Special Counsel Robert Mueller found no evidence of collusion between US President Donald Trump’s campaign and Russia in the 2016 election but left unresolved the issue of whether Trump obstructed justice by undermining the investigations that have dogged his presidency.
Even though Mueller’s findings on obstruction of justice were inconclusive, US Attorney General William Barr said in a summary released on Sunday that Mueller’s team had not found enough proof to warrant bringing charges against Trump.
THE REPORT DOES NOT EXONERATE TRUMP
It marked a political victory for Trump. He quickly claimed “complete and total exoneration”, while his Democratic opponents expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome and vowed to continue congressional inquiries into his business and personal dealings.
Mueller’s 22-month investigation ended with a finding that no one in Trump’s campaign “conspired or coordinated with the Russian government”, according to Barr’s four-page summary of the confidential report.
The long-awaited report into whether Trump’s 2016 campaign colluded with Russian efforts to help him defeat his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, marked a milestone in his presidency as he prepares for his 2020 re-election battle.
Democrats, however, said they wanted to see Mueller’s report for themselves as they launch congressional investigations of their own into the 2016 election and Trump’s business and financial dealings.