the firing of Comey and the appointment of the Special
Counsel, however, the President became aware that his own conduct was being
investigated in an obstruction-of-justice inquiry. At that point, the President
engaged in a second phase of conduct, involving public attacks on the investigation,
non-public efforts to control it, and efforts in both public and private to encourage
witnesses not to cooperate with the investigation. Judgments about the nature of the
President&#x2019;s motives during each phase 