'Congress Didn't Ask for a Summary': Demands to #ReleaseTheFullReport Surge After Barr Letter

Authored by commondreams.org and submitted by maxwellhill

Arguing that a four-page summary by President Donald Trump's handpicked Attorney General is far from sufficient transparency for a probe that lasted nearly two years, members of Congress and progressive advocacy groups Sunday night intensified their demands that Special Counsel Robert Mueller's full conclusions be made public immediately.

"Congress didn't ask for a 'summary,' Attorney General Barr. Members of the House voted 420-0 to release the report. The American people deserve to see the full report."

"I don't want a summary of the Mueller report. I want the whole damn report," tweeted Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) after Attorney General William Barr submitted his report to Congress.

According to Barr, a frequent critic of Mueller's Russia probe prior to his confirmation as Attorney General in February, the Special Counsel "did not find that the Trump campaign or anyone associated with it conspired or coordinated with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election."

On the question of whether Trump obstructed justice, Barr noted, Mueller was inconclusive. According to Barr's letter, the Special Counsel wrote, "while this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him."

Based on Mueller's findings, Barr asserted that the evidence is "not sufficient to establish that the president committed an obstruction-of-justice offense"—a conclusion that independent journalist Marcy Wheeler characterized as "legal sleight of hand."

Following the public release of Barr's summary, Democrats in Congress said the letter "raises as many questions as it answers" and called for Mueller's full conclusions—as well as all underlying documentation—to be released to the public unredacted and without further delay.

"Congress didn't ask for a 'summary,' Attorney General Barr," Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wrote on Twitter. "Members of the House voted 420-0 to release the report. The American people deserve to see the full report."

Congress didn’t ask for a “summary,” Attorney General Barr. Members of the House voted 420-0 to release the report. The American people deserve to see the full report. #ReleaseTheFullReport. https://t.co/mPECdazTma — Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) March 25, 2019

Progressive advocacy groups—which are planning protests nationwide if Trump attempts to block the release of Mueller's report—echoed congressional Democrats' demands for the totality of the Special Counsel's conclusions.

"An abbreviated summary of Mueller's findings is not enough," declared Public Citizen. "[Nine] in 10 Americans believe the complete Mueller report should be public, and the House of Representatives voted 420 to 0 for full transparency. The demand is vocal, obvious, and must be met."

MoveOn agreed, tweeting Sunday night: "[Twenty-two] months of intensive investigation that produced a number of indictments and convictions and the AG doesn't even consult the person who conducted those investigations before taking just 2 days to summarize his findings? We're going to need more than that."

Starlord_who on March 25th, 2019 at 17:26 UTC »

Everyone should want the report even if its redacted. Even trump supporters so hes potentially cleared more

Show-Me-Your-Moves on March 25th, 2019 at 16:57 UTC »

FWIW, Trump has supposedly come out in support of releasing the full report

EDIT: Yes, I am as skeptical as the rest of you. I am eagerly awaiting the chance to read the actual report, however it comes out.

adeadmanshand on March 25th, 2019 at 15:58 UTC »

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the ranking Republican on the Committee on Oversight about getting documents from the Justice Department: “How can you ignore the facts when you don’t get the facts? That’s what this is all about…I just want to get the information…I think we’re right on target with this. We just want the information so we have the facts.” At that same proceeding, former Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., then a member of the House Oversight Committee  “the notion that you can withhold information and documents from Congress no matter whether you are the party in power or not in power is wrong. Respect for the rule of law must mean something, irrespective of the vicissitudes of political cycles."

As this was quotes taken of these gentleman during the Obama administration i for one welcome the support of such high ranking members of the Republican party in these matters today........... Right????????