U.S. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell on Monday blocked a second attempt by Democrats to pass a measure aimed at prodding the Justice Department to release to the public special counsel Robert Mueller’s report investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
Earlier this month, the House of Representatives voted 420-0 in favor of making the report public, with no Republican opposition.
Mueller, who submitted his confidential report on his findings to Barr on Friday, neither accused Trump of obstruction of justice in trying to impede the investigation nor exonerated him of obstruction, according to the four-page summary sent to Congress on Sunday by Attorney General William Barr.
Democrats say Barr’s letter is not enough and are looking for the full report.
“There is no good reason not to make the report public,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said.
McConnell, noting that it took nearly two years for Mueller to conduct his investigation, said, “It’s not unreasonable to give the special counsel and the Justice Department just a little time to complete their review in a professional and responsible manner.”
Democrats vowed to press ahead with their multiple investigations into the president and whether he obstructed justice. (J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press)
The legislation does not set a deadline for the release of the report, and merely expresses Congress’s desire that it should be made publicly available.
Trump said earlier Monday that the release of Mueller’s report “wouldn’t bother me at all” but that it was up to Barr.
Trump had repeatedly accused Mueller, a former FBI director, of running a “witch hunt” with a team of “thugs” and having conflicts of interest. But asked on Monday if Mueller had acted honourably, Trump said: “Yes.”
Trump also said he had not thought about pardoning anyone convicted or who pleaded guilty in the Mueller probe. They include several of his former aides such as former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, former national security adviser Michael Flynn and former personal lawyer Michael Cohen. The special counsel also detailed extensive contacts between Trump associates and Russia.