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The Mueller Report
The Special Counsel investigation of 2017 to 2019, also referred to as the Mueller probe, Mueller investigation and Russia investigation, was a United States counterintelligence investigation of the Russian government's efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. According to its authorizing document, which was signed by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein on May 17, 2017, the investigation's scope included allegations that there were links or coordination between Donald Trump's presidential campaign and the Russian government as well as "any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation." It included a criminal investigation which looked into potential obstruction of justice charges against Trump and others within the campaign and administration. Conducted by the Department of Justice Special Counsel's Office headed by Robert Mueller, a Republican and former Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Special Counsel investigation began eight days after President Trump dismissed FBI director James Comey, who had been leading existing FBI investigations since July 2016 into links between Trump associates and Russian officials. Following Comey's firing, over 130 Democratic Party lawmakers in Congress called for the appointment of a special counsel, while the FBI began investigating Trump for obstruction of justice. The special counsel's office took over both these investigations from the FBI. On March 24, 2019, Attorney General Barr sent a four-page letter to Congress regarding the special counsel's findings regarding Russian interference and obstruction of justice. Barr said that on the question of Russian interference in the election, Mueller detailed two ways in which Russia attempted to influence the election, firstly disinformation and social media campaigns by the Internet Research Agency to cause social discord, and secondly computer hacking and strategic release of emails from the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign and Democratic Party organizations. However, Barr quoted the report as "[T]he investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities." On the question of obstruction of justice, Barr said no conclusion was reached by the special counsel, noting that Mueller wrote "while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him". Barr and Rosenstein concluded by March 24, 2019, that obstruction could not be proven in a court of law.
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Published April 26, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 11, 2020
No question it's an important report, but reading it was difficult. It's disheartening, frustrating, and alarming. I never imagined our government would stand by as we were attacked by Russia, and I never imagined we'd have such a dangerous, self-serving, incapable, immoral, dishonest man in the oval office. These are frightening times. What has happened to the rule of law? I pray voters will come to their senses quickly.
July 30, 2019
The Mueller Report is definitely required reading. Even though Mueller testified before Congress last week and a lot of details came out, this book should be read to understand the full scope of the investigation.
The Reports findings outlines how the Russians interfered with our election and the Trump team complicity and the Report also outlined quite clearly obstruction of justice. Some important points of attention were the number of people charged/convicted. The number of additional people involved as indicated by the redactions, and the extensive “I do not recall”/”I don’t remember” responses to important questions by Trumps written non answer responses. There were also numerous “Harms to ongoing matter”-meaning their cases are still ongoing and forwarded to other departments of Justice. In the glossary, a list of the Special Counsel’s office transferred, referred and completed cases consists of more than 70 pages.
Key points in the Report: 1) the timeline helps to envision the picture of Russian interference, though these encounters didn’t technically constitute a crime. 2) Trump did obstruct justice on numerous occasions and the Report does not exonerate him. However, further responsibility for further legal action falls to other government entities, ie Congress.
The Reports findings outlines how the Russians interfered with our election and the Trump team complicity and the Report also outlined quite clearly obstruction of justice. Some important points of attention were the number of people charged/convicted. The number of additional people involved as indicated by the redactions, and the extensive “I do not recall”/”I don’t remember” responses to important questions by Trumps written non answer responses. There were also numerous “Harms to ongoing matter”-meaning their cases are still ongoing and forwarded to other departments of Justice. In the glossary, a list of the Special Counsel’s office transferred, referred and completed cases consists of more than 70 pages.
Key points in the Report: 1) the timeline helps to envision the picture of Russian interference, though these encounters didn’t technically constitute a crime. 2) Trump did obstruct justice on numerous occasions and the Report does not exonerate him. However, further responsibility for further legal action falls to other government entities, ie Congress.
May 10, 2019
This is a succinct, well-organized report. I enjoyed learning about the investigative process and all the legal considerations. Having read the report I have a better understanding of decisions and evaluations made and not-made. When the non-redacted version is released I'll read it, as well.
June 7, 2019
Mueller definitely wants Congress to pursue impeachment proceedings. I wish everyone in the U.S. would read "The Mueller Report" (available free at your local library or online U.S. Department of Justice website: www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf) and learn the truth about the many times Trump obstructed justice or tried to. It was also frightening to learn more about the Russian's meddling into the 2016 presidential election. The Mueller Report is a real eye-opener.
Trump never answered important questions he was given and many of his answers to the questions were: I don't recall or I have no recollection. Barr is a liar just like Trump and all those who work for Trump and the Republicans in Congress. None of them have integrity.
Some in Congress haven't even read the entire redacted report. What are those in Congress good for? They don't want to acknowledge the truth. At least in the Nixon era, there were people with integrity (Republicans) and they stood against the crimes Nixon committed.
Trump should not be allowed to continue with his lies, obstruction and deceptions. He is ruining our democracy and our country. My only hope is that when Roger Stone's trial begins on November 5, Stone will tell the truth and have evidence of all the horrible actions Trump and his campaign did. I hope Stone is scared s##tless about spending many years in prison and tells everything he knows on Trump and the Russians helping Trump, because waiting for Republicans in Congress to have integrity is like waiting for pigs to fly. And for the record, if Trump was a Democrat I would be saying the same. No one should be above the law especially the President of the U.S. Trump should not get a free pass.
Trump never answered important questions he was given and many of his answers to the questions were: I don't recall or I have no recollection. Barr is a liar just like Trump and all those who work for Trump and the Republicans in Congress. None of them have integrity.
Some in Congress haven't even read the entire redacted report. What are those in Congress good for? They don't want to acknowledge the truth. At least in the Nixon era, there were people with integrity (Republicans) and they stood against the crimes Nixon committed.
Trump should not be allowed to continue with his lies, obstruction and deceptions. He is ruining our democracy and our country. My only hope is that when Roger Stone's trial begins on November 5, Stone will tell the truth and have evidence of all the horrible actions Trump and his campaign did. I hope Stone is scared s##tless about spending many years in prison and tells everything he knows on Trump and the Russians helping Trump, because waiting for Republicans in Congress to have integrity is like waiting for pigs to fly. And for the record, if Trump was a Democrat I would be saying the same. No one should be above the law especially the President of the U.S. Trump should not get a free pass.
May 29, 2019
An important book for all to read to better understand and appreciate the Special Counsel's efforts and the final report despite the redactions and despite Barr's attempt to ignore and distort Mueller's findings. Mueller did the reader a favor by providing concise overviews of different parts of the investigation with more details following. Three things especially got my attention: the number of people charged/convicted already; the number of additional people to possibly be charged as indicated by the redactions; and the extensive number of "I do not recall"/ "I don't remember" responses to important questions including the many "I don't recall"/"I have no recollection"s in Trump's written responses. Trump refused to answer questions in person and it seems apparent to me that his written answers were really more his lawyers' answers or rather nonanswers.
Included is a glossary of referenced people (15 pages with some redacted because "Harm to ongoing matter" meaning their cases have been forwarded to others in the Department of Justice), a list of Special Counsel's Office transferred, referred and completed cases, and over 70 pages of notes.
Included is a glossary of referenced people (15 pages with some redacted because "Harm to ongoing matter" meaning their cases have been forwarded to others in the Department of Justice), a list of Special Counsel's Office transferred, referred and completed cases, and over 70 pages of notes.
July 19, 2019
The Mueller Report doesn't cover too much information that was unknown leading up to it's release/publication. However, having all of the information pulled together into a report that follows a timeline really helps paint a picture of Russia's extensive interference into the 2016 Presidential election.
The social media influence was apparent to anyone on Facebook or Twitter in the six months leading up to the election, but the hacking was less obvious before the public details were elaborated upon here. I am glad that there does not seem to be any evidence that the Trump campaign actively conspired with the Russian government, but it's clear that the campaign welcomed the help and would have accepted additional help had the additional offers been legitimate and followed through.
Volume II of this report was obvious to the public as most of it occurred on the national stage. Any of us could have written at least 3/4s of volume two.
The social media influence was apparent to anyone on Facebook or Twitter in the six months leading up to the election, but the hacking was less obvious before the public details were elaborated upon here. I am glad that there does not seem to be any evidence that the Trump campaign actively conspired with the Russian government, but it's clear that the campaign welcomed the help and would have accepted additional help had the additional offers been legitimate and followed through.
Volume II of this report was obvious to the public as most of it occurred on the national stage. Any of us could have written at least 3/4s of volume two.
May 17, 2019
This has been a very good read. It's very organized and surprisingly easy to follow for an over 400 page government document. I applaud Mueller for making the report easy to follow because people need to read it. The Report covers two things, one collusion, and two obstruction of justice. After reading, I surprisingly admire Russia's efforts. The scope of their efforts is just unreal. It really points out how fragile our election system is and that actions need to be taken in order to keep this from happening again. The only true way to understand the Mueller Report is to read it. The media can only tell you so much and only be so accurate. With that said, I believe every US citizen should take the time to learn the truth about the 2016 election and its aftermath.
May 30, 2019
Every American should read this factual report about the Russian attack on our election process, society, and democracy. The word "fact" doesn't seem strong enough when the facts are corroborated by sworn witnesses, dates, times, and places in staggering detail. The Mueller Report is not a feel-good read, but it's a necessary read, a dutiful read, for anyone forming, stating, or adopting an opinion about the events surrounding the 2016 election.
June 19, 2019
Documentation every American, regardless of party affiliation must read. It is a long read with lots of repetition, albeit necessary for building the case against Trump, which the report succeeds in doing. Helps the reader understand the judicial system and why decisions were made to support the case. Recommend strongly.
December 25, 2019
There is a lot to get through with this one namely the “redacted see....” nonsense, but you get the drift. My take away, the content in the real illegal stuff isn’t the worst part, it’s the President’s behavior otherwise. No words could describe the level of human garbage we have in office.
January 1, 2020
Should be required reading for everyone who is eligible for the future US elections. Will or should be in every library going forward.
Even with the redactions this report is full of information if you read it with a nonpartisan and open mind
Even with the redactions this report is full of information if you read it with a nonpartisan and open mind
May 28, 2019
The study of a narcissistic sociopath.
June 19, 2019
Very informative read that puts all the information we've been hearing about for the past 3 years into a coherent, comprehensive report. When read in this way, parts are quite shocking!
June 28, 2019
Unless you've read the report your opinion on the investigation is of no import.
September 30, 2019
A must read.
January 24, 2020
Whatever your politics on the issue, this was very well-written. It didn’t fall into a bunch of legalese, making it digestible for those of us who aren’t lawyers.
August 7, 2020
it hard to give it a '4' as it's so dry, but it is so important. Regardless of how you feel on the investigation, it's a pretty clear picture of who Trump is, and the chaos in the WH.
July 13, 2019
I highly recommend everyone read it for themselves. Tip: Appendix B contains a glossary of names, entities and organizations, and acronyms.
I read a pdf version of the report which has the same page count as this version.
My main takeaways:
The Russian government absolutely made targeted, coordinated attacks designed to influence the election so that Trump would get elected president.
The scope of their cyber attacks and "active measures" social media campaigns was vast and there's no reason to think they won't continue their efforts while upping their game. We should be much more worried about Russia.
Several people working for Trump's campaign tried to facilitate contacts with Russians including to accept damaging information about Hillary Clinton, promote a business deal and travel opportunities to Russia.
Volume II covers the investigation into obstruction of justice by the President.
The legal demands for proving obstruction of justice are high but Trump's behavior and actions are clear. Firing Attorney General Sessions and trying to remove the special counsel both seem to qualify. The table of contents for volume II gives a good feel for it.
Trump's lawyers argue that firing the AG and directing the course of investigations falls under his article II powers but he is not protected if he uses those powers corruptly (to avoid criminal prosecution, for personal gain, to avoid embarrassment...).
Anyone working for Trump should take note that he will praise you and send well wishes as long as you don't contradict him. As soon as you put your own interests first, say by telling the truth during an investigation, he will flip on you instantly, making personal attacks on twitter and in the media to discredit you and bias juries.
Really the report includes an exceptional amount of detail. It's hard to summarize.
The main thing is that this report does not exonerate Trump of wrongdoing and provides a roadmap for impeachment proceedings based on obstruction of justice.
I read a pdf version of the report which has the same page count as this version.
My main takeaways:
The Russian government absolutely made targeted, coordinated attacks designed to influence the election so that Trump would get elected president.
The scope of their cyber attacks and "active measures" social media campaigns was vast and there's no reason to think they won't continue their efforts while upping their game. We should be much more worried about Russia.
Several people working for Trump's campaign tried to facilitate contacts with Russians including to accept damaging information about Hillary Clinton, promote a business deal and travel opportunities to Russia.
Volume II covers the investigation into obstruction of justice by the President.
The legal demands for proving obstruction of justice are high but Trump's behavior and actions are clear. Firing Attorney General Sessions and trying to remove the special counsel both seem to qualify. The table of contents for volume II gives a good feel for it.
Trump's lawyers argue that firing the AG and directing the course of investigations falls under his article II powers but he is not protected if he uses those powers corruptly (to avoid criminal prosecution, for personal gain, to avoid embarrassment...).
Anyone working for Trump should take note that he will praise you and send well wishes as long as you don't contradict him. As soon as you put your own interests first, say by telling the truth during an investigation, he will flip on you instantly, making personal attacks on twitter and in the media to discredit you and bias juries.
Really the report includes an exceptional amount of detail. It's hard to summarize.
The main thing is that this report does not exonerate Trump of wrongdoing and provides a roadmap for impeachment proceedings based on obstruction of justice.
January 24, 2020
This is not light reading. It is barely prose - but it isn't supposed to be that, either. A very VERY significant report, and even if one only reads the executive summaries, critically important.
There is a lot there (and if I ever wished to be an investigator, that ship has sailed - I don't have the patience and self-control for that).
I wish - I VERY MUCH wish - that the DOJ had never made that decision to avoid actually indicting a sitting president. Because if they hadn't, Trump would have been indicted a year ago.
It is obscured a bit by the legalese, but when Mueller said 'if the president had been innocent, we would have said so', that REALLY meant 'Trump is guilty as sin, and if I could indict him, I would have'.
But man. Reading reports of interviews is a slog, and I'm positive I didn't get a third of it, really.
There is a lot there (and if I ever wished to be an investigator, that ship has sailed - I don't have the patience and self-control for that).
I wish - I VERY MUCH wish - that the DOJ had never made that decision to avoid actually indicting a sitting president. Because if they hadn't, Trump would have been indicted a year ago.
It is obscured a bit by the legalese, but when Mueller said 'if the president had been innocent, we would have said so', that REALLY meant 'Trump is guilty as sin, and if I could indict him, I would have'.
But man. Reading reports of interviews is a slog, and I'm positive I didn't get a third of it, really.
December 13, 2020
Absolutely fascinating. Very clearly written, without legalese for the most part. I read it because I've been following the political situation closely since the 2016 election and, though I regularly watch/listen to sources I trust, who have summarized the Report, I wanted to know for myself exactly what Mueller's findings were. Yes, it's a long document, but definitely worth reading.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews