All the ways the attorney general is spinning the Mueller report to protect Trump.

Bill Barr’s Weasel Words

By WILLIAM SALETAN
MARCH 24, 20199:55 PM

Why Did Barr Share Only Four Incomplete Sentences from the Mueller Report?

William Barr Did What Donald Trump Hired Him to Do

Special counsel Robert Mueller has submitted his report on the Russia investigation, and Republicans are gloating. They claim a four-page letter from Attorney General William Barr, purporting to summarize the report, exonerates President Donald Trump. They’re wrong. The letter says the Justice Department won’t prosecute Trump, but it reaches that conclusion by tailoring legal standards to protect the president. Here’s a list of Barr’s weasel words and what they’re hiding.

• “The Russian government.”
• “In its election interference activities.”
• “Agreement—tacit or express.” 
• “Rosenstein and I have concluded.” 
• “Absence of such evidence.” 
• “Underlying crime.”
• “Related to Russian election interference.”
• “That the President was involved in.”
• “Pending or contemplated proceeding.”

Read more
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/03/mueller-report-barr-summary-obstruction-conspiracy-close-reading.html