President Donald Trump's lead lawyer in the special counsel's Russia investigation resigned Thursday, shaking up the legal team just as the president intensifies his attacks on a probe he calls nothing more than a witch hunt.

Associated Press Justice Department reporter Eric Tucker said the resignation might have something to do with clashes between John Dowd and Trump in the Mueller investigation.

"Trump came out and said I'm very eager to speak under oath to Mueller, but Dowd has been much more cautious and apprehensive," Tucker said, "So obviously you have a client attorney division there."

The departure of attorney John Dowd removes the primary negotiator and legal strategist who had been molding Trump's defense. It also comes just days after the Trump legal team added a new lawyer, former U.S. attorney Joseph diGenova, who has alleged on television that FBI officials were involved in a "brazen plot" to exonerate Hillary Clinton in the email investigation and to "frame" Trump for nonexistent crimes.

Dowd confirmed his decision in an email to The Associated Press, saying, "I love the President and wish him well." Dowd said he made the decision voluntarily and he denied reports that his departure had to do with Trump ignoring his legal advice. He said he formally resigned Thursday morning.

It already was a delicate time in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation as Trump's attorneys, including Dowd, have been negotiating with Mueller over the scope and terms of an interview of the president. Trump has told reporters that he was eager to speak with Mueller, but Dowd has been far more apprehensive, and the lawyers have not publicly committed to making Trump available for questioning.

Asked Thursday whether he still wants to speak with Mueller's team, Trump told reporters, "Yes, I would like to."

Dowd's exit nearly a year into Mueller's investigation threatens to undo the cooperation between prosecutors and Trump's lawyers and may herald a stark shift in strategy as the probe reaches closer into the White House and the president's inner circle.

Over the weekend, Dowd issued a statement calling for an end to special counsel's investigation. The White House and later Dowd had to clarify the statement, saying the president's legal team wasn't calling for Mueller to be fired.

But Trump has upped his public attacks on Mueller.

In a series of tweets since last week, the president has said that the probe never should have started, that it was based on "fraudulent activities," that it was a "WITCH HUNT" and that it is being led by "13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - 10 May 2011

1. STILL Attorney John Dowd leaves building with his client co-founder of Galleon hedge fund group Raj Rajaratnam

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - 29 April 2011

2. STILL Dowd and Rajaratnam entering federal court

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 22 March 2018

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press Justice Department Reporter:

"So John Dowd is the lead defense lawyer on Donald Trump's legal team. And we learned today that he has resigned effective immediately from that team, so he's no longer going to be representing the president."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 23 May 2007

4. STILL Various Dowd with client White House liaison Monica Goodling

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 22 March 2018

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press Justice Department Reporter:

"So this is really significant because we are now 10 months into Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. There have been a lot of negotiations back and forth led by John Dowd as to whether or not the president will sit down for interview with Mueller and his team. And so now it's unclear what the next step is going to be, because basically the point person and lead negotiator and point of contact for Mueller's team is no longer calling the shots."

DONALD TRUMP TWITTER FEED/@realDonaldTrump

Internet - 18 March 2018

6. SCREENGRAB of Donald Trump homepage on Twitter

7. SCREENGRAB of tweet reading (English): "Why does the Mueller team have 13 hardened Democrats, some big Crooked Hillary supporters, and Zero Republicans? Another Dem recently added...does anyone think this is fair? And yet, there is NO COLLUSION!"

DONALD TRUMP TWITTER FEED/@realDonaldTrump

Internet - 17 March 2018

8. SCREENGRAB of tweet reading (English): "The Mueller probe should never have been started in that there was no collusion and there was no crime. It was based on fraudulent activities and a Fake Dossier paid for by Crooked Hillary and the DNC, and improperly used in FISA COURT for surveillance of my campaign. WITCH HUNT!"

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 22 March 2018

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press Justice Department Reporter:

"Last weekend we noticed a real notable shift in the way the president and his legal team has been talking about Special Counsel Robert Mueller. So in the past there's been lots of public overtures and gestures of cooperation. They've spoken warmly about the special counsel in his work. And this time, for the first time, this weekend for the first time we saw John Dowd basically call on Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to shut down the investigation. He had initially said he was speaking for the president, he later said he was not. And the White House on Sunday had to clarify that there were no plans to try to terminate the investigation."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 22 March 2018

10. Donald Trump walks into White House Treaty Room

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 22 March 2018

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press Justice Department Reporter:

"So I think there's been a degree of consternation back and forth within the legal community over certain decisions and actions from Dowd and the legal team. There's been obviously a divide as to whether or not the president is gonna speak with Mueller. So you'll remember that in January, Trump came out and said I'm very eager to speak under oath to Mueller, but Dowd has been much more cautious and apprehensive, and his lawyers, Trump's lawyers have not publicly committed in any way to any sort of interview. They say those are ongoing negotiations. So obviously you have a client attorney division there."

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington, D.C. - 22 March 2018

12. President Donald Trump walks out of Treaty Room as reporters shout questions

13. UPSOUND: Reporter:

"Mr. President, would you still like to testify to special counsel Robert Mueller, sir?"

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"Yes, I would like to..."

15. Trump walks out of room

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 22 March 2018

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press Justice Department Reporter:

"One other thing that I would note is that the Trump legal team has been looking to try to add to its ranks. So they have reached out to a very prominent Washington lawyer, a litigator by the name of Ted Olson who argued the Bush v. Gore case 2000 before the U.S. Supreme Court. And he's argued the California gay rights case, same sex marriage case. He turned them down. And so I would not be surprised if there is another attorney who they try to reach out to."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 28 September 2017

17. STILL Various Former United States Solicitor General Ted Olson at the installation ceremony for FBI director Chris Wray

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 20 June 2013

18. STILL Olson with plaintiffs in the California Proposition 8 case

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 22 March 2018

19. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press Justice Department Reporter:

"They did hire on Monday a former United States attorney named Joe diGenova who's going to be working on the Trump legal team. And one thing that diGenova is notable for is an interview with Fox News from January in which he basically said the FBI officials were part of a brazen plot to exonerate Hillary Clinton and frame Donald Trump for a fictional, nonexistent crime. So that gives you a flavor of where the defense legal strategy might be going."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 22 March 2018

20. Various Trump speaking in the House Treaty Room about imposing tariffs on Chinese imports

For President Donald Trump, the fight over the "witch hunt" is only just beginning.

Now that special counsel Robert Mueller's two-year investigation into Trump's campaign is over, it's being transformed into a rallying cry and a weapon for the president's re-election campaign.

The pall of the two-year probe lifted Sunday, when Attorney General William Barr released a summary of Mueller's findings that said the wide-ranging investigation found no evidence of collusion by Trump's 2016 campaign with the Russian government.

Barr's four-page letter was immediately seized upon by the Republican president and his allies as a weapon to use against Democrats, the so-called Deep State and the media.

Even before Mueller's conclusions were revealed, it was clear that Trump saw the end of the investigation as a political opportunity.

As the president's lawyers debated legal strategy, Trump aides and political allies developed a plan to turn the end of the probe into the launching pad for a new round of attacks on the president's foes and a moment to reinvigorate his supporters in the run-up to the 2020 campaign.

With pre-written tweets and talking points, Trump surrogates rushed to claim victory and rub the results in the face of Democrats, many of whom had spent months promising that Mueller would turn up more.

"Democrats and their liberal media allies for two years slandered President @realDonaldTrump for 'conspiring with Russia,'" press secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted. "It was all a malicious, preposterous lie given wall to wall media coverage despite zero evidence. This should never again happen to an American President."

Breaking a 48-hour stretch of lawyer-imposed silence on Twitter, Trump stood on the tarmac beside Air Force One on Sunday and jubilantly hailed the results, exaggerating the findings as a total exoneration.

He also seethed that those behind the probe, which he compared to a failed coup, should be held responsible.

"You've made a great victim of Donald Trump here," Trump counsellor Kellyanne Conway said on Monday morning.

Trump's campaign moved quickly to raise money off the Mueller news, with a text message to supporters stating, "Dems raised millions off a lie. Now we FIGHT BACK!"

The team's plans going forward are more expansive, according to seven aides and allies involved with the effort, most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about private deliberations.

While Trump's base has long been suspicious of Mueller, the president's team believes independents and moderate Democrats who backed him in the last election but have since soured may return to the fold if convinced he was unfairly targeted.

Republicans who had mused about a primary challenge to Trump if Mueller returned a smoking gun may now stay on the sidelines. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, one of several Republicans considering a bid to unseat the president, had told the AP last month he would only mount a campaign if the political dynamics in the race have changed.

If anything, they've changed in Trump's favor. Major talking points for Democrats who had pinned great hopes on Mueller may have vanished. And some swing voters, wary at the prospect of endless investigations and talk of impeachment, may prove more sympathetic to the president.

The president and his allies will now link the report with the investigations launched by House Democrats and try to make the case that, in the wake of Mueller's findings, further probes are partisan overreach.

"I think they can't move forward until they apologize," Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani told The Associated Press.

He singled out Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and said the congressman's investigation would have no credibility because he had deemed Trump "treasonous" and promised clear evidence of collusion that didn't materialize.

"If there are people who contrived this investigation, who made up this collusion, maybe they themselves should be investigated," Giuliani said.

Democrats have pointed out that Mueller found evidence for and against obstruction and have demanded to see his full report.

The president's allies also intend to use the moment to heighten attacks on the media, which many Trump supporters believe unjustly fanned the flames of the special counsel's probe in an effort to bring down the president. They aim to highlight specific news organizations and, in some cases, individual reporters and paint them as biased and untrustworthy, according to two presidential confidants.

Eric Trump, the president's son, took to Twitter moments after Barr's letter was released to ask for a "simple apology" from the news media "for the hell everyone has been put through for the past two + years," listing a half-dozen news organizations.

In the days before Mueller submitted his report, Trump told his inner circle that, if the release validated him, he would use Twitter and the power of his office to trumpet the findings, complain about the probe's cost and depict the entire investigation as an attempt to obstruct his agenda, according to advisers and confidants.

The president's campaign and pro-Trump outside groups are poised to amplify the message, while his advisers expect Fox News and the conservative media to act as an echo chamber.

A full-throated attack on the investigation also will be the centerpiece of Trump campaign events, including rallies, they say.

Trump's next rally is set for Thursday in Michigan, a state he narrowly won in 2016 and will invest in heavily this time. Count on hearing an earful.

New York - March 25, 2019

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, AP Reporter

"So, for almost two years, Robert Mueller's special counsel probe investigating possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia has hovered like a dark shadow over the White House. And yesterday, it cleared. The politics of this have changed now. To be sure, questions remain. Democrats are unhappy with the four page summary the attorney general issued, they want to see the report, itself and the underlying evidence. So there are still certainly battles to be fought over that. Also, to be sure, there are other legal problems on the horizon for this president, particularly in the Southern District of New York. But the special counsel probe, which was an existential threat to this White House concludes that there was no collusion between Russia and the president and his team, which, of course, is what Donald Trump has been telling us for two years, usually in all capital letters. It did not make a decision on obstruction. Mueller said there wasn't enough evidence one way or the other to make that conclusion. The attorney general decided there was not enough to find reasonable cause for obstruction."

++ BLACK FRAMES ++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, AP Reporter

"The politics of this now change in a heartbeat where suddenly, for many months, we would have assumed that the president would have had to run for re-election, running away from the special counsel findings. Instead, he'll run with them. He will say 'look, they found that I didn't do anything wrong.' We'll hear about it after rally after rally, including his next one, which is Thursday night in Michigan. He will say 'I told you it was a witch hunt. You spent nearly two years, you spent tens of millions of dollars. You came at me. You didn't find it.' He will also link those findings to what the House Democrats are trying to do. They're launching a series of probes into all aspects of the president's life, his business and parts of the potential ties to Russia, the shadows of the 2016 election. And he will say 'look, you already had your chance. You had the investigator you wanted, I didn't interfere, he came to his conclusions. If you're still going to investigate me, that's just an example of government overreach. It's an example of partisan warfare. That's not what the American people want.' So, whether or not this works is a political tactic, of course, remains to be seen. But it now hands the president a pretty powerful political weapon where he can go out there and say 'Look, you came at me, you tried to accuse me of wrongdoing, it came back that I didn't do anything and instead Democrats are trying to impede my agenda. They're just being obstructionists, and they're getting in the way of what I'm trying to do for the American people.'"

House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler says the responsibility to look into US President Donald Trump's "crimes, lies and other wrongdoing" falls on Congress, and he has vowed to finish the work Special Counsel Robert Mueller has done.

Nadler made the comments in New York Wednesday in response to the special counsel's earlier remarks about the investigation - Mueller's first public statement since his redacted report was made public in April.

"Although Department of Justice policy prevented the special counsel from bringing criminal charges against the president, the special counsel has clearly demonstrated that President Trump is lying. He is lying about the special counsel's findings, lying about the testimony of key witnesses in the special counsel's report, and above all, lying in saying that the special counsel found no obstruction and no collusion," Nadler said.

"Unfortunately, Special Counsel Mueller was unable to pursue criminal charges against the president because Department of Justice policy prevents a sitting president from being prosecuted. That policy, in my opinion, is wrong but it prevented a special counsel from pursuing justice to the fullest extent possible. Therefore, as Mueller again highlighted this morning, it falls to Congress to respond to the crimes, lies, and other wrongdoing of President Trump," he added.

"We will do so. Make no mistake: No one, not even the president of the United States, is above the law."

Mueller's first public statement on the Russia investigation is fuelling fresh calls on Capitol Hill to begin impeachment proceedings against Trump, a step that Democratic leaders have so far resisted.

Surprising Washington with his first public statement on the Russia investigation, Mueller indicated Wednesday that it's up to Congress to decide what to do with his findings.

The special counsel said he was bound by Justice Department policy that a sitting president cannot be indicted, but stressed he could not exonerate Trump.

Instead, he said, "the Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system."

And he made clear that the process won't include him, announcing the special counsel's office is closing — and that his testimony to Congress, should he be forced to deliver it, will not go beyond what his report already says.

New York - 29 May 2019

1. Wide of Rep. Jerrold Nadler making his way to podium  ++SHOT CONTINUES INTO NEXT++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, (D) New York:

"Good afternoon. First, I want to thank Special Counsel Robert Mueller for his service to our nation over the past two years. Mr. Mueller and his team of prosecutors and investigators worked tirelessly to follow the facts and pursue justice to the furthest extent allowed. Although Department of Justice policy prevented the special counsel from bringing criminal charges against the president, the special counsel has clearly demonstrated that President Trump is lying. He is lying about the special counsel's findings, lying about the testimony of key witnesses in the special counsel's report, and above all, lying in saying that the special counsel found no obstruction and no collusion. In a statement this morning, special counsel Mueller reaffirmed his report: It found substantial evidence that Russia attacked our political system, that the Trump campaign benefited from Russian interference, that Trump and those around him repeatedly welcomed Russia's support, and that throughout the subsequent investigation, Trump sought to obstruct Mueller time and time again. Special Counsel Mueller today repeated three central points, which are critical for the American people. One, the special counsel did not exonerate the president of the United States of obstruction of justice. Two, obstruction of justice of which Special Counsel Muller found substantial evidence, is a serious crime that strikes at the core of our justice system. Three, the constitution points to Congress to take action to hold the president accountable for his misconduct. Unfortunately, Special Counsel Mueller was unable to pursue criminal charges against the president because Department of Justice policy prevents a sitting president from being prosecuted. That policy, in my opinion, is wrong but it prevented special counsel from pursuing justice to the fullest extent possible. Therefore, as Mueller again highlighted this morning, it falls to Congress to respond to the crimes, lies, and other wrongdoing of President Trump. We will do so. Make no mistake: No one, not even the president of the United States, is above the law."

++EDIT ENDS ON A SOUNDBITE++

For President Donald Trump, the fight over the "witch hunt" is only just beginning.

Now that special counsel Robert Mueller's two-year investigation into Trump's campaign is over, it's being transformed into a rallying cry and a weapon for the president's re-election campaign.

The pall of the two-year probe lifted Sunday, when Attorney General William Barr released a summary of Mueller's findings that said the wide-ranging investigation found no evidence of collusion by Trump's 2016 campaign with the Russian government.

Barr's four-page letter was immediately seized upon by the Republican president and his allies as a weapon to use against Democrats, the so-called Deep State and the media.

Even before Mueller's conclusions were revealed, it was clear that Trump saw the end of the investigation as a political opportunity.

As the president's lawyers debated legal strategy, Trump aides and political allies developed a plan to turn the end of the probe into the launching pad for a new round of attacks on the president's foes and a moment to reinvigorate his supporters in the run-up to the 2020 campaign.

With pre-written tweets and talking points, Trump surrogates rushed to claim victory and rub the results in the face of Democrats, many of whom had spent months promising that Mueller would turn up more.

"Democrats and their liberal media allies for two years slandered President @realDonaldTrump for 'conspiring with Russia,'" press secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted. "It was all a malicious, preposterous lie given wall to wall media coverage despite zero evidence. This should never again happen to an American President."

Breaking a 48-hour stretch of lawyer-imposed silence on Twitter, Trump stood on the tarmac beside Air Force One on Sunday and jubilantly hailed the results, exaggerating the findings as a total exoneration.

He also seethed that those behind the probe, which he compared to a failed coup, should be held responsible.

"You've made a great victim of Donald Trump here," Trump counsellor Kellyanne Conway said on Monday morning.

Trump's campaign moved quickly to raise money off the Mueller news, with a text message to supporters stating, "Dems raised millions off a lie. Now we FIGHT BACK!"

The team's plans going forward are more expansive, according to seven aides and allies involved with the effort, most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about private deliberations.

While Trump's base has long been suspicious of Mueller, the president's team believes independents and moderate Democrats who backed him in the last election but have since soured may return to the fold if convinced he was unfairly targeted.

Republicans who had mused about a primary challenge to Trump if Mueller returned a smoking gun may now stay on the sidelines. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, one of several Republicans considering a bid to unseat the president, had told the AP last month he would only mount a campaign if the political dynamics in the race have changed.

If anything, they've changed in Trump's favor. Major talking points for Democrats who had pinned great hopes on Mueller may have vanished. And some swing voters, wary at the prospect of endless investigations and talk of impeachment, may prove more sympathetic to the president.

The president and his allies will now link the report with the investigations launched by House Democrats and try to make the case that, in the wake of Mueller's findings, further probes are partisan overreach.

"I think they can't move forward until they apologize," Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani told The Associated Press.

He singled out Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, and said the congressman's investigation would have no credibility because he had deemed Trump "treasonous" and promised clear evidence of collusion that didn't materialize.

"If there are people who contrived this investigation, who made up this collusion, maybe they themselves should be investigated," Giuliani said.

Democrats have pointed out that Mueller found evidence for and against obstruction and have demanded to see his full report.

The president's allies also intend to use the moment to heighten attacks on the media, which many Trump supporters believe unjustly fanned the flames of the special counsel's probe in an effort to bring down the president. They aim to highlight specific news organizations and, in some cases, individual reporters and paint them as biased and untrustworthy, according to two presidential confidants.

Eric Trump, the president's son, took to Twitter moments after Barr's letter was released to ask for a "simple apology" from the news media "for the hell everyone has been put through for the past two + years," listing a half-dozen news organizations.

In the days before Mueller submitted his report, Trump told his inner circle that, if the release validated him, he would use Twitter and the power of his office to trumpet the findings, complain about the probe's cost and depict the entire investigation as an attempt to obstruct his agenda, according to advisers and confidants.

The president's campaign and pro-Trump outside groups are poised to amplify the message, while his advisers expect Fox News and the conservative media to act as an echo chamber.

A full-throated attack on the investigation also will be the centerpiece of Trump campaign events, including rallies, they say.

Trump's next rally is set for Thursday in Michigan, a state he narrowly won in 2016 and will invest in heavily this time. Count on hearing an earful.

New York - March 25, 2019

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, AP Reporter

"So, for almost two years, Robert Mueller's special counsel probe investigating possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia has hovered like a dark shadow over the White House. And yesterday, it cleared. The politics of this have changed now. To be sure, questions remain. Democrats are unhappy with the four page summary the attorney general issued, they want to see the report, itself and the underlying evidence. So there are still certainly battles to be fought over that. Also, to be sure, there are other legal problems on the horizon for this president, particularly in the Southern District of New York. But the special counsel probe, which was an existential threat to this White House concludes that there was no collusion between Russia and the president and his team, which, of course, is what Donald Trump has been telling us for two years, usually in all capital letters. It did not make a decision on obstruction. Mueller said there wasn't enough evidence one way or the other to make that conclusion. The attorney general decided there was not enough to find reasonable cause for obstruction."

++ BLACK FRAMES ++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Jonathan Lemire, AP Reporter

"The politics of this now change in a heartbeat where suddenly, for many months, we would have assumed that the president would have had to run for re-election, running away from the special counsel findings. Instead, he'll run with them. He will say 'look, they found that I didn't do anything wrong.' We'll hear about it after rally after rally, including his next one, which is Thursday night in Michigan. He will say 'I told you it was a witch hunt. You spent nearly two years, you spent tens of millions of dollars. You came at me. You didn't find it.' He will also link those findings to what the House Democrats are trying to do. They're launching a series of probes into all aspects of the president's life, his business and parts of the potential ties to Russia, the shadows of the 2016 election. And he will say 'look, you already had your chance. You had the investigator you wanted, I didn't interfere, he came to his conclusions. If you're still going to investigate me, that's just an example of government overreach. It's an example of partisan warfare. That's not what the American people want.' So, whether or not this works is a political tactic, of course, remains to be seen. But it now hands the president a pretty powerful political weapon where he can go out there and say 'Look, you came at me, you tried to accuse me of wrongdoing, it came back that I didn't do anything and instead Democrats are trying to impede my agenda. They're just being obstructionists, and they're getting in the way of what I'm trying to do for the American people.'"

House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler says the responsibility to look into US President Donald Trump's "crimes, lies and other wrongdoing" falls on Congress, and he has vowed to finish the work Special Counsel Robert Mueller has done.

Nadler made the comments in New York Wednesday in response to the special counsel's earlier remarks about the investigation - Mueller's first public statement since his redacted report was made public in April.

"Although Department of Justice policy prevented the special counsel from bringing criminal charges against the president, the special counsel has clearly demonstrated that President Trump is lying. He is lying about the special counsel's findings, lying about the testimony of key witnesses in the special counsel's report, and above all, lying in saying that the special counsel found no obstruction and no collusion," Nadler said.

"Unfortunately, Special Counsel Mueller was unable to pursue criminal charges against the president because Department of Justice policy prevents a sitting president from being prosecuted. That policy, in my opinion, is wrong but it prevented a special counsel from pursuing justice to the fullest extent possible. Therefore, as Mueller again highlighted this morning, it falls to Congress to respond to the crimes, lies, and other wrongdoing of President Trump," he added.

"We will do so. Make no mistake: No one, not even the president of the United States, is above the law."

Mueller's first public statement on the Russia investigation is fuelling fresh calls on Capitol Hill to begin impeachment proceedings against Trump, a step that Democratic leaders have so far resisted.

Surprising Washington with his first public statement on the Russia investigation, Mueller indicated Wednesday that it's up to Congress to decide what to do with his findings.

The special counsel said he was bound by Justice Department policy that a sitting president cannot be indicted, but stressed he could not exonerate Trump.

Instead, he said, "the Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system."

And he made clear that the process won't include him, announcing the special counsel's office is closing — and that his testimony to Congress, should he be forced to deliver it, will not go beyond what his report already says.

++CLIENTS PLEASE NOTE: CORRECTED SPELLING OF FIRST NAME OF JERROLD NADLER++

New York - 29 May 2019

1. Wide of Rep. Jerrold Nadler making his way to podium ++SHOT CONTINUES INTO NEXT++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Jerrold Nadler, New York Representative (Democrat):

"Good afternoon. First, I want to thank Special Counsel Robert Mueller for his service to our nation over the past two years. Mr. Mueller and his team of prosecutors and investigators worked tirelessly to follow the facts and pursue justice to the furthest extent allowed. Although Department of Justice policy prevented the special counsel from bringing criminal charges against the president, the special counsel has clearly demonstrated that President Trump is lying. He is lying about the special counsel's findings, lying about the testimony of key witnesses in the special counsel's report, and above all, lying in saying that the special counsel found no obstruction and no collusion. In a statement this morning, special counsel Mueller reaffirmed his report: It found substantial evidence that Russia attacked our political system, that the Trump campaign benefited from Russian interference, that Trump and those around him repeatedly welcomed Russia's support, and that throughout the subsequent investigation, Trump sought to obstruct Mueller time and time again. Special Counsel Mueller today repeated three central points, which are critical for the American people. One, the special counsel did not exonerate the president of the United States of obstruction of justice. Two, obstruction of justice of which Special Counsel Muller found substantial evidence, is a serious crime that strikes at the core of our justice system. Three, the constitution points to Congress to take action to hold the president accountable for his misconduct. Unfortunately, Special Counsel Mueller was unable to pursue criminal charges against the president because Department of Justice policy prevents a sitting president from being prosecuted. That policy, in my opinion, is wrong but it prevented special counsel from pursuing justice to the fullest extent possible. Therefore, as Mueller again highlighted this morning, it falls to Congress to respond to the crimes, lies, and other wrongdoing of President Trump. We will do so. Make no mistake: No one, not even the president of the United States, is above the law."

++EDIT ENDS ON A SOUNDBITE++

Pushing back on Russia harder than before, the Trump administration accused Moscow on Thursday of a concerted hacking operation targeting the U.S. energy grid, aviation systems and other infrastructure, and also imposed sanctions on Russians for alleged interference in the 2016 election.

The dual moves formed the strongest action to date against Russia by the Trump administration, long accused of being too soft on the Kremlin, and the first punishments for election-meddling since President Donald Trump took office. The sanctions list included the 13 Russians indicted last month by special counsel Robert Mueller, whose Russia investigation the president has repeatedly sought to discredit.

AP reporter Josh Lederman says the moves suggest, "the administration is giving some credence to the legal conclusion that Mueller's team is drawing. That could in turn make it harder in the future for the Trump administration to say that what Robert Mueller's team is doing is illegitimate or shouldn't be believed by the American people."

U.S. national security officials said the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and intelligence agencies had determined that Russian intelligence and others were behind a broad range of cyberattacks beginning a year ago that have infiltrated the energy, nuclear, commercial, water, aviation and manufacturing sectors.

The accusations and accompanying Russian sanctions were the most severe yet by the Trump administration in connection with hacking and other efforts to sow discord in America's democracy and compromise its infrastructure.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington DC - 15 March 2018

1. Wide, President Donald Trump, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar and Congressional leaders meeting on Capitol steps and walking into building

POOL

Washington DC - 15 March 2018

2. President Trump speaking at a luncheon with the Irish Prime Minister

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 15 March 2018

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Josh Lederman, Associated Press reporter:

"The Trump administration is accusing Russia of breaching the U.S. energy grid along with other critical infrastructure including nuclear, aviation and water systems. The U.S. is also slapping sanctions on 19 people, including the 13 Russians who were indicted last month by special counselor Robert Mueller for election interference."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 16 February 2018

4. Mid, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein walks up to podium

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Rod Rosenstein, Deputy Attorney General:

"A grand jury in the District of Columbia today returned an indictment presented by the special counsel's office. The indictment charges 13 Russian nationals and three Russian companies for committing federal crimes while seeking to interfere in the United States political system including the 2016 presidential election."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 15 March 2018

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Josh Lederman, Associated Press reporter:

"It's very notable that the Trump administration is specifically sanctioning people who were indicted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. That suggests the administration is giving some credence to the legal conclusion that Mueller's team is drawing. That could in turn make it harder in the future for the Trump administration to say that what Robert Mueller's team is doing is illegitimate or shouldn't be believed by the American people."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 13 June 2013

7. Various, then-FBI Director Robert Mueller being sworn in

8. STILL Image Mueller in committee hearing

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 15 March 2018

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Josh Lederman, Associated Press reporter:

"Some of these sanctions are using a new law that Congress passed last year authorizing the administration to punish Russians who are involved in interfering in the 2016 election. They come from the Treasury Department and mean that any assets of sanctioned individuals in the United States will be frozen. They also will be prohibited from entering the United States."

POOL

New York - 6 December 2016

10. US President-elect Donald Trump walks out of elevator at Trump Tower

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 15 March 2018

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Josh Lederman, Associated Press reporter:

"The timing of these new sanctions are very significant. Not only are the U.S. and others pointing the finger at Russia for poisoning an ex spy, but it comes just days ahead of a presidential election this weekend in Russia."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 15 March 2018

12. Mid, President Donald Trump greets Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar at White House

13. SOUNDBITE: (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President

(Reporter) "What are you going to do? Do you think Putin is behind it?

(Trump) It looks like it. I spoke to the prime minister. We are in deep discussions, a very sad situation. It certainly looks like the Russians were behind it"

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 15 March 2018

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Josh Lederman, Associated Press reporter:

"National security officials are laying out what they describe as a multifaceted and ongoing campaign by Russian hackers that involved moving between system to system, creating fake administrator accounts that were disguised to look legitimate and even deleting activity logs to try to cover their tracks."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 15 March 2018

15. Mid, President Trump sits with Irish Prime Minister Varadkar

Attorney General William Barr was reviewing the special counsel's confidential report on the Russia investigation Saturday to determine what should be made public after a nearly two-year probe that cast a dark shadow over Donald Trump's presidency.

With the long-awaited special counsel's investigation done but its contents still shrouded in mystery, Americans waited for details, yawned with boredom or stayed fixed to their long-cemented positions on President Donald Trump, the man at the probe's center.

For all the expected splash of Robert Mueller's report, it arrived with more of a thud, thanks to the secrecy surrounding.

Mueller worked in virtual silence as a stream of charges have flowed forth against 37 people and companies. From the start, with his appointment on May 17, 2017, some have framed his work as a battle of good and evil of biblical proportions.

And on the 675th day, Mueller finished his work, and he rested. But nothing immediately changed for those who had watched with bated breath.

Outside Trump Tower in New York City, a passerby was hopeful the report would be available for public viewing. "I'm hoping that the majority of Americans take an opportunity to push for transparency and really take a look and read it and see what this means for the United States and what it means for the presidency as it exists now," said Anne Curry, from Massachusetts.

Among a group of demonstrators nearby, there was some relief that the Mueller probe was over. "They were using it as material to impeach President Trump. Now we can relax. President Trump can do his job without this hanging over his head," said Amelia Arcamone-Makinano.

Even with the details still under wraps, Friday's end to the 22-month probe without additional indictments by Mueller was welcome news to some in Trump's orbit who had feared a final round of charges could ensnare more Trump associates, including members of the president's family.

The report was accessible to only a handful of Justice officials while Barr prepared to summarize the "principal conclusions."

Trump, who has relentlessly criticized Mueller's investigation as a "witch hunt," was at his golf club in Florida on Saturday, and House Democrats were planning to gather by phone later in the day as they waited for Barr's summary.

Word of the report's delivery to Barr on Friday triggered reactions across Washington, including Democrats' demands that it be quickly released to the public and Republicans' contentions that it ended two years of wasted time and money.

The next step was up to Barr, who declared he was committed to transparency and speed.

New York - 23 March 2019

1. Medium view of Trump Tower, pan to man taking photo

2. Woman walking near Trump Tower

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Anne Curry, from Massachusetts:

"I'm hoping that the majority of Americans take an opportunity to push for transparency and really take a look and read it and see what this means for the United States and what it means for the presidency as it exists now."

4. Various of demonstrators along the street near Trump Tower

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Amelia Arcamone-Makinano, pro-Trump demonstrator from New York:

"They were using it as material to impeach President Trump. Now we can relax. President Trump can do his job without this hanging over his head, without it going to his, his family was under investigation and everyone who was around President Trump was under investigation."

6. Medium of Fred and Rachel Hendrickson (husband and wife)

7. Medium view of Trump Tower  

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Rachel Hendrickson, from New Jersey:

"I may not have a very popular opinion, but I think this has been going on way too long, I think they're just digging and digging for things. I'm not saying there wasn't any type of corruption done, but I don't think it's anything any other president probably hasn't done. Our country's so divided right now that we need to come together and forget about trying to dig up dirt on the president and try to unite ourselves."

9. Medium view of demonstrators

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Fred Hendrickson, from New Jersey:

"Well, I just want to say I feel that both sides need to get along. We need to concentrate more on the economy and poor America and other important subjects, I'd like for everybody to just get along and have a good time."

11. Medium of Fred and Rachel Hendrickson (husband and wife)

12. Close view of demonstrator waving banner

Washington - 23 March 2019

13. Wide view of US Capital

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Sara Grzywacz, Washington, D.C. resident:

"What's been done is what should be happening. I don't know what happened, but I think I want to know what did and I'm excited to see what it says."

15. Wide view of White House

Former Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton told graduates at Hunter College in New York that there is "no time for apathy, instead it should be a time for action."

Clinton's comments come on the same day Special Counsel Robert Mueller broke his silence.

Mueller said Wednesday that charging President Donald Trump with a crime was "not an option" because of federal rules, but he used his first public remarks on the Russia investigation to emphasize that he did not exonerate the president.

He described wide-ranging and criminal Russian efforts to interfere in the election, including by hacking and spreading disinformation - interference that Trump has said Putin rejected to his face in an "extremely strong and powerful" denial.

And Mueller called the question of later obstruction by Trump and his campaign a matter of "paramount importance."

"We've seen from the administration is the complete refusal to condemn a foreign power who attacked our democracy or to take even the most basic steps to protect our voting systems for the future," said Clinton.

"It's so clear that there is a real challenge to get to the root of that problem. In fact it seems clear, it seems absolutely clear that we've got to deal with what has been investigated and reported."

Clinton went on to say that "we've got to deal with what has been investigated and reported."

"Citizenship is not a spectator sport. You've got to get in the game," said Clinton.

"It is even more critical to hold leaders accountable. Not only the wrongdoers but the others who fail to act. Most of them know what needs to be done. They just lack the political will to do it."

New York - 29 May 2019

1. Former Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton on stage to give speech to Hunter College graduates

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Hillary Clinton, Former. Democratic Presidential Candidate:

"There may not be tanks in our streets, but make no mistake we are witnessing an assault on the rule of law and the foundations of our democracy. Just today, before this graduation ceremony started, we heard from the Special Counsel Robert Mueller who said there were multiple systemic efforts to interfere in our election. And that allegation deserves the attention of every American."

3. Cutaway

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Hillary Clinton, Former. Democratic Presidential Candidate:

"But what we've seen from the administration is the complete refusal to condemn a foreign power who attacked our democracy or to take even the most basic steps to protect our voting systems for the future. Despite the fact that all of the professionals who study this say more attacks are coming. And it's so clear that there is a real challenge to get to the root of that problem. In fact it seems clear, it seems absolutely clear that we've got to deal with what has been investigated and reported."

5. Cutaway

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Hillary Clinton, Former. Democratic Presidential Candidate:

"When I think about the future, I think about what do we do when people in positions of authority are not held accountable, when they defy requests from the Congress, when they spread misinformation online. Now why do I bring this up at this joyous occasion of your graduation? Because the future of this democracy truly does depend on you."

7. Cutaway

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Hillary Clinton, Former. Democratic Presidential Candidate:

"And it can be tempting to read the news and throw your hands up and conclude nothing matters. Nothing will change. So why even bother? But it does really, really matter. And this is no time for apathy, instead it should be a time for action."

9. Cutaway

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Hillary Clinton, Former. Democratic Presidential Candidate:

"The question for each of us to answer especially you graduates is will the symbol of this troubled age be the cynics shrug? Or will it be the raised hand of the volunteer, the activists rolled up sleeves, the linked arms and marching feet of people who demand justice and democracy? The answer is up to all of us. And yes it is up to you. And the spirit you've shown fills me with such hope. That big hearted, hard working, expectations defying spirit, that earned you these diplomas is exactly what this country needs right now."

11. Cutaway

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Hillary Clinton, Former. Democratic Presidential Candidate:

"First, citizenship is not a spectator sport. You've got to get in the game. And in a time when we are beset by lies and propaganda it is more important than ever to seek out credible sources of information and to use the critical thinking skills you learned at Hunter to decide what is important and what is true. And it is even more critical to hold leaders accountable. Not only the wrongdoers but the others who fail to act. Most of them know what needs to be done. They just lack the political will to do it."

13. Cutaway

Former Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton told graduates at Hunter College in New York that there is "no time for apathy, instead it should be a time for action."

Clinton's comments come on the same day Special Counsel Robert Mueller broke his silence.

Mueller said Wednesday that charging President Donald Trump with a crime was "not an option" because of federal rules, but he used his first public remarks on the Russia investigation to emphasize that he did not exonerate the president.

He described wide-ranging and criminal Russian efforts to interfere in the election, including by hacking and spreading disinformation - interference that Trump has said Putin rejected to his face in an "extremely strong and powerful" denial.

And Mueller called the question of later obstruction by Trump and his campaign a matter of "paramount importance."

"We've seen from the administration is the complete refusal to condemn a foreign power who attacked our democracy or to take even the most basic steps to protect our voting systems for the future," said Clinton.

"It's so clear that there is a real challenge to get to the root of that problem. In fact it seems clear, it seems absolutely clear that we've got to deal with what has been investigated and reported."

Clinton went on to say that "we've got to deal with what has been investigated and reported."

"Citizenship is not a spectator sport. You've got to get in the game," said Clinton.

"It is even more critical to hold leaders accountable. Not only the wrongdoers but the others who fail to act. Most of them know what needs to be done. They just lack the political will to do it."

New York - 29 May 2019

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Hillary Clinton, Former. Democratic Presidential Candidate:

"There may not be tanks in our streets, but make no mistake we are witnessing an assault on the rule of law and the foundations of our democracy. Just today, before this graduation ceremony started, we heard from the Special Counsel Robert Mueller who said there were multiple systemic efforts to interfere in our election. And that allegation deserves the attention of every American."

++SEPARATED BY WHITE FLASH++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Hillary Clinton, Former. Democratic Presidential Candidate:

"But what we've seen from the administration is the complete refusal to condemn a foreign power who attacked our democracy or to take even the most basic steps to protect our voting systems for the future. Despite the fact that all of the professionals who study this say more attacks are coming. And it's so clear that there is a real challenge to get to the root of that problem. In fact it seems clear, it seems absolutely clear that we've got to deal with what has been investigated and reported."

++SEPARATED BY WHITE FLASH++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Hillary Clinton, Former. Democratic Presidential Candidate:

"And it can be tempting to read the news and throw your hands up and conclude nothing matters. Nothing will change. So why even bother? But it does really, really matter. And this is no time for apathy, instead it should be a time for action."

++SEPARATED BY WHITE FLASH++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Hillary Clinton, Former. Democratic Presidential Candidate:

"First, citizenship is not a spectator sport. You've got to get in the game. And in a time when we are beset by lies and propaganda it is more important than ever to seek out credible sources of information and to use the critical thinking skills you learned at Hunter to decide what is important and what is true. And it is even more critical to hold leaders accountable. Not only the wrongdoers but the others who fail to act. Most of them know what needs to be done. They just lack the political will to do it."

Former US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton told graduates at Hunter College in New York that there is "no time for apathy, instead it should be a time for action."

Clinton's comments come on the same day Special Counsel Robert Mueller broke his silence.

Mueller said Wednesday that charging President Donald Trump with a crime was "not an option" because of federal rules, but he used his first public remarks on the Russia investigation to emphasize that he did not exonerate the president.

He described wide-ranging and criminal Russian efforts to interfere in the election, including by hacking and spreading disinformation - interference that Trump has said Putin rejected to his face in an "extremely strong and powerful" denial.

And Mueller called the question of later obstruction by Trump and his campaign a matter of "paramount importance."

"We've seen from the administration is the complete refusal to condemn a foreign power who attacked our democracy or to take even the most basic steps to protect our voting systems for the future," said Clinton.

"It's so clear that there is a real challenge to get to the root of that problem. In fact it seems clear, it seems absolutely clear that we've got to deal with what has been investigated and reported."

Clinton went on to say that "we've got to deal with what has been investigated and reported."

"Citizenship is not a spectator sport. You've got to get in the game," said Clinton.

"It is even more critical to hold leaders accountable. Not only the wrongdoers but the others who fail to act. Most of them know what needs to be done. They just lack the political will to do it."

New York - 29 May 2019

1. Former Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton on stage to give speech to Hunter College graduates

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Hillary Clinton, Former Democratic Presidential Candidate:

"There may not be tanks in our streets, but make no mistake we are witnessing an assault on the rule of law and the foundations of our democracy. Just today, before this graduation ceremony started, we heard from the Special Counsel Robert Mueller who said there were multiple systemic efforts to interfere in our election. And that allegation deserves the attention of every American."

3. Cutaway

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Hillary Clinton, Former Democratic Presidential Candidate:

"But what we've seen from the administration is the complete refusal to condemn a foreign power who attacked our democracy or to take even the most basic steps to protect our voting systems for the future. Despite the fact that all of the professionals who study this say more attacks are coming. And it's so clear that there is a real challenge to get to the root of that problem. In fact it seems clear, it seems absolutely clear that we've got to deal with what has been investigated and reported."

5. Cutaway

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Hillary Clinton, Former Democratic Presidential Candidate:

"When I think about the future, I think about what do we do when people in positions of authority are not held accountable, when they defy requests from the Congress, when they spread misinformation online. Now why do I bring this up at this joyous occasion of your graduation? Because the future of this democracy truly does depend on you."

7. Cutaway

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Hillary Clinton, Former Democratic Presidential Candidate:

"And it can be tempting to read the news and throw your hands up and conclude nothing matters. Nothing will change. So why even bother? But it does really, really matter. And this is no time for apathy, instead it should be a time for action."

9. Cutaway

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Hillary Clinton, Former Democratic Presidential Candidate:

"The question for each of us to answer especially you graduates is will the symbol of this troubled age be the cynics shrug? Or will it be the raised hand of the volunteer, the activists rolled up sleeves, the linked arms and marching feet of people who demand justice and democracy? The answer is up to all of us. And yes it is up to you. And the spirit you've shown fills me with such hope. That big hearted, hard working, expectations defying spirit, that earned you these diplomas is exactly what this country needs right now."

11. Cutaway

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Hillary Clinton, Former Democratic Presidential Candidate:

"First, citizenship is not a spectator sport. You've got to get in the game. And in a time when we are beset by lies and propaganda it is more important than ever to seek out credible sources of information and to use the critical thinking skills you learned at Hunter to decide what is important and what is true. And it is even more critical to hold leaders accountable. Not only the wrongdoers but the others who fail to act. Most of them know what needs to be done. They just lack the political will to do it."

13. Cutaway

Special counsel Robert Mueller is set to give the first public insight into how much information President Donald Trump's former national security adviser has shared with prosecutors in the Russia investigation.

The special counsel is facing a Tuesday deadline in Michael Flynn's case to file a memorandum recommending a sentence and providing a federal judge with a description of how valuable the retired U.S. Army lieutenant general has been to the probe.

The deadline comes ahead of Flynn's Dec. 18 sentencing and more than a year after he pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about reaching out to Russian government officials on Trump's behalf.

Federal sentencing guidelines recommend between zero and six months in prison for Flynn, leaving open the possibility of probation.

The detailing of at least some of Flynn's cooperation also comes as Trump has increasingly vented his anger at the probe - and at one of his former confidantes who cooperated with it.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 10 July 2018

1. Mid pan, Michael Flynn exits SUV enters courthouse

2. Close-up pan, Michael Flynn exits courthouse as protesters shout

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, D.C. - 1 December 2017

3 . Mid, pan Michael Flynn exits court and gets into car, car drives away as protesters shout (English) "Lock him up. Lock him up. Lock him up. Convicted criminal. Criminal. Lock him up. Lock him up. "

4. Side view, Flynn exiting court

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 1 February 2017

5 . Various of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn at lectern

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Flynn, National Security Advisor

US POOL

Washington, DC - 20 January, 2017

7. Michael Flynn arrives at inauguration

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - 1 December, 2016

8. Michael Flynn walks into Trump Tower with Robert Gates, U.S. Defense Secretary under President George W. Bush and Barack Obama

Protesters nationwide have called for the protection of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into potential coordination between Russia and President Donald Trump's campaign.

Several hundred demonstrators gathered Thursday in New York's Times Square and chanted slogans including "Hands off Mueller" and "Nobody's above the law" before marching downtown.

In Chicago, Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin joined several hundred protesters at Federal Plaza.

Crowds also turned out at the White House and in Greensboro, North Carolina; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Las Vegas and many other places.

Organizers say the naming of acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker is a "deliberate attempt to obstruct the special counsel's investigation."

Trump asked for Jeff Sessions' resignation and then replaced him with Whitaker, his chief of staff. Whitaker has criticized Mueller's probe.

New York - 8 November 2018

1. Various protesters marching, chanting 'hands off Mueller,' holding anti-Trump signs

Protesters nationwide have called for the protection of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into potential coordination between Russia and President Donald Trump's campaign.

Several hundred demonstrators gathered Thursday in New York's Times Square and chanted slogans including "Hands off Mueller" and "Nobody's above the law" before marching downtown.

In Chicago, Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin joined several hundred protesters at Federal Plaza.

Crowds also turned out at the White House and in Greensboro, North Carolina; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Las Vegas and many other places.

Organizers say the naming of acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker is a "deliberate attempt to obstruct the special counsel's investigation."

Trump asked for Jeff Sessions' resignation and then replaced him with Whitaker, his chief of staff. Whitaker has criticized Mueller's probe.

New York - 8 November 2018

1. Various protesters marching, chanting 'hands off Mueller,' holding anti-Trump signs

Protesters nationwide have called for the protection of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into potential coordination between Russia and President Donald Trump's campaign.

Several hundred demonstrators gathered Thursday in New York's Times Square and chanted slogans including "Hands off Mueller" and "Nobody's above the law" before marching downtown.

In Chicago, Democratic Senator Dick Durbin joined several hundred protesters at Federal Plaza.

Crowds also turned out at the White House and in Greensboro, North Carolina; Chattanooga, Tennessee, Las Vegas and many other places.

Organizers say the naming of acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker is a "deliberate attempt to obstruct the special counsel's investigation."

Trump asked for Jeff Sessions' resignation and then replaced him with Whitaker, his chief of staff.

Whitaker has criticized Mueller's probe.

New York - 8 November 2018

1. Various protesters marching, chanting 'hands off Mueller,' holding anti-Trump signs

House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler says the responsibility to look into US President Donald Trump's "crimes, lies and other wrongdoing" falls on Congress, and he has vowed to finish the work Special Counsel Robert Mueller started.

Nadler made the comments in New York Wednesday in response to the special counsel's earlier remarks about the investigation - Mueller's first public statement since his redacted report was made public in April.

Mueller's first public statement on the Russia investigation is fueling fresh calls on Capitol Hill to begin impeachment proceedings against President Trump, a step that Democratic leaders have so far resisted.

Surprising Washington with his first public statement on the Russia investigation, Mueller indicated Wednesday that it's up to Congress to decide what to do with his findings.

The special counsel said he was bound by Justice Department policy that a sitting president cannot be indicted, but stressed he could not exonerate Trump. Instead, he said, "the Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system."

Mueller also made clear that the process won't include him, announcing the special counsel's office is closing — and that his testimony to Congress, should he be forced to deliver it, will not go beyond what his report already says.

New York - 29 May 2019

1. Wide of Rep. Jerrold Nadler making his way to podium

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, (D) New York:

"Good afternoon. First, I want to thank special counsel Robert Mueller for his service to our nation over the past two years. Mr. Mueller and his team of prosecutors and investigators worked tirelessly to follow the facts and pursue justice to the furthest extent allowed. Although Department of Justice policy prevented the special counsel from bringing criminal charges against the president, the special counsel has clearly demonstrated that President Trump is lying. He is lying about the special counsel's findings, lying about the testimony of key witnesses in the special counsel's report, and above all, lying in saying that the special counsel found no obstruction and no collusion. In a statement this morning, special counsel Mueller reaffirmed his report: It found substantial evidence that Russia attacked our political system, that the Trump campaign benefited from Russian interference, that Trump and those around him repeatedly welcomed Russia's support, and that throughout the subsequent investigation, Trump sought to obstruct Mueller time and time again. Special counsel Mueller today repeated three central points, which are critical for the American people. One, the special counsel did not exonerate the president of the United States of obstruction of justice. Two, obstruction of justice of which special counsel Muller found substantial evidence, is a serious crime that strikes at the core of our justice system. Three, the Constitution points to Congress to take action to hold the president accountable for his misconduct. Unfortunately, special counsel Mueller was unable to pursue criminal charges against the president because Department of Justice policy prevents a sitting president from being prosecuted. That policy, in my opinion, is wrong but it prevented special counsel from pursuing justice to the fullest extent possible. Therefore, as Mueller again highlighted this morning, it falls to Congress to respond to the crimes, lies, and other wrongdoing of President Trump. We will do so. Make no mistake: No one, not even the president of the United States, is above the law."

++EDIT ENDS ON A SOUNDBITE++

Attorney General William Barr was reviewing special counsel Robert Mueller's confidential report on the Russia investigation Saturday to determine what should be made public after a nearly two-year probe that cast a dark shadow over Donald Trump's presidency.

With the long-awaited special counsel's investigation done but its contents still shrouded in mystery, Americans waited for details, yawned with boredom or stayed fixed to their long-cemented positions on President Donald Trump, the man at the probe's center.

For all the expected splash of Mueller's report, it arrived with more of a thud, thanks to the secrecy surrounding.

Mueller worked in virtual silence as a stream of charges have flowed forth against 37 people and companies. From the start, with his appointment on May 17, 2017, some have framed his work as a battle of good and evil of biblical proportions.

And on the 675th day, Mueller finished his work, and he rested. But nothing immediately changed for those who had watched with bated breath.

Outside Trump Tower in New York City, a passerby was hopeful the report would be available for public viewing. "I'm hoping that the majority of Americans take an opportunity to push for transparency and really take a look and read it and see what this means for the United States and what it means for the presidency as it exists now," said Anne Curry, from Massachusetts.

Among a group of demonstrators nearby, there was some relief that the Mueller probe was over. "They were using it as material to impeach President Trump. Now we can relax. President Trump can do his job without this hanging over his head," said Amelia Arcamone-Makinano.

Even with the details still under wraps, Friday's end to the 22-month probe without additional indictments by Mueller was welcome news to some in Trump's orbit who had feared a final round of charges could ensnare more Trump associates, including members of the president's family.

The report was accessible to only a handful of Justice officials while Barr prepared to summarize the "principal conclusions."

Trump, who has relentlessly criticized Mueller's investigation as a "witch hunt," was at his golf club in Florida on Saturday, and House Democrats were planning to gather by phone later in the day as they waited for Barr's summary.

Word of the report's delivery to Barr on Friday triggered reactions across Washington, including Democrats' demands that it be quickly released to the public and Republicans' contentions that it ended two years of wasted time and money.

The next step was up to Barr, who declared he was committed to transparency and speed.

Senate Minority leader, Senator Chuck Schumer say it's "imperative" to make the full report from Special Counsel Robert Mueller public.

The top Senate Democrat says, "The American people have a right to the truth."

In a joint written statement with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, they say Attorney Gneral William Barr must not give President Donald Trump his lawyers or staff any "sneak preview" of the findings or evidence.

"The White House must not be allowed to interfere in decisions about what parts of those findings or evidence are made public," they say.

New York - 22 March 2019

1. Pan, Senator Chuck Schumer walks to microphone

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chuck Schumer, Democrat - New York:

"Now that Special Counsel Mueller has submitted his report to the Attorney General, it is imperative for Mr Barr to make the full report public and provide its underlying documentation and findings to Congress. Attorney General Barr must not give President Trump, his lawyers or his staff any sneak preview of Special Counsel Mueller's findings or evidence. And the White House must not be allowed to interfere in decisions about what parts of those findings or evidence should be made public. The special counsel's investigation focused on questions that go to the integrity of our democracy itself. Whether foreign powers corruptly interfered in our elections and whether unlawful means were used to hinder the investigation. The American people have a right to the truth, the watchword is transparency. In conclusion, the president himself has called, without qualification, for the report to be made public. There is no reason on God's green earth why Attorney General Barr should do any less. We are only going to take one question or two.

Reporter: The indications are that there are no indictments, that's the word that is coming out. Do you think if that is the case, an apology is due to the president?

I think we should wait for the full report to be issued before jumping to any conclusions. I should say that again, I think we should wait for the full report to be made public before jumping to any conclusions.

Reporter: Senator Schumer how confident are you that you will get the full depth of that report with a Trump appointed attorney general?

I think the demand of the public is overwhelming to see the report when it is on such a serious matter and it will be made public. Public pressure will force it to be.

Reporter: Any time frame?

No, thank you everybody. Last question to the Yankee fan.

Reporter:

Would you and the House and Senate accept what it says, if it is good or bad to you or not?

Look I'm not going to draw any conclusions until we see not only the whole report, but the underlying findings and documentation. Thank you everybody."

3. Pan, Schumer walks away

RESTRICTION SUMMARY: AP CLIENTS ONLY

SHOTLIST:

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

New York - 22 March 2019

1. Pan, Senator Chuck Schumer walks to microphone

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chuck Schumer, Democrat - New York:

"Now that Special Counsel Mueller has submitted his report to the Attorney General, it is imperative for Mr Barr to make the full report public and provide its underlying documentation and findings to Congress. Attorney General Barr must not give President Trump, his lawyers or his staff any sneak preview of Special Counsel Mueller's findings or evidence. And the White House must not be allowed to interfere in decisions about what parts of those findings or evidence should be made public. The special counsel's investigation focused on questions that go to the integrity of our democracy itself. Whether foreign powers corruptly interfered in our elections and whether unlawful means were used to hinder the investigation. The American people have a right to the truth, the watchword is transparency. In conclusion, the president himself has called, without qualification, for the report to be made public. There is no reason on God's green earth why Attorney General Barr should do any less. We are only going to take one question or two.

Reporter:  The indications are that there are no indictments, that's the word that is coming out. Do you think if that is the case, an apology is due to the president?

I think we should wait for the full report to be issued before jumping to any conclusions. I should say that again, I think we should wait for the full report to be made public before jumping to any conclusions.

Reporter: Senator Schumer how confident are you that you will get the full depth of that report with a Trump appointed attorney general?

I think the demand of the public is overwhelming to see the report when it is on such a serious matter and it will be made public.  Public pressure will force it to be.

Reporter: Any time frame?

No, thank you everybody. Last question to the Yankee fan.

Reporter:

Would you and the House and Senate accept what it says, if it is good or bad to you or not?

Look I'm not going to draw any conclusions until we see not only the whole report, but the underlying findings and documentation. Thank you everybody."

3. Pan, Schumer walks away

STORYLINE:

Senate Minority leader, Senator Chuck Schumer say it's "imperative" to make the full report from Special Counsel Robert Mueller public.

The top Senate Democrat says, "The American people have a right to the truth."

In a joint written statement with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, they say Attorney Gneral William Barr must not give President Donald Trump his lawyers or staff any "sneak preview" of the findings or evidence.

"The White House must not be allowed to interfere in decisions about what parts of those findings or evidence are made public," they say.

===========================================================

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Senate Minority leader, Senator Chuck Schumer say it's "imperative" to make the full report from Special Counsel Robert Mueller public.

The top Senate Democrat says, "The American people have a right to the truth."

In a joint written statement with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, they say Attorney Gneral William Barr must not give President Donald Trump his lawyers or staff any "sneak preview" of the findings or evidence.

"The White House must not be allowed to interfere in decisions about what parts of those findings or evidence are made public," they say.

New York - 22 March 2019

1. Pan, Senator Chuck Schumer walks to microphone

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chuck Schumer, Democrat - New York:

"Now that Special Counsel Mueller has submitted his report to the Attorney General, it is imperative for Mr Barr to make the full report public and provide its underlying documentation and findings to Congress. Attorney General Barr must not give President Trump, his lawyers or his staff any sneak preview of Special Counsel Mueller's findings or evidence. And the White House must not be allowed to interfere in decisions about what parts of those findings or evidence should be made public. The special counsel's investigation focused on questions that go to the integrity of our democracy itself. Whether foreign powers corruptly interfered in our elections and whether unlawful means were used to hinder the investigation. The American people have a right to the truth, the watchword is transparency. In conclusion, the president himself has called, without qualification, for the report to be made public. There is no reason on God's green earth why Attorney General Barr should do any less. We are only going to take one question or two.

Reporter: The indications are that there are no indictments, that's the word that is coming out. Do you think if that is the case, an apology is due to the president?

I think we should wait for the full report to be issued before jumping to any conclusions. I should say that again, I think we should wait for the full report to be made public before jumping to any conclusions.

Reporter: Senator Schumer how confident are you that you will get the full depth of that report with a Trump appointed attorney general?

I think the demand of the public is overwhelming to see the report when it is on such a serious matter and it will be made public. Public pressure will force it to be.

Reporter: Any time frame?

No, thank you everybody. Last question to the Yankee fan.

Reporter:

Would you and the House and Senate accept what it says, if it is good or bad to you or not?

Look I'm not going to draw any conclusions until we see not only the whole report, but the underlying findings and documentation. Thank you everybody."

3. Pan, Schumer walks away

Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, has pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about work he did on a Trump real estate deal in Russia.

Cohen made a surprise appearance Thursday in a New York courtroom.

He admitted to making false statements in 2017 to the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence about a plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow.

In August, Cohen pleaded guilty to other federal charges involving his taxi businesses, bank fraud and his campaign work for Trump.

One of the prosecutors working with Special Counsel Robert Mueller was present in the courtroom.

Cohen's lawyer told the judge the plea deal involved cooperation with Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the U.S. election.

New York - 29 November 2018

1. Michael Cohen walks out of courthouse with lawyer, sits in car

2. Car drives away