ON TARGET

3/29/19         By Dave Gunn

No Witches Found

     President Trump called it a “witch hunt.” If it was, it came up empty because no witches were found.

     The Mueller Investigation has finally ended and the report has been handed over to Attorney General William Barr. After 22 months, with 19 attorneys and 40 FBI agents working on the investigation, the execution of 500 search warrants, 500 witnesses interviewed, and $25,200,000.00 taxpayer dollars spent, we now know what we knew all along.

     In his summery of the investigation report, AG Barr said that no evidence was found of any conspiracy between the Trump Election Campaign and Russians to undermine the 2016 presidential election. Further, no evidence was found of President Trump or anyone in his administration attempting to obstruct justice.

     Probably because he was stinging from all the Trump tweets, Special Counsel Robert Mueller reported that while there was no evidence of guilt, he could not exonerate Trump of obstruction of justice. This was a rather ignorant statement for a man of Mueller’s legal status to make, for he knows that it was never in his purview to exonerate anyone of anything. In our justice system you are either guilty or not guilty. You are never legally exonerated.

     Still, Democrats in Washington leaped on this misstatement to continue investigations in no less than five congressional committees. Having failed in their attempt to overturn the results of the 2016 election on the basis of Trump “collusion” with Russians, they have now pivoted to accusing him of obstruction of justice with the hope of bringing impeachment charges against the President, or at least casting a shadow over him as the 2020 election draws nearer.

     Did Trump obstruct justice? Consider the following: [1] He never withheld any funds from the Mueller investigation. [2] He ordered that all documents requested by Mueller be turned over to him in timely fashion. [3] He threatened no witnesses, attempted to bribe no officials, and answered in writing questions submitted by Mueller.

     Democrats will point to the firing of FBI Director James Comey and Attorney General Jeff Sessions as evidence of obstruction of justice. However, the President has the perfect right to fire any high official in the executive branch for any reason or for no reason. The fact is, ongoing investigations continue even when FBI directors and attorney generals are fired, so obstruction of justice is not possible by firing such people.

     Democrats also say that Trump obstructed justice by his many critical tweets and statements concerning the investigation. However, the President does not give up his First Amendment right to express his opinion just because he is under investigation. Nothing the President said impeded the investigation in any way.

     Now what of those who made wild, reckless statements about President Trump? Former CIA Director John Brenner accused Trump of treason. Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who himself lied to Congress, said Trump was a Russian agent.

     Then there is Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA), who said almost two years ago that he had evidence that Trump conspired with the Russians to interfere in the 2016 election. Apparently he either lied or didn’t turn his evidence over to Mueller, because Mueller reported no evidence.

     Will any of these men apologize to the President and to the American people? We should not expect it. None of them have the requisite character necessary to be embarrassed by lying and by slandering innocent people.

     Many in the media also owe the President and the American people an apology. CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, MSNBC, NPR and others tried to convict the President in the court of public opinion with a constant drum beat of one-sided reporting – 92% negative.

     Fortunately, the American people, with the exception of the most partisan Democrats and far-leftists, can see through a smoke screen of innuendo, false accusation, lying, and one-sided yellow journalism. The President is not guilty. The American people will punish those who sought to punish him for what he did not do.

 [Dave Gunn is the mom de plume of Dr. David E. Gonnella, pastor of the Magnolia springs Baptist Church in Theodore, Alabama. The opinions expressed are his own, and do not necessarily reflect those of the church or its membership.]