House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer demanded further information Sunday about special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation after Attorney General William Barr declared the probe turned up no definitive proof that President Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia.
Barr’s four-page letter said the 22-month investigation did not find evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Barr also quotes Mueller saying “while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him,” after which the attorney general said he and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein found there was a lack of “sufficient” evidence to determine whether Trump obstructed justice.
Pelosi, D-Calif., and Schumer, D-N.Y., seized on Mueller’s hesitation to make any determinations about obstruction.
“Attorney General Barr’s letter raises as many questions as it answers. The fact that Special Counsel Mueller’s report does not exonerate the president on a charge as serious as obstruction of justice demonstrates how urgent it is that the full report and underlying documentation be made public without any further delay,” a joint statement said.
The pair further suggested the release of Mueller’s work will help solidify the investigatory work being taken up by House Democrats this term into Trump, his finances, and his inner circle.
“Congress requires the full report and the underlying documents so that the Committees can proceed with their independent work, including oversight and legislating to address any issues the Mueller report may raise,” they said. “The American people have a right to know.”
Following Sunday’s developments, House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler vowed to bring Barr in to testify before Congress. A number of Democratic candidates for president also said they want to see the entire report, downplaying the significance of Sunday’s summary.
Trump reacted to Barr’s letter by telling reporters Sunday he had been completely vindicated.
“There was no collusion with Russia,” Trump said. “There was no obstruction, and none whatsoever. It was a complete and total exoneration. It’s a shame that our country had to go through this.”
