"The Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election in sweeping and systematic fashion."

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
Russia attacked the US using a new form of warfare.

Essentially Russia invaded the US. They just used the internet instead of tanks.

#MuellerReport https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
Take note of this statement from page 2 of the Mueller Report.

"A statement that the investigation did not *establish* particular facts
does NOT mean there was no evidence of those facts."

Watch for use of the word "ESTABLISH".

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
The Internet Research Agency (IRA) used social media to provoke discord within the US, was based in St. Petersburg, Russia, and received funding from Russian oligarchs with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Putin NOT an ally to US)

#MuellerReport https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
The IRA switched from generally creating chaos and undermining US elections, to specifically supporting Trump.

Why?

Remember Russia is NOT a US ally.

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
The Russian operation not only supported Trump's campaign online with their "information warfare", they also made contact with Trump campaign officials.

So while Russia is attacking US, they are also talking to Trump campaign officials.

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
In addition to supporting Trump's campaign, the GRU (Russia's main intelligence service) is hacking democratic party computers and stealing information.

Remember, this is a new form of warfare that Russia is waging.

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
The Trump campaign knew that Russia had hacked emails that would hurt Clinton's campaign, but perhaps did not know exactly which emails had been hacked.

At this time, Trump publicly asks Russia to hack and release Clinton's emails.

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
Pay attention to the timing of the emails release.

Remember the "pussy" tape? Where Trump bragged about sexually assaulting women.

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
"The social media campaign and the GRU hacking operations coincided with a series of contacts between Trump Campaign officials and individuals with ties to the Russian government."

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
So, even though there was evidence that Trump campaign officials interacted with Russians and accepted Russian help, there was not enough evidence to "establish" conspiracy.

(Remember the statement about use of the word "establish")

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
The Russians really wanted continuing contact with the Trump campaign.

Why?

Remember, Russia is NOT an ally of the USA. They are an adversary. In other words, an enemy. They do NOT want what is best for the USA.

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
Trump desperately wants a Trump Tower in Moscow, Russia.

Trump also lied about continuing negotiations for Trump Tower Moscow during his presidential campaign.

The Russians knew he lied.

Kompromat?

#MuellerReport
George Papadopoulos was Trump's Campaign foreign policy advisor. He met with a professor with links to Russia who told Papadopoulos that Russia had "dirt" on Clinton.

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
Papadopoulos told an agent of a US ally that he knew the Russian's were willing to help Trump win the election by releasing the "dirt" Russia had on Clinton. (The ally told the US govt, and this is what started the Russia investigation.)

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
The Russians keep trying to get an OFFICIAL meeting between Russia and the Trump campaign.

Again, why?

Kompromat?

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
Russians finally meet with Campaign officials Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, and campaign chairman Paul Manafort to deliver "official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary."

Who knows what Russia actually delivered?

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
Look again at that statement. (I'll post it again.)

Trump's son, son-in-law and campaign chairman willingly met with Russians (adversary of the US, remember) to accept Russian help in winning the election.

Think about that.

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
I repeat:

The Trump campaign met with associates of the Russian govt to accept Russian help to win a US election.

Does anyone truly know what the Russians gave Trump Jr, et al? Does it matter?

The Trump campaign accepted help from Russia to win the presidency.

#MuellerReport
Russians hacked into computers that had opposition research on Trump.

The Russians did NOT release any information damaging to Trump.

Russia wanted Trump to win.

Remember Russia is an ADVERSARY, not an ally. They want to weaken US

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
Trump campaign advisor Carter Page meets with Russian intelligence agents.

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
July 2016, US Intelligence states that Russia stole the emails and docs that WikiLeaks is posting, and this is when the US ally tells FBI about Papadopoulos/Russia/Trump.

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
"On July 31, 2016, based on the foreign government reporting, the FBI opened an investigation into potential coordination between the Russian govt and individuals associated with the Trump Campaign."

Thus began the Russia investigation.

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
Trump campaign chairman meets with Russian agent Kilimnik to discuss a "backdoor" way for Russia to control Ukraine. It would depend on Trump being president and allowing it. (No rational US president would have even considered this.)

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
Trump campaign chairman Manafort discusses campaign strategy with and shares campaign polling data with Russian agent Kilimnik.

(That sure sounds like coordination to me. what do you think?)

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
Again, remember when Trump's "pussy" tape was released, and WikiLeaks released Podesta's emails to try and distract everyone from Trump bragging about sexual assault? The FBI was already investigating Russian election interference.

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
October 7, 2016: The Dept of Homeland Security and Office of the Director of National Intelligence jointly announce that Russia is intentionally interfering with US elections.

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
After Trump won the election, Russians, with the support of the Russian govt, immediately began trying to influence Trump & his administration.

How much did they succeed? Who knows?

Russia certainly succeeded in disrupting US politics.

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
Trump advisor Steve Bannon meets with Russian oligarch Kirill Dmitriev in the very remote Seychelles to discuss US-Russia relations.

Why meet in the Seychelles? What exactly did they discuss?

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
Obama imposes sanctions on Russia for their attack on US elections. Trump's first National Security Advisor Michael Flynn immediately calls Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

Remember, Flynn was "compromised" by Russia.

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
Again, remember, Flynn was compromised by Russia, and Trump had been warned by both Obama and Sally Yates that Flynn was compromised.

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
US Intelligence agencies tell Trump that Russia interfered in US elections with the goal of helping Trump's campaign and hurting Clinton's campaign.

(Trump eventually attacks the FBI for saying that Russia interfered with US elections.)

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
March 20, 2017: James Comey publicly announces the FBI's investigation into Russian interference with the US presidential election.

"... this will also include an assessment of whether any crimes were committed."

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
May 9, 2017: Trump fires Comey as FBI Director

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
May 17, 2017: Acting AG Rod Rosenstein appoints Robert Mueller as Special Counsel and authorizes him to conduct the investigation that Comey had started into Russian interference, as well as matters arising directly from the investigation.

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
To say Trump reacted "negatively" to the appointment of a special counsel is an understatement.

The middle sentence succinctly summarizes Trump's #ObstructionOfJustice with regard to the Russia investigation.

Volume 2 gives more detail.

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
Even following extremely strict guidelines, Mueller got indictments against 34 people & 3 entities on nearly 200 separate criminal charges. Five associates of Trump have been convicted, and another, Roger Stone, is awaiting trial.

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
Beginning of the list of crimes committed during the 2016 US election.

Crimes related to Russia's new form of social media warfare.

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
Continuing the list of crimes committed during the 2016 US election.

Crimes related to Russia's hacking and releasing of private information.

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
So there WAS evidence that at least one Trump campaign official was "an unregistered agent of the Russian government"

Just not sufficient evidence to meet Mueller's extremely (overly?) strict guidelines.

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
"...the Trump Campaign lied to the Office, and to Congress, about their interactions with Russian-affiliated individuals and related matters. Those lies materially impaired the investigation of Russian election interference."

#Obstruction

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
Trump associates:
Michael Flynn,
George Papadopoulos,
Michael Cohen,
Paul Manafort
and [REDACTED]

all lied to Mueller and impeded the investigation into Russia's interference with the 2016 US presidential election.

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
"Some individuals invoked their Fifth Amendment right against compelled self-incrimination and were not, in the Office's judgment, appropriate candidates for grants of immunity."

What information might these people have?

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
There is still a lot of information about Russia's interference with the 2016 US presidential election that the Mueller investigation was not able to get at for various reasons.

(Did Barr shut down Mueller too soon?)

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
Some individuals under investigation, including members of the Trump campaign, deleted evidence or communicated in ways that did not leave any records of their communications.

Why so secretive?

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
Mueller concludes that info that he was unable to obtain (possibly due to obstruction, possibly due to the investigation being shut down) might significantly impact the findings of the investigation.

#MuellerReport
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf
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