True, That Is Accurate

Mueller Time, Part Two: From Chairman Adam Schiff's opening questions by the House Intelligence Committee.

SCHIFF:

...Director Mueller, your report describes a sweeping and systematic effort by Russia to influence our presidential election. Is that correct?

MUELLER:

That is correct.

SCHIFF:

And during the course of this Russian interference in the election, the Russians made outreach to the Trump campaign, did they not?

MUELLER:

That occurred over the course of - yes, that occurred.

SCHIFF:

In fact, the campaign welcomed the Russian help, did they not?

MUELLER:

I think we have - we report in our - in the report indications that that occurred, yes.

SCHIFF:

The president's son said when he was approached about dirt on Hillary Clinton that the Trump campaign would love it?

MUELLER:

That is generally what was said, yes.

SCHIFF:

The president himself called on the Russians to hack Hillary's emails?

MUELLER:

There was a statement by the president in those general lines.

SCHIFF:

Numerous times during the campaign the president praised the releases of the Russian-hacked emails through WikiLeaks?

MUELLER:

That did occur.

SCHIFF:

That language comes from Volume 1, page 54. Apart from the Russians wanting to help Trump win, several individuals associated with the Trump campaign were also trying to make money during the campaign and transition. Is that correct?

MUELLER:

That is true.

SCHIFF:

Paul Manafort was trying to make money or achieve debt forgiveness from a Russian oligarch?

MUELLER:

Generally that is accurate

.

SCHIFF:

Michael Flynn was trying to make money from Turkey?

MUELLER:

True.

SCHIFF:

Donald Trump was trying to make millions from a real estate deal in Moscow?

MUELLER:

To the extent you're talking about the hotel in Moscow?

SCHIFF:

Yes.

MUELLER:

Yes.

SCHIFF:

When your investigation looked into these matters, numerous Trump associates lied to your team, the grand jury, and to Congress?

MUELLER:

A number of persons that we interviewed in our investigation turns out did lie.

SCHIFF:

Mike Flynn lied?

MUELLER:

He was convicted of lying, yes.

SCHIFF:

George Papadopoulos was convicted of lying?

MUELLER:

True.

SCHIFF:

Paul Manafort was convicted of lying?

MUELLER:

True.

SCHIFF:

Paul Manafort was - in fact, went so far as to encourage other people to lie?

MUELLER:

That is accurate.

SCHIFF:

Manafort's deputy, Rick Gates, lied?

MUELLER:

That is accurate.

SCHIFF:

Michael Cohen, the president's lawyer, was indicted for lying?

MUELLER:

True.

SCHIFF:

He lied to stay on message with the president?

MUELLER:

Allegedly by him.

SCHIFF:

And when Donald Trump called your investigation a witch hunt, that was also false, was it not?

MUELLER:

I'd like to think so, yes.

SCHIFF:

Well, your investigation is not a witch hunt. Is...

MUELLER:

It is not a witch hunt.

SCHIFF:

When the president said the Russian interference was a hoax, that was false, wasn't it?

MUELLER:

True.

SCHIFF:

When the president said he had no business dealings with Russia, that was false, wasn't it?

MUELLER:

I'm not going to go into the details of the report that are along those lines.

SCHIFF:

You would consider a billion dollar deal to build a tower in Moscow to be business dealings, wouldn't you, Director Mueller?

MUELLER:

Absolutely.

SCHIFF:

In short, your investigation found evidence that Russia wanted to help Trump win the election, right?

MUELLER:

I think generally that would be accurate.

SCHIFF:

Russia informed campaign officials of that?

MUELLER:

I'm not certain to what conversation you're referring to.

SCHIFF:

Well, through an intermediary then informed Papadopoulos that they could help with the anonymous release of stolen emails?

MUELLER:

Accurate.

SCHIFF:

Russia committed federal crimes in order to help Donald Trump?

MUELLER:

When you're talking about computer crimes in the charge...

SCHIFF:

Yes.

MUELLER:

... in our case, absolutely.

SCHIFF:

The Trump campaign officials built their strategy - their messaging strategy around those stolen documents?

MUELLER:

Generally that's true.

SCHIFF:

And then they lied to cover it up.

MUELLER:

Generally, that's true.

SCHIFF:

Thank you.