What Does the End of the Mueller Probe Mean?

FEATURING RON FEIN – After nearly two years of investigations, the Special Counsel’s office, headed by Robert Mueller III, is finally closing down. Mr. Mueller’s final report, which was so heavily anticipated by so many, was submitted to the Attorney General’s office as per the Special Counsel’s regulations with no new indictments announced. Within hours, Attorney General William Barr, who has only been in his position for a few weeks, sent a 4-page summary of the Mueller report to Congress.

According to Barr’s summary, Mueller concluded that there was no collusion with Russia in the 2016 election and made no determination one way or another of whether the President attempted to obstruct justice. Barr also quoted the actual Mueller report on the issue of obstruction of justice: “while this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.”

Trump has proclaimed that the report completely exonerates him. News reports are touting the end of the probe as a victory for Trump and as a damper on prospects of impeachment. But Democrats are demanding that the entire Mueller report be made public. More than a dozen state Attorneys General have also made such a demand.

Ron Fein, Legal Director of Free Speech for People, and a constitutional lawyer who previously served as Assistant Regional Counsel in the US EPA. He is the co-author with John Bonifaz and Ben Clements of the book The Constitution Demands It: The Case for The Impeachment of Donald Trump.