Trump, Giuliani Call for Investigations Into Russia Probe’s Origin

Trump, Giuliani Call for Investigations Into Russia Probe’s Origin
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a joint news conference with Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, U.S., March 19, 2019. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)
Jack Phillips
3/24/2019
Updated:
3/24/2019

Following the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s key findings, President Donald Trump and personal attorney Rudy Giuliani on March 24 suggested that the investigators should be investigated.

Trump described the investigation as an “illegal takedown” of a sitting president, adding that it has “failed.” Mueller’s report showed there no evidence of collusion with Russia during the 2016 presidential election, according to a letter from Attorney General William Barr.

“Hopefully somebody is going to look at the other side,” he told reporters.

Later, Giuliani told Fox News that a probe should be launched into how the investigation started.

“He was being investigated for a crime that never happened,” Giuliani said. “There was never any collusion.”

The former Republican mayor of New York City continued: “There has to be a full and complete investigation, with at least as much enthusiasm as this one, to figure out where did this charge emanate, who started it, who paid for it.”

In the interview, he turned his crosshairs on Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), asking where the evidence of collusion is.

Former Mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani speaks at the Conference on Iran on May 5, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
Former Mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani speaks at the Conference on Iran on May 5, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

“Where is Schiff’s evidence?” Giuliani asked. “Where is it? In his head?”

Schiff, earlier on March 24, told ABC News that Mueller should have interviewed Trump himself.

“I’ve said this all along: It was a mistake to rely on written responses by the president,” he said.

“There’s a difference between compelling evidence of collusion and whether the special counsel concludes that he can prove beyond a reasonable doubt the criminal charge of conspiracy,” Schiff said hours before a summary of the report was released to the public. “I leave that decision to Bob Mueller, and I have full confidence in him.”

Trump, since the start of the probe, has maintained he never colluded with Moscow and has described the investigation—several times—as a “witch hunt.”

Report Concluded

Attorney General Barr issued a summary of Mueller’s findings to Congressional leaders on March 24, concluding that the “investigation did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.”
Special counsel Robert Mueller after attending church in Washington on March 24, 2019. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
Special counsel Robert Mueller after attending church in Washington on March 24, 2019. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
Barr submitted the four-page summary (pdf) to the chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate judiciary committees. The letter notes that the special counsel interviewed approximately 500 witnesses, executed almost 500 search warrants, issued more 2,800 subpoenas, obtained more than 230 orders for communications records, and issued nearly 50 pen orders. Mueller employed a staff of 19 lawyers and 40 FBI agents, analysts, forensic accountants, and professional staff, according to Barr.

Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein decided Mueller’s evidence didn’t establish that President Trump committed the crime of obstruction of justice, according to the letter.

“The Special Counsel therefore did not draw a conclusion—one way or the other—as to whether the examined conduct constituted obstruction ... the Special Counsel’s report states that ‘while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him,’” Barr’s letter said.

Following Barr’s letter of the findings, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) claimed Barr isn’t “a neutral observer,” reiterating their calls for the full, un-redacted release of Mueller’s report.

“Given Mr. Barr’s public record of bias against the Special Counsel’s inquiry, he is not a neutral observer and is not in a position to make objective determinations about the report,” they said in a joint statement. “And most obviously, for the President to say he is completely exonerated directly contradicts the words of Mr. Mueller and is not to be taken with any degree of credibility.”
Epoch Times’ Ivan Pentchoukov contributed to this report.

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Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter with 15 years experience who started as a local New York City reporter. Having joined The Epoch Times' news team in 2009, Jack was born and raised near Modesto in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5
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