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The Claim

The Special Counsel investigation report by Robert S. Mueller III stated that it did not establish that members of Donald J. Trump's 2016 presidential campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.

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The Short Version

The report uses that formulation explicitly. DOJ copies of the Mueller Report state that the investigation did not establish that Trump campaign members conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election-interference activities. Debate exists over what that language implies, but not over whether the report said it.

Caveats

  • "Did not establish" is an evidentiary and prosecutorial formulation; it is not the same as proving no such conduct ever occurred.
  • The report separately documented numerous contacts between Trump campaign figures and Russians, so this sentence should not be read as a claim of no links at all.
  • Mueller used specific definitions of "conspired" and "coordinated," which matter when interpreting the passage.

The Receipts

  1. Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election

    U.S. Department of Justice

  2. Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III Makes Statement on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election

    U.S. Department of Justice

  3. Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election (Mueller Report, redacted)

    EPIC (Electronic Privacy Information Center)

  4. Factbox: Key findings in the Mueller report on Russia and Trump

    Reuters

  5. Special Counsel's Office – Mueller Report landing page

    U.S. Department of Justice

  6. Full Text of the Mueller Report's Executive Summaries

    Lawfare

  7. Summary Mueller Report - Department of Justice

    U.S. Department of Justice

  8. All of the Mueller report's major findings in less than 30 minutes

    PBS NewsHour

  9. Read the Mueller Report’s Key Findings

    The New York Times

  10. Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election

    University of Nebraska–Lincoln Digital Commons

+ 14 more sources — see the full list on Lenz

Filed Under

2016 United States Presidential ElectionDonald John TrumpMueller ReportRobert S. Mueller IIIRussian Government

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