Barr says Mueller 'could've reached a decision' on obstruction

[kentuck]

From May 29th, 2019

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/30/william-barr-mueller-report-decision-1348216

<snip>
Attorney General William Barr split with Robert Mueller on Thursday over Mueller’s decision to punt on whether Trump sought to obstruct his Russia investigation, saying the special counsel "could've reached a decision."

The rift between Barr and Mueller publicly reemerged after Mueller broke his silence on Wednesday following the nearly two year investigation. In his first public comments, Mueller told reporters that charging Trump with anything was never “an option we could consider” due to a longstanding Department of Justice policy against charging a sitting president with a federal crime.

While Mueller made clear the investigation operated under that framework, Barr told reporters last month that Mueller had not solely relied on the DOJ opinion when deciding whether Trump obstructed justice.

In a letter to lawmakers summarizing Mueller’s conclusions earlier this year, Barr said that because Mueller did not make a determination on obstruction, he and then-deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein made the decisions themselves.

[kentuck]

1. The question is:

If, according to Barr, he could have reached a decision on obstruction then, why can't he reach a decision on obstruction now?

[BSdetect]

2. They have no intention of being logical about this. Its gop fuckery as per usual.

[kentuck]

3. I think you are right.

Neither Party's leadership wants to touch it with a ten-foot pole.

They want it decided in the next election.

[watoos]

4. Don't back down Kentuck,

you hit on a solid point. Barr stated that Mueller could have rendered an opinion on obstruction and that frees up Mueller to render said opinion at the hearing on Wednesday. Whether or not Mueller walks through that door is anyone's guess.

[kentuck]

6. Yep.

He gave him the option of declaring that there was obstruction.

Will Mueller "walk thru that door"??

[duforsure]

8. This is just another ruse

He was probably assured he couldn't , and trump has Barr telling this now to undermine Mueller's decision after told he couldn't. Barr's just another crook and a liar for trump.

[NewJeffCT]

11. Barr and Rosenstein reached a decision

they denied reality and decided there was no obstruction

[kentuck]

12. The entire decision chain included Barr, Rosenstein, and Trump.

They decided there was "no collusion, no obstruction, no nothing"

It didn't matter what Mueller, his team, and two and a half years of investigation decided.

[NewJeffCT]

13. I still think

that when Barr took office, he called up Mueller and said that he (Mueller) needed to get his final report to him within 30 days. Mueller may be by the book, but him leaving a dozen or so investigations unfinished and farmed out to other offices seems unlike a guy that has a reputation for being very thorough.

[kentuck]

14. That would be a good question to ask Mueller.

I think he was asked to end his investigation, also.

[NewJeffCT]

16. while Barr is despicable

I'm sure he's smart enough to legally phrase it so it does not seem like he ended it early.

Just need to find some smarter people (calling Adam Schiff) that can decipher and poke holes into the legalese.

[beachbum bob]

5. ??? Ithought Barr said the report exonerated trump and there was no collusion....???

[spanone]

7. K&R...

[blueinredohio]

9. Whatever decision except exoneration would have obstructed by Barr

so it doesn't matter. But in my opinion unless Mueller tells all and outs Trump a lot of this destruction should be shouldered by him.

[kentuck]

10. I wonder if Barr has changed his mind about whether Mueller "could've reached a decision"...?

...about obstruction?

[standingtall]

15. Barr is lying again

If Mueller had made a decision on obstruction Barr would've never let the Mueller report see the light of day, but that will be the story if Mueller does make a decision on it at the hearing.