U.S. Special Counsel Mueller to testify before House panels on July 17 - statement

[Jonathan Fairfield]

U.S. Special Counsel Mueller to testify before House panels on July 17 - statement

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller makes a statement on his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election at the Justice Department in Washington, U.S., May 29, 2019. REUTERS/Jim Bourg

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who issued a report in April on Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, will testify in open session before the House of Representatives Judiciary and Intelligence Committees on July 17, the panels' Democratic chairmen said on Tuesday.

 

Representative Jerrold Nadler, chairman of the judiciary panel, and Representative Adam Schiff, head of the intelligence panel, said in a joint statement that Mueller had agreed to testify after the two committees issued subpoenas on Tuesday.

 

A representative for Mueller did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

 

Mueller's 448-page report, released publicly in April, found Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election and that Republican President Donald Trump's election campaign had multiple contacts with Russian officials.

 

But the report found insufficient evidence to establish a criminal conspiracy between the campaign and Moscow.

 

The report, which was partially redacted, also outlined instances in which Trump tried to interfere with Mueller's investigation, but declined to make a judgment on whether that amounted to obstruction of justice.

 

Mueller, in his first public comments since starting the two-year investigation, said on May 29 that his probe was never going to end with criminal charges against Trump and indicated it was up to Congress to decide whether he should be impeached.

 

"If we had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so," Mueller said. "We did not, however, make a determination as to whether the president did commit a crime."

Attorney General William Barr said there was insufficient evidence in Mueller's report to conclude that Trump obstructed justice.

 

'POLITICAL GAMESMANSHIP'

 

Trump says the report was a complete exoneration from what he called a witch hunt mounted by Democrats frustrated by his 2016 election victory.

 

But some Democrats have said the president should be removed from office through impeachment proceedings because of Mueller's findings.

 

"Americans have demanded to hear directly from the Special Counsel so they can understand what he and his team examined, uncovered, and determined about Russia's attack on our democracy, the Trump campaign's acceptance and use of that help, and President Trump and his associates' obstruction of the investigation into that attack," Nadler and Schiff said in their statement.

 

Representative Doug Collins, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, said in a statement: "I hope the special counsel's testimony marks an end to the political gamesmanship that Judiciary Democrats have pursued at great cost to taxpayers."

 

Schiff told MSNBC in an interview: "We never felt it was sufficient to rely simply on a written report or a 10-minute statement without the ability to follow up with questions."

 

In his May 29 statement, Mueller said his office was formally closing its doors and he was now returning to life as a private citizen.

 

"Beyond what I've said here today and what is contained in our written work, I do not believe it is appropriate for me to speak further," he said, adding that he would not go beyond what was in his report in any future testimony to Congress.

 

Since the report's release, Democratic lawmakers have tried without success to get the Justice Department to release an unredacted version and underlying evidence.

 

Mueller's investigation ensnared dozens of people, including several top Trump advisers and a series of Russian nationals and companies.

 

Among them are his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, who is serving 7-1/2 years in prison for financial crimes and lobbying violations, and his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, who recently began a three-year sentence for campaign-finance violations and lying to Congress.

 

(Reporting by Eric Beech; Writing by Mohammad Zargham; Editing by Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-06-26

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Post updated 11.49am

[Tug]

Good for you mr muller!im sure it will be dry but factual 

[Chomper Higgot]

Question 1.

 

Did you close your investigation of your own free will or did anyone else cause or influence you to close the investigation?

 

 

[TopDeadSenter]

His slinking off into the sunset isn't going quite as planned. This will be amusing.

[Chomper Higgot]

8 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

His slinking off into the sunset isn't going quite as planned. This will be amusing.

I think ‘illuminating’ is the word you were looking for.

[Tug]

Awww chomper don’t pick on the troll lol he’s funney

[Misty]

29 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

His slinking off into the sunset isn't going quite as planned. This will be amusing.

Doesn't seem like this former Marine is in the habit of slinking...

"A month into his tour, Mueller had to lead the platoon through a hellish, costly jungle assault and quickly earned his Marines’ respect."

"At one point, Mueller was engaged in a close firefight. The incoming fire was so intense—the stress of the moment so all-consuming, the adrenaline pumping so hard—that when he was shot, Mueller didn’t immediately notice. Amid the combat, he looked down and realized an AK-47 round had passed clean through his thigh.   Mueller kept fighting."

 

https://taskandpurpose.com/7-fascinating-facts-robert-muellers-time-vietnam-marine

 

[wayned]

Trump and the DOJ, Barr, now have three weeks to co9me up with a scheme to keep him from testifying.  They really do not want him to spill his guts in a public forum.  It just might wakeup those that did not read the report

[Boon Mee]

This Mueller is a dirty self-serving cop who knew there was no Russian collusion within a couple of weeks from the outset of his Witch Hunt. 

This additional spectacle shows how desperate the Democrats are. 

[riclag]

15 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

This Mueller is a dirty self-serving cop who knew there was no Russian collusion within a couple of weeks from the outset of his Witch Hunt. 

This additional spectacle shows how desperate the Democrats are. 

 Some say Mueller and his 18 angry dem supporter prosecutors finished the investigation of Mr. Trump 6 months or less into the witch hunt. They couldn't find Mr. Trump or family and campaign staff colluded or conspired! 

https://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/440007-why-did-mueller-allow-his-investigation-to-continue-for-two-years

[Baerboxer]

4 hours ago, Tug said:

Good for you mr muller!im sure it will be dry but factual 

 

Yeah, sure, right. Because Mueller wouldn't use weasly words that can then be twisted to whatever meaning those asking the questions want would he?

 

Of course, they haven't been putting their heads together and discussing what to ask and what to answer. That would be conspiracy, possible perjury and something the trustworthy honest democrats would never do!

 

 

[Baerboxer]

1 hour ago, Boon Mee said:

This Mueller is a dirty self-serving cop who knew there was no Russian collusion within a couple of weeks from the outset of his Witch Hunt. 

This additional spectacle shows how desperate the Democrats are. 

 

They'll keep spinning and churning this until they've created something out of nothing. Then pat themselves on the back and tell one another how great, good and wise they are and how well they've served the tax payer and all citizens whilst blowing a massive amount of money away.

 

These lunatics only believe in their own fantasy reality.

[Misty]

9 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

They'll keep spinning and churning this until they've created something out of nothing. Then pat themselves on the back and tell one another how great, good and wise they are and how well they've served the tax payer and all citizens whilst blowing a massive amount of money away.

 

These lunatics only believe in their own fantasy reality.

You seem....hostile....to this announcement.

[attrayant]

14 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

...whilst blowing a massive amount of money away.  These lunatics only believe in their own fantasy reality.

 

Lunacy is when somebody claims that spending $35M to make $45M is "blowing a massive amount of money away". 

 

And since the investigation has ended, that $35M figure is not going to change but the $45M figure could keep going up as investigations into the Trump Crime Syndicate^TM continues.

[Chomper Higgot]

Mueller hasn't even been sworn in yet and Illiberals are already frothing at the mouth.

 

Nothing to hide, nothing to fear. 

[Chomper Higgot]

2 minutes ago, attrayant said:

 

Lunacy is when somebody claims that spending $35M to make $45M is "blowing a massive amount of money away". 

 

And since the investigation has ended, that $35M figure is not going to change but the $45M figure could keep going up as investigations into the Trump Crime Syndicate^TM continues.

About 30% of the cost to the tax payer of Trump's golf trips. 

 

 

[Sujo]

1 hour ago, riclag said:

 Some say Mueller and his 18 angry dem supporter prosecutors finished the investigation of Mr. Trump 6 months or less into the witch hunt. They couldn't find Mr. Trump or family and campaign staff colluded or conspired! 

https://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/440007-why-did-mueller-allow-his-investigation-to-continue-for-two-years

Then you will welcome his attending the hearing so you can get to the bottom of that accusation.

 

Some say you are talking out of an orifice not normally associated with communication.

[BobBKK]

Boring, boring nonsense. So every time the dems don't like a finding they will drag it out?  they think this wins votes?  it's both vindictive and puerile. 

[Chomper Higgot]

7 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

Boring, boring nonsense. So every time the dems don't like a finding they will drag it out?  they think this wins votes?  it's both vindictive and puerile. 

Given Trump's claims that the investigation  exonerates him, this could all have been over months ago.

 

All Trump had to do was not block people giving testimony and sign and executive order for the publication of the full, unreacted report. 

 

Oddly, he has chosen to do everything he can to prevent Congress obtaining the testimony that he tells us will clear his name. 

[candide]

2 hours ago, riclag said:

 Some say Mueller and his 18 angry dem supporter prosecutors finished the investigation of Mr. Trump 6 months or less into the witch hunt. They couldn't find Mr. Trump or family and campaign staff colluded or conspired! 

https://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/440007-why-did-mueller-allow-his-investigation-to-continue-for-two-years

Charlie Kirk is the founder and president of Turning Point USA, a conservative nonprofit that aims to educate students on free-market values. ????

[inactiveposter]

In Mueller’s press conference, he said he would not testify and that the report was his only testimony. If he says anything under oath that differs, he’s toast. And then more and more of the same horse crap to follow. Very tiring...

[Tug]

5 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

This Mueller is a dirty self-serving cop who knew there was no Russian collusion within a couple of weeks from the outset of his Witch Hunt. 

This additional spectacle shows how desperate the Democrats are. 

Mr muller is a decorated combat veteran who chose the path of service to his country even though he comes from a wealthy family the direct opposite of Donald trump who conned bulleyed swindled  stiffed everyone he could I’m sure his testimony will be dry and factual your post shows how all trump supporters fear facts get a grip don’t be a mark

[chokrai]

This will backfire on the Democrats big time but they are too stupid and insane to see it. 

[Scott]

Posts from unapproved sources as well as derogatory terms have been removed.   Please exercise care in your references to any group of people.  

[whaleboneman]

12 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

This Mueller is a dirty self-serving cop who knew there was no Russian collusion within a couple of weeks from the outset of his Witch Hunt. 

This additional spectacle shows how desperate the Democrats are. 

Hi Donald.

[wayned]

13 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

This Mueller is a dirty self-serving cop who knew there was no Russian collusion within a couple of weeks from the outset of his Witch Hunt. 

This additional spectacle shows how desperate the Democrats are. 

Did you read the report?  I assume that you didn't, I did.  First of all it was criminal investigation and collusion is not a crime, it's called conspiracy to defraud the federal government.  Mueller found that there was insufficient evidence to charge Trump or any of his cohorts of the crime of conspiracy but he never said that there was no collusion as there was collusion but he determined that there was not enough evidence to charge anybody with a crime.  AS far as conspiracy Mueller determined that , since a sitting president could not be indicted , it would not be fair for him to charge Trump with obstruction since he would not be able to defend himslef in a court of law and kicked the ball down the road to Congress.  He stated that if they had found that tthe President did not commit a crime he would have so stated , he didn't.

 

 As far as the "spectacle" before Congress in open Session, it is their  right to call for his appearance and maybe, just maybe, it will wake up those that did not read the report.  It is not a "Witch Hunt" it is a justified "Warlock Hunt" as Trump is in charge of all the witches that he appointed as cabinet members and other officials.

[jcsmith]

17 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

About 30% of the cost to the tax payer of Trump's golf trips. 

 

 

The Mueller Investigation actually made money for the country as a result of all of the forfeitures from guys like Manafort.

[ballpoint]

Great timing.  Trump will be attending the G20 summit with this hanging over him and he'll be fuming.  Let's hope the Japanese choose a suitable costume for him to wear.

[BobBKK]

19 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Given Trump's claims that the investigation  exonerates him, this could all have been over months ago.

 

All Trump had to do was not block people giving testimony and sign and executive order for the publication of the full, unreacted report. 

 

Oddly, he has chosen to do everything he can to prevent Congress obtaining the testimony that he tells us will clear his name. 

Any charges? I mean on the report not other peripheral stuff?  Dems loved Muller now they want to chuck him under the bus, same Comey.  This is the way to unseat megalomaniac Trump?  I don't think so.

[Chomper Higgot]

28 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

Any charges? I mean on the report not other peripheral stuff?  Dems loved Muller now they want to chuck him under the bus, same Comey.  This is the way to unseat megalomaniac Trump?  I don't think so.

Read the report, volume 2, Introduction and footnote 2 to the introduction.