Attorney General William Barr told reporters Monday that he thinks Democrats only asked special counsel Robert Mueller to testify in order to “create some kind of public spectacle” and that he would support Mueller if he decides to ignore the subpoena and not show up next week.
“I was disappointed to see him subpoenaed. I don’t think that serves any purpose, dragging Bob Mueller up, if he, in fact, is going to stick to the report,” Barr told reporters in South Carolina on Monday. “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.”
Nadler and Schiff announced in a joint statement in late June that Mueller would comply with the subpoenas issued by the House Judiciary and House Intelligence committees and would testify publicly before both on July 17.
Mueller agreeing to testify was 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.
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 determine whether Trump had obstructed justice but laid out 10 scenarios that his team examined. Barr, working with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, concluded that justice had not been obstructed.
