Most students don’t know who Robert Mueller is, what he did, and why it is important, so I’m here to set the record straight.

Mueller, a former attorney and FBI director for 12 years under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, was hired by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to serve as special counsel for the United States Department of Justice in May of 2017. According to The New York Times, Mueller’s role was to oversee the investigation into “any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump, and any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation.”

Mueller spent three years conducting research to determine if President Trump, or any of people involved with him or his campaign, collaborated with Russia to electronically hack the 2016 election, so Trump would win the presidency over former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Recently, he found several individuals, such as Mr. Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign manager, and Mr. Rick Gates, Manafort’s former colleague, who had dealings with Russian citizens or officials.

However, none of those responsible have been found to be in alliance with Trump. On March 22, Mueller concluded his investigation and submitted his findings to Attorney General Mr. William Barr. On March 24, Barr submitted a four page summary of findings to the United States Congress, and stated in his letter, “The Special Counsel’s investigation did not find that the Trump campaign or anyone associated with it conspired or coordinated with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election.” According to CBS News, Mueller’s investigation further did not establish that President Trump committed an obstruction of justice, but it also did not “exonerate” him. However, the special counsel did suggest that the U.S. Congress could take up the obstruction of justice aspect of the case. If Mueller had found details about Russia and Trump working together to hack the system, that would have been a good enough reason to impeach our president.

Still, many Democrats have been angered by Barr’s refusal to release more than his four page summary of Mueller’s report. This is controversial because many members of Congress, such as Jerry Nadler (D – NY) and Steny H. Hoyer, (D – MD), are becoming curious as to whether the summary contains a truthful account of the report.  Subsequently, a redacted (edited) version of Mueller’s report, which is 400 pages long, was released to the public on April 18, but the House Judiciary Committee would like to interview Mueller as they have dozens of questions about his findings. According to www.thehill.com, “Democrats have accused Barr, who testified before the panel last week, of mishandling Mueller’s report and misleading the public about the underlying conclusions of the investigation.” As of the publishing of this article, Mueller is not scheduled to appear before the House Judiciary Committee.  

Students should know about this because, in the real world, they will have to comprehend the fact that there are serious security threats to our country – not just physical threats that endanger the lives of our citizens, but cyber threats that jeopardize the very foundations of our democracy. Also, they should know what’s going on in the country politically so they can become informed citizens and, as they grow to become voting members of society, make prudent decisions about the issues of the day. That way, when they are able to vote, they will be armed with knowledge to choose what they believe is right for themselves and for their country.

The necessity for this investigation has resulted in a situation where our country is so starkly divided between two groups, that either one will do whatever they can to win. This investigation has underscored the divide between liberals and conservatives in the United States and the us vs. them mentality of Democrats and Republicans.

According to the 2012 Washington Times article “George Washington’s views on political parties in America” by Dennis Jamison, our first president cautioned against the separation of political parties. “He warned of the possibility fearing [America’s political parties] could distract the government from its required duty to the people and even lead to the eradication of the freedoms established by the founding,” wrote Jamison.

Nowadays, the argument over which party is better can cause the loss of friendships, relationships, and divide families. Families should come together even though they might not agree, and have family talks together about their differences. This report has caused a lot of controversy recently, but that is no reason to separate because of one’s beliefs. I have witnessed this happen with a friendship. Two years ago, some people I know got into a fight about the election, and that was the end of the friendship. I was not involved, but I was a witness to this incident.

Mueller has done a service to this country. He has shown that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. People thought that Trump rigged the system by soliciting the Russians to manipulate the presidential election, but when the special counsel’s team “opened the book,” it found that there was no clear evidence that this took place.

He has also demonstrated that other countries, such as Russia, can hack into emails, websites, and use propaganda on social media to sway people’s opinions when it comes to candidates. While technology may make our everyday lives easier, it also poses certain threats if people abuse or manipulate it.

While Mueller’s full report has yet to be released, the main idea is clear: President Trump had nothing to do with Russia’s attack. No matter what side of the aisle one is on, we all must respect the findings and the decision of the Department of Justice which found that President Trump was not involved in collusion with Russian authorities or agents. If Americans are upset with these findings or have lost confidence in our president, they can speak with their votes in next year’s presidential election.