memeorandum: At the center of Mueller's inquiry, a campaign that appeared to welcome Russia's help (Washington Post)

12:45 PM ET, March 23, 2019

Top Items:

As Mueller Report Lands, Prosecutorial Focus Moves to New York — Even as the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, submitted his confidential report to the Justice Department on Friday, federal and state prosecutors are pursuing about a dozen other investigations that largely grew out of his work …

Discussion: Law & Crime, Raw Story, emptywheel, BuzzFeed News and New York Post

Benjamin Wittes / Lawfare:

Very Quick Thoughts on the End of the Mueller Investigation — Attorney General William Barr now has the Mueller Report, and the world looks a heck of a lot like it did yesterday, when Barr did not have the Mueller Report. At least, it appears to. The major difference is that the mystery before us has slightly changed form.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, POLITICUSUSA, CNN, The Atlantic and Washington Post

Manu Raju / CNN:

Kushner provides documents to House Judiciary in obstruction probe — Special counsel Robert Mueller ends investigation — Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner is providing records to the House Judiciary Committee for its probe into obstruction of justice …

Discussion: The Hill, Axios, LifeZette, fox8.com, Fox News, Breitbart and Washington Press

Gregg Re / Fox News:

AG Barr aims to release Mueller report ‘top-line’ conclusions Saturday night, won't ‘parse words, play games,’ source says — Attorney General William Barr is pushing to reveal the principal conclusions of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report as early as Saturday night …

Discussion: Associated Press, New York Times and The First Street Journal

Mary Papenfuss / HuffPost:

Trump Has Slapped His Brand On Images Of The White House To Sell At His Trump Store — President blurs the line again between his business and government. — President Donald Trump has emblazoned the “Trump” brand name on images of the White House to sell in his Trump Store and at the Trump International Hotel in the capital.

Heather Caygle / Politico:

Democrats plot ways to force release of Mueller findings — House Democrats are huddling Saturday to strategize how to force special counsel Robert Mueller's potentially explosive findings into the open — a possible drag-out legal fight that could consume Washington for months.

Discussion: ABC News, Viking Pundit and FiveThirtyEight

Byron York / Washington Examiner:

Five things that didn't happen in the Mueller investigation — Robert Mueller has delivered his report on the Trump-Russia investigation to Attorney General William Barr. Sometime soon, perhaps within hours, Barr will send the report's “principal conclusions” to Congress.

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Alexandra Hutzler / Newsweek:

Robert Mueller's Report Is ‘Just the Beginning’ of Donald Trump's Legal Troubles, Experts Say — Special counsel Robert Mueller has finally completed his nearly two-year investigation into Russian election interference, handing off his highly anticipated report to the attorney general on Friday.

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, Breitbart and Townhall

Ken Starr / The Atlantic:
Mueller Cannot Seek an Indictment. And He Must Remain Silent.

Discussion: Townhall, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Slate and Politico

Mike Allen / Axios:
With Mueller report submitted, Trump's legal team feels “cautious optimism”

Discussion: Political Wire, Breitbart and Vox

The Daily Caller:
CNN Forced To Admit Mueller Report Vindicates Trump

Discussion: RedState and Breitbart

New York Post: Mueller wraps up — but don't expect the hysteria to end

New York Times:
William Barr Hopes to Update Lawmakers on Mueller Report This Weekend

Discussion: Politico, Fox News, Mercury News, Raw Story, Vanity Fair, Quartz and TalkLeft

Timothy L. O'Brien / Bloomberg:
How Much of Mueller's Report Will See Daylight?

Discussion: New York Times, The Guardian, Spectator USA and VICE News

New York Times:
Mueller Delivers Report on Trump-Russia Investigation to Attorney General

Discussion: Townhall, The Federalist, Common Dreams, The Nation, Shareblue Media, Raw Story, SFist, The Mary Sue, Vox, Common Cause, Washington Post, Hot Air, New York Times, Outside the Beltway, Politico, The Stranger and Washington Monthly

Washington Post:
Mueller report sent to attorney general, signaling his Russia investigation has ended

New York Times:
Mueller Delivers Report on Russia Investigation to Attorney General

Mike Levine / ABC News:
Mueller report handed off to Department of Justice; won't recommend any further indictments, a senior official says

Discussion: RedState, NBC News, Axios, Joe.My.God., Refinery29, CBS News, BuzzFeed News, One America News Network, Raw Story, Breitbart, Bloomberg, FiveThirtyEight, Instapundit, The Week and The Gateway Pundit

Jonathan V. Last / The Bulwark:
Four Arguments About the Mueller Report You Should Ignore

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Andrew Prokop / Vox:
Robert Mueller has completed his report

Discussion: Power Line, New York Times, Political Wire, Breitbart and Politico

Eric Tucker / Associated Press:
Mueller concludes Russia probe, delivers report to AG Barr

Discussion: Breitbart, Damian J. Penny, POLITICUSUSA, Florida Politics, Al Jazeera, Byline Times, Raw Story, KTLA, Quartz, Common Dreams and Towleroad Gay News

Dareh Gregorian / NBC News:
Mueller submits report on Trump investigation to AG Barr

Discussion: The Bulwark, Washington Post, twitchy.com, CNBC, WHNT-TV, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, VICE News and Common Dreams

Gina Salamone / New York Daily News:

Barbra Streisand says Michael Jackson's accusers were ‘thrilled to be there’ and his ‘sexual needs were his sexual needs’ — Barbra Streisand is under fire for comments she made about two men accusing Michael Jackson of sexually assaulting them as children.

Discussion: Fox News, Daily Wire, RT, Deadline, USA Today, IndieWire, The Root, Rolling Stone, Mediaite, Outside the Beltway, Towleroad Gay News, Page Six and The Wrap

Pat Saperstein / Variety:

Barbra Streisand Believes Michael Jackson Accusers, But Says ‘They Were Thrilled to Be There’ — Jane Fonda, Thierry Fremaux, Alexander Payne Advocate to Save Classic Films at HFPA Restoration Summit — Barbra Streisand only met Michael Jackson a few times, but she definitely has some opinions …

Discussion: RedState, Althouse and Fox News

Lance Williams / Politico:

Recording Reveals Oil Industry Execs Laughing at Trump Access — Gathered for a private meeting at a beachside Ritz-Carlton in Southern California, the oil executives were celebrating a colleague's sudden rise. David Bernhardt, their former lawyer, had been appointed by President Donald Trump …

Discussion: Raw Story, Common Dreams, Political Wire, The Colorado Independent and Reveal

Washington Post:

At the center of Mueller's inquiry, a campaign that appeared to welcome Russia's help — Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III has concluded his investigation without charging any Americans with conspiring with Russia to interfere in the 2016 campaign and help elect Donald Trump.

Discussion: Hullabaloo

Washington Post:
‘If you took it all in in one day, it would kill you’: What Mueller's investigation has already revealed

Discussion: Yahoo News, Hullabaloo and Slate

Aaron Rupar / Vox:
Fox News has normalized a lie about the origins of the Russia investigation

Discussion: Washington Post, Shareblue Media and WTOP

Rukmini Callimachi / New York Times:

ISIS Caliphate Crumbles as Last Village in Syria Falls — American-backed forces took the last remnant of territory under Islamic State rule in Syria, but signs of the group's resurgence are already visible. — A four-year military operation to flush the Islamic State from its territory …

Discussion: Slate, The Guardian and Washington Free Beacon

Marc Caputo / Politico:

Graham delights Mar-a-Lago crowd, with Trump looking on — PALM BEACH, Florida — Sen. Lindsey Graham delivered a rousing speech behind closed doors at Mar-a-Lago on Friday night, joking about the prospect of President Donald Trump opening a hotel in Jerusalem and asking the crowd whether …

Discussion: Raw Story

The Montgomery Advertiser:

Southern Poverty Law Center President Richard Cohen to step down — What we know about SPLC's firing of co-founder Morris Dees — Southern Poverty Law Center President Richard Cohen said in a statement Friday he has asked the board of the troubled organization to “to immediately launch …

Discussion: Washington Times, Fox News, Tennessee Star, New York Post and Townhall

Matt Pearce / Los Angeles Times:
Head of Southern Poverty Law Center, Richard Cohen, announces resignation amid internal upheaval

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Anne Applebaum / Washington Post:

Theresa May isn't the adult in the room. She's part of the problem. — “She was dealt a bad hand.” “She took a poisoned chalice.” From a great distance, it is possible to feel sorry for British Prime Minister Theresa May. She seems so dignified. She seems to be trying so hard.

Discussion: The Guardian and Towleroad Gay News

The Texas Tribune:

These naturalized citizens belong on the Texas voter rolls. A state review could have kicked them off. — My office has received information concerning your registration to vote. Your registration status is being investigated because there is reason to believe you may not be a United States citizen.