Claim: Russians tried to influence the 2016 US election.
Finding: True.
From the report:
Russian election influence came principally from the Internet Research Agency, LLC (IRA), a Russian organization funded by Yevgeniy Viktorovich Prigozhin.
Claim: Russia exclusively promoted Trump.
Finding: False.
From the report:
Main idea: Use any opportunity to criticize Hillary [Clinton] and the rest (except Sanders and Trump – we support them).
Claim: Russians exclusively targeted conservative audiences and potential Republican voters.
Finding: False.
From the report:
IRA Facebook groups active during the 2016 campaign covered a range of political issues and included purported conservative groups (with names such as “Being Patriotic”, “Stop All Immigrants”, “Secured Borders”, and “Tea Party News”), purported Black social justice groups (“Black Matters”, “Blacktivist”, and “Don’t Shoot Us”), LGBTQ groups (“LGBT United”), and religious groups (“United Muslims of America”).
Claim: Trump was very angry about the appointment of the Special Counsel from the outset.
Finding: True.
From the report:
[…] when Sessions told the President that a Special Counsel had been appointed , the President slumped back in his chair and said, “Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my Presidency. I’m f[often used colloquialism sometimes meaning placed at a serious disadvantage]ed.
Further context:
Everyone tells me if you get one of these independent counsels it ruins your presidency. It takes years and years and I won?t be able to do anything. This is the worst thing that ever happened to me.
Claim: The Special Counsel investigated ‘collusion’ between Camp Trump and the Russians.
Finding: False.
From the report:
Collusion is not a specific offense or theory of liability found in the United States Code, nor is it a term of art in federal criminal law. For those reasons, the Office’s focus in analyzing questions of joint criminal liability was on conspiracy as defined in federal law.
Claim: There was evidence of, at least, co-ordination, co-operation, or possibly a conspiracy.
Finding: False.
From the report:
In particular, the investigation examined whether these contacts involved or resulted in coordination or a conspiracy with the Trump Campaign and Russia, including with respect to Russia providing assistance to the Campaign in exchange for any sort of favorable treatment in the future. Based on the available information, the investigation did not establish such coordination.
Claim: Trump obstructed justice by attempting to curtail or hinder the investigation.
Finding: False:
1. He acted within his authority
2. There was no underlying crime to hide or obstruct
3. The president’s actions attracting such accusations took place in full public view, hardly the manner of a serious obstruction attempt.
From the report:
“Overarching factual issues.”
First, the investigation concerned the President , and some of his actions, such as firing the FBI director, involved facially lawful acts within his Article II authority [?]Second, unlike cases in which a subject engages in obstruction of justice to cover up a crime, the evidence we obtained did not establish that the President was involved in an underlying crime related to Russian election interference [?]Third, many of the President’s acts directed at witnesses, including discouragement of cooperation with the government and suggestions of possible future pardons, took place in public view.
Claim: Trump is not exonerated of the allegation ?obstruction of justice? by the investigation.
Finding: True.
Simply because investigators cannot claim to see within a man?s head to weigh his actions against intents.
From the report:
The evidence we obtained about the President’s actions and intent presents difficult issues that would need to be resolved if we were making a traditional prosecutorial judgment.?
Outcome so far:
Trump: Investigate the investigators, they had nothing to justify the investigation, at all, ever. It was a complete set-up, politically motivated.
Lefties everywhere: Investigate the investigators; they came up with nothing, and nothing ever comes from nothing; it means something. It’s a complete set-up, politically motivated.
Anonymous claim: Lefties will keep up this temper tantrum for eight long years.
Projection: In all likelihood ? empty vessels produce the most noise.
