The US justice department on Thursday released a redacted version of the long-awaited report on Russian involvement in 2016 US presidential election and the contacts between <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mueller-report-inconclusive-on-trumps-obstruction-of-justice-charge-211626">President Donald Trump</a>'s campaign and Moscow.

The report officially titled 'Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election'&nbsp;runs nearly in 400 pages. However, some pages of the 400-page report were blacked out by Attorney General Bill Barr to protect ongoing investigations and for other reasons.

With the release of the report, US Attorney General William P Barr informed that Mueller report found no evidence of collusion between members of the Trump campaign and Russia.

The Attorney General, however, said Russians did try to interfere in the US presidential elections. Barr while releasing the report also clarified that the president did not obstruct justice and that the White House freely cooperated in the report.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/timeline-big-moments-in-mueller-investigation-of-russian-meddling-in-2016-us-election-211303">Timeline: Big moments in Mueller investigation of Russian meddling in 2016 US election</a>

While Special Counsel Robert Mueller may not have found evidence of a criminal conspiracy between Donald Trump's 2016 campaign and Russia, but his report details extensive contacts between the campaign and Russian operatives who sought to influence the election. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Mueller said in his report that he found "numerous links" and that the Trump campaign "expected it would benefit" from Russia's effort to tilt the ballot in Trump's favour.

Ultimately, Mueller determined the various contacts either didn't amount to criminal behaviour or would be difficult to prove in court, even if people in Trump's orbit sometimes displayed a willingness to accept Russian help, the report showed.&nbsp;

The report also stated that US President Donald <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-sought-to-have-special-counsel-removed-mueller-report-211617">Trump sought to have special counsel Robert Mueller removed </a>nearly two years ago from the probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

It said that on June 17, 2017, Trump called White House counsel Don McGahn at home "and directed him to call the Acting Attorney General and say that the Special Counsel had conflicts of interest and must be removed."

Before its release, the redacted version of the report was reviewed by President Donald Trump's lawyers.

The White House made no changes on the final report and did not assert executive privilege to protect internal White House information, US Attorney General William P Barr added.

(With inputs from agencies)

The US justice department on Thursday released a redacted version of the long-awaited report on Russian involvement in 2016 US presidential election and the contacts between President Donald Trump's campaign and Moscow.

The US justice department on Thursday released a redacted version of the long-awaited report on Russian involvement in 2016 US presidential election and the contacts between President Donald Trump's campaign and Moscow. The report officially titled 'Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election' runs nearly in 400 pages. However, some pages of the 400-page report were blacked out by Attorney General Bill Barr to protect ongoing investigations and for other reasons. With the release of the report, US Attorney General William P Barr informed that Mueller report found no evidence of collusion between members of the Trump campaign and Russia. The Attorney General, however, said Russians did try to interfere in the US presidential elections. Barr while releasing the report also clarified that the president did not obstruct justice and that the White House freely cooperated in the report. Timeline: Big moments in Mueller investigation of Russian meddling in 2016 US election While Special Counsel Robert Mueller may not have found evidence of a criminal conspiracy between Donald Trump's 2016 campaign and Russia, but his report details extensive contacts between the campaign and Russian operatives who sought to influence the election. Mueller said in his report that he found "numerous links" and that the Trump campaign "expected it would benefit" from Russia's effort to tilt the ballot in Trump's favour. Ultimately, Mueller determined the various contacts either didn't amount to criminal behaviour or would be difficult to prove in court, even if people in Trump's orbit sometimes displayed a willingness to accept Russian help, the report showed. The report also stated that US President Donald Trump sought to have special counsel Robert Mueller removed nearly two years ago from the probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. It said that on June 17, 2017, Trump called White House counsel Don McGahn at home "and directed him to call the Acting Attorney General and say that the Special Counsel had conflicts of interest and must be removed." Before its release, the redacted version of the report was reviewed by President Donald Trump's lawyers. The White House made no changes on the final report and did not assert executive privilege to protect internal White House information, US Attorney General William P Barr added. (With inputs from agencies)

What is the Mueller report?

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-unflattering-detail-mueller-report-reveals-trump-actions-to-impede-inquiry-211647">US Attorney General</a> decided that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-tried-to-interfere-with-us-presidential-polls-trump-did-not-cooperate-says-attorney-general-william-barr-while-releasing-full-report-211580">President Donald Trump</a> did not obstruct a probe into whether his <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/im-having-a-good-day-says-trump-after-mueller-report-release-211602">campaign colluded with Russia</a>, but some legal experts said prosecutors laid out a wealth of evidence to the contrary and that they intended to leave that determination to Congress.

Special Counsel Robert <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ahead-of-mueller-report-trump-lashes-greatest-political-hoax-211549">Mueller`s report</a> revealed new details about Trump's attempts to impede his investigation on Thursday. They included how the president tried to fire Mueller and limit his investigation, kept details of a June 2016 meeting between senior campaign officials and a Russian under wraps, and possibly dangled a pardon to a former adviser.

Democrats said on Thursday the report contained disturbing evidence of wrongdoing by Trump that could fuel congressional investigations.

Some legal experts echoed that view. They said the evidence should have given prosecutors a strong basis for bringing an obstruction case against Trump, but Mueller demurred because of a longstanding Department of Justice policy against indicting a sitting president.

Jens Ohlin, a law professor at Cornell University, said the evidence laid out by the Mueller report was "really exhaustive in terms of the number of incidents and how severe they are."

In his report, Mueller focused on a series of actions, including Trump`s conduct toward law enforcement officials and witnesses. At one point, Mueller says the Congress has powers to check a president. At least half a dozen legal experts said the special counsel intended Congress to take up the matter.

"There is a wink, and a nod, and another wink to Congress that I have a lot of evidence and now the ball is in your court," said Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.

House Democrats took that view as well. In a joint statement, the House chairs said "the Special Counsel undoubtedly anticipated" the Congress must assess the evidence.

But Republican Congressman Doug Collins disputed that Mueller intended for Congress to decide on the view.

"The report doesn’t say Congress should investigate obstruction now. It says Congress can make laws about obstruction," Collins tweeted.

A spokesman for Mueller declined to comment.

Trump's legal team called the report "a total victory" for the president. "If they thought they had an obstruction case they would have made it.They did not," said Jay Sekulow, a lawyer for Trump, in an interview.

It is unclear whether the Democrats will push on Congressional censure. And even if the House votes to impeach, it is highly unlikely the Republican-controlled Senate would convict Trump.

Attorney General William Barr, a Trump appointee, defended the president in a press conference Thursday by saying there was insufficient evidence to bring an obstruction case against Trump.

In an earlier letter to lawmakers, Barr said the case was also undermined by Mueller`s finding that the Trump campaign did not conspire with Russians to interfere in the election.&nbsp;

Watergate-era opinion

Under US law, it is a crime to attempt "to influence, obstruct or impede the due administration of justice."

To prove obstruction, prosecutors must show an individual acted with a "corrupt" or improper motive - a specific intent to impede an investigation. 
Obstruction of justice is often coupled with some underlying wrongful act that is being covered up, legal experts said.

With a sitting president, the issue takes on additional complications. A Justice Department policy dating back to the Watergate scandal in the early 1970s advises against indicting a sitting president.

The U.S. Constitution is silent on the question.

In his report, Mueller said he "accepted" the department`s legal opinion and was unable to come to a conclusion about whether there was enough evidence to charge Trump with obstruction.

Question of motive

The president`s actions and intent "present difficult issues that prevent us from conclusively determining that no criminal conduct occurred," Mueller wrote.

But Mueller added that his report "also does not exonerate" Trump of the crime.

In reaching his decision not to charge Trump, Barr said the president had been "frustrated and angered" by a belief that the probe was undermining his presidency.

Despite this, Trump did not deprive Mueller of documents and witnesses needed to complete the investigation, Barr said.

"Apart from whether the acts were obstructive, this evidence of non-corrupt motives weights heavily against any allegation that the president had a corrupt intent to obstruct the investigation," he said.

The US Attorney General decided that President Donald Trump did not obstruct a probe into whether his campaign colluded with Russia, but some legal experts said prosecutors laid out a wealth of evidence to the contrary and that they intended to leave that determination to Congress.

The US Attorney General decided that President Donald Trump did not obstruct a probe into whether his campaign colluded with Russia, but some legal experts said prosecutors laid out a wealth of evidence to the contrary and that they intended to leave that determination to Congress. Special Counsel Robert Mueller`s report revealed new details about Trump's attempts to impede his investigation on Thursday. They included how the president tried to fire Mueller and limit his investigation, kept details of a June 2016 meeting between senior campaign officials and a Russian under wraps, and possibly dangled a pardon to a former adviser. Democrats said on Thursday the report contained disturbing evidence of wrongdoing by Trump that could fuel congressional investigations. Some legal experts echoed that view. They said the evidence should have given prosecutors a strong basis for bringing an obstruction case against Trump, but Mueller demurred because of a longstanding Department of Justice policy against indicting a sitting president. Jens Ohlin, a law professor at Cornell University, said the evidence laid out by the Mueller report was "really exhaustive in terms of the number of incidents and how severe they are." In his report, Mueller focused on a series of actions, including Trump`s conduct toward law enforcement officials and witnesses. At one point, Mueller says the Congress has powers to check a president. At least half a dozen legal experts said the special counsel intended Congress to take up the matter. "There is a wink, and a nod, and another wink to Congress that I have a lot of evidence and now the ball is in your court," said Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. House Democrats took that view as well. In a joint statement, the House chairs said "the Special Counsel undoubtedly anticipated" the Congress must assess the evidence. But Republican Congressman Doug Collins disputed that Mueller intended for Congress to decide on the view. "The report doesn’t say Congress should investigate obstruction now. It says Congress can make laws about obstruction," Collins tweeted. A spokesman for Mueller declined to comment. Trump's legal team called the report "a total victory" for the president. "If they thought they had an obstruction case they would have made it.They did not," said Jay Sekulow, a lawyer for Trump, in an interview. It is unclear whether the Democrats will push on Congressional censure. And even if the House votes to impeach, it is highly unlikely the Republican-controlled Senate would convict Trump. Attorney General William Barr, a Trump appointee, defended the president in a press conference Thursday by saying there was insufficient evidence to bring an obstruction case against Trump. In an earlier letter to lawmakers, Barr said the case was also undermined by Mueller`s finding that the Trump campaign did not conspire with Russians to interfere in the election. Watergate-era opinion Under US law, it is a crime to attempt "to influence, obstruct or impede the due administration of justice." To prove obstruction, prosecutors must show an individual acted with a "corrupt" or improper motive - a specific intent to impede an investigation. Obstruction of justice is often coupled with some underlying wrongful act that is being covered up, legal experts said. With a sitting president, the issue takes on additional complications. A Justice Department policy dating back to the Watergate scandal in the early 1970s advises against indicting a sitting president. The U.S. Constitution is silent on the question. In his report, Mueller said he "accepted" the department`s legal opinion and was unable to come to a conclusion about whether there was enough evidence to charge Trump with obstruction. Question of motive The president`s actions and intent "present difficult issues that prevent us from conclusively determining that no criminal conduct occurred," Mueller wrote. But Mueller added that his report "also does not exonerate" Trump of the crime. In reaching his decision not to charge Trump, Barr said the president had been "frustrated and angered" by a belief that the probe was undermining his presidency. Despite this, Trump did not deprive Mueller of documents and witnesses needed to complete the investigation, Barr said. "Apart from whether the acts were obstructive, this evidence of non-corrupt motives weights heavily against any allegation that the president had a corrupt intent to obstruct the investigation," he said.

How Mueller's decision on obstruction helped save US President Donald Trump

In this segment of WION, we brings to you key takeaways from the Special counsel Mueller’s report that has been released to the public. Watch full video to know more.

Mueller Report: Trump campaign did not collude with Russia

Special Counsel Robert Mueller may not have found evidence of a criminal conspiracy between <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-unflattering-detail-mueller-report-reveals-trump-actions-to-impede-inquiry-211647">Donald Trump</a>`s 2016 campaign and Russia, but his report details extensive contacts between the campaign and Russian operatives who sought to influence the election. &nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-tried-to-interfere-with-us-presidential-polls-trump-did-not-cooperate-says-attorney-general-william-barr-while-releasing-full-report-211580">Mueller said in his report </a>released on Thursday that he found "numerous links" and that the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/how-muellers-decision-on-obstruction-helped-save-us-president-donald-trump-211649">Trump campaign</a> "expected it would benefit" from Russia`s effort to tilt the ballot in Trump`s favour.

Ultimately, Mueller determined the various contacts either didn`t amount to criminal behaviour or would be difficult to prove in court, even if people in Trump`s orbit sometimes displayed a willingness to accept Russian help, the report showed.&nbsp;

Trump and his allies, who derided the Mueller probe as a political "witch hunt", portrayed the report as vindication. "No collusion. No obstruction. For all the haters and the radical left Democrats, game over," Trump tweeted on Thursday.&nbsp;

"The bottom line is the president is exonerated and the campaign is exonerated of collusion," said Michael Caputo, a former adviser to Trump`s campaign.

Some legal experts and political strategists were more circumspect, saying the report confirmed the Russian government was attempting to help Trump with the election.&nbsp;

"I think that`s a pretty extraordinary finding of historical significance, whether or not there`s a crime," said Matthew Jacobs, a former federal prosecutor who is now a San Francisco-based lawyer.

Many of the contacts in the report were already known. They included former national security adviser Michael Flynn`s conversations in late 2016 with Sergei Kislyak, Russia ambassador at the time, and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort`s interactions with Konstantin Kilimnik, a political consultant who the FBI has determined has ties to Russian intelligence.

But the report contained fresh details on the range of official and unofficial dealings Trump campaign advisers and supporters had with Russians before and after the 2016 election.&nbsp;

For example, the report says that Manafort, shortly after he joined the campaign in the spring of 2016, directed his deputy to share internal polling data with Kilimnik with the understanding it would be passed on to Oleg Deripaska, a Russian oligarch known to have close ties to the Kremlin.

Lawyers for Manafort did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Kilimnik did not reply to an email seeking comment.

A Washington-based attorney for Deripsaka said he could not comment. In a statement to Reuters in January, representatives for Deripaska said he has never had any communication with Kilimnik.

The report also says that Manafort told Kilimnik in August 2017 about the campaign`s efforts to win the battleground states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Trump ended up winning three of those states in the November election.

Mueller`s investigation did not find a connection between Manafort`s sharing of polling data and Russia`s meddling in the US election or that he otherwise coordinated with Russia.

Frank Montoya, a former senior FBI official, said he was nonetheless bothered by the interactions between Manafort and Kilimnik, especially their talking about battleground states.&nbsp;

"As a longtime counterintelligence investigator it makes the hair stand on the back of my neck," Montoya said.

The report detailed a meeting in December 2016 between Trump`s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Sergei Gorkov, the head of a Russian state-owned bank under US&nbsp;sanctions. Gorkov gave Kushner a painting and a bag of soil from the town in Belarus where Kushner`s family is from, the report says.

Mueller`s team said it could not resolve a conflict in the accounts of Kushner, who said the meeting was diplomatic in nature, and Gorkov, who said it was business related.

Kushner has said neither sanctions nor his business activities were discussed at the meeting. Kushner`s lawyer did not respond to a request for comment on Mueller`s report.

The report also provided new details about a meeting that campaign advisers Donald Trump Jr., the president`s oldest son, Kushner and Manafort held with a Russian lawyer at New York`s Trump Tower in June 2016. The meeting was set up after the advisers were promised "dirt" on Hillary Clinton, Trump`s Democratic challenger for president.

Mueller`s team considered whether the advisers violated laws barring election contributions from foreigners. But, the report says, they ultimately decided there was not enough evidence to show they "wilfully" broke the law and they might have had problems proving the information offered on Clinton was really valuable.

When news of the Trump Tower meeting broke in July 2017, Trump Jr. issued a statement saying the meeting was set up to discuss adoption policy, not politics, before later admitting he had been expecting intelligence on Clinton.&nbsp;

Such interactions have broadly been referred to by Democratic congressional investigators as examples of possible "collusion". But because collusion is not a legal term, Mueller`s team examined the Trump Tower meeting and other contacts through the lens of federal conspiracy law.

Mueller said his investigation was unable to establish that such contacts with Russians met the bar of criminality which required that the contacts "amounted to an agreement to commit any substantive violation" of US laws, including those governing campaign finance and foreign agent registration.

Therefore, Mueller said his office "did not charge any individual associated with the Trump Campaign with conspiracy to commit a federal offence arising from Russia contacts."

Special Counsel Robert Mueller may not have found evidence of a criminal conspiracy between Donald Trump`s 2016 campaign and Russia, but his report details extensive contacts between the campaign and Russian operatives who sought to influence the election.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller may not have found evidence of a criminal conspiracy between Donald Trump`s 2016 campaign and Russia, but his report details extensive contacts between the campaign and Russian operatives who sought to influence the election. Mueller said in his report released on Thursday that he found "numerous links" and that the Trump campaign "expected it would benefit" from Russia`s effort to tilt the ballot in Trump`s favour. Ultimately, Mueller determined the various contacts either didn`t amount to criminal behaviour or would be difficult to prove in court, even if people in Trump`s orbit sometimes displayed a willingness to accept Russian help, the report showed. Trump and his allies, who derided the Mueller probe as a political "witch hunt", portrayed the report as vindication. "No collusion. No obstruction. For all the haters and the radical left Democrats, game over," Trump tweeted on Thursday. "The bottom line is the president is exonerated and the campaign is exonerated of collusion," said Michael Caputo, a former adviser to Trump`s campaign. Some legal experts and political strategists were more circumspect, saying the report confirmed the Russian government was attempting to help Trump with the election. "I think that`s a pretty extraordinary finding of historical significance, whether or not there`s a crime," said Matthew Jacobs, a former federal prosecutor who is now a San Francisco-based lawyer. Many of the contacts in the report were already known. They included former national security adviser Michael Flynn`s conversations in late 2016 with Sergei Kislyak, Russia ambassador at the time, and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort`s interactions with Konstantin Kilimnik, a political consultant who the FBI has determined has ties to Russian intelligence. But the report contained fresh details on the range of official and unofficial dealings Trump campaign advisers and supporters had with Russians before and after the 2016 election. For example, the report says that Manafort, shortly after he joined the campaign in the spring of 2016, directed his deputy to share internal polling data with Kilimnik with the understanding it would be passed on to Oleg Deripaska, a Russian oligarch known to have close ties to the Kremlin. Lawyers for Manafort did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Kilimnik did not reply to an email seeking comment. A Washington-based attorney for Deripsaka said he could not comment. In a statement to Reuters in January, representatives for Deripaska said he has never had any communication with Kilimnik. The report also says that Manafort told Kilimnik in August 2017 about the campaign`s efforts to win the battleground states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Trump ended up winning three of those states in the November election. Mueller`s investigation did not find a connection between Manafort`s sharing of polling data and Russia`s meddling in the US election or that he otherwise coordinated with Russia. Frank Montoya, a former senior FBI official, said he was nonetheless bothered by the interactions between Manafort and Kilimnik, especially their talking about battleground states. "As a longtime counterintelligence investigator it makes the hair stand on the back of my neck," Montoya said. The report detailed a meeting in December 2016 between Trump`s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Sergei Gorkov, the head of a Russian state-owned bank under US sanctions. Gorkov gave Kushner a painting and a bag of soil from the town in Belarus where Kushner`s family is from, the report says. Mueller`s team said it could not resolve a conflict in the accounts of Kushner, who said the meeting was diplomatic in nature, and Gorkov, who said it was business related. Kushner has said neither sanctions nor his business activities were discussed at the meeting. Kushner`s lawyer did not respond to a request for comment on Mueller`s report. The report also provided new details about a meeting that campaign advisers Donald Trump Jr., the president`s oldest son, Kushner and Manafort held with a Russian lawyer at New York`s Trump Tower in June 2016. The meeting was set up after the advisers were promised "dirt" on Hillary Clinton, Trump`s Democratic challenger for president. Mueller`s team considered whether the advisers violated laws barring election contributions from foreigners. But, the report says, they ultimately decided there was not enough evidence to show they "wilfully" broke the law and they might have had problems proving the information offered on Clinton was really valuable. When news of the Trump Tower meeting broke in July 2017, Trump Jr. issued a statement saying the meeting was set up to discuss adoption policy, not politics, before later admitting he had been expecting intelligence on Clinton. Such interactions have broadly been referred to by Democratic congressional investigators as examples of possible "collusion". But because collusion is not a legal term, Mueller`s team examined the Trump Tower meeting and other contacts through the lens of federal conspiracy law. Mueller said his investigation was unable to establish that such contacts with Russians met the bar of criminality which required that the contacts "amounted to an agreement to commit any substantive violation" of US laws, including those governing campaign finance and foreign agent registration. Therefore, Mueller said his office "did not charge any individual associated with the Trump Campaign with conspiracy to commit a federal offence arising from Russia contacts."

Mueller finds no conspiracy, but extensive Trump-Russia contacts

WION gives you a close look at the ket takeaways from the Mueller report that is released by Attorney General William Barr. Watch full video to know more.

Attorney General William Barr releases Mueller report

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on his inquiry into Russia's role in the 2016 US election described in extensive and sometimes unflattering detail how <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mueller-report-inconclusive-on-trumps-obstruction-of-justice-charge-211626">President Donald Trump</a> tried to impede the probe, raising questions about whether he committed the crime of obstruction of justice.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/redacted-mueller-report-released-by-us-justice-department-211618">release of the 448-page report on Thursday </a>after a 22-month investigation marked a milestone in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/end-of-my-presidency-trump-reacts-to-special-counsel-appointment-211620">Trump's tumultuous presidency</a> and inflamed partisan passions ahead of his 2020 re-election bid.

Democrats said the report contained disturbing evidence of wrongdoing by Trump that could fuel congressional investigations, but there was no immediate indication they would try to remove him from office through impeachment.

Mueller built an extensive case indicating the Republican president had committed obstruction of justice but stopped short of concluding he had committed a crime, though he did not exonerate the president. Mueller noted that Congress has the power to address whether Trump violated the law.

"The conclusion that Congress may apply the obstruction laws to the President's corrupt exercise of the powers of office accords with our constitutional system of checks and balances and the principle that no person is above the law," the report stated.

Mueller also unearthed "numerous links" between the Russian government and Trump's campaign and said the president's team "expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts," referring to hacked Democratic emails.

But Mueller, a former FBI director, concluded there was not enough evidence to establish that Trump's campaign engaged in a criminal conspiracy with Moscow.

Trump appeared to be in a celebratory mood, saying at a White House event with wounded US&nbsp;troops he was "having a good day" following the report's release, adding, "It's called no collusion, no obstruction." Trump, whose legal team called the report "a total victory," has long described Mueller's inquiry as a "witch hunt."

Trump headed to his resort in Florida for the weekend, and on landing on Thursday night told a crowd of well wishers at the airport: "Game over folks, now it's back to work."

The report, with some portions blacked out to protect sensitive information, provided fresh details of how Trump tried to force Mueller's ouster, directed members of his administration to publicly vouch for his innocence and dangled a pardon to a former aide to try to prevent him from cooperating with the special counsel.

"The President's efforts to influence the investigation were mostly unsuccessful, but that is largely because the persons who surrounded the President declined to carry out orders or accede to his requests," the report stated.

The report said that when former Attorney General Jeff Sessions told Trump in May 2017 that the Justice Department was appointing a special counsel to look into allegations that his campaign colluded with Russia, Trump slumped back in his chair and said, "Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my presidency. I'm fucked."

Attorney General William Barr told a news conference Mueller had detailed "10 episodes involving the president and discusses potential legal theories for connecting these actions to elements of an obstruction offense." Barr concluded last month after receiving a confidential copy of Mueller's report that Trump had not actually committed a crime.

Trump was wary of FBI scrutiny of his campaign and him personally, the report said. "The evidence does indicate that a thorough FBI investigation would uncover facts about the campaign and the president personally that the president could have understood to be crimes or that would give rise to personal and political concerns," the report stated.

Any impeachment effort would start in the Democratic-led House of Representatives, but Trump's removal would require the support of the Republican-led Senate - an unlikely outcome. Many Democrats steered clear of impeachment talk on Thursday, although a prominent liberal congresswoman, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, embraced the idea.

"Many know I take no pleasure in discussions of impeachment. I didn’t campaign on it, &amp; rarely discuss it unprompted," she said on Twitter. "But the report squarely puts this on our doorstep."

The House, when it voted to impeach President Bill Clinton in 1998, included obstruction of justice as one of the charges. The Senate ultimately decided not to remove Clinton from office.

The Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Jerrold Nadler, said he would issue subpoenas to obtain the unredacted Mueller report and asked Mueller to testify before the panel by May 23.

Nadler told reporters in New York Mueller probably wrote the report with the intent of providing Congress a road map for future action, but the congressman said it was too early to talk about impeachment.

"Mueller’s report paints a damning portrait of lies that appear to have materially impaired the investigation, a body of evidence of improper contacts with a foreign adversary, and serious allegations about how President Trump sought to obstruct a legitimate, and deeply important, counterintelligence investigation," the Democratic chairs of six House committees said in a statement.

ELECTION MEDDLING

The inquiry laid bare what the special counsel and US intelligence agencies have described as a Russian campaign of hacking and propaganda to sow discord in the United States, denigrate 2016 Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and boost Trump, the Kremlin's preferred candidate. Russia has denied election interference.

In analyzing whether Trump obstructed justice, Mueller looked at a series of actions by Trump, including his attempts to remove Mueller and limit the scope of his probe and efforts to prevent the public from knowing about a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower in New York between senior campaign officials and Russians.

In June 2017, Trump directed White House counsel Don McGahn to tell the Justice Department's No. 2 official, Rod Rosenstein, that Mueller had conflicts of interest and must be removed, the report said. McGahn did not carry out the order. McGahn was home on a Saturday that month when Trump called him at least twice.

"You gotta do this. You gotta call Rod," McGahn recalled the president as saying, according to the report.

House Judiciary Democrat Jamie Raskin pointed to Trump's effort to get McGahn to fire Mueller and then lie about being told to do so as an area of interest for lawmakers, and said McGahn and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions could be valuable witnesses as the committee moves forward.

"There are these dramatic episodes of presidential attempts to interfere with the Mueller investigation, and I think people would like to hear from a number of officials involved. White House counsel McGahn jumps out as an important witness," he told Reuters.

It also said there was "substantial evidence" Trump fired James Comey as FBI director in May 2017 due to his "unwillingness to publicly state that the president was not personally under investigation." The FBI headed the inquiry at the time.

Mueller cited "some evidence" suggesting Trump knew about former national security adviser Michael Flynn's controversial calls with the Russian ambassador to the United States before Trump took office, but evidence was "inconclusive" and could not be used to establish intent to obstruct.

The report said Trump directed former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski to ask Sessions to say the Russia investigation was "very unfair."

Barr, a Trump appointee, seemed to offer cover for Trump's actions by saying the report acknowledges "there is substantial evidence to show that the president was frustrated and angered by a sincere belief that the investigation was undermining his presidency, propelled by his political opponents, and fueled by illegal leaks."

"President Trump faced an unprecedented situation. As he entered into office and sought to perform his responsibilities as president, federal agents and prosecutors were scrutinizing his conduct before and after taking office and the conduct of some of his associates," Barr said.

Mueller's team did not issue a subpoena to force Trump to give an interview to the special counsel because it would have created a "substantial delay" at a late stage in the investigation, the report said. Trump refused an interview and eventually provided only written answers.

The report said Mueller accepted the longstanding Justice Department view that a sitting president cannot be indicted on criminal charges, while still recognizing that a president can be criminally investigated.

The report listed 14 criminal referrals for investigation by US&nbsp;prosecutors but 12 of those were fully blacked out because they are open investigations.

Mueller said evidence he collected indicates Trump intended to encourage his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, not to cooperate and that the evidence supports the idea that Trump wanted Manafort to believe he could receive a presidential pardon.

The report said the special counsel's team determined there was a "reasonable argument" that the president's son, Donald Trump Jr., violated campaign finance laws, but did not believe they could obtain a conviction.

The report cited Trump's repeated efforts to convince Sessions to resume oversight of the probe after he had recused himself because of his own prior contacts with Russia's ambassador to the United States.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on his inquiry into Russia's role in the 2016 US election described in extensive and sometimes unflattering detail how President Donald Trump tried to impede the probe, raising questions about whether he committed the crime of obstruction of justice.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on his inquiry into Russia's role in the 2016 US election described in extensive and sometimes unflattering detail how President Donald Trump tried to impede the probe, raising questions about whether he committed the crime of obstruction of justice. The release of the 448-page report on Thursday after a 22-month investigation marked a milestone in Trump's tumultuous presidency and inflamed partisan passions ahead of his 2020 re-election bid. Democrats said the report contained disturbing evidence of wrongdoing by Trump that could fuel congressional investigations, but there was no immediate indication they would try to remove him from office through impeachment. Mueller built an extensive case indicating the Republican president had committed obstruction of justice but stopped short of concluding he had committed a crime, though he did not exonerate the president. Mueller noted that Congress has the power to address whether Trump violated the law. "The conclusion that Congress may apply the obstruction laws to the President's corrupt exercise of the powers of office accords with our constitutional system of checks and balances and the principle that no person is above the law," the report stated. Mueller also unearthed "numerous links" between the Russian government and Trump's campaign and said the president's team "expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts," referring to hacked Democratic emails. But Mueller, a former FBI director, concluded there was not enough evidence to establish that Trump's campaign engaged in a criminal conspiracy with Moscow. Trump appeared to be in a celebratory mood, saying at a White House event with wounded US troops he was "having a good day" following the report's release, adding, "It's called no collusion, no obstruction." Trump, whose legal team called the report "a total victory," has long described Mueller's inquiry as a "witch hunt." Trump headed to his resort in Florida for the weekend, and on landing on Thursday night told a crowd of well wishers at the airport: "Game over folks, now it's back to work." The report, with some portions blacked out to protect sensitive information, provided fresh details of how Trump tried to force Mueller's ouster, directed members of his administration to publicly vouch for his innocence and dangled a pardon to a former aide to try to prevent him from cooperating with the special counsel. "The President's efforts to influence the investigation were mostly unsuccessful, but that is largely because the persons who surrounded the President declined to carry out orders or accede to his requests," the report stated. The report said that when former Attorney General Jeff Sessions told Trump in May 2017 that the Justice Department was appointing a special counsel to look into allegations that his campaign colluded with Russia, Trump slumped back in his chair and said, "Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my presidency. I'm fucked." Attorney General William Barr told a news conference Mueller had detailed "10 episodes involving the president and discusses potential legal theories for connecting these actions to elements of an obstruction offense." Barr concluded last month after receiving a confidential copy of Mueller's report that Trump had not actually committed a crime. Trump was wary of FBI scrutiny of his campaign and him personally, the report said. "The evidence does indicate that a thorough FBI investigation would uncover facts about the campaign and the president personally that the president could have understood to be crimes or that would give rise to personal and political concerns," the report stated. Any impeachment effort would start in the Democratic-led House of Representatives, but Trump's removal would require the support of the Republican-led Senate - an unlikely outcome. Many Democrats steered clear of impeachment talk on Thursday, although a prominent liberal congresswoman, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, embraced the idea. "Many know I take no pleasure in discussions of impeachment. I didn’t campaign on it, & rarely discuss it unprompted," she said on Twitter. "But the report squarely puts this on our doorstep." The House, when it voted to impeach President Bill Clinton in 1998, included obstruction of justice as one of the charges. The Senate ultimately decided not to remove Clinton from office. The Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Jerrold Nadler, said he would issue subpoenas to obtain the unredacted Mueller report and asked Mueller to testify before the panel by May 23. Nadler told reporters in New York Mueller probably wrote the report with the intent of providing Congress a road map for future action, but the congressman said it was too early to talk about impeachment. "Mueller’s report paints a damning portrait of lies that appear to have materially impaired the investigation, a body of evidence of improper contacts with a foreign adversary, and serious allegations about how President Trump sought to obstruct a legitimate, and deeply important, counterintelligence investigation," the Democratic chairs of six House committees said in a statement. ELECTION MEDDLING The inquiry laid bare what the special counsel and US intelligence agencies have described as a Russian campaign of hacking and propaganda to sow discord in the United States, denigrate 2016 Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and boost Trump, the Kremlin's preferred candidate. Russia has denied election interference. In analyzing whether Trump obstructed justice, Mueller looked at a series of actions by Trump, including his attempts to remove Mueller and limit the scope of his probe and efforts to prevent the public from knowing about a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower in New York between senior campaign officials and Russians. In June 2017, Trump directed White House counsel Don McGahn to tell the Justice Department's No. 2 official, Rod Rosenstein, that Mueller had conflicts of interest and must be removed, the report said. McGahn did not carry out the order. McGahn was home on a Saturday that month when Trump called him at least twice. "You gotta do this. You gotta call Rod," McGahn recalled the president as saying, according to the report. House Judiciary Democrat Jamie Raskin pointed to Trump's effort to get McGahn to fire Mueller and then lie about being told to do so as an area of interest for lawmakers, and said McGahn and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions could be valuable witnesses as the committee moves forward. "There are these dramatic episodes of presidential attempts to interfere with the Mueller investigation, and I think people would like to hear from a number of officials involved. White House counsel McGahn jumps out as an important witness," he told Reuters. It also said there was "substantial evidence" Trump fired James Comey as FBI director in May 2017 due to his "unwillingness to publicly state that the president was not personally under investigation." The FBI headed the inquiry at the time. Mueller cited "some evidence" suggesting Trump knew about former national security adviser Michael Flynn's controversial calls with the Russian ambassador to the United States before Trump took office, but evidence was "inconclusive" and could not be used to establish intent to obstruct. The report said Trump directed former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski to ask Sessions to say the Russia investigation was "very unfair." Barr, a Trump appointee, seemed to offer cover for Trump's actions by saying the report acknowledges "there is substantial evidence to show that the president was frustrated and angered by a sincere belief that the investigation was undermining his presidency, propelled by his political opponents, and fueled by illegal leaks." "President Trump faced an unprecedented situation. As he entered into office and sought to perform his responsibilities as president, federal agents and prosecutors were scrutinizing his conduct before and after taking office and the conduct of some of his associates," Barr said. Mueller's team did not issue a subpoena to force Trump to give an interview to the special counsel because it would have created a "substantial delay" at a late stage in the investigation, the report said. Trump refused an interview and eventually provided only written answers. The report said Mueller accepted the longstanding Justice Department view that a sitting president cannot be indicted on criminal charges, while still recognizing that a president can be criminally investigated. The report listed 14 criminal referrals for investigation by US prosecutors but 12 of those were fully blacked out because they are open investigations. Mueller said evidence he collected indicates Trump intended to encourage his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, not to cooperate and that the evidence supports the idea that Trump wanted Manafort to believe he could receive a presidential pardon. The report said the special counsel's team determined there was a "reasonable argument" that the president's son, Donald Trump Jr., violated campaign finance laws, but did not believe they could obtain a conviction. The report cited Trump's repeated efforts to convince Sessions to resume oversight of the probe after he had recused himself because of his own prior contacts with Russia's ambassador to the United States.

In unflattering detail, Mueller report reveals Trump actions to impede inquiry

President Trump today<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-unflattering-detail-mueller-report-reveals-trump-actions-to-impede-inquiry-211647"> slammed the Mueller</a> report calling it "fabricated" and asserting that it was written by "18 angry democrat Trump haters".

"I never agreed to testify, it was not necessary for me to respond to statements made in the “report” about me," the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mueller-report-inconclusive-on-trumps-obstruction-of-justice-charge-211626">US president tweeted</a>, adding,"this was an illegally started hoax that never should have happened."

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Statements are made about me by certain people in the Crazy Mueller Report, in itself written by 18 Angry Democrat Trump Haters, which are fabricated &amp; totally untrue. Watch out for people that take so-called “notes,” when the notes never existed until needed. Because I never....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1119207303700471809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The Mueller report which was released on Thursday revealed that Trump's lawyers and advisers repeatedly rebuffed attempts by the president to halt Robert Mueller's investigation.

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...agreed to testify, it was not necessary for me to respond to statements made in the “Report” about me, some of which are total bullshit &amp; only given to make the other person look good (or me to look bad). This was an Illegally Started Hoax that never should have happened, a...
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President Trump had tweeted "game over" just after the full 400-page report was made public by US Attorney General Bill Barr. After a 22-month probe on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, Special Counsel Robert Mueller concluded Trump's team did not conspire with Moscow.&nbsp;

Democrats though&nbsp;have called on Mueller to testify before the House of Representatives by May 23. The Trump administration has announced it would not oppose it.

Meanwhile, Russia said the report failed to present clear evidence of any meddling by Moscow in the 2016 US election and called its impact on relations regrettable.

"As a whole, the report as before does not present any reasonable proof at all that Russia allegedly meddled in the electoral process in the US," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.&nbsp;

However, in the report Special Counsel Robert Mueller described numerous attempts by President Donald Trump to interfere with the Russian meddling investigation, citing them as the reason why he could not clear the president of allegations of obstruction of justice.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="http://13.232.42.114/videos/mueller-report-trump-campaign-did-not-collude-with-russia-211662/embed" width="560"></iframe></div>

Mueller's final report detailed multiple instances in 2017 and 2018 in which Trump desperately sought to derail the probe, including firing FBI director James Comey, demanding that Mueller himself be removed, and publicly dangling pardon offers to witnesses.

It cited a furious Trump, just months into his term, swearing over Mueller's appointment and saying his presidency was doomed.

"Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my presidency. I'm fucked," Trump told then attorney general Jeff Sessions, the report recounted.

(Inputs: AFP)

President Trump today slammed the Mueller report calling it "fabricated" and asserting that it was written by "18 angry democrat Trump haters". "I never agreed to testify, it was not necessary for me to respond to statements made in the “report” about me," the US president tweeted, adding,"this was an illegally started hoax that never should have happened.

President Trump today slammed the Mueller report calling it "fabricated" and asserting that it was written by "18 angry democrat Trump haters". "I never agreed to testify, it was not necessary for me to respond to statements made in the “report” about me," the US president tweeted, adding,"this was an illegally started hoax that never should have happened." Statements are made about me by certain people in the Crazy Mueller Report, in itself written by 18 Angry Democrat Trump Haters, which are fabricated & totally untrue. Watch out for people that take so-called “notes,” when the notes never existed until needed. Because I never.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 19, 2019 × The Mueller report which was released on Thursday revealed that Trump's lawyers and advisers repeatedly rebuffed attempts by the president to halt Robert Mueller's investigation. ...agreed to testify, it was not necessary for me to respond to statements made in the “Report” about me, some of which are total bullshit & only given to make the other person look good (or me to look bad). This was an Illegally Started Hoax that never should have happened, a... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 19, 2019 × President Trump had tweeted "game over" just after the full 400-page report was made public by US Attorney General Bill Barr. After a 22-month probe on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, Special Counsel Robert Mueller concluded Trump's team did not conspire with Moscow. Democrats though have called on Mueller to testify before the House of Representatives by May 23. The Trump administration has announced it would not oppose it. Meanwhile, Russia said the report failed to present clear evidence of any meddling by Moscow in the 2016 US election and called its impact on relations regrettable. "As a whole, the report as before does not present any reasonable proof at all that Russia allegedly meddled in the electoral process in the US," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. However, in the report Special Counsel Robert Mueller described numerous attempts by President Donald Trump to interfere with the Russian meddling investigation, citing them as the reason why he could not clear the president of allegations of obstruction of justice. Mueller's final report detailed multiple instances in 2017 and 2018 in which Trump desperately sought to derail the probe, including firing FBI director James Comey, demanding that Mueller himself be removed, and publicly dangling pardon offers to witnesses. It cited a furious Trump, just months into his term, swearing over Mueller's appointment and saying his presidency was doomed. "Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my presidency. I'm fucked," Trump told then attorney general Jeff Sessions, the report recounted. (Inputs: AFP)

I never agreed to testify on Mueller report, says Trump

Russia on Friday dismissed the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/what-is-mueller-report-everything-you-need-to-know-about-it-211667">Mueller report again</a>, stating that it does not show any kind of proof of meddling by Moscow in the 2016 US elections.

"As a whole, the report as before does not present any reasonable proof at all that Russia allegedly meddled in the electoral process in the US," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists, saying it contained "no new information".

"We regret that documents of such quality have a direct influence on the development of US-Russian bilateral relations which are not in the best shape as it is," Peskov added.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/attorney-general-william-barr-releases-mueller-report-211656/embed" width="560"></iframe></div>

The US Department of Justice released a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/redacted-mueller-report-released-by-us-justice-department-211618">redacted version on Thursday</a> of special counsel Robert Mueller's report.

The report officially titled 'Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election' runs nearly in 400 pages.&nbsp;

However, some pages of the 400-page report were blacked out by Attorney General Bill Barr to protect ongoing investigations and for other reasons.

The Attorney General, however, said Russians did try to interfere in the US presidential elections. Barr while releasing the report also clarified that the president did not obstruct justice and that the White House freely cooperated in the report.

Also, Mueller did not make a conclusion on whether Trump, whose presidency has been overshadowed by the Russia investigation, had committed obstruction of justice but did not exonerate him either.

(With inputs from AFP)

Russia on Friday dismissed the Mueller report again, stating that it does not show any kind of proof of meddling by Moscow in the 2016 US elections. "As a whole, the report as before does not present any reasonable proof at all that Russia allegedly meddled in the electoral process in the US," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists, saying it contained "no new information".

Russia on Friday dismissed the Mueller report again, stating that it does not show any kind of proof of meddling by Moscow in the 2016 US elections. "As a whole, the report as before does not present any reasonable proof at all that Russia allegedly meddled in the electoral process in the US," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists, saying it contained "no new information". "We regret that documents of such quality have a direct influence on the development of US-Russian bilateral relations which are not in the best shape as it is," Peskov added. The US Department of Justice released a redacted version on Thursday of special counsel Robert Mueller's report. The report officially titled 'Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election' runs nearly in 400 pages. However, some pages of the 400-page report were blacked out by Attorney General Bill Barr to protect ongoing investigations and for other reasons. The Attorney General, however, said Russians did try to interfere in the US presidential elections. Barr while releasing the report also clarified that the president did not obstruct justice and that the White House freely cooperated in the report. Also, Mueller did not make a conclusion on whether Trump, whose presidency has been overshadowed by the Russia investigation, had committed obstruction of justice but did not exonerate him either. (With inputs from AFP)

Mueller report shows 'no reasonable proof' of Russian meddling: Kremlin

Mueller report reveals that there was no collusion between Russi-US. Watch full video to know more.

Mueller Report: No collusion between Russia-US

Special counsel <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-tried-to-interfere-with-us-presidential-polls-trump-did-not-cooperate-says-attorney-general-william-barr-while-releasing-full-report-211580">Robert Mueller's report</a> on his inquiry into Russia's role in the 2016 US election detailed a series of actions by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/im-having-a-good-day-says-trump-after-mueller-report-release-211602">President Donald Trump</a> to impede the probe, raising questions about whether he committed the crime of obstruction of justice.

The release on Thursday of the 448-page report that disclosed the findings of a 22-month investigation represented a watershed moment in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/end-of-my-presidency-trump-reacts-to-special-counsel-appointment-211620">Trump's tumultuous presidency</a>.

Mueller did not make a conclusion on whether Trump, whose presidency has been overshadowed by the Russia investigation, had committed obstruction of justice but did not exonerate him either.

The report provided fresh details of how the Republican president tried to force Mueller's ouster, directed members of his administration to publicly vouch for his innocence and dangled a pardon to a former aide to try to prevent him from cooperating with the special counsel.

It also concluded, as Barr announced last month, that Trump and his campaign had not engaged in a criminal conspiracy with Russia during the election.

Barr in March had concluded that Trump had not broken the law, but told a news conference on Thursday that Mueller had detailed "10 episodes involving the president and discusses potential legal theories for connecting these actions to elements of an obstruction offense."

Trump appeared to be in a celebratory mood, saying at a White House event with wounded US&nbsp;troops that he was "having a good day" following the report's release, adding, "It's called no collusion, no obstruction."

The report's disclosure, with portions blacked out by Barr to protect some sensitive information, is certain to launch a new political fight in Congress and on the 2020 presidential campaign trail, as Trump seeks re-election in a deeply divided country.

Trump has long described Mueller's inquiry as a "witch hunt."

The report stated that when Jeff Sessions, Barr's predecessor as attorney general, told Trump in May 2017 that a special counsel was being appointed by the Justice Department to look into allegations that the Republican's campaign colluded with Russia, Trump slumped back in his chair and said, "Oh my god. This is terrible. This is the end of my presidency. I'm fucked."

Some Democrats in the House of Representatives have spoken of launching impeachment proceedings against Trump in Congress but top Democrats have been notably cautious. Any such effort would be unlikely to be successful because Trump fellow Republicans control the Senate, which would decide the president's fate.

The inquiry laid bare what the special counsel and US intelligence agencies have described as a Russian campaign of hacking and propaganda to sow discord in the United States, denigrate 2016 Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and boost Trump, the Kremlin's preferred candidate. Russia has denied election interference.

In analyzing whether Trump obstructed justice, Mueller looked at a series of actions by Trump, including his attempts to remove Mueller and limit the scope of his probe and efforts to prevent the public from knowing about a June, 2016 meeting at Trump Tower in New York between senior campaign officials and Russians.

In June 2017, Trump directed White House counsel Don McGahn to tell the then-acting attorney general that Mueller had conflicts of interest and must be removed, the report said.

It also said there was "substantial evidence" that Trump fired James Comey as FBI director in 2017 due to his "unwillingness to publicly state that the president was not personally under investigation."

Mueller cited "some evidence" suggesting Trump knew about former national security adviser Michael Flynn's controversial calls with the Russian ambassador to the United States before Trump took office, but evidence was "inconclusive" and could not be used to establish intent to obstruct.

The report said Trump directed former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski to ask former Attorney General Jeff Sessions to say the Russia investigation was "very unfair."

Before the report's release, Barr gave a news conference at the Justice Department as he sought to shape the narrative on the document's findings.

One of a handful of people to have seen the report before its release, Barr emphasized, as he had said last month, that Mueller did not conclude there was collusion between Trump's campaign and Moscow.

"President Trump faced an unprecedented situation. As he entered into office and sought to perform his responsibilities as president, federal agents and prosecutors were scrutinizing his conduct before and after taking office and the conduct of some of his associates," Barr said.

Barr seemed to offer cover for Trump's actions by saying the report acknowledges that "there is substantial evidence to show that the president was frustrated and angered by a sincere belief that the investigation was undermining his presidency, propelled by his political opponents, and fueled by illegal leaks."

Mueller's team did not issue a subpoena to force Trump to give an interview to the special counsel because it would have created a "substantial delay" at a late stage in the investigation, the report said.

It said Mueller accepted the longstanding Justice Department view that a sitting president cannot be indicted on criminal charges, while still recognizing that a president can be criminally investigated.

The report also cited Mueller's repeated efforts to convince Sessions to resume oversight of the probe after he had recused himself because of his own prior contacts with Russia's ambassador to the United States.

Mueller said evidence he collected indicates that Trump intended to encourage his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, not to cooperate with the investigation and that the evidence supports the idea that Trump wanted Manafort to believe that he could receive a presidential pardon.

The report said the special counsel's team determined there was a "reasonable argument" that the president's son, Donald Trump Jr., violated campaign finance laws, but did not believe they could obtain a conviction.

Special counsel Robert Mueller's report on his inquiry into Russia's role in the 2016 US election detailed a series of actions by President Donald Trump to impede the probe, raising questions about whether he committed the crime of obstruction of justice.

Special counsel Robert Mueller's report on his inquiry into Russia's role in the 2016 US election detailed a series of actions by President Donald Trump to impede the probe, raising questions about whether he committed the crime of obstruction of justice. The release on Thursday of the 448-page report that disclosed the findings of a 22-month investigation represented a watershed moment in Trump's tumultuous presidency. Mueller did not make a conclusion on whether Trump, whose presidency has been overshadowed by the Russia investigation, had committed obstruction of justice but did not exonerate him either. The report provided fresh details of how the Republican president tried to force Mueller's ouster, directed members of his administration to publicly vouch for his innocence and dangled a pardon to a former aide to try to prevent him from cooperating with the special counsel. It also concluded, as Barr announced last month, that Trump and his campaign had not engaged in a criminal conspiracy with Russia during the election. Barr in March had concluded that Trump had not broken the law, but told a news conference on Thursday that Mueller had detailed "10 episodes involving the president and discusses potential legal theories for connecting these actions to elements of an obstruction offense." Trump appeared to be in a celebratory mood, saying at a White House event with wounded US troops that he was "having a good day" following the report's release, adding, "It's called no collusion, no obstruction." The report's disclosure, with portions blacked out by Barr to protect some sensitive information, is certain to launch a new political fight in Congress and on the 2020 presidential campaign trail, as Trump seeks re-election in a deeply divided country. Trump has long described Mueller's inquiry as a "witch hunt." The report stated that when Jeff Sessions, Barr's predecessor as attorney general, told Trump in May 2017 that a special counsel was being appointed by the Justice Department to look into allegations that the Republican's campaign colluded with Russia, Trump slumped back in his chair and said, "Oh my god. This is terrible. This is the end of my presidency. I'm fucked." Some Democrats in the House of Representatives have spoken of launching impeachment proceedings against Trump in Congress but top Democrats have been notably cautious. Any such effort would be unlikely to be successful because Trump fellow Republicans control the Senate, which would decide the president's fate. The inquiry laid bare what the special counsel and US intelligence agencies have described as a Russian campaign of hacking and propaganda to sow discord in the United States, denigrate 2016 Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and boost Trump, the Kremlin's preferred candidate. Russia has denied election interference. In analyzing whether Trump obstructed justice, Mueller looked at a series of actions by Trump, including his attempts to remove Mueller and limit the scope of his probe and efforts to prevent the public from knowing about a June, 2016 meeting at Trump Tower in New York between senior campaign officials and Russians. In June 2017, Trump directed White House counsel Don McGahn to tell the then-acting attorney general that Mueller had conflicts of interest and must be removed, the report said. It also said there was "substantial evidence" that Trump fired James Comey as FBI director in 2017 due to his "unwillingness to publicly state that the president was not personally under investigation." Mueller cited "some evidence" suggesting Trump knew about former national security adviser Michael Flynn's controversial calls with the Russian ambassador to the United States before Trump took office, but evidence was "inconclusive" and could not be used to establish intent to obstruct. The report said Trump directed former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski to ask former Attorney General Jeff Sessions to say the Russia investigation was "very unfair." Before the report's release, Barr gave a news conference at the Justice Department as he sought to shape the narrative on the document's findings. One of a handful of people to have seen the report before its release, Barr emphasized, as he had said last month, that Mueller did not conclude there was collusion between Trump's campaign and Moscow. "President Trump faced an unprecedented situation. As he entered into office and sought to perform his responsibilities as president, federal agents and prosecutors were scrutinizing his conduct before and after taking office and the conduct of some of his associates," Barr said. Barr seemed to offer cover for Trump's actions by saying the report acknowledges that "there is substantial evidence to show that the president was frustrated and angered by a sincere belief that the investigation was undermining his presidency, propelled by his political opponents, and fueled by illegal leaks." Mueller's team did not issue a subpoena to force Trump to give an interview to the special counsel because it would have created a "substantial delay" at a late stage in the investigation, the report said. It said Mueller accepted the longstanding Justice Department view that a sitting president cannot be indicted on criminal charges, while still recognizing that a president can be criminally investigated. The report also cited Mueller's repeated efforts to convince Sessions to resume oversight of the probe after he had recused himself because of his own prior contacts with Russia's ambassador to the United States. Mueller said evidence he collected indicates that Trump intended to encourage his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, not to cooperate with the investigation and that the evidence supports the idea that Trump wanted Manafort to believe that he could receive a presidential pardon. The report said the special counsel's team determined there was a "reasonable argument" that the president's son, Donald Trump Jr., violated campaign finance laws, but did not believe they could obtain a conviction.

Mueller report inconclusive on Trump's obstruction of justice charge

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/im-having-a-good-day-says-trump-after-mueller-report-release-211602">US President Donald Trump</a> sought to have special counsel Robert Mueller removed nearly two years ago from the probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, according to the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-tried-to-interfere-with-us-presidential-polls-trump-did-not-cooperate-says-attorney-general-william-barr-while-releasing-full-report-211580">Mueller report</a>.

Trump's efforts to remove the special counsel followed press reports that the president was under investigation for obstruction of justice, the report said.

It said that on June 17, 2017 Trump called White House counsel Don McGahn at home "and directed him to call the Acting Attorney General and say that the Special Counsel had conflicts of interest and must be removed."

"McGahn did not carry out the direction, however, deciding that he would resign rather than trigger what he regarded as a potential Saturday Night Massacre," the report said.

The Saturday Night Massacre refers to an effort by US president Richard Nixon in 1973 to thwart the Watergate investigation.

US President Donald Trump sought to have special counsel Robert Mueller removed nearly two years ago from the probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, according to the Mueller report.

US President Donald Trump sought to have special counsel Robert Mueller removed nearly two years ago from the probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, according to the Mueller report. Trump's efforts to remove the special counsel followed press reports that the president was under investigation for obstruction of justice, the report said. It said that on June 17, 2017 Trump called White House counsel Don McGahn at home "and directed him to call the Acting Attorney General and say that the Special Counsel had conflicts of interest and must be removed." "McGahn did not carry out the direction, however, deciding that he would resign rather than trigger what he regarded as a potential Saturday Night Massacre," the report said. The Saturday Night Massacre refers to an effort by US president Richard Nixon in 1973 to thwart the Watergate investigation.

Trump sought to have special counsel removed: Mueller report

US Attorney General William P&nbsp;Barr informed today that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ahead-of-mueller-report-trump-lashes-greatest-political-hoax-211549">Mueller report found Russians</a> did not have <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/im-having-a-good-day-says-trump-after-mueller-report-release-211602">Trump's cooperation in the 2016 US elections</a>.

The Attorney General said Russians did try to interfere in the US presidential elections.

Barr while releasing the 400-page report at a press conference said the president did not obstruct justice.

The White House has freely cooperated in the report, Barr said. The president did not thwart the probe, he added.

Trump's lawyers reviewed Mueller report ahead of release, the attorney general informed.

"There is substantial evidence to show that the president was frustrated and angered by a sincere belief that the investigation was undermining his presidency, propelled by his political opponents, and fueled by illegal leaks," Barr said ahead of the release of the Mueller report.

"Nonetheless, the White House fully cooperated with the special counsel's investigation, providing unfettered access to campaign and White House documents, directing senior aides to testify freely, and asserting no privilege claims," he said.

"And at the same time, the president took no act that in fact deprived the special counsel of the documents and witnesses necessary to complete his investigation," Barr said.

President Donald Trump's lawyers were able to review the redacted version of the Mueller report on Russian meddling earlier this week before its release Thursday, Attorney General Bill Barr said.

The White House made no changes on the final report and did not assert executive privilege to protect internal White House information, Barr added.

US Attorney General William P Barr informed today that Mueller report found Russians did not have Trump's cooperation in the 2016 US elections. The Attorney General said Russians did try to interfere in the US presidential elections.

US Attorney General William P Barr informed today that Mueller report found Russians did not have Trump's cooperation in the 2016 US elections. The Attorney General said Russians did try to interfere in the US presidential elections. Barr while releasing the 400-page report at a press conference said the president did not obstruct justice. The White House has freely cooperated in the report, Barr said. The president did not thwart the probe, he added. Trump's lawyers reviewed Mueller report ahead of release, the attorney general informed. "There is substantial evidence to show that the president was frustrated and angered by a sincere belief that the investigation was undermining his presidency, propelled by his political opponents, and fueled by illegal leaks," Barr said ahead of the release of the Mueller report. "Nonetheless, the White House fully cooperated with the special counsel's investigation, providing unfettered access to campaign and White House documents, directing senior aides to testify freely, and asserting no privilege claims," he said. "And at the same time, the president took no act that in fact deprived the special counsel of the documents and witnesses necessary to complete his investigation," Barr said. President Donald Trump's lawyers were able to review the redacted version of the Mueller report on Russian meddling earlier this week before its release Thursday, Attorney General Bill Barr said. The White House made no changes on the final report and did not assert executive privilege to protect internal White House information, Barr added.

Russia tried to interfere with US presidential polls, Trump did not cooperate, says Attorney General William Barr while releasing full report

Here is a timeline of significant developments in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/robert-mueller-report-to-be-released-by-mid-april-attorney-general-206612">Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation</a> into Russia's role in the 2016 US&nbsp;presidential election and contacts between President Donald Trump's campaign and Moscow.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/i-dont-care-about-the-muellers-russia-probe-report-says-donald-trump-209385/amp">I don’t care about the Mueller's Russia probe report, says Donald Trump</a>

2017

May 17 - US Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appoints former FBI Director Mueller as a special counsel to investigate Russian meddling in the 2016 election and to look into any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and people associated with Republican Trump's campaign. The appointment follows Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey on May 9. Days later, Trump attributed the dismissal to "this Russia thing."

June 15 - Mueller is investigating Trump for possible obstruction of justice, the Washington Post reports.

October&nbsp;30 - Veteran Republican political operative and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who worked for the campaign for five pivotal months in 2016, is indicted on charges of conspiracy against the United States and money laundering, as is his business partner Rick Gates, who also worked for Trump's campaign.

- Former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos pleads guilty to a charge of lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian officials.

December&nbsp;1 - Michael Flynn, Trump's first national security adviser who also had a prominent campaign role, pleads guilty to the charge of lying to the FBI about his discussions in 2016 with the Russian ambassador to Washington.

2018

February&nbsp;16 - Mueller secures an indictment of 13 Russian individuals and three firms, including a Russian government propaganda arm called the Internet Research Agency, accusing them of tampering in the presidential race to support Trump and disparage Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. The accused "had a strategic goal to sow discord in the US political system, including the 2016 US presidential election" according to the court document filed by Mueller.

- An American, Richard Pinedo, pleads guilty to identity fraud for selling bank account numbers after being accused by prosecutors of helping Russians launder money, buy Facebook ads and pay for campaign rally supplies. Pinedo was not associated with the Trump campaign.

February&nbsp;22 - Manafort and Gates are charged with financial crimes, including bank fraud, in Virginia.

February&nbsp;23 - Gates pleads guilty to conspiracy against the United States and lying to investigators. He agrees to cooperate and testify against Manafort at trial.

April 3 - Alex van der Zwaan, the Dutch son-in-law of one of Russia's richest men, is sentenced to 30 days in prison and fined $20,000 for lying to Mueller's investigators, becoming the first person sentenced in the probe.

April 9 - FBI agents raid home, hotel room and office of Trump's personal lawyer and self-described "fixer" Michael Cohen.

April 12 - Rosenstein tells Trump that he is not a target in Mueller's probe.

April 19 - Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a Trump supporter in the election campaign, joins Trump's personal legal team.

June 8 - Mueller charges a Russian-Ukrainian man, Konstantin Kilimnik, a Manafort business partner whom prosecutors say had ties to Russian intelligence, with witness tampering.

July 13 - Federal grand jury indicts 12 Russian military intelligence officers on charges of hacking Democratic Party computer networks in 2016 and staged releases of documents. Russia, which denies interfering in the election, says there is no evidence that the 12 are linked to spying or hacking.

July 16 - In Helsinki after the first summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump publicly contradicts U.S. intelligence agencies that concluded Moscow had interfered in the 2016 election with a campaign of hacking and propaganda. Trump touts Putin's "extremely strong and powerful" denial of meddling. He calls the Mueller inquiry a "rigged witch hunt" on Twitter.

August&nbsp;21 - A trial jury in Virginia finds Manafort guilty of five counts of tax fraud, two counts of bank fraud and one count of failure to disclose a foreign bank account.

- Cohen, in a case brought by U.S. prosecutors in New York, pleads guilty to tax fraud and campaign finance law violations. Cohen is subsequently interviewed by Mueller's team.

August&nbsp;31 - Samuel Patten, an American business partner of Kilimnik, pleads guilty to unregistered lobbying for pro-Kremlin political party in Ukraine.

September&nbsp;14 - Manafort pleads guilty to two conspiracy counts and signs a cooperation agreement with Mueller's prosecutors.

November&nbsp;8 - US Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigns at Trump's request. He had recused himself from overseeing the Mueller inquiry because of his contacts with the Russian ambassador as a Trump campaign official. Trump appoints Sessions' chief of staff Matthew Whitaker, a critic of the Mueller probe, as acting attorney general.

November&nbsp;20 - Giuliani says Trump submitted written answers to questions from Mueller, as the president avoids a face-to-face interview with the special counsel.

November&nbsp;27-28 - Prosecutors say Manafort breached his plea deal by lying to investigators, which Manafort denies. Trump says he has not ruled out granting Manafort a presidential pardon.

November&nbsp;28 - Giuliani says Trump told investigators he was not aware ahead of time of a meeting in Trump Tower in New York between several campaign officials and Russians in June 2016.

November&nbsp;29 - Cohen pleads guilty in the Mueller investigation to lying to Congress about the length of discussions in 2016 on plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. "I made these misstatements to be consistent with individual 1's political messaging and out of loyalty to individual 1," says Cohen, who previously identified "individual 1" as Trump. The president criticises Cohen as a liar and "weak person."

December&nbsp;12 - Two developments highlight growing political and legal risks for Trump: Cohen is sentenced to three years in prison for crimes including orchestrating hush payments to women in violation of campaign laws before the election; American Media Inc, publisher of National Enquirer tabloid, strikes a deal to avoid charges over its role in one of two hush payments. The publisher admits that the payment was aimed at influencing the 2016 election, contradicting Trump's statements.

2019

January&nbsp;25 - Longtime Trump associate and self-proclaimed political "dirty trickster" Roger Stone is charged and arrested at his home in Florida. Stone is accused of lying to Congress about statements suggesting he may have had advance knowledge of plans by Wikileaks to release Democratic Party campaign emails that U.S. officials say were stolen by Russia.

February&nbsp;14 - The Senate votes to confirm William Barr, Trump's nominee to replace Sessions, as attorney general. Barr assumes broad authority over how much of the Mueller report to release.

February&nbsp;22 - Manhattan district attorney's office is pursuing New York state criminal charges against Manafort whether or not he receives a pardon from Trump on federal crimes. Trump cannot issue pardons for state convictions.

February&nbsp;27 - Cohen tells US House Oversight Committee Trump is a "racist," a "con man" and a "cheat" who knew in advance about a release of emails by WikiLeaks in 2016 aimed at hurting rival Clinton. Trump directed negotiations for a real estate project in Moscow during the campaign even as he publicly said he had no business interests in Russia, Cohen testifies.

March 7 - Manafort is sentenced in the Virginia case to almost four years in prison. The judge also ordered Manafort to pay a fine of $50,000 and restitution of just over $24 million.

March 13 - Manafort is sentenced to about 3-1/2 more years in prison in the Washington case, bringing his total prison sentence in the two special counsel cases to 7-1/2 years.

- Shortly after his sentencing in Washington, the Manhattan district attorney announces a separate indictment charging Manafort with residential mortgage fraud and other New York state crimes, which unlike the federal charges cannot be erased by a presidential pardon.

March 22 - Mueller submits his confidential report on the findings of his investigation to US&nbsp;Attorney General William Barr.

March 24 - Barr releases a summary of the "principal conclusions" of Mueller's report and wrote that the investigation did not establish that members of Trump's election campaign conspired with Russia. Mueller did not exonerate Trump on obstruction of justice, said Barr, who himself concluded the inquiry had not found sufficient evidence to warrant criminal obstruction charges against Trump.

March 25 - Democratic lawmakers demand that Barr send the full Mueller report and any underlying documents to Congress by April 2 and say the attorney general's summary is not sufficient. The deadline is not met.

April 3 - The Democratic-led House of Representatives Judiciary Committee voted to enable its chairman, Jerrold Nadler, to subpoena the Justice Department to obtain Mueller's unredacted report and all underlying evidence as well as documents and testimony from five former Trump aides.

April 18 - This date is announced by the Justice Department for the release of a redacted version of the Mueller report.

Here is a timeline of significant developments in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's role in the 2016 US presidential election and contacts between President Donald Trump's campaign and Moscow.

Here is a timeline of significant developments in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's role in the 2016 US presidential election and contacts between President Donald Trump's campaign and Moscow. Also read: I don’t care about the Mueller's Russia probe report, says Donald Trump 2017 May 17 - US Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appoints former FBI Director Mueller as a special counsel to investigate Russian meddling in the 2016 election and to look into any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and people associated with Republican Trump's campaign. The appointment follows Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey on May 9. Days later, Trump attributed the dismissal to "this Russia thing." June 15 - Mueller is investigating Trump for possible obstruction of justice, the Washington Post reports. October 30 - Veteran Republican political operative and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who worked for the campaign for five pivotal months in 2016, is indicted on charges of conspiracy against the United States and money laundering, as is his business partner Rick Gates, who also worked for Trump's campaign. - Former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos pleads guilty to a charge of lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian officials. December 1 - Michael Flynn, Trump's first national security adviser who also had a prominent campaign role, pleads guilty to the charge of lying to the FBI about his discussions in 2016 with the Russian ambassador to Washington. 2018 February 16 - Mueller secures an indictment of 13 Russian individuals and three firms, including a Russian government propaganda arm called the Internet Research Agency, accusing them of tampering in the presidential race to support Trump and disparage Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. The accused "had a strategic goal to sow discord in the US political system, including the 2016 US presidential election" according to the court document filed by Mueller. - An American, Richard Pinedo, pleads guilty to identity fraud for selling bank account numbers after being accused by prosecutors of helping Russians launder money, buy Facebook ads and pay for campaign rally supplies. Pinedo was not associated with the Trump campaign. February 22 - Manafort and Gates are charged with financial crimes, including bank fraud, in Virginia. February 23 - Gates pleads guilty to conspiracy against the United States and lying to investigators. He agrees to cooperate and testify against Manafort at trial. April 3 - Alex van der Zwaan, the Dutch son-in-law of one of Russia's richest men, is sentenced to 30 days in prison and fined $20,000 for lying to Mueller's investigators, becoming the first person sentenced in the probe. April 9 - FBI agents raid home, hotel room and office of Trump's personal lawyer and self-described "fixer" Michael Cohen. April 12 - Rosenstein tells Trump that he is not a target in Mueller's probe. April 19 - Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a Trump supporter in the election campaign, joins Trump's personal legal team. June 8 - Mueller charges a Russian-Ukrainian man, Konstantin Kilimnik, a Manafort business partner whom prosecutors say had ties to Russian intelligence, with witness tampering. July 13 - Federal grand jury indicts 12 Russian military intelligence officers on charges of hacking Democratic Party computer networks in 2016 and staged releases of documents. Russia, which denies interfering in the election, says there is no evidence that the 12 are linked to spying or hacking. July 16 - In Helsinki after the first summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump publicly contradicts U.S. intelligence agencies that concluded Moscow had interfered in the 2016 election with a campaign of hacking and propaganda. Trump touts Putin's "extremely strong and powerful" denial of meddling. He calls the Mueller inquiry a "rigged witch hunt" on Twitter. August 21 - A trial jury in Virginia finds Manafort guilty of five counts of tax fraud, two counts of bank fraud and one count of failure to disclose a foreign bank account. - Cohen, in a case brought by U.S. prosecutors in New York, pleads guilty to tax fraud and campaign finance law violations. Cohen is subsequently interviewed by Mueller's team. August 31 - Samuel Patten, an American business partner of Kilimnik, pleads guilty to unregistered lobbying for pro-Kremlin political party in Ukraine. September 14 - Manafort pleads guilty to two conspiracy counts and signs a cooperation agreement with Mueller's prosecutors. November 8 - US Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigns at Trump's request. He had recused himself from overseeing the Mueller inquiry because of his contacts with the Russian ambassador as a Trump campaign official. Trump appoints Sessions' chief of staff Matthew Whitaker, a critic of the Mueller probe, as acting attorney general. November 20 - Giuliani says Trump submitted written answers to questions from Mueller, as the president avoids a face-to-face interview with the special counsel. November 27-28 - Prosecutors say Manafort breached his plea deal by lying to investigators, which Manafort denies. Trump says he has not ruled out granting Manafort a presidential pardon. November 28 - Giuliani says Trump told investigators he was not aware ahead of time of a meeting in Trump Tower in New York between several campaign officials and Russians in June 2016. November 29 - Cohen pleads guilty in the Mueller investigation to lying to Congress about the length of discussions in 2016 on plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. "I made these misstatements to be consistent with individual 1's political messaging and out of loyalty to individual 1," says Cohen, who previously identified "individual 1" as Trump. The president criticises Cohen as a liar and "weak person." December 12 - Two developments highlight growing political and legal risks for Trump: Cohen is sentenced to three years in prison for crimes including orchestrating hush payments to women in violation of campaign laws before the election; American Media Inc, publisher of National Enquirer tabloid, strikes a deal to avoid charges over its role in one of two hush payments. The publisher admits that the payment was aimed at influencing the 2016 election, contradicting Trump's statements. 2019 January 25 - Longtime Trump associate and self-proclaimed political "dirty trickster" Roger Stone is charged and arrested at his home in Florida. Stone is accused of lying to Congress about statements suggesting he may have had advance knowledge of plans by Wikileaks to release Democratic Party campaign emails that U.S. officials say were stolen by Russia. February 14 - The Senate votes to confirm William Barr, Trump's nominee to replace Sessions, as attorney general. Barr assumes broad authority over how much of the Mueller report to release. February 22 - Manhattan district attorney's office is pursuing New York state criminal charges against Manafort whether or not he receives a pardon from Trump on federal crimes. Trump cannot issue pardons for state convictions. February 27 - Cohen tells US House Oversight Committee Trump is a "racist," a "con man" and a "cheat" who knew in advance about a release of emails by WikiLeaks in 2016 aimed at hurting rival Clinton. Trump directed negotiations for a real estate project in Moscow during the campaign even as he publicly said he had no business interests in Russia, Cohen testifies. March 7 - Manafort is sentenced in the Virginia case to almost four years in prison. The judge also ordered Manafort to pay a fine of $50,000 and restitution of just over $24 million. March 13 - Manafort is sentenced to about 3-1/2 more years in prison in the Washington case, bringing his total prison sentence in the two special counsel cases to 7-1/2 years. - Shortly after his sentencing in Washington, the Manhattan district attorney announces a separate indictment charging Manafort with residential mortgage fraud and other New York state crimes, which unlike the federal charges cannot be erased by a presidential pardon. March 22 - Mueller submits his confidential report on the findings of his investigation to US Attorney General William Barr. March 24 - Barr releases a summary of the "principal conclusions" of Mueller's report and wrote that the investigation did not establish that members of Trump's election campaign conspired with Russia. Mueller did not exonerate Trump on obstruction of justice, said Barr, who himself concluded the inquiry had not found sufficient evidence to warrant criminal obstruction charges against Trump. March 25 - Democratic lawmakers demand that Barr send the full Mueller report and any underlying documents to Congress by April 2 and say the attorney general's summary is not sufficient. The deadline is not met. April 3 - The Democratic-led House of Representatives Judiciary Committee voted to enable its chairman, Jerrold Nadler, to subpoena the Justice Department to obtain Mueller's unredacted report and all underlying evidence as well as documents and testimony from five former Trump aides. April 18 - This date is announced by the Justice Department for the release of a redacted version of the Mueller report.

Timeline: Big moments in Mueller investigation of Russian meddling in 2016 US election

US President Donald Trump on Thursday complained of the "greatest political hoax of all time" hours before the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/redacted-mueller-report-to-be-issued-by-us-attorney-general-today-211317">special counsel's report on Russian meddling</a> in the 2016 election was due to be made public.

"The Greatest Political Hoax of all time! Crimes were committed by Crooked, Dirty Cops and DNC/The Democrats," the president tweeted.&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The Greatest Political Hoax of all time! Crimes were committed by Crooked, Dirty Cops and DNC/The Democrats.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1118845290721812480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"Crooked" is Trump's nickname for election rival Hillary Clinton while he uses the phrase "dirty cops" to smear the members of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team who conducted the probe.

The details of the redacted 400-page report -- which is expected to go to Congress mid-morning before being made publicly available -- could determine whether Democrats pursue impeachment of the president.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday complained of the "greatest political hoax of all time" hours before the special counsel's report on Russian meddling in the 2016 election was due to be made public.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday complained of the "greatest political hoax of all time" hours before the special counsel's report on Russian meddling in the 2016 election was due to be made public. "The Greatest Political Hoax of all time! Crimes were committed by Crooked, Dirty Cops and DNC/The Democrats," the president tweeted. The Greatest Political Hoax of all time! Crimes were committed by Crooked, Dirty Cops and DNC/The Democrats. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 18, 2019 × "Crooked" is Trump's nickname for election rival Hillary Clinton while he uses the phrase "dirty cops" to smear the members of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team who conducted the probe. The details of the redacted 400-page report -- which is expected to go to Congress mid-morning before being made publicly available -- could determine whether Democrats pursue impeachment of the president.

Ahead of Mueller report, Trump lashes 'greatest political hoax'

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday&nbsp;he had not seen or read a report into <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/republicans-democrats-want-robert-mueller-to-testify-on-report-on-russian-meddling-in-2016-election-208903">Russian election meddling by Special Counsel Robert Mueller</a>, a day after his attorney general would not say whether he had briefed the White House or shared the report.

Attorney General William Barr on Tuesday declined to say whether he had briefed the White House or shown them the report when questioned at a congressional hearing.

"I have not read the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/robert-mueller-report-to-be-released-by-mid-april-attorney-general-206612">Mueller report</a>, I haven't seen the Mueller report. As far as I'm concerned I don't care about the Mueller report. I've been totally exonerated. No collusion, no obstruction," Trump told reporters at the White House.

Barr told lawmakers at a hearing he intended to release "within a week" a redacted version of the long-awaited report, which Mueller submitted to Barr on March 22 after a 22-month investigation.

The 400-page report is expected to shed light on some of the more contentious episodes of Trump's election bid and presidency, including his firing of FBI Director James Comey in 2017 and his campaign's contacts with Russians.

In a March 24 letter to Congress, Barr said Mueller's investigation did not establish that members of Trump's presidential campaign had conspired with Russia.

He said Mueller presented evidence "on both sides" about whether Trump obstructed justice, but did not draw a conclusion one way or the other.

Barr said the White House did not review his letter to Congress laying out Mueller's findings before he sent it.

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he had not seen or read a report into Russian election meddling by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, a day after his attorney general would not say whether he had briefed the White House or shared the report.

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he had not seen or read a report into Russian election meddling by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, a day after his attorney general would not say whether he had briefed the White House or shared the report. Attorney General William Barr on Tuesday declined to say whether he had briefed the White House or shown them the report when questioned at a congressional hearing. "I have not read the Mueller report, I haven't seen the Mueller report. As far as I'm concerned I don't care about the Mueller report. I've been totally exonerated. No collusion, no obstruction," Trump told reporters at the White House. Barr told lawmakers at a hearing he intended to release "within a week" a redacted version of the long-awaited report, which Mueller submitted to Barr on March 22 after a 22-month investigation. The 400-page report is expected to shed light on some of the more contentious episodes of Trump's election bid and presidency, including his firing of FBI Director James Comey in 2017 and his campaign's contacts with Russians. In a March 24 letter to Congress, Barr said Mueller's investigation did not establish that members of Trump's presidential campaign had conspired with Russia. He said Mueller presented evidence "on both sides" about whether Trump obstructed justice, but did not draw a conclusion one way or the other. Barr said the White House did not review his letter to Congress laying out Mueller's findings before he sent it.

I don’t care about the Mueller's Russia probe report, says Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he had not read Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report investigating contacts between his 2016 campaign and Russia that his Democratic opponents say should be released in full.

"I have not read the Mueller Report yet, even though I have every right to do so," Trump wrote on Twitter. "Only know the conclusions, and on the big one, No Collusion."

US Attorney General William Barr has said he plans to make public a redacted copy of the nearly 400-page investigative report into Russian interference in the 2016 election by the middle of this month, if not sooner.

On March 22, Mueller completed his 22-month probe and Barr

sent a four-page letter to Congress two days later outlining the main findings. Barr told lawmakers the investigation did not establish that members of Trump's election campaign conspired with Russia, but also did not exonerate the president on obstruction of justice.

Barr said he had concluded there was not enough evidence to show that Trump committed the crime of obstruction. But news media reports this week said members of Mueller's team were unhappy with the way Barr, a Trump appointee, had characterized the report's conclusions.

Asked in an interview with Fox and Friends Weekend about calls for the release of the full confidential report, Trump said: “It’s really up to the attorney general, whatever he wants to do.”

In another tweet, Trump called the report "a total waste of time."

Barr did not meet a demand by Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives to provide the unredacted report to lawmakers by April 2.

He told Congress in a letter last week he must redact material that was presented to a grand jury, as required by law, as well as information that could reveal US intelligence agencies' sources and methods. Congressional Democrats have indicated they will fight those redactions in court if the subpoena is ignored.

Russia's government has denied interfering in the US election.

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he had not read Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report investigating contacts between his 2016 campaign and Russia that his Democratic opponents say should be released in full.

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he had not read Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report investigating contacts between his 2016 campaign and Russia that his Democratic opponents say should be released in full. "I have not read the Mueller Report yet, even though I have every right to do so," Trump wrote on Twitter. "Only know the conclusions, and on the big one, No Collusion." US Attorney General William Barr has said he plans to make public a redacted copy of the nearly 400-page investigative report into Russian interference in the 2016 election by the middle of this month, if not sooner. On March 22, Mueller completed his 22-month probe and Barr sent a four-page letter to Congress two days later outlining the main findings. Barr told lawmakers the investigation did not establish that members of Trump's election campaign conspired with Russia, but also did not exonerate the president on obstruction of justice. Barr said he had concluded there was not enough evidence to show that Trump committed the crime of obstruction. But news media reports this week said members of Mueller's team were unhappy with the way Barr, a Trump appointee, had characterized the report's conclusions. Asked in an interview with Fox and Friends Weekend about calls for the release of the full confidential report, Trump said: “It’s really up to the attorney general, whatever he wants to do.” In another tweet, Trump called the report "a total waste of time." Barr did not meet a demand by Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives to provide the unredacted report to lawmakers by April 2. He told Congress in a letter last week he must redact material that was presented to a grand jury, as required by law, as well as information that could reveal US intelligence agencies' sources and methods. Congressional Democrats have indicated they will fight those redactions in court if the subpoena is ignored. Russia's government has denied interfering in the US election.

US President Trump says has not read Mueller report

The US attorney general said Friday that he will release a redacted version by mid-April of the report on the two-year Russia election meddling probe, which had cast a cloud over Donald Trump's presidency.

Attorney General Bill Barr, in a letter to the chairmen of the House and Senate judiciary committees, said he was currently redacting sensitive material from the eagerly awaited report, which Trump has hailed as completely clearing him of allegations of collusion with Russia and obstruction of justice.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller, a former FBI director who headed the probe, was assisting with the task, he said.

"Our progress is such that I anticipate that we will be in a position to release the report by mid-April, if not sooner," Barr said.

The attorney general said the report was nearly 400 pages long excluding tables and appendices and "sets forth the Special Counsel's findings, his analysis and the reasons for his conclusions."

Barr, who released the "principal conclusions" of the report last week, has been under heavy pressure from Democrats to release the full report.

"I share your desire to ensure that Congress and the public have the opportunity to read the Special Counsel's report," the attorney general told the Senate and House judiciary committee, chairmen.

"Everyone will soon be able to read it on their own," Barr said. "I do not believe it would be in the public's interest for me to attempt to summarize the full report or to release it in a serial or piecemeal fashion."

Representative Jerry Nadler, a Democrat who heads the House Judiciary Committee, responded to Barr's letter by saying he wanted the "full and complete Mueller report, without redactions" by April 2.

Redactions

Barr said the redactions underway included material "the intelligence community identifies as potentially compromising sensitive sources and methods."

Redactions also concern matters that the special counsel has referred to other Justice Department offices for investigation and information that would compromise the privacy of "peripheral third parties."

Barr said the report would not be submitted to the White House for review and Trump had deferred to him to deal with any parts over which he could invoke executive privilege.

Barr, citing the "principal conclusions" of the report last week, said the special counsel did not find that the Trump presidential campaign had conspired with the Russian government to win the 2016 election.

The "investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities," Barr quoted the report as saying.

Mueller also left the decision on whether Trump obstructed justice up to the attorney general, who determined that he had not "committed an obstruction-of-justice offence."

Regarding obstruction, Mueller stated that "while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him."

Trump has welcomed the Mueller report as a "total exoneration" and blamed the media for pushing what he called the "Russian Collusion Delusion."

In his letter, Barr said he would be prepared to testify before the Senate and House judiciary committees on May 1 and May 2 respectively.

The US attorney general said Friday that he will release a redacted version by mid-April of the report on the two-year Russia election meddling probe, which had cast a cloud over Donald Trump's presidency.

The US attorney general said Friday that he will release a redacted version by mid-April of the report on the two-year Russia election meddling probe, which had cast a cloud over Donald Trump's presidency. Attorney General Bill Barr, in a letter to the chairmen of the House and Senate judiciary committees, said he was currently redacting sensitive material from the eagerly awaited report, which Trump has hailed as completely clearing him of allegations of collusion with Russia and obstruction of justice. Special Counsel Robert Mueller, a former FBI director who headed the probe, was assisting with the task, he said. "Our progress is such that I anticipate that we will be in a position to release the report by mid-April, if not sooner," Barr said. The attorney general said the report was nearly 400 pages long excluding tables and appendices and "sets forth the Special Counsel's findings, his analysis and the reasons for his conclusions." Barr, who released the "principal conclusions" of the report last week, has been under heavy pressure from Democrats to release the full report. "I share your desire to ensure that Congress and the public have the opportunity to read the Special Counsel's report," the attorney general told the Senate and House judiciary committee, chairmen. "Everyone will soon be able to read it on their own," Barr said. "I do not believe it would be in the public's interest for me to attempt to summarize the full report or to release it in a serial or piecemeal fashion." Representative Jerry Nadler, a Democrat who heads the House Judiciary Committee, responded to Barr's letter by saying he wanted the "full and complete Mueller report, without redactions" by April 2. Redactions Barr said the redactions underway included material "the intelligence community identifies as potentially compromising sensitive sources and methods." Redactions also concern matters that the special counsel has referred to other Justice Department offices for investigation and information that would compromise the privacy of "peripheral third parties." Barr said the report would not be submitted to the White House for review and Trump had deferred to him to deal with any parts over which he could invoke executive privilege. Barr, citing the "principal conclusions" of the report last week, said the special counsel did not find that the Trump presidential campaign had conspired with the Russian government to win the 2016 election. The "investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities," Barr quoted the report as saying. Mueller also left the decision on whether Trump obstructed justice up to the attorney general, who determined that he had not "committed an obstruction-of-justice offence." Regarding obstruction, Mueller stated that "while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him." Trump has welcomed the Mueller report as a "total exoneration" and blamed the media for pushing what he called the "Russian Collusion Delusion." In his letter, Barr said he would be prepared to testify before the Senate and House judiciary committees on May 1 and May 2 respectively.

Robert Mueller report to be released by mid-April: Attorney general

Top congressional Democrats said Sunday it was "urgent" that the full report on Russian interference in the 2016 US election be publicly released, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-declares-complete-exoneration-after-mueller-report-finds-no-collusion-205408">stressing it does not exonerate Donald Trump</a>.

The president was quick to claim vindication by Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report findings which, according to a summary by Attorney General Bill Barr, found that no Trump campaign official was involved in Russian conspiracies to interfere in the 2016 US election.

Such a conclusion would no doubt blunt a key weapon for Democrats desperate to oust Trump in 2020.&nbsp;

But with the report declining to determine whether there was obstruction of justice by the president, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer escalated their demands for the full document's release.

"The fact that Special Counsel (Robert) Mueller's report does not exonerate the president on a charge as serious as obstruction of justice demonstrates how urgent it is that the full report and underlying documentation be made public without any further delay," the Democratic pair said in a joint statement.

They also said Barr, nominated just months ago by Trump, is "not a neutral observer" in the process and that his summary of the report is not an objective determination about Mueller's findings.

The two Democrats also said Trump's declaration that the report is a complete exoneration of the president because it clears him of colluding with Russia "directly contradicts the words of Mr Mueller and is not to be taken with any degree of credibility."

Congressional Democrats appeared stung by the failure of Mueller's report, after a 22-month investigation, to directly uncover presidential wrongdoing.

'I want the whole damn report' 
Several lawmakers including 2020 presidential hopefuls like senators Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker vented on Twitter, saying a mere summary by a Trump ally was insufficient.

"I don't want a summary of the Mueller report. I want the whole damn report," tweeted Bernie Sanders, a liberal senator in the 2020 race.

Several Democrats have called for Barr and Mueller to testify before Congress.

"Special Counsel Mueller clearly and explicitly is not exonerating the president, and we must hear from AG Barr about his decision making and see all the underlying evidence for the American people to know all the facts," said House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerry Nadler.

His panel will call Barr to testify "in the near future," Nadler said.

With the Mueller probe running its course, the various congressional investigations into possible Trump team connections with Russia may enter the spotlight.

Nadler's committee is one of at least three pending congressional inquiries.&nbsp;

Earlier this month he launched the Democrats' most ambitious investigation yet into alleged obstruction of justice and abuse of office by Trump, targeting 81 individuals and entities.

The probe has already yielded more than 10,000 documents, ensuring that the probe carries on for several months or longer.

House Republican Liz Cheney hinted at the influence the Mueller's report findings will have on the presidential race, saying Americans "will long remember how wrong and irresponsible the Democrats have been."&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Top congressional Democrats said Sunday it was "urgent" that the full report on Russian interference in the 2016 US election be publicly released, stressing it does not exonerate Donald Trump.

Top congressional Democrats said Sunday it was "urgent" that the full report on Russian interference in the 2016 US election be publicly released, stressing it does not exonerate Donald Trump. The president was quick to claim vindication by Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report findings which, according to a summary by Attorney General Bill Barr, found that no Trump campaign official was involved in Russian conspiracies to interfere in the 2016 US election. Such a conclusion would no doubt blunt a key weapon for Democrats desperate to oust Trump in 2020. But with the report declining to determine whether there was obstruction of justice by the president, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer escalated their demands for the full document's release. "The fact that Special Counsel (Robert) Mueller's report does not exonerate the president on a charge as serious as obstruction of justice demonstrates how urgent it is that the full report and underlying documentation be made public without any further delay," the Democratic pair said in a joint statement. They also said Barr, nominated just months ago by Trump, is "not a neutral observer" in the process and that his summary of the report is not an objective determination about Mueller's findings. The two Democrats also said Trump's declaration that the report is a complete exoneration of the president because it clears him of colluding with Russia "directly contradicts the words of Mr Mueller and is not to be taken with any degree of credibility." Congressional Democrats appeared stung by the failure of Mueller's report, after a 22-month investigation, to directly uncover presidential wrongdoing. 'I want the whole damn report' Several lawmakers including 2020 presidential hopefuls like senators Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker vented on Twitter, saying a mere summary by a Trump ally was insufficient. "I don't want a summary of the Mueller report. I want the whole damn report," tweeted Bernie Sanders, a liberal senator in the 2020 race. Several Democrats have called for Barr and Mueller to testify before Congress. "Special Counsel Mueller clearly and explicitly is not exonerating the president, and we must hear from AG Barr about his decision making and see all the underlying evidence for the American people to know all the facts," said House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerry Nadler. His panel will call Barr to testify "in the near future," Nadler said. With the Mueller probe running its course, the various congressional investigations into possible Trump team connections with Russia may enter the spotlight. Nadler's committee is one of at least three pending congressional inquiries. Earlier this month he launched the Democrats' most ambitious investigation yet into alleged obstruction of justice and abuse of office by Trump, targeting 81 individuals and entities. The probe has already yielded more than 10,000 documents, ensuring that the probe carries on for several months or longer. House Republican Liz Cheney hinted at the influence the Mueller's report findings will have on the presidential race, saying Americans "will long remember how wrong and irresponsible the Democrats have been."

On the back foot, Democrats demand release of full Mueller report

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-declares-complete-exoneration-after-mueller-report-finds-no-collusion-205408">Trump declares 'complete exoneration' after Mueller report finds no collusion with Russia</a>

US President Donald Trump declared Sunday that he had been completely exonerated after his campaign was cleared of colluding with Russia in the 2016 election, in a major boost for his re-election hopes.

The long-awaited final report of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Moscow's election meddling concluded that no member or associate of the campaign conspired or coordinated with Russia in its plot to boost Trump in the vote more than two years ago.

While not completely absolving the president, Attorney General Bill Barr's letter to Congress summarizing the still-secret Mueller report cleared a dark cloud that had hung over the Trump's legitimacy since he took office in January 2017.

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/huge-jump-in-rahul-gandhis-income-says-bjp-asks-where-its-coming-from-205426">'Huge jump' in Rahul Gandhi's income, says BJP, asks where it's coming from</a>

The BJP said Sunday that there had been a "huge jump" in Congress President Rahul Gandhi's income and asked where the money was coming from.&nbsp;

The BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said at a press conference on Sunday that Rahul's income, according to his election affidavits, had risen from over Rs 55 lakh in 2004 to Rs 9 crore in 2014.&nbsp;

"How can an MP, who is not a professional, witness such a jump in his income?" Patra asked.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-hindu-minor-girls-approach-court-seeking-protection-man-suspected-to-assist-in-wedding-held-205430">Pakistan: Minor Hindu girls approach </a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-hindu-minor-girls-approach-court-seeking-protection-man-suspected-to-assist-in-wedding-held-205430">court</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-hindu-minor-girls-approach-court-seeking-protection-man-suspected-to-assist-in-wedding-held-205430">, </a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-hindu-minor-girls-approach-court-seeking-protection-man-suspected-to-assist-in-wedding-held-205430">man</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pak-hindu-minor-girls-approach-court-seeking-protection-man-suspected-to-assist-in-wedding-held-205430"> suspected to have assisted in their&nbsp;wedding held</a>

A man suspected to have assisted in solemnising the wedding of two Pakistani Hindu minor girls, who were reportedly abducted and forcefully converted to Islam, was arrested on Sunday, as the teenagers approached a court in Pakistan's Punjab province seeking protection, according to a media report.&nbsp;

The two girls, Raveena (13) and Reena (15), were allegedly kidnapped by a group of "influential" men from their home in Ghotki district in Sindh on the eve of Holi. Soon after the kidnapping, a video went viral in which a cleric was purportedly shown solemnising the Nikah (marriage) of the two girls, triggering nationwide outrage.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had also ordered a probe into the issue.

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/stricken-norway-cruise-ship-reaches-port-after-airlift-drama-205421">Stricken Norway cruise ship reaches port after airlift drama</a>

A cruise liner that ran into trouble in stormy seas off Norway reached port under its own steam Sunday after hundreds of passengers were winched to safety by helicopter in a spectacular rescue operation.

Escorted by tugboats, the Viking Sky arrived in the port of Molde at around 4:15 pm (1515 GMT), television images showed. Nearly a third of its 1,373 passengers and crew had already been airlifted off the ship.

The cruise liner lost power and started drifting on Saturday afternoon two kilometres (1.2 miles) off a stretch of Norwegian coastline notorious for shipwrecks.

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/on-the-back-foot-democrats-demand-release-of-full-mueller-report-205409">On the back foot, Democrats demand </a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/on-the-back-foot-democrats-demand-release-of-full-mueller-report-205409">release</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/on-the-back-foot-democrats-demand-release-of-full-mueller-report-205409"> of full Mueller report</a>

Top congressional Democrats said Sunday it was "urgent" that the full report on Russian interference in the 2016 US election be publicly released, stressing it does not exonerate Donald Trump.

The president was quick to claim vindication by Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report findings which, according to a summary by Attorney General Bill Barr, found that no Trump campaign official was involved in Russian conspiracies to interfere in the 2016 US election.

Such a conclusion would no doubt blunt a key weapon for Democrats desperate to oust Trump in 2020.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Trump declares 'complete exoneration' after Mueller report finds no collusion with Russia US President Donald Trump declared Sunday that he had been completely exonerated after his campaign was cleared of colluding with Russia in the 2016 election, in a major boost for his re-election hopes.

Trump declares 'complete exoneration' after Mueller report finds no collusion with Russia US President Donald Trump declared Sunday that he had been completely exonerated after his campaign was cleared of colluding with Russia in the 2016 election, in a major boost for his re-election hopes. The long-awaited final report of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Moscow's election meddling concluded that no member or associate of the campaign conspired or coordinated with Russia in its plot to boost Trump in the vote more than two years ago. While not completely absolving the president, Attorney General Bill Barr's letter to Congress summarizing the still-secret Mueller report cleared a dark cloud that had hung over the Trump's legitimacy since he took office in January 2017. 'Huge jump' in Rahul Gandhi's income, says BJP, asks where it's coming from The BJP said Sunday that there had been a "huge jump" in Congress President Rahul Gandhi's income and asked where the money was coming from. The BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said at a press conference on Sunday that Rahul's income, according to his election affidavits, had risen from over Rs 55 lakh in 2004 to Rs 9 crore in 2014. "How can an MP, who is not a professional, witness such a jump in his income?" Patra asked. Pakistan: Minor Hindu girls approach court, man suspected to have assisted in their wedding held A man suspected to have assisted in solemnising the wedding of two Pakistani Hindu minor girls, who were reportedly abducted and forcefully converted to Islam, was arrested on Sunday, as the teenagers approached a court in Pakistan's Punjab province seeking protection, according to a media report. The two girls, Raveena (13) and Reena (15), were allegedly kidnapped by a group of "influential" men from their home in Ghotki district in Sindh on the eve of Holi. Soon after the kidnapping, a video went viral in which a cleric was purportedly shown solemnising the Nikah (marriage) of the two girls, triggering nationwide outrage. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had also ordered a probe into the issue. Stricken Norway cruise ship reaches port after airlift drama A cruise liner that ran into trouble in stormy seas off Norway reached port under its own steam Sunday after hundreds of passengers were winched to safety by helicopter in a spectacular rescue operation. Escorted by tugboats, the Viking Sky arrived in the port of Molde at around 4:15 pm (1515 GMT), television images showed. Nearly a third of its 1,373 passengers and crew had already been airlifted off the ship. The cruise liner lost power and started drifting on Saturday afternoon two kilometres (1.2 miles) off a stretch of Norwegian coastline notorious for shipwrecks. On the back foot, Democrats demand release of full Mueller report Top congressional Democrats said Sunday it was "urgent" that the full report on Russian interference in the 2016 US election be publicly released, stressing it does not exonerate Donald Trump. The president was quick to claim vindication by Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report findings which, according to a summary by Attorney General Bill Barr, found that no Trump campaign official was involved in Russian conspiracies to interfere in the 2016 US election. Such a conclusion would no doubt blunt a key weapon for Democrats desperate to oust Trump in 2020.

News brief: Big stories of the day

US Attorney General Bill Barr released a summary Sunday of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-declares-complete-exoneration-after-mueller-report-finds-no-collusion-205408">Special Counsel Robert Mueller's long-awaited report</a> into allegations that Donald Trump's campaign colluded with Russia in the 2016 presidental election.

Here are the main findings of the two-year investigation the president regularly denounced as a witch hunt, before claiming vindication upon its completion.

Collusion 
Mueller found that there was conclusive evidence that Russia did interfere in the election, both through a coordinated campaign of disinformation and by hacking emails from Hillary Clinton's election team.&nbsp;

In a letter to lawmakers, Barr said that Mueller found that there had been "multiple offers from Russian-affiliated indivduals to assist the Trump campaign."

But quoting directly from Mueller's report, Barr said that the special counsel's investigation "did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities."

Obstruction 
Many observers had predicted the biggest danger to Trump came from a possible accusation of obstruction of justice, particularly over his decision to sack the FBI director James Comey, who headed the investigation before Mueller.

But Barr said that the evidence outlined in Mueller's report "is not sufficient to establish that the President committed an obstruction-of-justice offence."

"In cataloguing the President's actions, many of which took place in public view, the report identifies no actions that, in our judgement, constitute obstructive conduct," Barr added in his letter.

But while Barr — who was appointed by Trump —&nbsp;concluded that the president had not obstructed justice, he acknowledged that Mueller himself was inconclusive on the question of obstruction.

"The Special Counsel therefore did not draw a conclusion —&nbsp;one way or another&nbsp;— as to whether the examined conduct constituted obstruction," he said.

"The Special Counsel states that 'while this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.'"

No more indictments 
Trump's former national security advisor Mike Flynn, his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen and his campaign chairman Paul Manafort are among the 34 individuals already indicted by Mueller but they will be the last, according to Barr.

"The report does not recommend any further indictments nor did the special counsel obtain any sealed indictments that have yet to be made public," Barr said in his letter to the heads of the Senate and House judiciary committees.

US Attorney General Bill Barr released a summary Sunday of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's long-awaited report into allegations that Donald Trump's campaign colluded with Russia in the 2016 presidental election.

US Attorney General Bill Barr released a summary Sunday of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's long-awaited report into allegations that Donald Trump's campaign colluded with Russia in the 2016 presidental election. Here are the main findings of the two-year investigation the president regularly denounced as a witch hunt, before claiming vindication upon its completion. Collusion Mueller found that there was conclusive evidence that Russia did interfere in the election, both through a coordinated campaign of disinformation and by hacking emails from Hillary Clinton's election team. In a letter to lawmakers, Barr said that Mueller found that there had been "multiple offers from Russian-affiliated indivduals to assist the Trump campaign." But quoting directly from Mueller's report, Barr said that the special counsel's investigation "did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities." Obstruction Many observers had predicted the biggest danger to Trump came from a possible accusation of obstruction of justice, particularly over his decision to sack the FBI director James Comey, who headed the investigation before Mueller. But Barr said that the evidence outlined in Mueller's report "is not sufficient to establish that the President committed an obstruction-of-justice offence." "In cataloguing the President's actions, many of which took place in public view, the report identifies no actions that, in our judgement, constitute obstructive conduct," Barr added in his letter. But while Barr — who was appointed by Trump — concluded that the president had not obstructed justice, he acknowledged that Mueller himself was inconclusive on the question of obstruction. "The Special Counsel therefore did not draw a conclusion — one way or another — as to whether the examined conduct constituted obstruction," he said. "The Special Counsel states that 'while this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.'" No more indictments Trump's former national security advisor Mike Flynn, his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen and his campaign chairman Paul Manafort are among the 34 individuals already indicted by Mueller but they will be the last, according to Barr. "The report does not recommend any further indictments nor did the special counsel obtain any sealed indictments that have yet to be made public," Barr said in his letter to the heads of the Senate and House judiciary committees.

What the Mueller report found, and what it did not

US President Donald Trump declared Sunday that he had <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mueller-found-no-trump-campaign-collusion-with-russia-justice-department-205400">been completely exonerated</a> after his campaign was cleared of colluding with Russia in the 2016 election, in a major boost for his re-election hopes.

The long-awaited final report of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Moscow's election meddling concluded that no member or associate of the campaign conspired or coordinated with Russia in its plot to boost Trump in the vote more than two years ago.

While not completely absolving the president, Attorney General Bill Barr's letter to Congress summarizing the still-secret Mueller report cleared a dark cloud that had hung over the Trump's legitimacy since he took office in January 2017.

"There was no collusion with Russia. There was no obstruction. It was a complete and total exoneration," Trump said of Mueller's conclusions.

"It's a shame that the country had to go through this," he added. "This was an illegal takedown that failed."

Deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said Trump was "in a really good mood" and "very happy with how it all turned out."

The president watched television, talked to staff and made calls during his flight home from Florida.

No collusion with Russians 
Summarizing Mueller's findings, Barr said no Trump campaign official was involved in Russian conspiracies in 2016 to hack Democratic computers and flood social media with disinformation to harm Trump's Democratic election rival Hillary Clinton.

He also said there were no new surprises coming from the Mueller team, which is disbanding -- no further indictments being referred, and no sealed indictments outstanding.

On the other hand, according to Barr's letter, Mueller clearly had some evidence to support an obstruction case, but was uncertain whether it was enough to support criminal charges.

"While this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him," Barr cited Mueller as saying.

Democrats in Congress are now certain to demand Mueller's underlying evidence and push to investigate further.

Door opened for strong 2020 bid 
Nevertheless, a major barrier for Trump's re-election in 2020 lifted just as a strong field of potential Democratic candidates was forming to select who would take him on.

Trump for two years has labeled the investigation a "witch hunt," even as Mueller's team issued charges ranging from conspiracy to lying to investigators against 34 individuals.

Six of those were former insiders in Trump's circle, and five have been convicted, including Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen, his national security advisor Michael Flynn and his campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison for crimes including, at Trump's alleged instruction, using campaign funds for hush payments to an adult film star who allegedly had an affair with Trump.

And Manafort was imprisoned for 7.5 years, though mostly for crimes unrelated to the campaign.

The unending probe saw Trump frequently angrily attacking Mueller -- one of the most respected members of Washington's judicial and prosecutorial elite -- and at times appeared to throw his policy momentum off course.

For months, the White House worried that Mueller was honing in on Trump's family, including son Don Jr and son-in-law Jared Kushner, as well as Trump himself.

And it also left questions in the minds of many of his supporters, who will now likely unite around his declaration of "complete exoneration."

White House advisor Kellyanne Conway tweeted "congratulations" to her boss.

"Today you won the 2016 election all over again. And got a gift for the 2020 election," she tweeted.

"They'll never get you because they'll never 'get' you."

Investigations move to Congress 
But the end of Mueller's operation did not leave Trump's White House in the clear.

Democrats in Congress are already conducting some 17 investigations of the administration, spreading their net far more broadly than Mueller's relatively narrow mandate.&nbsp;

They want the full Mueller report and they are demanding the underlying evidence supporting his conclusions.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Barr's summary of the Mueller findings "raises as many questions as it answers." &nbsp;

"The fact that Special Counsel Mueller's report does not exonerate the president on a charge as serious as obstruction of justice demonstrates how urgent it is that the full report and underlying documentation be made public without any further delay," they said.

"And most obviously, for the president to say he is completely exonerated directly contradicts the words of Mr&nbsp;Mueller and is not to be taken with any degree of credibility.

Democrat Jerry Nadler, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, announced that he would be calling Barr to testify in the near future.

"Special Counsel Mueller clearly and explicitly is not exonerating the president, and we must hear from AG Barr about his decision making and see all the underlying evidence for the American people to know all the facts," Nadler said.

US President Donald Trump declared Sunday that he had been completely exonerated after his campaign was cleared of colluding with Russia in the 2016 election, in a major boost for his re-election hopes.

US President Donald Trump declared Sunday that he had been completely exonerated after his campaign was cleared of colluding with Russia in the 2016 election, in a major boost for his re-election hopes. The long-awaited final report of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Moscow's election meddling concluded that no member or associate of the campaign conspired or coordinated with Russia in its plot to boost Trump in the vote more than two years ago. While not completely absolving the president, Attorney General Bill Barr's letter to Congress summarizing the still-secret Mueller report cleared a dark cloud that had hung over the Trump's legitimacy since he took office in January 2017. "There was no collusion with Russia. There was no obstruction. It was a complete and total exoneration," Trump said of Mueller's conclusions. "It's a shame that the country had to go through this," he added. "This was an illegal takedown that failed." Deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said Trump was "in a really good mood" and "very happy with how it all turned out." The president watched television, talked to staff and made calls during his flight home from Florida. No collusion with Russians Summarizing Mueller's findings, Barr said no Trump campaign official was involved in Russian conspiracies in 2016 to hack Democratic computers and flood social media with disinformation to harm Trump's Democratic election rival Hillary Clinton. He also said there were no new surprises coming from the Mueller team, which is disbanding -- no further indictments being referred, and no sealed indictments outstanding. On the other hand, according to Barr's letter, Mueller clearly had some evidence to support an obstruction case, but was uncertain whether it was enough to support criminal charges. "While this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him," Barr cited Mueller as saying. Democrats in Congress are now certain to demand Mueller's underlying evidence and push to investigate further. Door opened for strong 2020 bid Nevertheless, a major barrier for Trump's re-election in 2020 lifted just as a strong field of potential Democratic candidates was forming to select who would take him on. Trump for two years has labeled the investigation a "witch hunt," even as Mueller's team issued charges ranging from conspiracy to lying to investigators against 34 individuals. Six of those were former insiders in Trump's circle, and five have been convicted, including Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen, his national security advisor Michael Flynn and his campaign chairman Paul Manafort. Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison for crimes including, at Trump's alleged instruction, using campaign funds for hush payments to an adult film star who allegedly had an affair with Trump. And Manafort was imprisoned for 7.5 years, though mostly for crimes unrelated to the campaign. The unending probe saw Trump frequently angrily attacking Mueller -- one of the most respected members of Washington's judicial and prosecutorial elite -- and at times appeared to throw his policy momentum off course. For months, the White House worried that Mueller was honing in on Trump's family, including son Don Jr and son-in-law Jared Kushner, as well as Trump himself. And it also left questions in the minds of many of his supporters, who will now likely unite around his declaration of "complete exoneration." White House advisor Kellyanne Conway tweeted "congratulations" to her boss. "Today you won the 2016 election all over again. And got a gift for the 2020 election," she tweeted. "They'll never get you because they'll never 'get' you." Investigations move to Congress But the end of Mueller's operation did not leave Trump's White House in the clear. Democrats in Congress are already conducting some 17 investigations of the administration, spreading their net far more broadly than Mueller's relatively narrow mandate. They want the full Mueller report and they are demanding the underlying evidence supporting his conclusions. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Barr's summary of the Mueller findings "raises as many questions as it answers." "The fact that Special Counsel Mueller's report does not exonerate the president on a charge as serious as obstruction of justice demonstrates how urgent it is that the full report and underlying documentation be made public without any further delay," they said. "And most obviously, for the president to say he is completely exonerated directly contradicts the words of Mr Mueller and is not to be taken with any degree of credibility. Democrat Jerry Nadler, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, announced that he would be calling Barr to testify in the near future. "Special Counsel Mueller clearly and explicitly is not exonerating the president, and we must hear from AG Barr about his decision making and see all the underlying evidence for the American people to know all the facts," Nadler said.

Trump declares 'complete exoneration' after Mueller report finds no collusion with Russia

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