Debunking Randy Shipley's anti-Trump Argument of August 2019 Part 8

Randy Shipley (or factcheck dot org?):  The report is very clear that Mueller's investigation did not establish that the Trump campaign criminally conspired on illegal Russian election interference, or that it coordinated with Russia through either an active or tacit agreement.

This is the only thing that matters. Case closed with regards to collusion.

Randy Shipley (or factcheck?):  But the report, combined with other publicly known facts -- that Donald Trump Jr. arranged a meeting with the express purpose of obtaining Russian 'dirt' on Clinton,

The meeting was to obtain documentary evidence for claims that Hillary may have violated campaign/election laws. The person that they talked to was not able to provide that information. She may have been making things up just to get a shoe in the door.

From the Mueller Report:

"Trump Jr. invited campaign chairman Paul Manafort and senior advisor Jared Kushner to attend the meeting, and both attended. Members of the Campaign discussed the meeting before it occurred, and Michael Cohen recalled that Trump Jr. may have told candidate Trump about an upcoming meeting to receive adverse information about Clinton , without linking the meeting to Russia. According to written answers submitted by President Trump, he has no recollection of learning of the meeting at the time, and the Office found no documentary evidence showing that he was made aware of the meeting--or its Russian connection-before it occurred." -- Mueller Report 

Note, the investigation was to check for conspiracy/collusion. Obtaining documentary evidence that the opposition may have violated U.S. Election Law doesn't fall under that umbrella.

Randy Shipley (or factcheck dot org?): ...and that Papadopoulos was offered similar dirt from a Russian agent, among others -- paints a damning picture of the campaign."

The statement is misleading.

From the Mueller Report:

"In late April 2016, Papadopoulos was told by London-based professor Joseph Mifsud, immediately after Mifsud ' s return from a trip to Moscow, that the Russian government had obtained "dirt" on candidate Clinton in the form of thousands of emails. One week later, on May 6, 2016, Papadopoulos suggested to a representative of a foreign government that the Trump Campaign had received indications from the Russian government that it could assist the Campaign through the anonymous release of information that would be damaging to candidate Clinton. 

"Papadopoulos shared information about Russian 'dirt' with people outside of the Campaign, and the Office investigated whether he also provided it to a Campaign official. Papadopoulos and the Campaign officials with whom he interacted told the Office that they did not recall that Papadopoulos passed them the information. Throughout the relevant period of time and for several months thereafter, Papadopoulos worked with Mifsud and two Russian nationals to arrange a meeting between the Campaign and the Russian government. That meeting 'never came to pass'." -- Mueller Report

He received information from a London based professor. A Maltese national. Papadopoulos was acting on his own capacity.