Dec 7, 2020
This episode covers Section II. Factual Results of the
Obstruction Investigation, pages 15 to 158 of Volume 2 of the
"Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016
Presidential Election."
This section of the report details the evidence obtained.
Beginning with an overview of how Russia became an issue in the
2016 presidential campaign, and how candidate Trump responded.
Included are key events that were investigated: the President’s
conduct concerning the FBI investigation of Michael Flynn; the
President’s reaction to public confirmation of the FBI’s Russia
investigation; events leading up to and surrounding the termination
of FBI Director Comey; efforts to terminate the Special Counsel;
efforts to curtail the scope of the Special Counsel’s
investigation; efforts to prevent disclosure of information about
the June 9, 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Russians and senior
campaign officials; efforts to have the Attorney General unrecuse;
and conduct towards McGahn, Cohen, and other witnesses.
Factual Results of the Obstruction Investigation (1:12)
A. The Campaign's Response to Reports About Russian Support for
Trump (3:03)
- Press Reports Allege Links Between the Trump Campaign and
Russia (4:05)
- The Trump Campaign Reacts to WikiLeaks's Release of Hacked
Emails (5:27)
- The Trump Campaign Reacts to Allegations That Russia was
Seeking to Aid Candidate Trump (7:55)
- After the Election, Trump Continues to Deny Any Contacts or
Connections with Russia or That Russia Aided his Election
(12:15)
B. The President's Conduct Concerning the Investigation of
Michael Flynn (16:44)
- Incoming National Security Advisor Flynn Discusses Sanctions on
Russia with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak (18:07)
- President-Elect Trump is Briefed on the Intelligence
Community’s Assessment (22:34)
- Flynn Makes False Statements About his Communications with
Kislyak (25:08)
- DOJ Officials Notify the White House of Their Concerns About
Flynn (28:20)
- McGahn has a Follow-Up Meeting About Flynn with Yates;
President Trump has Dinner with FBI Director Comey (30:44)
- Flynn’s Resignation (35:12)
- The President Discusses Flynn with FBI Director Comey
(38:33)
- The Media Raises Questions About the President’s Delay in
Terminating Flynn (41:56)
- The President Attempts to Have K.T. McFarland Create a Witness
Statement (43:21)
- Analysis (45:58)
C. The President's Reaction to Public Confirmation of the FBI's
Russia Investigation (57:21)
- Attorney General Sessions Recuses From the Russia Investigation
(58:15)
- FBI Director Comey Publicly Confirms the Existence of the
Russia Investigation in Testimony Before HPSCI (1:03:43)
- The President Asks Intelligence Community Leaders to Make
Public Statements that he had No Connection to Russia
(1:09:01)
- The President Asks Comey to "Lift the Cloud" Created by the
Russia Investigation (1:14:04)
- Analysis (1:17:37)
D. Events Leading Up To and Surrounding the Termination of FBI
Director Comey (1:23:18)
- Comey Testifies Before the Senate Judiciary Committee and
Declines to Answer Questions About Whether the President is Under
Investigation (1:24:50)
- The President Makes the Decision to Terminate Comey
(1:28:09)
- Analysis (1:44:04)
E. The President's Efforts to Remove the Special Counsel
(1:54:44)
- The Appointment of the Special Counsel and the President's
Reaction (1:56:03)
- The President Asserts that the Special Counsel has Conflicts of
lnterest (2:00:04)
- The Press Reports that the President is Being Investigated for
Obstruction of Justice and the President Directs the White House
Counsel to Have the Special Counsel Removed (2:05:51)
- Analysis (2:12:04)
F. The President's Efforts to Curtail the Special Counsel
Investigation (2:20:49)
- The President Asks Corey Lewandowski to Deliver a Message to
Sessions to Curtail the Special Counsel Investigation
(2:21:42)
- The President Follows Up with Lewandowski (2:24:31)
- The President Publicly Criticizes Sessions in a New York Times
Interview (2:26:31)
- The President Orders Priebus to Demand Sessions's Resignation
(2:28:05)
- Analysis (2:32:29)
G. The President's Efforts to Prevent Disclosure of Emails About
the June 9, 2016 Meeting Between Russians and Senior Campaign
Officials (2:37:37)
- The President Learns About the Existence of Emails Concerning
the June 9, 2016 Trump Tower Meeting (2:38:21)
- The President Directs Communications Staff Not to Publicly
Disclose Information About the June 9 Meeting (2:41:03)
- The President Directs Trump Jr.'s Response to Press Inquiries
About the June 9 Meeting (2:43:35)
- The Media Reports on the June 9, 2016 Meeting (2:47:47)
- Analysis (2:51:36)
H. The President's Further Efforts to Have the Attorney General
Take Over the Investigation (2:56:14)
- The President Again Seeks to Have Sessions Reverse his Recusal
(2:56:37)
- Additional Efforts to Have Sessions Unrecuse or Direct
Investigations Covered by his Recusal (2:59:23)
- Analysis (3:05:07)
I. The President Orders McGahn to Deny that the President Tried
to Fire the Special Counsel (3:09:23)
- The Press Reports that the President Tried to Fire the Special
Counsel (3:10:33)
- The President Seeks to Have McGahn Dispute the Press Reports
(3:11:57)
- Analysis (3:17:39)
J. The President's Conduct Towards Flynn, Manafort, and Stone
(3:25:23)
- Conduct Directed at Michael Flynn (3:26:15)
- Conduct Directed at Paul Manafort (3:29:08)
- Conduct Directed at Roger Stone (3:39:33)
- Analysis (3:44:28)
K. The President's Conduct Involving Michael Cohen (3:54:42)
- Candidate Trump's Awareness of and Involvement in the Trump
Tower Moscow Project (3:56:37)
- Cohen Determines to Adhere to a "Party Line" Distancing
Candidate Trump From Russia (4:02:42)
- Cohen Submits False Statements to Congress Minimizing the Trump
Tower Moscow Project in Accordance with the Party Line
(4:04:27)
- The President Sends Messages of Support to Cohen (4:14:27)
- The President's Conduct After Cohen Began Cooperating with the
Government (4:20:29)
- Analysis (4:30:51)
L. Overarching Factual Issues (4:42:44)
Mueller Report Audio - muellerreportaudio.com
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Music by Lee Rosevere