Second, obstruction of justice cases do not require that the most prominent underlying crime being investigated — in this case conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia — be proven. Congress is also well equipped to make determinations that the special counsel decided were beyond his purview. If Congress votes to impeach and convict, it is ending, not hampering, a presidency. Congress, a coequal branch of government, is also well suited to consider whether exercise of a president’s constitutional powers — including firing or directing subordinates for the purpose of impeding an investigation — amounts to obstruction of justice under the Constitution. The fact that Mr. Mueller explicitly did not resolve whether the president engaged in criminal conduct only reinforces the need for Congress to consider whether Mr. Trump violated his constitutional obligations to the American people.

Source: New York Times April 18, 2019 19:16 UTC