Attorney General Bill Barr announced late Friday afternoon Special Counsel Robert Mueller is official done with the investigation into the 2016 presidential election.
"I write to notify you pursuant to 28 C.F.R 600.9(a)(3) that Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III has concluded his investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election and related matters," Barr wrote in a letter to the Senate and House Judiciary Committees. "The Special Counsel has submitted to me today a 'confidential report explaining the prosecution or declination decisions' he has reached,' Barr continued. "I am reviewing the report and anticipate that I may be in a position to advise you of the Special Counsel's principal conclusions as soon as this weekend."
"Separately, I intend to consult with Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein and Special Counsel Mueller to determine what other information from the report can be release to Congress and the public consistent with the law, including the Special Counsel regulations, and the Department's long-standing practices and policies. I remain committed to as much transparency as possible, and will keep you informed as to the status of my review."
Press Secretary Sarah Sanders says the White House has not seen or been briefed on the report.
The next steps are up to Attorney General Barr, and we look forward to the process taking its course. The White House has not received or been briefed on the Special Counsel’s report.
— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) March 22, 2019
Earlier today, President Trump's attorney Rudy Guiliani described the process this way:
On phone w/ Giuliani, who's tracking Mueller news like everyone else in D.C., with TV on, scrolling through Twitter, and making calls. He spoke with POTUS this morning.
— Robert Costa (@costareports) March 22, 2019
“It’s like waiting for a baby” to be born, Giuliani says. “If the report is good, I’ll give out cigars.”
Before leaving for Florida Friday morning, President Trump again called the investigation a witch hunt and said there was no collusion between his 2016 campaign and the Russians. He also said he had "no idea" when the report would be coming out.
The report is now finished as we await Attorney General Bill Barr to make a decision about how much of the report he will release to the public and Congress.
According to reports, Mueller will not indict anyone else as part of the probe.
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