In response to news that Attorney General William Barr plans to hold a morning press conference before the Mueller report is sent to Congress on Thursday, top House Democrats accused Barr of attempting to “shape public perceptions” of the Special Counsel’s findings in President Donald Trump’s favor before anyone can read them.
The group of Democrats—which included House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (N.Y.) and Financial Services Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.)—also raised alarm about reports that Justice Department officials have had “numerous conversations” on the Mueller report with White House lawyers in recent days.
“The attorney general appears to be waging a media campaign on behalf of President Trump, the very subject of investigation at the heart of the Mueller report.”
—Rep. Jerrold Nadler”These new actions by the Attorney General reinforce our concern that he is acting to protect President Trump,” the Democrats said in a joint statement late Wednesday. “The Attorney General previously stated, ‘I do not believe it would be in the public’s interest for me to attempt to summarize the full report or to release it in serial or piecemeal fashion.’ We agree.”
“He should let the full report speak for itself,” the Democrats added. “The Attorney General should cancel the press conference and provide the full report to Congress, as we have requested. With the Special Counsel’s fact-gathering work concluded, it is now Congress’ responsibility to assess the findings and evidence and proceed accordingly.”
After Barr’s press conference, a “lightly redacted” version of the Mueller report is expected to be delivered to Congress between 11:30 am and noon.
Watch the press conference:
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