Robert Mueller on Whether Trump Could be Indicted

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The report did not conclude

that he did not commit obstruction of justice.

Is that correct?

That is correct.

[Jerry] And what about total exoneration?

Did you actually totally exonerate the president?

No.

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The president has repeatedly claimed that your report

found that there was no obstruction

and that it completely and totally exonerated him,

but that is not what your report said, is it?

Correct, it is not what the report said.

You wrote, quote, If we had confidence

after a thorough investigation of the facts

that the president clearly did not commit

obstruction of justice, we would so state.

Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards,

however, we are unable

to reach that judgment, closed quote.

Now, does that say there was no obstruction?

No.

Could you charge the president with a crime

after he left office?

Yes.

You believe that he committed,

you could charge the President of the United States

with obstruction of justice after he left office?

Yes.

Ethically, under the ethical standards?

Well, I'm not certain,

because I haven't looked at the ethical standards,

but OLC opinion says that the prosecutor,

while he can not bring a charge

against a sitting president, nonetheless,

he can continue the investigation to see if there are any

other persons who might be drawn into the conspiracy.

And if somebody knows they did not conspire

with anybody from Russia to affect the election

and they see the big Justice Department

with people that hate that person

coming after 'em, and then a special counsel appointed

who hires dozen or more people that hate that person

and he knows he's innocent,

he's not corruptly acting in order to see

that justice is done.

What he is doing is not obstructing justice.

He is pursuing justice, [gavel cracking]

and the fact that you ran it out

two years means you perpetuated injustice.

I take your, I take your question.

[Jerry] The gentleman's time is expired.

The witness may answer the question.

I take your question.

Director Mueller, you found evidence,

as you lay out in your report,

that the president wanted to fire you

because you were investigating him

for obstruction of justice, isn't that correct?

That's what it says in the report, yes,

and I stand behind the report.

Anyone else who blatantly interfered

with a criminal investigation like yours

would be arrested and indicted on charges

of obstruction of justice.

Director Mueller, you determined that you were barred

from indicting a sitting president.

I believe a reasonable person looking at these facts

could conclude that all three elements of the crime

of obstruction of justice have been met,

and I'd like to ask you the reason, again,

that you did not indict Donald Trump

is because of OLC opinion stating that you cannot

indict a sitting president, correct?

That is correct.

And based on the evidence that we have heard today,

I believe a reasonable person could conclude

that at least three crimes of obstruction of justice

by the president occurred.

We're gonna hear about two additional crimes

that would be the witness tamperings

of Michael Cohen and Paul Manafort.

Welcome, everyone, to the last gasp

of the Russia collusion conspiracy theory.

I want to go back to one thing that was said this morning

by Mr. Lieu, who said, and I quote,

You didn't charge the president

because of the OLC opinion.

That is not the correct way to say it.

As we say in the report and as I said at the opening,

we did not reach a determination as to whether

the president committed a crime.

Your investigation looked into these matters.

Numerous Trump associates lied to your team,

the grand jury, and to Congress.

A number of persons that we interviewed

in our investigation it turns out did lie.

Mike Flynn lied?

He was convicted of lying, yes.

George Papadopoulos was convicted of lying?

True.

Paul Manafort was convicted of lying?

[Robert] True.

Paul Manafort was, in fact, went so far

as to encourage other people to lie?

That is accurate.

Manafort's deputy Rick Gates lied?

That is accurate.

Michael Cohen, the president's lawyer,

was indicted for lying?

True.

He lied to stay on message with the president.

Allegedly, by him.

And when Donald Trump called your investigation

a witch hunt, that was also false, was it not?

I'd like to think so, yes.

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