Thread by @bradheath

We won't know today what's in Mueller's final report. But it's worth taking some time to think about what he's revealed already: Russia conducted an extensive operation to sway the election to help Trump, his aides worked to benefit from it, then lied to conceal those ties.

The first lie – the first one that was a crime, at least – came on the fourth day of Donald Trump’s presidency, in a White House office down the hall from Trump’s own.

usatoday.com/story/news/pol…

Mueller's office devoted considerable attention to the Trump associates who lied to Congress and federal investigators. And to the question still hanging over the investigation: Why?

"Loyalty" and "orders."

usatoday.com/story/news/pol…

Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, said he had lied to Congress because Trump wanted him to. He said the president didn't tell him directly, but didn't have to. "In his way, he was telling me to lie."

We know Cohen's false statements are one of the subjects about which he provided information to Mueller. We don't know what he told investigators, but they told a judge that they had determined it was both 'relevant and truthful."

This all started with a Russian campaign to sow discord in the election that put President Trump in office. There's a remarkable body of evidence about what the Russian government did and why. Part of the motive, the U.S. says, was helping Trump win.

usatoday.com/story/news/201…

There are a lot of blanks to fill in. Mueller filled one yesterday by not recommending additional indictments, suggesting he didn't see a criminal tie between Trump's campaign and Russia. When will we learn the rest?

Maybe tomorrow.

Maybe not.