President Donald Trump declared vindication on Thursday night after Senate Intelligence Committee chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) claimed that there is no evidence of collusion so far after two years of investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 Election.
During an interview with CBS, Burr insisted that the evidence and witness testimony gathered by the committee up to now does not prove Trump colluded with Russia to win the election.
“If we write a report based upon the facts that we have, then we don’t have anything that would suggest there was collusion by the Trump campaign and Russia,” Burr said.
Burr’s remarks prompted Trump to immediately take to Twitter to gloat.
Highly respected Senator Richard Burr, Chairman of Senate Intelligence, said today that, after an almost two year investigation, he saw no evidence of Russia collusion. “We don’t have anything that would suggest there was collusion by the Trump campaign and Russia.” Thank you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 8, 2019
The problem is that Trump is celebrating something said by one of his closest allies in Congress who has resisted investigating collusion.
In fact, former special counsel and former Harvard Law professor Ryan Goodman explained at length why Burr’s history with Trump and his resistance to conducting a complete investigation makes him too biased to be trusted.
President Trump has just invoked Senator Burr’s saying no evidence of collusion (despite what we have all seen in public record).
I’m re-upping this <thread> on Burr’s dubious record … https://t.co/2aU4XNdxoh
— Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) February 8, 2019
It’s now important to recall Sen. Burr’s history with this investigation. Starting here:
“Democrats are wondering whether Burr, WHO ALSO SERVED AS A NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER TO TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN, is too close to Trump to lead an impartial investigation”
Politico, 2/27/17<thread> https://t.co/XtKQzWoLPH— Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) September 12, 2018
2. This was not just a Democratic concern about Burr’s impartiality. Same Politico story (@abwrig reporting):
“Even two intelligence committee Republicans — Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Susan Collins of Maine — made statements over the weekend” https://t.co/w8NOVYEYOv
— Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) September 12, 2018
3. Burr set off fire alarms from the start:
“Warner couldn’t believe what his Republican counterpart on the Senate Intelligence Committee had just done. With no advance notice, Chairman Richard Burr declared to reporters that his panel wouldn’t look into possible collusion.”
— Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) September 12, 2018
4. Prior quote is from Jan. 2017 Politico story (@martinmatishak @abwrig reporting).
Story also describes how Chairman Burr backed down only after Dems threatened to boycott the investigation if question of collusion was not included as a topic.https://t.co/jOtXq4vaa8
— Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) September 12, 2018
5. Another indication of Burr’s lack of impartiality.
He was caught in the act:
WaPo (@adamentous @gregpmiller) broke story that the White House enlisted Burr and Devin Nunes to counter NYT reporting on contacts between Trump campaign and Russians.https://t.co/RxXglxCOnA
— Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) September 12, 2018
6. Following the Washington Post report on Burr and Nunes working the media on behalf of the White House, he backed away.
“I’ll make it a habit while this investigation is going on that I don’t go down [to the White House],” Burr told The Hill.https://t.co/po257pL3FD
— Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) September 12, 2018
7. Apr 17: “the committee has yet to issue a single subpoena for documents or interview any key witnesses who are central…also hasn’t requested potentially crucial evidence…in part because the panel’s chairman, Sen. Richard Burr has so far failed to respond to requests”
— Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) September 12, 2018
9. Also April 17:
“The [Senate Intelligence Committee] investigation does not have a single staffer dedicated to it full-time, and those staff members working on it part-time do not have significant investigative experience.”@timkmak reporting:https://t.co/Kmpdhd9pwI
— Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) September 12, 2018
11. Finally, Senator Burr in 2014:
“I personally don’t believe that anything that goes on in the intelligence committee should ever be discussed publicly,”https://t.co/9N6qXFhwAo
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— Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) September 12, 2018
So, Burr broke his own rule about committee members not speaking to the press about the investigation, and it certainly sounds like Burr is acting like Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), who also went to great lengths to say Trump is cleared of collusion.
It should also be pointed out that the investigation continues, something attorney and professor Seth Abramson observed in response to Burr’s remarks, as well as that it’s likely the Senate Intelligence Committee may have worse news for Trump whenever they release a final report.
25/ Folks like @AlanDersh luxuriate in lying to Americans who don’t understand our criminal justice system. They imply that law enforcement reveals its findings as it goes along—rather than only at the end—so if Mueller had anything, we’d know. No we wouldn’t—that’s a filthy lie.
— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) February 7, 2019
26/ What’s true for Mueller is *also* true for the *GOP-led Senate Intel Committee*. Not only are they referring for criminal prosecution people they won’t tell us about—per a Republican, Burr—they are *also* saying they know about key witnesses *none of us do yet*. Process that.
— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) February 7, 2019
It could be that Burr is just lying or saving the truth for the finale, which could be awhile.
But whether Burr is covering for Trump or just telling Trump what he wants to hear until the final report comes out, what’s clear is that Trump is prematurely celebrating because Special Counsel Robert Mueller is still conducting an impartial investigation that will now be aided by House Democrats who intend to reopen the House investigations Republicans refused to complete. Seeing as how Mueller has a great track record, Trump should still be wetting his pants right now.
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