Mueller's Russia report to be released mid-April
March 29, 2019
The report on contacts between Trump's team and Russia will be released by mid-April, "if not sooner," US Attorney General William Barr said in a letter to US lawmakers on Friday.
The document is based on a 22-month probe conducted by former FBI director Robert Mueller, who investigated the claims that Russia conspired with Trump's campaign officials to help him win the 2016 election. Last week, Attorney General Barr presented a brief summary of the lengthy report, saying that Mueller found no evidence of collusion.
On Friday, Barr said that a redacted version of the some 400-page document would be made available to the public.
"Everyone will soon be able to read it on their own," Barr said.
He also pledged he would testify about it before Senate and House Judiciary committees on May 1 and May 2.
According to Barr, Mueller said that while his report "does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it does not exonerate him." On the issue of Trump trying to obstruct the probe, Mueller left the decision open. But Barr and his deputy Rod Rosenstein have concluded that "the evidence is not sufficient" to charge Trump with obstruction.
Read more: Why the Mueller report will not end Trump's predicament
The attorney general said that his office was currently "preparing the report for release" by redacting information that could compromise sensitive sources and methods or ongoing investigations. Information that could infringe on the privacy and reputation of "peripheral third parties" is also to be kept secret.
At the same time, he said that there were no plans to submit the document to the White House for a review before releasing it to the Congress.
Read more: Opinion - Mueller report gives no respite for Donald Trump
Responding to Barr's letter, however, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler said lawmakers would need to see the "full and complete Mueller report, without redactions, as well as access to the underlying evidence." He also rejected Barr's timeline and reminded the attorney general of his demand for the report to be released by April 2.
"This deadline still stands," he said in a statement.
Nadler also said he wanted Barr to appear before Congress "immediately."
Democrats have previously threatened to subpoena Mueller's report if the document is not released in full.
In turn, the top Republican on Nadler's commitee, Doug Collins, said Barr would "break the law" by releasing everything in the report.
dj/ng (Reuters, AFP)