Robert Mueller handed over his report to the Attorney General last Friday and it was reported that Mr. Barr gave members of congress a summary of Mueller's report on Sunday. Almost immediately President Trump and the republicans in congress were taking a victory lap but all should remember as of this very moment congress and the public has not seen and does not know what is in the report or its details. The Attorney General's summary is just that, a summary and is not the special counsel's report.
The summary by the Attorney General without releasing the full report is reason to be skeptical and should cause everyone to pause and think about how this is unfolding When there exist a legal and lawful investigation the facts should come out at one time in one report and not piece meal as Mr. Barr has suggested. President Trump's constant attempt to discredit the investigation by calling it fake news, a fraud, a witch hunt and other derogatory comments about the previous Attorney General, the Justice Department, the Director of the FBI and Robert Mueller are reason to make the report public immediately. It is also a reason for the U.S. House to keep up its own investigation concerning the subject matter and Mr. Trump.
There is also the thought that should concern everyone. A few months ago when Trump once again attacked and tried to intimidate a federal judge appointed by President Obama who ruled against one of Mr. Trump's executive order, the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, John Roberts shot back and defended the judicial system by telling Trump there are no Obama judges, No Bush Judges and No Reagan judges. There are judges who make legal decisions based on the law and not politics. Judge Roberts did the right thing by not allowing the President to pollute the justice system. It begs the question, why did the Justice Department not fire back at Trump and defend Mueller's investigation against his ongoing attacks to undermine Mr. Mueller and his investigation? They were silent and allowed the President to have the bully pulpit.
Congress and the people need to see the complete report to understand the details, especially about the meeting the President and Trump Jr. acknowledged that took place with Russia to obtain dirt on Hillary Clinton. No other Presidential candidate, republican or democrat has ever stooped so low and was willing to do business with a foreign country to seek dirt on a Presidential opponent. That was a serious threat to our political system and those involved should have to pay the price.
This writer thinks there is a legitimate reason to question how the Attorney General is handling the Mueller report, the summary and his refusal to be up front and release the whole report. Barr's past statements about the investigation was reason to recuse himself from the investigation but he was a Trump appointee and the President knew his views. Trump took an oath to protect and defend our constitutional process but he was at the head of a campaign to obstruct the process.
If and when the special counsel's report is released in total and the details can be read clearly, the U.S. House may have enough information to cancel Trump's premature victory lap. As Yogi Berra said, it ain't over until its over.
Food for thought: If the special counsel's investigation was fake news, a fraud and a witch hunt as Trump says, does that mean the same thing can be said of the Attorney General's summary?
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
