Former special counsel Robert Mueller will testify in front of an open session of Congress on July 17.
Ending weeks of speculation, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Jerry Nadler and Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff announced Tuesday evening that Mueller has agreed to testify before both committees in mid-July.
I am pleased to announce that @HouseJudiciary and House Intel will have Special Counsel Robert Mueller testify in open session on July 17, pursuant to a subpoena issued this evening. https://t.co/wR0CEVqpJC
We look forward to having Mr. Mueller testify, as do all Americans. pic.twitter.com/UEKihMEYXI
— (((Rep. Nadler))) (@RepJerryNadler) June 26, 2019
Nadler and Schiff announced in a joint statement 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.”
“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,” their statement continued. “We look forward to hearing his testimony, as do all Americans.”
Mueller was appointed special counsel in May 2017 and concluded his investigation in March 2019. Mueller’s report, which was released with redactions in April, concluded that Russia interfered throughout the 2016 election through cyberattacks and social media disinformation campaigns, but it did not find that any members of the Trump campaign coordinated or conspired with them in these efforts.
Mueller did not reach a determination on whether Trump had obstructed justice, but laid out 10 scenarios that his team examined. Attorney General William Barr, working with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, concluded that justice had not been obstructed.
Mueller agreeing to testify is a marked 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 on May 29. “I am making that decision myself. No one has told me whether I can or should testify or speak further about this matter.”
At the time, Mueller said he would decline to discuss anything further than what is detailed in his 448-page report and made clear that he didn’t want to speak out again in public.
Schiff spoke with CNN on Tuesday evening about the decision that he and Nadler had made to subpoena Mueller to appear before them. “I don’t think the special counsel’s office considers it a friendly subpoena,” Schiff said. “He was, and is, deeply reluctant to come testify, but nonetheless he has agreed to respect the subpoena.”
The House Intelligence Chairman said they’d be pressing Mueller about the counterintelligence investigation, his prosecutorial decision, questions about assertions in the report, and more.
The Justice Department told the Washington Examiner that they declined to comment.
