2020 Democrat presidential candidates reacted to the Friday delivery of special counsel Robert Mueller’s long-awaited report on possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election to the Department of Justice, demanding that his findings be released immediately.
What the report says is confidential, however, Attorney General Bill Barr wrote in a letter to Congress that he might be able to summarize its “principal conclusions” as early as this weekend.
There was no indication of whether Trump himself, members of his family or former campaign advisers have been implicated in collusion with Russia or obstruction of justice, two of the main focuses of the investigation that has kept a cloud over Trump’s administration since he took office.
Read below a round-up of several 2020 Democrat presidential candidates’ statements on the report’s submission:
Release the Mueller report to the American people.
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) March 22, 2019
Americans deserve to know the truth now that the Mueller report is complete. The report must be released immediately and AG Barr must publicly testify under oath about the investigation's findings. We need total transparency here.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) March 22, 2019
As Donald Trump said, “Let it come out." I call on the Trump administration to make Special Counsel Mueller's full report public as soon as possible. No one, including the president, is above the law.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) March 22, 2019
BREAKING: The Mueller report is complete. Attorney General Barr must release the full report to the public. The American people deserve to know the facts. https://t.co/XdUaSw31Xu
— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) March 22, 2019
The American people deserve to know the full truth about Russia’s interference in our democracy. The Special Counsel report must be publicly released in its entirety. https://t.co/Q5OT6zPpOg
— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) March 22, 2019
Special counsel Mueller’s report should be made public without any delay. The American people have a right to know its findings.
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) March 22, 2019
Attorney General Barr—release the Mueller report to the American public. Now. https://t.co/sqz8eoTjLD
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) March 22, 2019
This report should be made public immediately. https://t.co/Q2JCExqYaA
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) March 22, 2019
The American public deserves to know the contents of the Mueller Report. Donald Trump and his Attorney General cannot be trusted to summarize or excerpt it accurately.
— Jay Inslee (@JayInslee) March 22, 2019
Further, Barr stated he would consult with his deputy, Rod Rosenstein, and Mueller to determine what else from the report can be released to Congress and the public.
“I remain committed to as much transparency as possible, and I will keep you informed as to the status of my review,” Barr said.
The filing of Mueller’s report came after weeks of intense speculation over whether Mueller, a former FBI director who has remained invisible while the investigation plodded ahead, would produce any indictments or evidence that would support the impeachment of Trump.
A senior Justice Department official told US media Friday that after charging some 34 individuals, including six former Trump associates, Mueller’s team did not foresee recommending any further indictments.
Trump has repeatedly denied any collusion between his election campaign and Moscow, lashing out at the investigation as an “illegal witch hunt” run by a team of biased investigators.
The White House responded to Friday’s development by saying it welcomes the delivery of the long-awaited report.
“The next steps are up to Attorney General Barr and we look forward to the process taking its course,” Trump spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement. “The White House has not received or been briefed on the Special Counsel’s report.”
The Agence France-Presse contributed to this report.
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