What we learned from Mueller

[Pete F.]

1. A VAST TRUMP-RUSSIA COUNTERINTELLIGENCE PROBE IS ONGOING. It's exponentially broader than Mueller's probe, it covers "collusion" (a fair term in the counterintelligence sphere) and its findings are being kept from America *and* Congress. The fight to see them began yesterday.

2. FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT CAN'T CONFIRM TRUMP ISN'T COMPROMISED BY RUSSIA. Because "compromise" is a counterintelligence issue, and compromised politicians are national security threats, and no one has seen any FBI counterintelligence report, we don't know if Trump is a threat.

3. MUELLER DIDN'T INVESTIGATE ANYTHING TRUMP WAS ACCUSED OF BESIDES OBSTRUCTION. The non-obstruction allegations against Trump were aiding/abetting, bribery, money laundering, and illegal pre-election receipt of in-kind donations from non-Russians. Mueller looked at none of that.

4. THERE IS SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE TRUMP AIDED AND ABETTED COMPUTER CRIMES. Mueller testified—under oath—that Trump gave "hope" and a "boost" to WikiLeaks' "criminal activity" after he knew such activity was afoot. The crime that describes—aiding/abetting—must now be investigated.

5. THERE IS SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE TRUMP COMMITTED THE FEDERAL FELONY OF MAKING FALSE STATEMENTS TO LAW ENFORCEMENT. Mueller testified—under oath—that Trump's written answers to the FBI and the Special Counsel were "generally" *untruthful*, as the facts in Mueller's report confirm.

6. TRUMP AND GOP CLAIMS OF "NO COLLUSION," "NO OBSTRUCTION," AND "NO EVIDENCE OF CONSPIRACY OR COORDINATION" ARE ALL FALSE. It isn't news to anyone paying attention, but as much of America isn't, many learned for the first time from Mueller that these GOP talking points are lies.

7. MUELLER SAID TRUMP COULD BE CHARGED WITH OBSTRUCTION POST-PRESIDENCY AND WOULD HAVE BEEN CHARGED NOW IF NOT FOR THE OLC. Mueller's later (confusing) "walk-back" of the second claim—which many had taken as an accidental truth—didn't erase the specter that he meant what he said.

8. ANY TRUMP CRIMES INVOLVING OTHER NATIONS ARE STILL UNREPORTED. Mueller's testimony made clear that evidence involving nations besides Russia—whether past election interference or future election interference, past collusion or future collusion—went to FBI counterintelligence.

9. REPUBLICANS HAVE NO OBJECTIONS TO ANY OF THE DAMNING FACTS IN THE MUELLER REPORT. Media waited with baited breath for Republicans to contest the Report's damning findings rather than just opine about what else Mueller could have looked at—and shockingly, the moment never came.

10. MUELLER ONLY CHOSE NOT TO INTERVIEW TRUMP FACE-TO-FACE BECAUSE HE ADJUDGED HE HAD ENOUGH EVIDENCE OF "CORRUPT INTENT" ON OBSTRUCTION. Mueller resolved a *longstanding* mystery: why didn't he insist on keeping Trump to his public promise of a live interview? Well, now we know.

BONUS. TRUMP WITNESSES "IMPEDED" THE MUELLER INVESTIGATION. Mueller testified under oath—in answers to questions by Rep. Demings—that contrary to Trump and GOP claims that the White House facilitated campaign aides assisting Mueller, the opposite was true: they tried to stop him.

BONUS. MUELLER BELIEVES TRUMP AND HIS AIDES OPENED THEMSELVES TO KREMLIN BLACKMAIL. Mueller told Rep. Correa he "doesn't disagree" that a series of acts answering to behavior by Trump and his aides would be sufficient to give the Kremlin leverage and blackmail material over them.

BONUS. MUELLER SAYS NOT REPORTING FOREIGN AID OFFERS IN A CAMPAIGN CAN BE A CRIME. Trump says it isn't; the GOP is today fighting as hard as they can not to legislate on it—as they think Trump will do (may already have done) it—but Mueller told Rep. Himes it can be a crime *now*.

BONUS. TRUMP AND THE GOP SAY NEITHER MUELLER NOR BARR CAN "EXONERATE" TRUMP ON OBSTRUCTION. One of yesterday's oddest moments came when *multiple* Republicans said no one at DOJ can exonerate Trump on obstruction—meaning Mueller's report is definitionally an impeachment referral.

BONUS. TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN MANAGER PAUL MANAFORT SPENT THE WHOLE CAMPAIGN EXPECTING TO RECEIVE FINANCIAL COMPENSATION (NOT JUST LOAN FORGIVENESS) FROM THE KREMLIN FOR HIS STEWARDSHIP OF TRUMP. Many thought this shocking fact was discussed at length in Mueller's report—but it wasn't.

PS. Mueller also refused to say there was "no evidence" Manafort met with Assange; refused to say there was no evidence Trump's campaign was involved in the theft of HRC/DNC emails; rejected the "hoax" and "witch hunt" slurs; and said Putin could have compromising tapes of Cohen.

Seth Abramson

[Sea Dangles]

Clearly the greatest president of our lifetime
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