AG William Barr: 'No Objection' to Mueller 'Personally Testifying'

Monica Sanchez | April 18, 2019
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Attorney General William Barr held a news conference Thursday morning with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to discuss the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report into Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and the Trump campaign.

Barr again reiterated as he did in his Mar. 24 letter that there was no collusion and no obstruction by President Trump or the Trump campaign.

He said that the report has “substantial evidence” that the president “was frustrated and angered that the investigation was undermining his presidency," but that he and the White House fully cooperated with Mr. Mueller’s investigation.

"It's important to bear in mind Trump faced an unprecedented situation,” he said. “Federal investigators were scrutinizing him.”

As to Barr and Rosenstein’s conclusion that Trump did not commit an obstruction of justice offense, Barr said they “accepted the special counsel's legal framework to reach our conclusions.”

Furthermore, Barr said that when he and Rosenstein met with Mueller on Mar. 5, Mueller “made it clear that he did not find a crime.”

When asked if he would allow Mueller to testify about the report, Barr replied, "I have no objection to Bob Mueller personally testifying."

Barr in the beginning of his remarks thanked Mueller for “his service” and said that the investigation proving that there was no collusion between the Russian government and Trump or his campaign associates “is something Americans should be grateful for.”

The report will be released at 11 a.m. EST on Thursday to a bipartisan group of congressional leaders, with redactions only involving grand jury information.  

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