From Mueller's report.............. "In evaluating whether evidence about collective action of multiple individuals constituted a crime, we applied the framework of conspiracy law, not the concept of "collusion." In so doing, the Office recognized that the word "collud[ e ]" was used in communications with the Acting Attorney General confirming certain aspects of the investigation's scope and that the term has frequently been invoked in public reporting about the investigation. But collusion is not a specific offense or theory of liability found in the United States Code, nor is it a term of art in federal criminal law. For those reasons, the Office's focus in analyzing questions of joint criminal liability was on conspiracy as defined in federal law. In connection with that analysis, we addressed the factual question whether members of the Trump Campaign "coordinat[ ed]"-a term that appears in the appointment order-with Russian election interference activities. Like collusion, "coordination" does not have a settled definition in federal criminal law. We understood coordination to require an agreement-tacit or express-between the Trump Campaign and the Russian government on election interference." IOW, in order to meet the standard Mueller uses to define anything that transpired between Russia and Team Trump as a conspiracy, it would have required a tacit or expressed agreement between the two. For example, Mueller had no evidence an agreement was reached between Paul Manafort and the Russians such that the Trump campaign would help Russia with it's social media targeting in order to concentrate on those areas of the US that could swing the election in Vlad's favorite candidate's direction. But Manafort did provide polling data to a Russian government operative, Kilimnik.. And he did discuss the campaign's strategy for winning over Dem votes in the midwest with Kilimnik. Mueller found no evidence of direct contacts between Russia and Team Trump over the release of more stolen material given to Wikileaks by the Russians. But he did find evidence Team Trump was made aware more material was forthcoming through back channels, prompting the campaign to form a communications plan based on the future release of that material. So.........let's not get hung up on semantics. It is fair to say what happened lacked coordination between Russia and Team Trump by virtue of direct contact. But it's also fair to say Team Trump was aware of Russia's attempt to help them and used the attack on our democracy to their advantage, indeed they encouraged it. It was deceitful, it was unethical, and it was un-American.
