Vermont’s lone member of the U.S. House of Representatives played a noteworthy role Wednesday in the long-awaited questioning of former special counsel Robert Mueller, prompting the reluctant prosecutor to express concern over Russian interference in future U.S. elections.
Under friendly questioning from Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Mueller said he shared the representative’s concern that future political campaign operatives may not feel compelled to report to federal authorities efforts by a “hostile foreign power” to influence U.S. elections.
“I hope that is not the new normal, but I fear it is,” Mueller said, an answer among the most notable that he gave during the closely watched hearing.
In that exchange and others, Welch, a former personal injury attorney, succeeded where some of his colleagues failed in getting Mueller to engage with the committee instead of deflecting and deferring, as he did much of the day.
Mueller initially gave halting answers to Welch’s questions, which began several hours into his testimony. He struggled to recall the distinction between “conspiracy,” which is a legal term, and “collusion,” which is not.
Welch helped him out with a friendly reminder. He then led Mueller to confirm that just because he had not found enough evidence to prove a crime beyond a reasonable doubt, “that decision does not mean your investigation failed to turn up evidence of conspiracy.”
“Absolutely correct,” Mueller answered.
Welch then outlined several findings from Mueller’s report well known to the public. They included Trump’s former campaign chair Paul Manafort providing polling data to Russian agents; Donald Trump Jr.’s infamous June 2016 meeting in Trump Tower to get dirt on Hillary Clinton; Trump publicly exhorting the Russians to hack Clinton’s email; and, as Welch put it, how the campaign “devised its strategy and messaging around Wikileaks releases.”
Citing these and other examples, Welch asked Mueller if “we’ve established a new normal from this past campaign that is going to apply to future campaigns” where campaign officials won’t feel compelled to report such efforts to the FBI or others.
Mueller then responded about his fear of the “new normal.”
Asked finally by Welch for advice about how Congress could protect the nation’s election system going forward, Mueller said better coordination between intelligence agencies was vital.
“The first line of defense, really, is the ability of the various agencies who have some piece of this to not only share information but share expertise, share targets, to use the full resources that we have to address this problem,” he said.
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Did Welch ask any questions about the well documented conspiracy between Hillary’s campaign, the DNC, Fusion GPS, Steele, Obama’s administration and a host of others complicit in the false and misleading Steele Dossier and the investigation itself?
If you watched it you would have seen that Mueller was asked those things by many of the committee members..
“I hope that is not the new normal, but I fear it is,” said Mueller. I hope we are going to make sure it never happens again. If we don’t do that, how can we be an independent nation? Anyone who blocks efforts to secure the election against outside influences (Mitch?), is a traitor. Anyone who works to get an honest count (on paper), of everyone’s vote, is a patriot. One of our basic principles is to have public elections. We must make sure of our security. If Russia can “hack” the election, it’s all a charade. And WE invented this technology!
As Mueller said to the question of whether the Russians have stopped, “They’re doing it as we sit here.”
Mueller may “fear it is the new normal,” but it can Never be the new “normal.” Give equal votes to all citizens, and make That the new normal.
If 30% of the States have 70% of the people, they should have 70% of the voters. If “The 25 least populous states contain less than one-sixth of the total population,” as I just found out, they should have one-sixth of the voters. You know where I’m going with this. Each vote is equal, in the New Normal. Please – bring it on.
Charlie Messing, one of the unique features of the unique features of the US founders was a realization how a few highly populated locations could control elections rendering other areas inconsequential. They developed the Electoral College to make for a more equitable election for all areas of the country. Just because something is good for NYC or LA does not mean it is good for the rest of the country.
I support the electoral college for this reason
Also i believe only legal citizens should vote. What is to stop another country facilitating a mass move of non- citizens from crossing a border and changing the outcome of an election?
With the discovery process into the Bidens, and AG Barr getting first-hand info on their seemingly corrupt involvement in Ukraine and China, I think the tide of public opinion regarding Demorats is turning against them bigly. Am hoping that some of the 1,200+ sealed indictments will be for the VT delegation. From their partys Hillary election frauds to the 9/11 coverup, they all need investigating.