Idaho’s U.S. senator Risch: Evidence ‘did not come close’ to collusion by Trump

Idaho Republican Sen. Jim Risch said the evidence “did not come close” to collusion by President Trump.

The Senate Intelligence Committee member praised special counsel Robert Mueller’s handling of the investigation into the Trump campaign and Russian in the 2016 presidential election in a statement Sunday.

“Special Counsel Robert Mueller deserves recognition for conducting a straightforward investigation into Russia’s attempted interference in our elections, despite the magnifying glass he worked under over the past two years,” Risch said.

“For me, there was no news in Mueller’s report. We have reviewed thousands of documents including dozens of witness statements throughout the Senate Intelligence Committee’s investigation, and I reached the same conclusion as Mueller: President Trump did not collude with the Russians. Having made thousands of prosecutorial decisions as a prosecutor, I know evidence of a crime when I see it, and what was presented in this case did not come close.

It is time for the nation, Democrats and media to come together and “move forward as one,” Risch said.

“Over the past two years, Democrats and many in the national media have made horrible claims against President Trump, have questioned his loyalty to our country, and have consistently assured the American people of his guilt. They were wrong. All of this has been a deliberate distraction from the President’s accomplishments, and the charade has gone on long enough,” he said.