We are indebted to Robert Mueller for several
things. First, he carried out a very careful and apparently dispassionate
investigation of the Trump team’s behavior and did so without any noticeable leaks.
That, in itself, is an impressive feat. Our democracy depends on institutions
that work on behalf of the public, and that is what Mr. Mueller impressed me as
doing. Of course, when these institutions reveal wrongdoing on Donald Trump’s
part he denounces them and refers to them as “the deep state,” but, what do you
expect? It’s Trump. It’s weird that he denounced Mueller for years and now is
holding up his report as pure and pristine truth, but again, that’s Trump.
I also feel indebted to Robert Mueller for the way
he managed to indict, convict, or put in jail seven sleazy characters who were
central to Trump’s election and administration. I consider that a good start.
And finally, thank you, Mr. Mueller for handing
off information to other legal teams, like the Southern District of New York,
that is sure to lead to more indictments and, I expect, convictions of Trump’s lackeys
in the future.
Trump and his lawyers are celebrating right now
because, according to the summary of the Mueller report offered by Trump’s Attorney
General, William Barr, Trump was found not to have colluded directly with the Russians,
and, though he may have obstructed justice, Mueller decided not to indict on
this matter, leaving that up to the AG.
Mueller specifically said, with regard to
obstruction of justice, that Trump was not exonerated. But Trump, being Trump, loudly
declared that Mueller “completely exonerated” him. What a loser. Even when things
go well for him, he manages to act like a petulant punk.
Granted the Mueller report could have been a lot
worse for Trump, so he has some cause for relief. It was odd, however, that his
attorney, Rudy Giuliani, said he expected the report to be a lot worse. That
reminds me of the joke where a couple of muggers struggle fiercely with their
victim until, getting him pinned down, they find he only had two dollars in his
wallet. “Why did you fight so hard for two dollars?” they asked. “Oh, said the
victim, “I thought you were after the $500 hidden in my shoe.”
So, what, I’d like to know, did Giuliani expect
the report to reveal? More importantly, why did so many of Trump’s people have
contacts with the Russians that they felt compelled to lie about? I wonder if
the Mueller report, still not available for public review, will offer any
insight concerning that question.
In any case, the sleazy and illegal behavior of
such Trump people as Paul Manafort, Michael Cohen, and Roger Stone, is going to
offer lots of opportunities for the SDNY, the Democratic House, and other authorities
to investigate, and that is not good news for Trump.
But, I’m happy to let him and his gang celebrate
what they see as their current victory. And I again want to express appreciation
to Mr. Mueller for bringing to justice so many of the creepy characters that
make up Trump World – like former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, for example.
Photo of Paul Manafort by Alex Wong for New York Intelligencer
Anyway, this may be the end of the beginning of Trump-focused investigations, it is certainly nowhere near the end.
