Law Professors Tackle the Mueller Report on Twitter
Many legal academics were critical of the attorney general's press conference and quickly parsed the detailed report when it was released.
April 18, 2019 at 01:54 PM
4 minute read
The analysis came swiftly on Twitter from law professors Thursday during U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr's press conference and after the much-anticipated 448-page document was released. Many legal academics expressed dismay at the tenor of the press conference, which they deemed too friendly to the president. They later delved into the actual report and offered up their thoughts on the key takeaways, though not before complaining that the original file released by the U.S. Department of Justice was not searchable. (Read the report here.) Here's a sampling of the academy's early reactions:
The Press Conference
An attorney general committed to the rule of law would let the report speak for itself, and would take questions after people have had a chance to look at it.
Not try to *for the second time* shape the public perception of a document the public has not had the chance to see.— Rick Hasen (@rickhasen) April 18, 2019
Barr is wrong on obstruction and he is wrong on conspiracy. He's smart enough to know better. How is this man the chief law-enforcement officer for the United States? Shame https://t.co/2JKxSCt600
— Jennifer Taub (@jentaub) April 18, 2019
I don't know what's in the Mueller report, and I'm looking forward to finding out.
I do know that, after that performance, this has already been a very bad day for the long-term institutional credibility of the Department of Justice, which should matter to—and bother—all of us.
— Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) April 18, 2019
AG Barr has a bright future in PR / crisis management.
— Jessica Levinson (@LevinsonJessica) April 18, 2019
4/ The President's state of mind is directly relevant to any obstruction charge. Barr said the President was motivated by an inability to govern (frustration), not a corrupt intent.
— Josh Blackman (@JoshMBlackman) April 18, 2019
The Report
I agree with Mueller on @DonaldJTrumpJr: Meeting w/ Russians in Trump Tower to get info from foreign citizens, in itself, doesn't constitute a campaign finance felony.
Big chilling effect on 1st A for conversations w/ foreigners.
(But the meeting had other criminal significance).— Jed Shugerman (@jedshug) April 18, 2019
Noted limits on the Mueller investigation: Some witnesses pled the 5th, others lied to investigators, some DOJ policies limited access, and evidence overseas was not reachable in some cases. pic.twitter.com/8mjPXHugTw
— Orin Kerr (@OrinKerr) April 18, 2019
I know it's a pipe dream, but may I suggest that lawyers and lawprofs, at least, spend 30 minutes reading the Special Counsel regulations before breathlessly asserting that Barr has subverted the rule of law? https://t.co/tOxAfxzseG
— Andy Grewal (@AndyGrewal) April 18, 2019
One of the many emotions I have reading the #MuellerReport is deep, profound sadness—for how little of a consensus there will be surely be about what to take away from it; and for the seeming demise of the ideal that what unites us as a country is stronger than what divides us.
— Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) April 18, 2019
In the summary of the obstruction part of the report, Mueller (unlike Barr's earlier summary) seems to leave open the possibility of Trump being prosecuted after he leaves office
— Lawrence Hurley (@lawrencehurley) April 18, 2019
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