U.S. Attorney General Barr to be questioned on Mueller report
Lawmakers have a new line of inquiry to pursue when Attorney General William Barr testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Barr has been expected in Wednesday's hearing to defend his actions surrounding the release of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia report. But it emerged Tuesday night that Mueller has expressed frustration to Barr in a letter with how the conclusions of his investigation have been being portrayed.
- World
- Reuters
- Published Date: 01:09 | 01 May 2019
- Modified Date: 01:09 | 01 May 2019
Attorney General William Barr will face pointed questions on Wednesday about his handling of the special counsel's report on Russia's role in the 2016 election when he testifies before Congress amid accusations he misrepresented the document's findings.
Barr's testimony will mark the first time a member of President Donald's Trump administration will have to testify about the contents of Robert Mueller's report into whether Moscow conspired with the Trump campaign during the 2016 election and whether the president tried to impede the investigation.
On Tuesday, the Washington Post reported that Mueller complained about a four-page summary written by the attorney general, saying in a letter it "did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance" of the investigation's conclusions.
Barr said in his summary of the report released on March 24 that Mueller did not establish that members of Trump's campaign conspired with Russia during the 2016 election.
He said Mueller left unresolved in his report the question of whether Trump committed obstruction of justice by impeding the Russia investigation. Barr said he and his deputy, Rod Rosenstein, had determined there was insufficient evidence to establish the president committed obstruction of justice.
The 448-page, partially redacted report, released on April 18, described in extensive and sometimes unflattering detail how Trump tried to impede the probe, but it stopped short of concluding he had committed a crime.
Some Democrats say Barr acted improperly by ruling out obstruction of justice charges against the president and praising the White House in a news conference ahead of the report's release.
Internally, Democrats are now debating whether the report serves as a suitable basis for impeachment proceedings against Trump.
Republicans, including Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, have questioned whether the FBI overstepped its authority by monitoring Trump aides it suspected of being Russian agents during the campaign. Barr has said he will look into the matter.
Barr is also due to testify before the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday. Democrats who control the committee and the Justice Department are in disagreement over the format of the hearing.
Democrats want Barr to face extended questioning from staff lawyers once the customary round of questioning by lawmakers is complete, and sit for a closed-door session to discuss redacted portions of Mueller's report.
The Justice Department objected because witnesses traditionally do not face questions from committee staff.
Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler has also demanded that Barr provide an unredacted version of the report and underlying evidence by 10 a.m. (1400 GMT) on Wednesday. The Justice Department has not said whether it will comply with that request.