Every American citizen should read the Mueller Report, Part II. While Part I covers Russian interference into a presidential election, Part II centers on the behavior of the nation’s leaders subsequent to the interference, including the President of the United States.
High school teachers, college professors, law enforcement officers, military personnel, attorneys, judges, elected local, state and federal officials, and business leaders throughout the nation in particular have a special obligation to fulfill their civic duty and read what is destined to become one of the foundational documents of our nation’s history.
Though he’s been castigated for remaining silent about the meaning and import of his findings, history will show Robert Mueller, Special Counsel for the United States of America, stood firm on the foundations of Constitutional law and disinterested integrity when he refused to elaborate on the meaning and import of his voluminous report.
It was clear from his statements on May 29 that Mueller believes his report sufficient and thorough enough to address reasonable questions about Russian interference and attempts by the President and his associates to obstruct justice. He further believes that Congress and the people of the United States are the only powers with the Constitutional authority to pass judgment on the people and events featured in his investigation.
Part II of the report will be studied and taught for as long as people value the force of reason and the rule of law. It includes eleven incidents possibly involving obstruction of justice. The incidents are presented in outline form, lettered “A” through “K.” An additional section, labeled “L,” covers Overarching factual issues. Finally, there’s a section of rebuttal to the President’s attorneys’ Constitutional Defenses against the Special Counsel’s right to conduct the investigation.
Though Mueller advises that, “Judgements about the nature of the President’s motives during each phase [of the investigation] would be informed by the totality of the evidence,” readers with time constraints will profit from reading any one section. The report also includes an excellent introduction and concise executive summary.
The methodology of the Mueller Report is at least as important as its content. The structure is developed from the classical syllogism, a keystone of Western legal reasoning at least since the time of Plato and Aristotle. The basic parts of the syllogism—claim, support (evidence), conclusion—are drawn out into systematic presentation of each incident of possible obstruction.
Every incident in the report is developed into an argument or “case,” for or against the charge of obstruction. The fundamental elements of each case are virtually identical and divided into sections. There is an “Overview,” featuring a concise narrative of the incident in question. The “Overview” is followed by “Evidence,” which is further divided by source and kind.
The “Evidence” section is followed by “Analysis.” Most “Analysis” sections include legal definitions of such things as “obstruction” and “intent.” They also include what the Mueller team calls a “Nexus,” a link to connect evidence to conclusion.
Weighing in at over a pound and a half and measuring 8.5 x 11 x 1 inch thick, the Mueller Report presents a daunting challenge for most any reader. However, except for the response to the arguments of the President’s attorneys, it’s remarkably free of dense legal language.
It also provides a gripping narrative of characters and actions that already loom over current events like larger-than-life players in a drama that will change the direction of history. The style is clear and free of rhetorical ornamentation, subjective inferences, and groundless speculation.
Most of all, the Mueller Report reflects the work of a public servant who believes that facts can lead to truth and truth can lead to justice. Throughout his long career, Robert Mueller not only earned the nation’s regard for valor in combat, he also earned the trust of both Bush administrations, the Clinton administration, and the Obama administration. He served in official capacities in all four.
In 1967, when he wanted to enlist in the United States Marines and serve in Vietnam, Robert Mueller had to wait for a year until an injury to his knee healed and he was deemed fit for service. Immediately upon arriving on the battlefield, he became a rifle platoon leader. Later, he earned a Bronze Star for rescuing a wounded Marine when ambushed and under enemy fire. Half his platoon was lost in the ambush.
James Madison, fourth President of the United States and the principal author of our Constitution, wrote in 1822, that,
“A popular Government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or, perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: And a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.”
In delivering his report to the nation, Robert Mueller offered knowledge tempered by facts, truth, and reason. If the American people truly mean to “be their own Governors,” they should execute their civic duties to avoid a “Farce or a Tragedy” and read the Mueller Report. Those wanting a clue to the report’s content and conclusions need only ponder briefly the last sentence of the Special Counsel’s response to legal defenses offered by the president’s attorneys:
“And the protection of the criminal justice system from corrupt acts by any person—including the President—accords with the fundamental principle of our government that ‘no person in this country is so high that he is above the law.’”
Read Part II of the Mueller Report. Read it now.
Great post Eric. I must admit that I have not read the report but hope to at some point. In the meantime I do read various articles on the issue.
One that I just read, makes this statement, which I relate directly to what you wrote: “Robert Mueller spent yesterday largely in defense of The Regular Order of Things. He believes the institutions of the republic can withstand this concerted attack—not just on the rule of law or the mechanisms of democracy, but the concept of truth that undergirds all of it—by relentlessly observing norms and moral rectitude and civility.
Bottom-line for me: If the American Experiment is to succeed, we collectively must hold the line such that laws, not men rule!
The full article is here: https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a27650968/donald-trump-robert-mueller-worst-human-beings-on-earth/?utm_medium=social-media&utm_campaign=socialflowFBESQ&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR1Vnb2j2z-VDDe4w4wBpFkugi107YCMx6nDyXbJhyz98_szMT2nfw-c_lE
Thank you for this article, Eric. The Mueller Report substantiates widespread and systematic interference by Russia leading up to the 2016 election, and remarks that they are likely to do the same in 2020. That the Trump administration minimizes Russia’s involvement and has taken none of the significant steps recommended to protect our electoral process from future interference is in itself collusion with a foreign power to corrupt our democratic process.
Kent: I read Part II first because I had concluded from widespread sources that there was no question Russia interfered in our election. I wanted to see how substantial the evidence is on obstruction of justice. I got more than I bargained for. The rot in the White House is a permanent stain on our nation. We can move past it, but we will never eradicate it.
There are many copies of two different books that contain the full report, in paperback, at Barnes and Nobel, both in $15 range.
Historic books.
Thank you Richard. There is also a free pdf. file online. I got my copy for $10. It’s really too bad so few people read these days. The Mueller Report is destined to become an American classic.
Thank you Eric for bringing section two of the report to everyone’s attention. I admit I have not read it.
I do want to comment on section 1 of the report which everyone seems to not dispute that Russia interfered with 2016 election. What I do not understand if this happened in the 1960 or 70’s. The response by the USA would have been war like. I am surprised how silent the Republicans and Democrats and President Trump are about this war like attack on the USA. What have we done to defend for 2020?
It’s a mystery Al. The people who are screaming “socialism” any time someone mentions Medicare for all are the same people willing to let a nominal communist country interfere in our elections while our president does away with the free market by imposing tariffs. Just the times we live in.
More importantly, you must read, “Licensed to Lie: Exposing the Corruption in the Department of Justice by Sidney Powell. This book explores the history of the egregious prosecutoreal misconduct of a core group of corrupt prosecutors who have risen to powerful positions and were the bad actors behind Robert Mueller’s “report” investigating President Trump. Andrew Weissmann, Mueller’s chief attorney on the case, has a history of destroying lives of innocent people by fabricating crimes and hiding exculpitory evidence in order to succeed in his career and advance the agenda of the hard left. He has been protected and advanced by his close relationship with Mueller, one of the top dogs at the FBI. He’s the true author behind the Mueller report.
In a recent interview, Sidney Powell cherry-picked a quotation or two from Part II and misrepresented Mueller entirely. She appears to be grinding an axe after losing as the attorney for Enron principals.