After two years of investigation, Robert Mueller’s inquiry into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia has been completed. Submitted on March 22, the report is currently being reviewed by Attorney General William Barr. However, a summary has been released to Congress via a letter from the attorney general. (You can read the full letter here.)

According to Barr, “The Special Counsel’s investigation did not find that the Trump campaign or anyone associated with it conspired or coordinated with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election.” The attorney general then directly quoted the Mueller report: “[T]he investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.”

However, there was a second aspect to this investigation: Did President Trump obstruct justice by firing former FBI Director James Comey? On this subject, Barr stated that the investigation was inconclusive on obstruction and once again directly quoted the report in his letter: “[W]hile this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.”

A total of eight people have either been convicted of, or plead guilty, to crimes that emerged as a result of the Russia probe. However, none of these crimes directly relate to the perpetrators’ actions and duties working on President Trump’s campaign. Though the special counsel’s investigation has wrapped, congressional Democrats have vowed to keep probing the president through their power of congressional oversight.

Sources

“Article II.” Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, 17 May 2018, www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/articleii.

Berry, Deborah Barfield, et al. “Mueller Report: House Democrats Will Continue Separate Investigations into Trump, Russia.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 23 Mar. 2019, www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/03/22/mueller-report-congress-oversight-investigations-trump/3061526002/.

Bomboy, Scott. “Can a President Obstruct Justice? The Legal Experts Have a Few Thoughts.” National Constitution Center – Constitutioncenter.org, 4 Dec. 2017, constitutioncenter.org/blog/can-a-president-obstruct-justice-the-legal-experts-have-a-few-thoughts.

Earl, Jennifer, and Kaitlyn Schallhorn. “How Paul Manafort Is Connected to Trump, Russia Investigation.” Fox News, FOX News Network, 13 Mar. 2019, www.foxnews.com/politics/how-paul-manafort-is-connected-to-trump-russia-investigation.

“Read: Justice Department Summary of Mueller Report.” CNN, Cable News Network, 24 Mar. 2019, www.cnn.com/2019/03/24/politics/read-mueller-key-findings-doj/index.html.

“Tracking the Russia Investigations.” CNN, Cable News Network, www.cnn.com/interactive/2017/politics/russia-investigations/#/charges.