The Justice Department released the redacted Mueller Report late Thursday morning. At 448 pages, it concludes no coordination with Russia to influence the 2016 election.
Attorney General William Barr spoke about the report before its release to the public.
“The special counsel’s report did not find any evidence that members of the Trump campaign or anyone associated with the campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in these hacking operations. In other words, there was no evidence of the trump campaign collusion with the Russian government’s hacking,” Barr said.
The Mueller Report found 10 potential episodes of the President obstructing justice — that is, interfering with the special counsel investigation.
“After carefully reviewing the facts and legal theories outlined in the report, and in consultation with the Office of Legal Counsel and other department lawyers, the deputy attorney general and I concluded that the evidence developed by the special counsel is not sufficient to establish that the president committed an obstruction of justice offense,” Barr said.
However, the Mueller Report concluded that “ … while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.”
Some members of New Jersey’s congressional delegation expressed their concern.
I stand with my @HouseJudiciary colleagues – Congress must have access to the full, unredacted #MuellerReport with its underlying evidence immediately and hear from Special Counsel Mueller directly. The American people clearly can’t rely upon @TheJusticeDepartment.
— Rep. Frank Pallone (@FrankPallone) April 18, 2019
Congressman Bill Pascrell said in a statement, “Despite William Barr’s continued efforts to engage in a cover up, what we read today is one of the most tragic documents in the history of the American presidency.”
Barr’s performance at today’s press conference was wholly inappropriate & will only further stoke division and doubt in the American people about the Administration’s perplexing posture toward #Russia.
We must protect our institutions, allies & values since the President won’t.
— Senator Bob Menendez (@SenatorMenendez) April 18, 2019
Select members of Congress, some on committees still investigating the whole ordeal, will see the full report except for grand jury material.
