Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

MelissaB

(16,420 posts)
Tue Apr 30, 2019, 07:13 PM Apr 2019

Updated article MUELLER SPEAKS: Mueller told the AG Barr that the depiction of his findings failed

Mueller told the attorney general that the depiction of his findings failed to capture ‘context, nature, and substance’ of probe


By Washington Post Staff
April 30 at 7:07 PM

Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III wrote a letter in late March complaining to Attorney General William P. Barr that a four-page memo to Congress describing the principal conclusions of the investigation into President Trump “did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance” of Mueller’s work, according to a copy of the letter reviewed Tuesday by The Washington Post.

At the time the letter was sent on March 27, Barr had announced that Mueller had not found a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russian officials seeking to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. Barr also said Mueller had not reached a conclusion about whether Trump had tried to obstruct justice, but Barr reviewed the evidence and found it insufficient to support such a charge.

Days after Barr’s announcement , Mueller wrote a previously unknown private letter to the Justice Department, which revealed a degree of dissatisfaction with the public discussion of Mueller’s work that shocked senior Justice Department officials, according to people familiar with the discussions.

“The summary letter the Department sent to Congress and released to the public late in the afternoon of March 24 did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance of this office’s work and conclusions,” Mueller wrote. “There is now public confusion about critical aspects of the results of our investigation. This threatens to undermine a central purpose for which the Department appointed the Special Counsel: to assure full public confidence in the outcome of the investigations.”

More: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2019/04/30/mueller-told-the-attorney-general-that-the-depiction-of-his-findings-failed-to-capture-context-nature-and-substance-of-probe/?utm_term=.971a08d66bec


New York Times has an article up as well.




Mueller Objected to Barr’s Description of Russia Investigation’s Findings

WASHINGTON — Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel, wrote a letter in late March to Attorney General William P. Barr objecting to his early description of the Russia investigation’s conclusions that appeared to clear President Trump on possible obstruction of justice, according to the Justice Department.

The letter adds to the growing evidence of a rift between them and is another sign of the anger among the special counsel’s investigators about Mr. Barr’s characterization of their findings, which allowed Mr. Trump to wrongly claim he had been vindicated.

... snip

A central issue in the simmering dispute is how the public’s understanding of the Mueller report has been shaped since the special counsel ended his investigation and delivered his 448-page report on March 22 to the attorney general, his boss and longtime friend. The four-page letter that Mr. Barr sent to Congress two days later gave little detail about the special counsel’s findings and created the impression that Mr. Mueller’s team found no wrongdoing, allowing Mr. Trump to declare he had been exonerated.

...snip

In once instance, Mr. Barr took Mr. Mueller’s words out of context to suggest that the president had no motive to obstruct justice. In another instance, he plucked a fragment from a sentence in the Mueller report that made a conclusion seem less damaging for the president.

More: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/30/us/politics/mueller-barr.html

36 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Updated article MUELLER SPEAKS: Mueller told the AG Barr that the depiction of his findings failed (Original Post) MelissaB Apr 2019 OP
I knew it! Glimmer of Hope Apr 2019 #1
I always wanted to believe Mueller BKDem Apr 2019 #23
Shut him down..... MyOwnPeace Apr 2019 #27
K&R, uponit7771 Apr 2019 #2
Thank you MelissaB!! Leghorn21 Apr 2019 #3
hummm Kurt V. Apr 2019 #4
Holy crap! This is a big deal. NT Bleacher Creature Apr 2019 #5
MSNBC is covering it now. BigmanPigman Apr 2019 #6
Barr!!!!!!! BootinUp Apr 2019 #7
Another snip. MelissaB Apr 2019 #8
Mueller is being very restrained in his letter it seems. Wonder what he really triron Apr 2019 #11
It's not lawyerly to write... jmowreader Apr 2019 #25
"Barr, you LYING PIECE OF SHIT" Skittles May 2019 #35
As Rachel Maddow reported last week, "Whoomp, There It Is". We here on DU knew the kind of iluvtennis Apr 2019 #24
"Justice Department officials said Tuesday they were taken aback by the tone of Mueller's letter" prodigitalson Apr 2019 #29
This message was self-deleted by its author SoCalNative Apr 2019 #9
This is total fraud by trump and barr...LOCK THEM UP...MAJOR COVERUP spanone Apr 2019 #10
That's why Mueller needs to talk to congress. blueinredohio Apr 2019 #12
That's pretty much a guarantee that Barr will be a no-show on Thursday... Miles Archer Apr 2019 #13
New York Times has an article up as well. MelissaB Apr 2019 #14
Put them ALL on the stand... B Stieg Apr 2019 #15
Mueller quote for Barr's Impeachment: MelissaB Apr 2019 #16
Evidently abuse of power--by an Attorney General--is an impeachable offense. MelissaB Apr 2019 #18
Oh oh. The old poop is hitting the fan blades now! PatrickforO Apr 2019 #17
Why is it that you can see from reading that Mueller Laura PourMeADrink Apr 2019 #19
K&R UTUSN Apr 2019 #20
One thing is certainly does in addition to showing Barr obstructed INdemo Apr 2019 #21
We all knew Barf was scum captain queeg Apr 2019 #22
Let the fucking Fascists commit murder,... magicarpet Apr 2019 #26
Who released this letter? canetoad Apr 2019 #28
Barr needs to be disbarred. gademocrat7 Apr 2019 #30
You all and I were aware that Barr's report FuzzyRabbit Apr 2019 #31
hmmm Skittles May 2019 #32
Barr conspired , and tried to cover up duforsure May 2019 #33
this is just getting more interesting johannsyah May 2019 #34
In other words, Mueller is calling Barr a liar. Nitram May 2019 #36

BKDem

(1,733 posts)
23. I always wanted to believe Mueller
Tue Apr 30, 2019, 07:52 PM
Apr 2019

His report is too thorough and detailed to be anything but the truth. I wondered if Barr shut Mueller down. I still wonder.

MyOwnPeace

(16,887 posts)
27. Shut him down.....
Tue Apr 30, 2019, 08:53 PM
Apr 2019

sent him home, then wrote an excuse to the public:

"Donny has been a good boy.
Signed,
Donny's suck-up.

MelissaB

(16,420 posts)
8. Another snip.
Tue Apr 30, 2019, 07:24 PM
Apr 2019
The letter made a key request: that Barr release the 448-page report’s introductions and executive summaries, and made some initial suggested redactions for doing so, according to Justice Department officials.

Justice Department officials said Tuesday they were taken aback by the tone of Mueller’s letter, and it came as a surprise to them that he had such concerns. Until they received the letter, they believed Mueller was in agreement with them on the process of reviewing the report and redacting certain types of information, a process that took several weeks. Barr has testified to Congress previously that Mueller declined the opportunity to review his four-page letter to lawmakers that distilled the essence of the special counsel’s findings.

In his letter, Mueller wrote that the redaction process “need not delay release of the enclosed materials. Release at this time would alleviate the misunderstandings that have arisen and would answer congressional and public questions about the nature and outcome of our investigation.”

... snip

In the report, Mueller described ten significant episodes of possible obstruction of justice, but said that due to long-standing Justice Department policy that says a sitting president cannot be indicted, and because of Justice Department practice regarding fairness toward those under investigation, his team did not reach a conclusion about whether the president had committed a crime.


iluvtennis

(19,756 posts)
24. As Rachel Maddow reported last week, "Whoomp, There It Is". We here on DU knew the kind of
Tue Apr 30, 2019, 08:07 PM
Apr 2019

thorough and detailed oriented guy Mueller is and knew what Barr reported was hinky.

prodigitalson

(2,292 posts)
29. "Justice Department officials said Tuesday they were taken aback by the tone of Mueller's letter"
Tue Apr 30, 2019, 09:26 PM
Apr 2019

It must be pretty rough. Wonder if he'll wuss out tomorrow or Thursday.

Response to MelissaB (Original post)

Miles Archer

(18,837 posts)
13. That's pretty much a guarantee that Barr will be a no-show on Thursday...
Tue Apr 30, 2019, 07:31 PM
Apr 2019

...because if I were on the House Committee, that would be the FIRST thing I'd pull out. Barr can't deny that Mueller contacted him. Barr cooked the books, or as David Corn just said on MSNBC, "Barr pulled the rug out from under him."

MelissaB

(16,420 posts)
14. New York Times has an article up as well.
Tue Apr 30, 2019, 07:32 PM
Apr 2019

I updated OP with this one as well.




Mueller Objected to Barr’s Description of Russia Investigation’s Findings

WASHINGTON — Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel, wrote a letter in late March to Attorney General William P. Barr objecting to his early description of the Russia investigation’s conclusions that appeared to clear President Trump on possible obstruction of justice, according to the Justice Department.

The letter adds to the growing evidence of a rift between them and is another sign of the anger among the special counsel’s investigators about Mr. Barr’s characterization of their findings, which allowed Mr. Trump to wrongly claim he had been vindicated.

... snip

A central issue in the simmering dispute is how the public’s understanding of the Mueller report has been shaped since the special counsel ended his investigation and delivered his 448-page report on March 22 to the attorney general, his boss and longtime friend. The four-page letter that Mr. Barr sent to Congress two days later gave little detail about the special counsel’s findings and created the impression that Mr. Mueller’s team found no wrongdoing, allowing Mr. Trump to declare he had been exonerated.

... snip

In once instance, Mr. Barr took Mr. Mueller’s words out of context to suggest that the president had no motive to obstruct justice. In another instance, he plucked a fragment from a sentence in the Mueller report that made a conclusion seem less damaging for the president.

More: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/30/us/politics/mueller-barr.html

MelissaB

(16,420 posts)
16. Mueller quote for Barr's Impeachment:
Tue Apr 30, 2019, 07:37 PM
Apr 2019
Mueller quote for Barr’s Impeachment:

“There is now public confusion about critical aspects of our investigation. This threatens to undermine the purpose for which the Dept appointed the Special Counsel: to assure full public confidence in the outcome of the investigations.”


MelissaB

(16,420 posts)
18. Evidently abuse of power--by an Attorney General--is an impeachable offense.
Tue Apr 30, 2019, 07:39 PM
Apr 2019
When reading this part of Mueller’s private letter to Barr 👇

Remember that abuse of power—by an Attorney General—is an impeachable offense.



PatrickforO

(14,514 posts)
17. Oh oh. The old poop is hitting the fan blades now!
Tue Apr 30, 2019, 07:37 PM
Apr 2019

We've got to get Trump out of office. This cretin is going down in history as the absolute worst president this nation has ever had.

EVER.

 

Laura PourMeADrink

(42,770 posts)
19. Why is it that you can see from reading that Mueller
Tue Apr 30, 2019, 07:41 PM
Apr 2019

Set out impeachment articles and our leadership did not see that?

INdemo

(6,994 posts)
21. One thing is certainly does in addition to showing Barr obstructed
Tue Apr 30, 2019, 07:48 PM
Apr 2019

justice, it makes Rosenstein look even more like a wimp and a Trump lap dog

captain queeg

(10,035 posts)
22. We all knew Barf was scum
Tue Apr 30, 2019, 07:52 PM
Apr 2019

Glad to see Mueller trying to hold his feet to the fire.

I always questioned Obama letting Bush & Co off the hook. We need to hold this kind of crap and the people who push it accountable or it’ll keep getting worse.

magicarpet

(13,935 posts)
26. Let the fucking Fascists commit murder,...
Tue Apr 30, 2019, 08:25 PM
Apr 2019

... before you know it the brown shit shirted Nazis are gleefully committing genocide and ethnic cleansing where blue eyes, white skin, and blonde hair are the only human characters allowed and permitted.

The Fascists if allowed to escape justice - is to the detriment of a civilized society and our precious DEMOCRACY.

Nazis must be stopped, stomped down, sanctioned and then punished before they are allowed to act out and perpetrate their beloved atrocities.

gademocrat7

(10,623 posts)
30. Barr needs to be disbarred.
Tue Apr 30, 2019, 09:56 PM
Apr 2019

Mueller abides by the law. He will not tolerate Barr’s own interpretation of his report.

FuzzyRabbit

(1,958 posts)
31. You all and I were aware that Barr's report
Tue Apr 30, 2019, 11:33 PM
Apr 2019

was bullshit as soon as we read it. Evidently the TV news people believed it. NBC news this evening reported about Mueller's letter to Barr and so did my local news. They both were surprised that Mueller would disagree with Barr's conclusions.

And this is a huge problem for our country as those who get their news from TV do not hear the truth. TV news reports on Trump as if he is an ordinary politician. They may report on what he says or tweets, but they never give any background that might show that Trump and his people are liars or in any other way dishonest and manipulative.

Skittles

(152,963 posts)
32. hmmm
Wed May 1, 2019, 01:23 AM
May 2019
Mueller told the attorney general that the depiction of his findings failed to capture ‘context, nature, and substance’ of probe" = Mueller-speak for YOU LYING SACK OF SHIT!

duforsure

(11,882 posts)
33. Barr conspired , and tried to cover up
Wed May 1, 2019, 05:46 AM
May 2019

And Mueller is having nothing to do with it, and I wouldn't want to be in Barr's shoes now. Barr conspired , and has taken part actively to cover up his report for trump, and Mueller will make sure he pays for it by exposing the truth, which Barr and trump are desperately trying to hide. How long before trump is threatening Mueller if he speaks before Congress? He'll use his usual tactics suggesting he was doing things illegally , then use Barr to claim he should be charged and locked up like he used on Hillary. Trump is using Barr as a weapon now to go after others that pose a threat to expose them . Mueller's letter proves he hasn't bought in to protect trump, or lie, and Barr's actions trying to cover up for trump proves how corrupt he really is, and an AG that's a liar.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Updated article MUELLER S...