Following the announcement that Special Counsel Robert Mueller submitted his report about alleged Russian interference during the 2016 presidential election, top Democratic lawmakers called on the report to be made public.
Mueller’s report was sent to Attorney General Bill Barr but specific details have not been released.
“Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III has concluded his investigation of the Russian interference in the 2016 election and related matters,” Barr’s letter said. Meanwhile, Mueller isn’t recommending “any further indictments,” a senior Department of Justice official told Fox News.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer ( D-N.Y.) released a joint statement after the report was submitted.
“Now that Special Counsel Mueller has submitted his report to the attorney general, it is imperative for Mr. Barr to make the full report public and provide its underlying documentation and findings to Congress,” the statement said.
Barr cannot “give President Trump, his lawyers or his staff any ‘sneak preview’ of Special Counsel Mueller’s findings or evidence, and the White House must not be allowed to interfere in decisions about what parts of those findings or evidence are made public,” the statement said.
The American people have a right to the truth. The watchword is transparency. #ReleaseTheReport https://t.co/ZM1fBhn5RM
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) March 22, 2019
“The special counsel’s investigation focused on questions that go to the integrity of our democracy itself: whether foreign powers corruptly interfered in our elections, and whether unlawful means were used to hinder that investigation,” the statement added. “The American people have a right to the truth. The watchword is transparency.”
Other Democrats like Sen. Kamala Harris and Sen. Cory Booker, who are 2020 presidential candidates, called on the report to be released to the public.
This report should be made public immediately. https://t.co/Q2JCExqYaA
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) March 22, 2019
Americans deserve to know the truth now that the Mueller report is complete. The report must be released immediately and AG Barr must publicly testify under oath about the investigation’s findings. We need total transparency here.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) March 22, 2019
President Donald Trump hasn’t seen the Mueller report yet, said White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders.
“The next steps are up to Attorney General Barr, and we look forward to the process taking its course,” Sanders said. “The White House has not received or been briefed on the Special Counsel’s report.”
Letter Reveals All
Attorney General Barr’s letter reads as follows:
Dear Chairman Graham, Chairman Nadler, Ranking Member Feinstein, and Ranking Member Collins:
I write to notify you pursuant to 28 C.F.R. 600.9(a)(3) that Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III has concluded his investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election and related matters. In addition to this notification, the Special Counsel regulations require that I provide you with a “description and explanation of instances (if any) in which the Attorney General” or acting Attorney General “concluded that a proposed action by a Special Counsel was so in appropriate or unwarranted under established Departmental practices that it should not be pursued.” 28 C.F.R. 600.9(a)(3).
There were no such instances during the Special Counsel’s investigation.
The Special Counsel has submitted to me today a “confidential report explaining the prosecution or declination decisions” he has reached, as required by 28 C.F.R. 600.8(c). I am reviewing the report and anticipate that I may be in a position to advise you of the Special Counsel’s principal conclusions as soon as this weekend.
Separately, I intend to consult with Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein and Special Counsel Mueller to determine what other information from the report can be released to Congress and the public consistent with the law, including the Special Counsel regulations, and the Department’s long-standing practices and policies. I remain committed to as much transparency as possible, and I will keep you informed as to the status of my review.
Finally, the Special Counsel regulations provide that “the Attorney General may determine that public release of” this notification “would be in the public interest.” 28 C.F.R. 600.9 (c). I have so determined, and I will disclose this letter to the public after delivering it to you.
Sincerely,
William P. Barr
Attorney General
From The Epoch Times.
