Readers React: Mueller’s letter to William Barr could be the ‘smoking gun’ Trump fears

To the editor: Justice Department special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s letter expressing concern about Atty. Gen. William Barr’s initial summary of Mueller’s report may prove to be the real “smoking gun” President Trump and his Republican supporters in Congress end up fearing most.

I say this as one who watched John Dean and Alexander Butterfield testify before Congress during the Watergate hearings. Absent their revelations about the inner workings of the White House, I doubt President Nixon would have had to resign in 1974.

As an American first and a Democrat second, I hope Mueller is able to testify before Congress. Let’s hear directly from the special counsel himself instead of trying to interpret the attorney general’s observations.

I don’t think I am the only one who believes Barr’s answers to questions now, versus what he has said previously, are at odds with each other.

Denny Freidenrich, Laguna Beach

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To the editor: Would somebody, anybody, please tell Trump, Barr and the Republicans in Congress that Barack Obama is no longer president, Hillary Clinton is no longer running for president, and the constant reference to them as a diversionary tactic to avoid answering questions has become boring and ineffective?

Marshall Barth, Encino

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To the editor: The rules that authorize the use of a special counsel do not call for whatever reports that come from his or her investigation to be made public. Barr did not have to release anything.

The only things that one would expect to be disclosed to the public are any trials coming from indictments.

Diane Thornton, Los Angeles

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To the editor: When the Barr summary came out, I found the coverage of it stomach-turning, with “no collusion, no obstruction” shouted from the rooftops of every media outlet.

Trump is a liar who attacked and denigrated his last attorney general specifically because he did not work to undermine the Mueller investigation. Barr got his job by sending Trump a poorly reasoned legal opinion saying why he thought Mueller’s obstruction of justice probe was illegitimate.

If we’ve learned nothing else in the past two-plus years, it’s that the most basic requirement of working for Trump is lying for Trump. Why on Earth do the media still take anything that comes out of this administration seriously?

I’ve dealt with pathological liars before. You should assume they’re lying unless and until they prove otherwise.

Branden Frankel, Encino

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