Barr's Mueller Report Summary: Misrepresented Findings, Withheld Report for Weeks

Overview

Mueller wrote the Attorney General a letter telling him his characterization of the Mueller Report was wrong. Barr testified to Congress that he wasn't sure Mueller disagreed with him. Mueller's letter existed and was dated five days after Barr received the report.

This is a summary of the factual sequence.

What the Report Actually Said

Mueller's obstruction analysis identified ten episodes. For each, it analyzed the evidence, the applicable law, and whether the elements of obstruction were met. It then declined to reach a prosecutorial conclusion — not because the evidence was insufficient, but because DOJ policy barred indicting a sitting president, and filing charges you could not prosecute would be unfair to the subject.

Mueller wrote that he could not exonerate Trump. The report stated: "while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him."

What Barr Said

Barr's four-page letter stated that Mueller "did not find that the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with Russia" and that Barr himself had concluded the obstruction evidence was insufficient. It implied the investigation was over and the president had been cleared.

For 27 days, this was the public's understanding of what the Mueller Report said. By the time the actual report was released, Trump had spent nearly a month declaring "total exoneration."

Mueller's Letter

Mueller was, by all accounts, a methodical man who did not write impulsive letters. The letter he sent Barr five days after the summary was remarkable for its directness. It said the summary created public confusion and did not capture the substance of his work. It asked Barr to release the executive summaries his team had prepared for public consumption.

Barr did not release them. He waited 27 more days to release the report.