Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called on Republicans to summon special counsel Robert Mueller to testify because Attorney General William Barr, who was questioned last week by senators, is not trustworthy.
“We need special counsel Mueller to testify because, as we have seen, the attorney general has shown us he cannot be trusted on the matter of the Russia investigation,” Schumer said on the Senate floor Monday.
Schumer, D-N.Y., said Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., “has an obligation” to summon Mueller now that President Trump is trying to “silence the special counsel.”
Trump tweeted earlier that Mueller should not testify about his investigation, which did not find sufficient evidence of criminal conspiracy but made no determination on obstruction. “No redos for the Dems!” Trump tweeted Sunday.
Graham said he won’t call Mueller to testify about the 448-page report but has invited him to testify about a phone call from Barr, who called Mueller after the special counsel sent Barr a letter complaining about Barr’s own four-page report to Congress on the findings.
Democrats have turned on Barr and say they believe he lied to Congress about Mueller’s views of Barr’s memo. They want to hear from Mueller about the report.
Barr refused to appear before a House panel last week when Democrats planned to use committee lawyers to question him. Barr is now facing a contempt of Congress charge because he will not turn over the unredacted Mueller report, which by law must conceal grand jury and classified information.
Schumer pointed to Barr’s refusal to testify as “contempt for the oversight responsibilities of Congress,” and as further reason Mueller should come to the Senate.
