Well, it happened. Special counsel Robert Mueller completed his report and gave it to the attorney general. But that’s not all! Here’s a rundown of the biggest stories of the day.
Trump reversed his Treasury Department’s decision on sanctions against North Korea because he “likes Chairman Kim”, according to his press secretary.
Mueller delivered his report to William Barr, the US attorney general.
Barr said that he will release the report’s “principle conclusions” to congressional leaders as soon as this weekend.
Democrats in congress called for the report’s immediate release. Republicans were more circumspect.
An inspector general’s report revealed that Fema, the US disaster relief agency, unnecessarily released sensitive identifiable data, including banking information, of 2.3m disaster survivors to an outside contractor.
What do you want to know about the Mueller report?
If you’re like me, you probably have a ton of questions about the Mueller report. What happens next? Will Trump be impeached? Why did the DOJ say not to expect more indictments? Who is going to keep the local witch population under control now that the witch hunt is over?
Never fear! The Guardian’s political reporters want to help. Use this form to tell them your questions, and they’ll do their best to track down the answers and report back!
Let’s say your name is Bob, you’ve just turned in a big report that’s been hanging over your head for literally YEARS, it’s a Friday night ... what do you do next?
My money is on Mueller getting deeply into Korean skincare and cryptocurrency, but the internet-at-large has also weighed in, and my colleague Matthew Cantor has all the best jokes here.
If you think politics in the US has gone a bit mad, just take a gander across the pond, where mentalist Uri Geller (you know, the guy who bends spoons with his mind) is promising to stop Brexit using, well, his super strong spoon-bending mind.
In an open letter to Theresa May, Geller promised that he will prevent the UK’s exit from the EU, saying, “I feel psychically and very strongly that most British people do not want Brexit ... As much as I admire you, I will stop you telepathically from doing this – and believe me I am capable of executing it.”
Lest you think it’s only British politics that attracts figures making questionable claims of telepathy, however, feel free to tune into cable news tonight to hear all manner of political experts weigh in on the contents of a report they’ve yet to read.
How did the Mueller investigation manage to keep its secrets under wraps for two years?
My colleagues Oliver Laughland and Jon Swaine have a new article looking at the “leak-proof inquiry”:
Behind the walls of a nondescript concrete office building in south-west Washington DC, special counsel Robert Mueller has meticulously compiled one of the most important investigations in American history.
There have been 37 indictments or guilty pleas and 199 criminal charges. Five people, including some of Donald Trump’s closest former advisers, have been sent to prison.
And yet for all the political fallout, intrigue over Mueller’s prosecutorial strategy and obsession with the contents of his final report, the office of the special counsel has remained an almost sealed vessel.
Fema exposed data of 2.3m hurricane and wildfire survivors
Pardon the Mueller Time interruption, but my colleague Vivian Ho is reporting on a deeply concerning data breach by the US disaster relief agency:
The US disaster relief agency unnecessarily released sensitive identifiable data, including banking information, of 2.3m disaster survivors to an outside contractor, according to a report by theOffice of Inspector General.
The survivors, who were affected by hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, as well as the 2017 wildfires in California , had provided their information to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) while applying for transitional sheltering in hotels.
Here’s a small update on how the special counsel’s office will be wound down over the next few days:
Statement from Peter Carr, spokesman for the special counsel's office: "The Special Counsel will be concluding his service in the coming days. A small number of staff will remain to assist in closing the operations of the office for a period of time."
Tom McCarthy and Jon Swaine have also put together this helpful explainer with answers to all your most pressing questions about the Mueller report.
One thing to keep in mind: there are still lots of other investigations into Trump. Per Tom and Jon:
Are any other Trump-related investigations still ongoing?
Yes, lots. While the special counsel’s office has concluded its work, investigations taken up by federal prosecutors in the southern and eastern districts of New York continue, and prosecutors have also been active in the eastern district of Virginia and the District of Columbia. Unlike Mueller, those prosecutors are not bound by narrow authorizations dictating what activity they can investigate, and there is no pressure to hasten the investigations.
Congress is conducting separate investigations of Trump’s campaign and other matters. Evidence gathered by Mueller could feed those investigations.
The investigation into President Trump’s campaign and administration is closer than ever to bringing the truth to light, and The Guardian is here to help bring clarity, analysis, and fact-based reporting to this critical moment in American history. But we need your help, too. More people, all around the world, are reading and supporting The Guardian’s independent, investigative journalism. And unlike many news organizations, we haven’t put up a paywall. We have chosen an approach that allows us to keep our reporting accessible to everyone, regardless of where they live or what they can afford. We hope you’ll consider making a contribution. Every contribution we receive goes directly into funding our journalism.
Here’s my colleague Tom McCarthy on Robert Mueller, the “pain in the ass” who took on Trump:
The formidable edifice of Mueller’s personal reputation built over a 50-year career as a public servant, which began with voluntary conscription in the US Marine Corps at age 21, featured multiple distinguished turns as a federal prosecutor and culminated with the top job at the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Along the way, Mueller, 74, won a reputation among Republicans and Democrats alike as an intimidatingly hardworking, methodical and serious straight-shooter for whom personal integrity and adherence to the justice department playbook have always been granite-etched fact.
Adam Schiff, chair of the House intelligence committee, has an important reminder about the “no new indictments” line from the Justice department: the special counsel’s investigation is not the only game in town.
Schiff to @MSNBC on 'no further indictments': "It doesn't mean, of course, that Main Justice, or the Southern District of New York U.S. Attorney's office or the Eastern District or others may not bring indictments ... It's entirely possible ... there will be other indictments."
A few more Democratic presidential candidates are out with statements demanding the complete release of the Mueller report.
As Donald Trump said, “Let it come out." I call on the Trump administration to make Special Counsel Mueller's full report public as soon as possible. No one, including the president, is above the law.
Americans deserve to know the truth now that the Mueller report is complete. The report must be released immediately and AG Barr must publicly testify under oath about the investigation's findings. We need total transparency here.
NBC News has multiple sources confirming that Mueller is not recommending any further indictments.
NBC News: Multiple senior U.S. law enforcement officials say that Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Office will not be bringing forth any further indictments.
Lindsey Graham, chair of the Senate judiciary committee, has released a statement:
The Department of Justice has notified me and Ranking Member Feinstein that the Mueller Report has been turned over to Attorney General Barr. This notification indicates that Attorney General Barr will pursue as much transparency as possible.
Importantly, the notification also indicates that there were no areas of disagreement between the Attorney General or the Acting Attorney General and Special Counsel Mueller regarding courses of action. This information is specifically required to be disclosed by the regulations governing Special Counsel reports.
I expect both Ranking Member Feinstein and I will be briefed more thoroughly about the report in the coming days.
I will work with Ranking Member Feinstein and our House Judiciary Committee colleagues to ensure as much transparency as possible, consistent with the law.
I have always believed it was important that Mr. Mueller be allowed to do his job without interference, and that has been accomplished.”
Senator Amy Klobuchar, another Democratic presidential hopeful, is also out with this call for the report to be made public: “The Mueller report should be released to the public. This decision is not about politics but about protecting our democracy. Now is the time to do the right thing. The American people deserve the truth.”
