Congress Won’t See Mueller’s Findings Saturday

Congress Won’t See Mueller’s Findings Saturday
Newspaper front pages from around the nation are on display at the Newseum in Washington, on March 23, 2019. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo)
The Associated Press
3/23/2019
Updated:
3/23/2019

WASHINGTON—Attorney General William Barr will not be providing Congress with special counsel Robert Mueller’s findings on Saturday, March 23.

That’s according to a senior Justice Department official. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person wasn’t authorized to publicly discuss the review process.

Mueller has concluded his investigation of Russian election interference and possible coordination with Donald Trump’s campaign.

Barr is reviewing Mueller’s confidential report and has said he expects to provide Congress with the “principal conclusions” this weekend.

Attorney General William Barr leaves his home in McLean, Va., on March 23, 2019. (Sait Serkan Gurbuz/AP Photo)
Attorney General William Barr leaves his home in McLean, Va., on March 23, 2019. (Sait Serkan Gurbuz/AP Photo)

That’s according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on Saturday. The person couldn’t discuss the confidential process publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Barr arrived at the Justice Department’s headquarters Saturday morning.

The motorcade for Attorney General William Barr arrives at the Department of Justice in Washington, on March 23, 2019. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo)
The motorcade for Attorney General William Barr arrives at the Department of Justice in Washington, on March 23, 2019. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo)

He received special counsel Robert Mueller’s final report on the Russia investigation Friday afternoon. Mueller was investigating Russian election interference and possible coordination with Donald Trump’s campaign.

The special counsel’s full report is confidential, but Barr says he will be deciding soon how much of it he will release to Congress and the public.

House Democrats will gather by phone on Saturday as they wait for the Justice Department to send them details of what special counsel Robert Mueller has found in his investigation of Russian interference.

That’s according to a person familiar with the meeting. The person requested anonymity to discuss the private call.

Democrats planned the 3 p.m. conference call to discuss strategy and their next steps after they were notified Friday afternoon that Mueller had sent his completed report to Attorney General William Barr.

President Donald Trump was on the golf course in Florida a day after special counsel Robert Mueller closed his 22-month-long Russia investigation with no new charges.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Friday that the next steps are up to the attorney general and the White House will let the process take its course. As of Friday evening, the White House had not received or been briefed on the report.

Even with the details still under wraps, the end of the probe without additional indictments by Mueller was welcome news to some in Trump’s orbit, including members of the president’s family.

Special counsel Robert Mueller closed his long and contentious Russia investigation with no new charges, ending the probe that has cast a dark shadow over Donald Trump’s presidency.

By Michael Balsamo and Mary Clare Jalonick