nwtk2007 wrote:
Firing Comey hindered nothing about the investigation and it was recommended by Rozenstein. Trump suggested the firing of Mueller but did not follow this impulse through as he could easily and legally fired Mueller if he had chose to do so. And asking for them to leave Flynn alone did not hinder anything, either. We did want Sessions to un-recuse himself but again, did that hinder anything at wall?? And what testimoney did Trump try to influence. Cohen admitted Trump didn't actually do that and it says so in the Mueller report.
If obstruction is as nebulous as this then we are all guilty of it in any investigation of us.
Try again!
Firing Comey hindered nothing about the investigat... (
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To answer you're question the report has 11 points that do fall under the definition of obstruction all points are written in volume 2 .
About the termination of Comey as per the report
Point 2 Conduct involving FBI Director Comey and Michael Flynn. Explains Comey was asked to drop the case against Flynn,by asking this of Comey he made Comey into an important part of the investigation .
Firing Comey
In accordance to point 4 May 3 2017 Comey testified in a congressional hearing, declined to answer questions dealing with the president , if president was personally under investigation or not. Within days president decided to terminate Comey. The white house insisted that it was on the suggestions from The AG and DAG. Before hearing from the Department of Justice he already decided to fire Comey. President told a Russian officials he had "faced a great amount of pressure because of Russia" which had been "taken off" After the firing of Comey. The next day on a Television interview he acknowledged he was going to fire Comey regardless of what the Department of Justice recommendation.
Firing Mueller, to fire there is a need for cause .
In accordance to point 5 May 17 2017 the acting attorney general for the Russian investigation appointed a special counsel to conduct the investigation and related matters. The president reacted with the statement "the end of his presidency " demanded that Sessions resigns. The president told his advisors that the special counsel had conflicts of interest he could not serve . The asserted conflicts were merit less had already been considered by the Department of Justice.
Requesting for Flynn to be left alone.
In accordance to point 10 Conduct towards Flynn and Manafort
After Flynn withdrew from joint defense agreement with the president he began cooperating with the government, the president's personal counsel left a message for Flynn's attorney reminding them of the president's warm feelings towards Flynn, he said "still remains" and then asking for a " heads up" if Flynn knew "infomation that implicates the president ". Flynn could no longer share infomation in pursuant to the joint defense agreement. President's counsel said he will let the president know Flynn actions reflected "hostility" toward the president.
Requesting Sessions to unrecuse. Depends on the reason why.
In accordance to point 8 Further efforts to have the Attorney General take control of the investigation .
Sessions met with the president three times in 2017 . The summer of 2017 he was asked to reverse his recusal Sessions said no. October 2017 Met with the president a second time in the Oval office was asked to look into a investigation of Clinton. The third time in December 2017 met in the Oval Office after Flynn pleaded gulity according to notes taken by a senior advisor if Sessions unrecused and took control of the investigation he would be considered a " hero" . Then the president commented that "I'm not going to do anything or direct you to do anything. I just want to be treated fairly" .Sessions replied with he never seen anything "improper " on the campaign and told the president there was a "whole new leadership team" in place. He didn't unrecuse.
In accordance to point 11 Conduct involving Michael Cohen
The president 's conduct towards Michael Cohen, a former Trump Organization executive , changed from praise for Cohen when he falsely minimized the president involvement in the Trump Tower Moscow project ,to castigation of Cohen when he became a cooperating witness. From September 2015 to June 2016, Cohen pursued the Trump Tower Moscow project on the behalf of the Trump Organization and had briefed the candidate Trump on the project numerous times including the trip to Russia. In 2017 . Cohen provided false testimony to Congress about the project that he only briefed Trump three times and nothing about the trip to Russia. Which was a attempt to adhere "to party line" that was developed too minimize the president's connections to Russia. While preparing for his congressional testimony Cohen had extensive discussions with the president's personal counsel according to Cohen said that Cohen "stay on message" and not contradict the president. When the FBI searched Cohen's home and office in April 2018 , the president publicly asserted that Cohen will not "flip" contacted him directly to tell him to "stay strong" and privately passed messages of support you him. Cohen also discussed pardons with the president's personal counsel and believed if he stayed on message he would be taken care of. But after Cohen began cooperating with the government in the summer of 2018, the president publicly criticized him, and called "rat" and suggested that family members had committed crimes.
These few point answer the questions in your request. If you look at what type of picture this represents it should cause a moment for thought. Ether way not all conditions have to be met on each , for a consideration of obstruction.