Washington: Special counsel Robert Mueller just took the lectern at the Department of Justice. He’s giving a statement about his 22-month investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election.

In his mostly prepared address Special Mueller explained why he couldn’t charge President Trump with a crime.

Mueller reiterated the finding in his report, saying if his office “had confidence that the President clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.”

“We did not, however, make a determination as to whether the President did commit a crime,” he said.

Mueller then explained, citing Department of Justice policy, that a President “cannot be charged with a federal crime while he is in office. That is unconstitutional.”

“Charging the President with a crime was therefore not an option we could consider,” he said.

Special counsel Robert Mueller opened his remarks this morning by announcing that he was formally closing the office and resigning his post at the Department of Justice.

Noting that he has not spoken publicly during the investigation, Mueller said he was “speaking out today because our investigation is complete. 

The attorney general has made the report on our investigation largely public.”

He announced he was “formally closing the special counsel’s office and, as well, I’m resigning from the department of justice to return to private life.” 

He added that he written work “speaks for itself.”