Special counsel Robert Mueller voiced point blank a conclusion in his report during a press conference Wednesday: “If we had had confidence that the President clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.”
Mueller, speaking in public for the first time in two years, went on to say that his team did not come to a conclusion on obstruction charges at least in part because it is “unconstitutional” to charge a president with a federal crime while he is in office.
“…Under long-standing department policy, a president cannot be charged with a federal crime while he is in office,” he said. “That is unconstitutional. Even if the charge is kept under seal and hidden from public view, that too is prohibited.”
“Charging the President with a crime was therefore not an option we could consider,” he concluded.
The comments echoed what Mueller’s team said in its written report.
Watch his comments here:
Mueller: “If we had had confidence that the President clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.” pic.twitter.com/KHmmcyP3wc
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) May 29, 2019
