After Report on Russian 2016 Election Interference, What Is Next?

 

Many people around the United States are wondering what will happen next, now that a report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election has been completed.

Special Counsel Robert Muller gave the report to U.S. Attorney General William Barr on Friday.

Barr, who was appointed by President Donald Trump¹ and approved by Congress last February, then released his outline of the report’s main findings on Sunday. In his summary, Barr said, “The report does not recommend any further indictments².”

Barr also wrote that the special counsel’s office made no secret charges that have yet to be made public.

His office continues to study the report to see how much of it can be released to the public.

Russian interference

The report, Barr said, was divided into two parts. The first part looked at Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election. It found that a number of Russian nationals and organizations used the internet to spread disinformation and to incite³ social conflict. It also found that Russian government actors hacked⁴ into computers in the U.S. to gather or spread information to influence the election.

Barr explained that investigators⁵ also aimed to understand if anyone connected with Trump’s campaign committed a crime by joining Russian efforts to influence the election.

Barr quoted the report as saying: “[T]he investigation⁶ did not establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired⁸ or coordinated⁹ with the Russian government in its election interference activities.”

Obstruction¹⁰ of justice

Barr said the report also looked at concerns that Trump had obstructed¹¹ justice – in other words, attempted to block legal investigations¹².

On this question, the attorney general said the report did not say the president was guilty, but it did not say he was innocent, either. Instead, it “sets out evidence on both sides of the question.” Then the special counsel wrote that “while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate¹³ him.”

However, Barr said he, the deputy attorney general, and other top Justice Department officials, had concluded that the special counsel did not provide enough evidence to charge the president with a crime.

Reactions

Many different reactions to the completion of the report and Barr’s comments were voiced over the weekend.

Supporters of Trump said the report showed that the president and his campaign were not guilty of what has been called collusion — a secret agreement — with the Russians.

Trump tweeted on Sunday that the result meant that he did not hide anything, block anything and was cleared of wrongdoing.

Opposition¹⁴ members critical of the president have called for all of the report to be released to the public. They also point to other investigations of Trump, his family and associates.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, both Democratic Party leaders, released a joint¹⁵ statement. It said Attorney General Barr’s letter raised "as many questions as it answers.”

They also said Barr was not fair or objective in his findings.

Democratic Party Representative Jerry Nadler of New York said he would call for Barr to testify before the House Judiciary Committee on the issue.

History of the investigation

The investigation has been the subject of fierce debate between the political parties in Washington. It also has brought into question the fairness of news reporting on the issue and proved deeply divisive in areas like social media.

Acting¹⁶ Attorney General Rod Rosenstein ordered the investigation into Russian interference in May 2017. The timing¹⁷ of the move raised questions because it happened soon after Trump fired former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey.

Rosenstein has remained as the deputy attorney general but has said he will step down soon.

Defenders¹⁸ of Mueller’s investigation say he has carried out the order fully¹⁹. The special counsel received nearly 500 search orders, requested evidence from 13 foreign governments and questioned about 500 witnesses.

As a result, Mueller charged 25 Russians with wrongdoing related to interference. He also brought charges against six aides and advisors²¹ to the Trump presidential campaign. Trump’s first national security advisor²⁰, Michael Flynn, resigned and admitted to lying to investigators. Trump’s one-time campaign manager, Paul Manafort, was found guilty of avoiding taxes and lying on bank statements.

On Monday, the Trump administration signaled that it is up to Barr and the Justice Department to decide what details of the investigation can be released to the public.

I’m Mario Ritter Jr.

Words in This Story

hacking²² –n. secretly getting access to a computer system to get information or to cause damage

conspire⁷ – v. to secretly plan with someone to do something that is harmful or illegal

1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 indictments   

n.（制度、社会等的）衰败迹象( indictment的名词复数 )；刑事起诉书；公诉书；控告

参考例句：

• A New York jury brought criminal indictments against the founder of the organization. 纽约的一个陪审团对这个组织的创始人提起了多项刑事诉讼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• These two indictments are self-evident and require no elaboration. 这两条意义自明，无须多说。 来自互联网

3 incite   

v.引起，激动，煽动

参考例句：

• I wanted to point out he was a very good speaker, and could incite a crowd.我想说明他曾是一个非常出色的演讲家，非常会调动群众的情绪。
• Just a few words will incite him into action.他只需几句话一将，就会干。

4 hacked   

生气

参考例句：

• I hacked the dead branches off. 我把枯树枝砍掉了。
• I'm really hacked off. 我真是很恼火。

5 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

7 conspire   

v.密谋，（事件等）巧合，共同导致

参考例句：

• They'd conspired to overthrow the government.他们曾经密谋推翻政府。
• History and geography have conspired to bring Greece to a moment of decision.历史和地理因素共同将希腊推至作出抉择的紧要关头。

8 conspired   

密谋( conspire的过去式和过去分词 )； 搞阴谋； （事件等）巧合； 共同导致

参考例句：

• They conspired to bring about the meeting of the two people. 他们共同促成了两人的会面。
• Bad weather and car trouble conspired to ruin our vacation. 恶劣的气候连同汽车故障断送了我们的假日。

9 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

10 obstruction   

n.阻塞，堵塞；障碍物

参考例句：

• She was charged with obstruction of a police officer in the execution of his duty.她被指控妨碍警察执行任务。
• The road was cleared from obstruction.那条路已被清除了障碍。

11 obstructed   

阻塞( obstruct的过去式和过去分词 )； 堵塞； 阻碍； 阻止

参考例句：

• Tall trees obstructed his view of the road. 有大树挡着，他看不到道路。
• The Irish and Bristol Channels were closed or grievously obstructed. 爱尔兰海峡和布里斯托尔海峡或遭受封锁，或受到了严重阻碍。

12 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

13 exonerate   

v.免除责任，确定无罪

参考例句：

• Nothing can exonerate her from that.任何解释都难辞其咎。
• There is no reason to exonerate him from the ordinary duties of a citizen.没有理由免除他做公民应尽的义务。

14 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

15 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

16 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

17 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

18 defenders   

n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者

参考例句：

• The defenders were outnumbered and had to give in. 抵抗者寡不敌众，只能投降。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After hard fighting,the defenders were still masters of the city. 守军经过奋战仍然控制着城市。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

20 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

21 advisors   

n.顾问，劝告者( advisor的名词复数 )；（指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网

22 hacking   

n.非法访问计算机系统和数据库的活动

参考例句：

• The patient with emphysema is hacking all day. 这个肺气肿病人整天不断地干咳。
• We undertook the task of hacking our way through the jungle. 我们负责在丛林中开路。