Robert Mueller’s inability to prove a criminal conspiracy between Donald Trump’s campaign and Russia is one of the most significantly misinterpreted facts in recent history. The lack of a conspiracy charge demonstrates that there is a dearth of laws designed to stop collusion between presidential campaigns and hostile foreign powers. (As Mueller testified, “We did not address ‘collusion,’ which is not a legal term.”) It further showed the difficulty of prosecuting a boss who is careful not to allow notes or incriminating evidence in his presence, especially when the lieutenants involved in the plot (Paul Manafort, Roger Stone) refuse to flip on him because he dangles pardons. If Mafia bosses had the pardon power, they wouldn’t be prosecuted very often either.

What the episode did not........

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