Is Today The Day? - Updated

Is today the day the Mueller report comes out? (Or, to be strictly precise, is today the day it is provided to the Attorney General?) Buzz has been building that the report's release is imminent, and in anticipation of that moment, former Acting Solicitor General, Supreme Court lawyer and law professor Neal Katyal provides the following suggestions:

5 RULES FOR WHEN NEWS ABOUT MUELLER REPORT COMES OUT.

1. Believe only the text of the Report, not others’ characterizations of it. This WH in particular spins “up” as “down” (like the Nunes documents).

— Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) March 20, 2019

2. Ask what the scope of the Report is. Is it just conspiracy with Russia? Does it include, for example, the campaign finance allegations, where federal SDNY prosecutors have said the President ordered the commission of felonies?

— Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) March 20, 2019

It’s almost never happened in American history that federal Prosecutors have said  a sitting President orchestrated the commission of felonies.

— Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) March 20, 2019

3. Examine whether the Report is limited to criminal acts. Some of the most egregious allegations against Trump, like lying to the American people about his business dealings with Russia before the 2016 election and saying he had no biz in Russia, are not necessarily criminal.

— Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) March 20, 2019

Others, like being beholden to the Kremlin out of self interest, may be. Has Mueller only resolved the latter? If not, expect Congress to be taking all of that up.

— Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) March 20, 2019

4.  Ask whether Mueller has actually resolved anything. Has he said there are other avenues to investigate for matters within the scope of his Report, such as a sit-down interview with Trump? Again, Congress may investigate further — but also don’t forget about state prosecutors.

— Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) March 20, 2019

5. Ask yourself, if the American people knew in 2016 what Mueller’s Report says,even if the Report says Mueller won’t indict the President, Trump would have won the election. Does this President have the judgment&transparency appropriate to serve as the nation’s highest official?

— Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) March 20, 2019

  

Don’t focus on the one-line spin. Focus on the facts, judgments, and limitations in the Mueller Report.

And ask yourself, if Trump had just been honest and forthcoming about all of this, we could have spared this long ordeal. END

— Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal) March 20, 2019

Saturday morning update. Yes, yesterday was the day. As I'm writing on Saturday morning, as far as I know, only the Attorney General has actually read the report. I like what Pete Souza has to say:

View this post on Instagram

Robert Mueller, then the FBI Director, prepares for a meeting with the President after the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013. Before the political spinning begins, it’s a guarantee that the “Mueller Report” will be based on facts and evidence. Because that’s how he rolls.

A post shared by Pete Souza (@petesouza) on Mar 23, 2019 at 6:36am PDT