House Dem: Barr and Trump administration ‘gaming the system’ on Mueller report

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) said Monday that it appears Attorney General William Barr and the White House are “gaming the system” to make sure certain conclusions are reached publicly regarding special counsel Robert Mueller’s report.

“One interpretation of what’s happening is that the attorney general, working hand in glove with the White House, is gaming the system to frame the narrative,” Connolly, a member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, said during an interview on MSNBC.

{mosads}His remarks came one day after Barr said in a letter to lawmakers that Mueller, who was investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election, did not uncover evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Mueller allegedly left open the question of whether President Trump obstructed justice, though Barr has drawn the conclusion that there is no charge to be made there.

Conservatives and the White House have celebrated Barr’s letter as evidence that Trump has been exonerated, though Democrats have noted that Mueller’s full report has yet to be released.

Connolly added during his interview Monday that he doesn’t think “White House talking points” reflect what “is probably in the Mueller report.”

“Somehow collusion is completely exonerated. The report’s pretty dead. We need to move on. Those are all White House talking points. And they don’t reflect what I think is probably in the Mueller report. And they don’t reflect the concerns we have here on the Hill and those of the American people,” he said. 

WATCH: Were Democrats put on the defense by the attorney general’s letter? #MTPDaily@GerryConnolly: “The attorney general, working hand in glove with the White House, is gaming the system to frame the narrative.” pic.twitter.com/lfq4FBnk5D

— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) March 25, 2019