House committee chairs call for Mueller report to be released by April 2

 

“We look forward to receiving the report in full no later than April 2, and to begin receiving the underlying evidence and documents that same day,” the lawmakers wrote.

 

“Your four-page summary of the Special Counsel’s review is not sufficient for Congress, as a coequal branch of government, to perform this critical work. The release of the full report and the underlying evidence and documents is urgently needed by our committees to perform their duties under the Constitution,” they continued.

 

Democrats, who control the House, have the power to subpoena, which they have signaled they will use in an attempt to obtain the report and underlying evidence from the 22-month long probe.

 

Reps. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), Richard Neal (D-Mass.) and Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) — the heads of the House Judiciary, Oversight and Reform, Intelligence, Financial Services, and Ways and Means committees, respectively — all signed the letter.

The letter marks an escalation in efforts by Democrats to gain access to additional details included in Mueller’s report, raising the possibility of a potential showdown between Democrats in Congress and the Justice Department.

In particular, Democrats have seized on Barr’s decision to conclude there was no obstruction of justice by President Trump in the Russia probe, claiming this interpretation is further reason for all of Mueller’s findings to be provided to Congress.

Barr told Congress that he and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein determined that “the evidence developed during the Special Counsel’s investigation is not sufficient to establish that the President committed as obstruction-of-justice offense.”

“The Special Counsel states that ‘while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him,'” Barr wrote in his letter to Congress.

Nevertheless, Barr’s summary of Mueller’s report was a forceful blow to Democrats who have capitalized on looming questions of whether there was a conspiracy between Trump and Russia during the election, and it hurt plans by those in the party who have raised the prospect of impeachment.

According to Barr’s summary, Mueller said he found no evidence of such collusion during the course of his investigation.

“The Special Counsel’s investigation did not find that the Trump campaign or anyone associated with it conspired or coordinated with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election,” stated Barr’s letter to the House and Senate Judiciary committees.

Barr, however, has not made any promises to release all of Mueller’s report. In his Sunday letter, he reiterated that he intends to publicly release as much of Mueller’s report as he can within the regulations governing Mueller’s appointment.

“My goal and intent is to release as much of the Special Counsel’s report as I can consistent with applicable law, regulations, and Departmental policies,” Barr wrote.

The president and his Republican allies seized on the report as vindication shortly after the summary was released.

“No Collusion, No Obstruction, Complete and Total EXONERATION. KEEP AMERICA GREAT!” Trump wrote on Twitter.