Though the decision to clear Trump of obstruction has been well-documented, the newly disclosed memo offers additional details about how two of the department's senior-most leaders arrived at that conclusion.
The department's decision was notable because special counsel Robert Mueller, who led the Russia investigation, declined in his 448-page report to decide whether Trump had obstructed justice but pointedly did not absolve him either.The Mueller report scrutinized 10 instances in which Trump lashed out or otherwise injected himself into the Russia investigation.
In the case of Comey's firing, for instance, they wrote that the "driving force" was anger over Comey's refusal to publicly declare that the FBI was not investigating Trump himself rather than an effort by Trump to derail the investigation. "After the President provided his direction, in each instance, the orders were not carried out," the memo states. "Of course, it is true that an act may constitute an attempt or an endeavor, even if unsuccessful. But the facts that the President could have given these directions himself, and did not remove any subordinate for failing to convey his directions, weigh against finding an intent to obstruct justice.
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