Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who was appointed to head the investigation on Russia"s intervention into 2016 presidential elections, testified before the House Judiciary and House Intelligence Committees in late July of 2019. Holding its breath, the US waited for a clear answer to one of the most controversial questions to occupy American minds: did President Donald Trump obstruct justice during the investigation?
According to various media, the hearings promised an epic culmination to a political drama, which started with Prosecutor General Barr summarizing the yet unpublished Mueller report in late March. It included the results of a two-year investigation of contacts between Trump"s staff and Russian citizens, as well as the investigation of Russian cyber operations and social media campaigns during the presidential campaign.
According to Prosecutor General Barr, Mueller has found evidence of Russia"s serious intervention into elections but not of Trump"s participation in it. Thus, the Special Counsel has "not reached a conclusion" on whether the current president tried to obstruct justice and hinder the investigation. William Barr stated that he, as the Prosecutor General, consulted with his deputy and concluded that facts presented in Mueller"s report do not give enough grounds to accuse Donald Trump of obstructing justice. The Mueller report does, however, include Don McGahn"s statement on Trump directing him to fire Special Counsel Mueller.
