The Mueller Investigation: After More Than Two Years

April 3, 2019

Ritti Bhogal

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What happened?

The Special Counsel investigation Robert Mueller had been conducting regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election is finally complete. His report was submitted to Attorney General William Barr on March 22, 2019, and whether or not the report or its principal conclusions will be revealed to the public is entirely up to Barr.

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What exactly was the report?

After the end of his ten year term as the FBI director, Robert Mueller was appointed by the Justice Department to lead an investigation into connections between the Trump campaign and Russian officials. The inquiry began in May 2017 and not just to question the security and viability of the voting system, but serve as a threat to Trump’s presidency.

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What has the report uncovered?

Unfortunately, the public does not have access to the results of the investigation yet. Barr said that he may be able to give principal conclusions as early as the end of the month, by March 24. While many are on the edge of their seats in anticipation of its outcome, we do know that during the investigation, criminal charges were recommended against 34 people, 6 of them being Trump campaign associates. Along with that, 3 Russian companies have been charged in different cases, 5 people have been sentenced to prison, and 16 other Trump associates have shown to have some sort of relation or tie to Russia during the campaign and transition.

While we do not know what the evidence supporting these decisions is, a lawsuit has already been filed demanding the investigation be made public. The government transparency advocacy group states that American citizens have the right to know “the full scope of Russian interference in the 2016 United States presidential election” and whether “the President unlawfully obstructed any investigation into Russian election interference.”

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What is the reaction of Trump, those who were a part of his 2016 campaign, and the National Republican Committee?

There have been no recommended indictments against President Donald Trump since Mueller turned in the report. Trump believes that if the outcome is not in his favor, “people will not stand for it.” He says the report is a “continuation of the same nonsense” and that the two year investigation took up time that could have been spent on more necessary and conclusive issues.

Advisers of his campaign are looking at the conclusion of the seemingly never-ending probe in a positive light. While multiple charges were placed against members of the 2016 Trump campaign, there were not any charges specific to obstruction of justice. “Zero indictments means we’re clear,” says one adviser. The RNC sees the ending of the investigation as a sign that the report was not able to find any violations of the constitution made by the President and claims that there was no collusion between Trump and Russia.