emptywheel (@emptywheel) April 18, 2019
Pressed by reporters about Mueller's view on Barr and Rosenstein's decision to independently conclude that there was not sufficient evidence of obstruction, Barr said he heard second-hand that Mueller was OK with that choice https://t.co/pS4DO2FjHz
— POLITICO (@politico) April 18, 2019
Barr said he "disagreed" with some of Mueller's obstruction theories on Thursday, after previously saying that Mueller reached no determination about whether the president obstructed justice https://t.co/XDhSKjLjKe
— POLITICO (@politico) April 18, 2019
I am unclear on what it means for Barr/Rosenstein to have accepted Mueller's "legal framework" but not his "legal theories."
— Ramesh Ponnuru (@RameshPonnuru) April 18, 2019
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