I think it’s great that Mr. Platt took the time to respond to my recent article on the Mueller Report. I wish more people would do so.

However, I’m not sure where he gathered from my opinion piece that I believed that the president had been exonerated. As a matter of fact, my argument was that Mueller’s metrics did not include his exonerating anyone of anything, nor did he do it.

I can only suggest that Mr. Platt re-read the article because I never stated that Mr. Trump had been exonerated.

Order No. 3915-2017 from the Deputy Attorney General, signed on May 17th, 2017, very succinctly states that the metrics for Mueller’s job were two-fold: 1) to conduct an investigation, and 2) “if it is necessary and appropriate… to prosecute federal crimes arising from the investigation of these matters”.

Just as specifically in my article, I said in my conclusion:

  “After two years and more than $12,000,000 dollars in direct expenses,

1. The Russians broke US Law,
2. The President did not conspire with the Russians in breaking the law,
3. Some Trump campaign officials were charged with lying,
4. There was not sufficient evidence to say that the president obstructed justice.”

If I was not clear enough on those issues, there was never any attempt to be dishonest. To Mr. Platt and to anyone else who read it the way that he did, that’s not what I meant.

Mr. Mueller did not exonerate the president, nor was that something within the metrics he was charged with. The report does state, however, “this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime”.

 

JDavid Derosier

Orange