Unanswered Questions

.           There are some questions about a letter written by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III to Attorney General William P. Barr in late March. Mueller spent two years investigating possible collusion between Donald Trump and/or his campaign and the Russian government. He finally decided to end the investigation – was it his idea or was he pressured by Barr? He sent his report to the Attorney General who sent the final decisions to Congress. His report indicated that there was no collusion between Trump and Russia and that there was not enough evidence to charge Trump with obstructing the investigation. This is basically what Mueller wrote in his report.

            Barr sent a four-page letter to Congress stating the main findings of the investigation: no collusion and not enough evidence to prove obstruction. A few days later Mueller sent a letter to Barr telling him that his letter to Congress “did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance” of the investigation. The letter sparked a telephone conversation between the two “longtime colleagues and friends” who apparently disagree about how the investigation was reported to Congress.

            It is interesting that Mueller’s letter was not made public until the day prior to Barr testifying before Congress tomorrow. Who kept the letter private? Who disclosed the fact that there was a letter? What is in the letter that makes it crucial to be disclosed at all? Why was it disclosed now? How will Congress use the disclosed letter in their questioning of Barr? Is the release of the letter Mueller’s attempt to keep the potential overthrow of the President going?