Mueller Report: 10 Episodes of Obstruction
The Special Counsel documented 10 episodes of potential obstruction of justice by Trump, including ordering White House Counsel to fire Mueller. The report stated it "does not exonerate" the president.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, released April 18, 2019, documented 10 episodes of potential obstruction of justice by Trump. Among the most serious:
- Trump directed White House Counsel Don McGahn to fire Mueller — McGahn refused and threatened to resign rather than carry out the order
- Trump pressured Attorney General Jeff Sessions to un-recuse himself and take control of the investigation
- Trump attempted to limit the scope of the investigation
- Trump directed aides to create false records about his efforts to fire Mueller
- Trump dangled pardons to discourage cooperation with investigators
Mueller famously wrote: "While this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him." He followed DOJ policy that a sitting president cannot be indicted, but laid out the evidence for Congress to act.
AG William Barr issued a misleading summary before the report's release, claiming it found "no obstruction" — a characterization Mueller himself objected to in a letter calling Barr's summary a failure to "fully capture the context, nature, and substance" of the investigation's findings. The investigation resulted in 34 indictments, 7 guilty pleas, and 5 prison sentences.