Robert Mueller, the special counsel who oversaw the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible ties into President Donald Trump, says he’s disappointed in criticism of his team based on “incomplete information” following the publication of a book on the probe by Andrew Weissman, one of the lead prosecutors on the case.
“It is not surprising that members of the Special Counsel’s Office did not always agree, but it is disappointing to hear criticism of our team based on incomplete information,” Mueller said in a statement released Tuesday.
“The office's mission was to follow the facts and to act with integrity. That is what we did, knowing that our work would be scrutinized from all sides. When important decisions had to be made, I made them. I did so as I have always done, without any interest in currying favor or fear of the consequences. I stand by those decisions and by the conclusions of our investigation."
Weissman’s book, “Where Law Ends,” is the first inside account of the investigation.
In it, he says the team led by Mueller failed to do everything it could to determine what happened in the 2016 election.
“Had we used all available tools to uncover the truth, undeterred by the onslaught of the president’s unique powers to undermine our efforts? I know the hard answer to that simple question: We could have done more.”
He speaks reverently of Mueller, but also defined him as overly cautious.