News Item
The Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) in 2019 said prosecution of then-President Trump for obstruction of justice during the Russia investigation would not be warranted a recommendation that the team of lawyers gave to then Attorney General Bill Barr at the conclusion of special counsel Robert Mueller s investigation.
The DOJ released the memo Wednesday, which revealed that the OLC, which is considered to be the top legal adviser to the attorney general, found that the evidence described in the Mueller report was not, in our judgment, sufficient to support a conclusion beyond a reasonable doubt that the President violated the obstruction-of-justice statutes.
In addition, we believe that certain of the conduct examined by the Special Counsel could not, as a matter of law, support an obstruction charge under the circumstances,states the memo written by Steven Engel, former assistant attorney general for the OLC. Accordingly, were there no constitutional barrier, we would recommend, under the Principles of Federal Prosecution, that you decline to commence such a prosecution.