Special counsel Robert Mueller’s anticipated testimony in front of two congressional committees is set.
The House Judiciary Committee has formally scheduled Mueller’s testimony, which will begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday. Mueller will then appear before the House Intelligence Committee beginning at noon.
Democratic Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler of New York and Democratic Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff of California announced in June that “pursuant to subpoenas issued by the House Judiciary and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence tonight, Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III has agreed to testify before both Committees on July 17 in open session.”
Mueller agreeing to testify is a stark contrast with the position he took at his only public appearance since the end of his investigation.
“I hope and expect this to be the only time I will speak to you in this manner,” Mueller said in May. “I am making that decision myself. No one has told me whether I can or should testify or speak further about this matter.”
Mueller’s report concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 election but did not establish that any members of the Trump campaign colluded with the Russians in these efforts. Mueller did not reach a conclusion on obstruction of justice, but Attorney General William Barr and then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein concluded that obstruction did not occur.
Earlier this week, Barr seemed to offer Mueller a way out of testifying.
“I don’t think that serves any purpose, dragging Bob Mueller up, if he, in fact, is going to stick to the report. It seems to me the only reason for doing that is to create some kind of public spectacle. And if Bob decides that he doesn’t want to be subject to that, then Department of Justice would certainly back him,” Barr told reporters.
