The top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday demanded that Attorney General William Barr release summaries of the Russia investigation prepared by special counsel Robert Mueller’s own office.
Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., requested the documents from Barr via letter after the New York Times and Washington Post reported this week that members of Mueller’s team have expressed concern Barr’s four-page memo compiling the special counsel’s findings did not properly reflect their work. The reporting also indicated Mueller staff had prepared their own summaries.
“I write to you regarding troubling press reports relating to your handling of Special Counsel Mueller’s report, and to urge that you immediately release to the public any ‘summaries’ contained in the report that may have been prepared by the Special Counsel,” Nadler said.
The New York Democrat, who this week led his committee in authorizing itself to subpoena the report should Barr not turn over an unredacted version to Congress, said Thursday’s demand did not “substitute” the complete conclusions being disclosed. He added that the Mueller summaries could be given to lawmakers quickly given they were drafted for the public.
“You have already provided an interpretation of the Special Counsel’s conclusions in a fashion that appears to minimize the implications of the report as to the President,” he said. “Releasing the summaries—without delay—would begin to allow the American people to judge the facts for themselves.
The chairman is additionally asking for “all communications” between the Justice Department and Mueller in relation to the report.
DOJ spokeswoman Kerri Kupec told the Washington Examiner on Thursday that Barr continues to collaborate with the special counsel to ensure classified material, private grand jury testimony, or other sensitive information is removed from the final document.
The attorney general has previously told Congress a redacted report will be made available by mid-April.
