The Latest: White House says it was told Mueller might speak
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on special counsel Robert Mueller and the Russia investigation (all times local):
3:45 p.m.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says “nothing is off the table,” including potential impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump.
Pelosi spoke in California after special counsel Robert Mueller indicated Wednesday that it’s up to Congress to decide what to do next with his findings. The special counsel stressed in his first public statement on the Russia investigation that he didn’t exonerate Trump, as the president claims. Mueller said he was guided by Justice Department policy against bringing charges against a sitting president.
Speaking at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, Pelosi said she wants congressional committees to investigate whether Trump obstructed Mueller’s investigation. She said, “Where they will lead us, we shall see” and added, “Nothing is off the table.”
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12:20 p.m.
Cory Booker is calling on fellow congressional Democrats “to begin impeachment proceedings immediately” in the wake of special counsel Robert Mueller’s public statement on his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, including the question of whether President Donald Trump obstructed justice.
The Democratic presidential candidate and New Jersey senator tweeted the statement Wednesday after Mueller spoke publicly for the first time since he was appointed two years ago.
Booker has previously declined to press for impeachment. But he said Mueller’s statement “makes it clear: Congress has a legal and moral obligation” to initiate the impeachment process.
Mueller referred to a Justice Department legal opinion that says “the Constitution requires a process other than the criminal justice system to formally accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing.”
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12:05 p.m.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders says special counsel Robert Mueller is moving on with his life “and everyone else should do the same.”
Sanders said in her statement that Mueller noted that his office has closed the case.
She said the report indicated there was “no collusion, no conspiracy” and the Justice Department confirmed there was no obstruction.
Special counsel Robert Mueller, however, said in his public statement on Wednesday that his team did not make a determination as to whether Trump committed a crime.
Mueller announced that he is now leaving the Justice Department.
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11:55 a.m.
The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee says it falls to Congress to respond to the “crimes, lies and other wrongdoing of President Trump – and we will do so.”
Democratic New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler issued a statement after special counsel Robert Mueller (MUHL’-ur) on Wednesday delivered the first public comments about his Russia report, which was issued last month. Mueller says he was constitutionally barred from charging President Donald Trump with a crime but emphasized that his report did not exonerate the Republican president.
Mueller says he does not want to speak further about the probe, despite invitations to do so from Congress. Nadler did not comment on whether he would subpoena Mueller.
Trump has repeatedly called Mueller’s investigation a “witch hunt” and tweets, “The case is closed!”
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11:45 a.m.
President Donald Trump is declaring “The case is closed!” following special counsel Robert Mueller’s first public statement since his appointment in the Russia investigation.
Trump tweeted Wednesday following Mueller’s remarks that, “Nothing changes from the Mueller Report.”
Trump says, “There was insufficient evidence and therefore, in our Country, a person is innocent. The case is closed! Thank you.”
Mueller said Wednesday that he believed he was constitutionally barred from charging Trump with a crime but emphasized that his report did not exonerate the Republican president.
Mueller says that if he had had confidence the president clearly did not commit a crime his team would have said so in its report.
Mueller also emphasized that there were “multiple, systematic efforts” to interfere in the 2016 presidential election and that that “deserves the attention of every American.”
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11:30 a.m.
Special counsel Robert Mueller says there were “multiple, systematic efforts” to interfere in the 2016 presidential election and that “deserves the attention of every American.”
Mueller made the comments Wednesday as he ended an almost 10-minute statement about his two-year investigation into Russian election interference and obstruction of justice. Mueller detailed that meddling in an indictment last year, charging 12 Russian military intelligence officers with hacking Democratic email accounts.
Mueller’s probe found there was no evidence that President Donald Trump’s campaign colluded or conspired with Russia. But a report released at the end of the investigation detailed many contacts between Russia and the campaign.
The Republican president has repeatedly called Mueller’s investigation a “witch hunt.”
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11:25 a.m.
Special counsel Robert Mueller is not ruling out testifying before Congress but is serving notice that he does not intend to go beyond what has already been revealed in his report.
Mueller said Wednesday he and the special counsel team chose their words carefully in the report and “the work speaks for itself.”
Mueller says that the report is his “testimony” and that he “would not provide information beyond that which is already public in any appearance before Congress.”
He says that beyond what he said in his public statement and in his written work he doesn’t believe it is “appropriate” for him “to speak further about the investigation.”
Mueller’s report revealed that President Donald Trump tried to seize control of the Russia probe and force Mueller’s removal to stop him from investigating potential obstruction of justice by the Republican president. Trump has called the investigation a “witch hunt.”
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11:10 a.m.
Special counsel Robert Mueller says charging a president with a crime was “not an option” his team could consider in the Russia investigation.
Mueller says that he was bound by longstanding Justice Department opinions that say a president can’t be indicted while in office.
In his first public comments in the probe, Mueller said on Wednesday “it would be unfair” to potentially accuse someone of a crime when the person couldn’t stand trial to defend himself.
Mueller’s comments echoed the findings in his public report.
Mueller’s report revealed that President Donald Trump tried to seize control of the Russia probe and force Mueller’s removal to stop him from investigating potential obstruction of justice by the Republican president. Trump has called the investigation a “witch hunt.”
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11 a.m.
Special counsel Robert Mueller says he’s leaving the Justice Department now that he’s concluded his Russia investigation.
Mueller made the announcement Wednesday in his first public statement since his appointment two years ago.
Mueller has been on the Justice Department’s payroll since he formally concluded his probe in March. Last month, Attorney General William Barr publicly released a redacted version of his Russia report.
It’s unclear what Mueller has been doing at the Justice Department since, though the Democrat-led House Judiciary Committee has been negotiating with his office in an attempt to secure his public testimony before Congress. So far, no deal has been made.
Mueller’s report revealed that President Donald Trump tried to seize control of the Russia probe and force Mueller’s removal to stop him from investigating potential obstruction of justice by the Republican president. Trump has called the investigation a “witch hunt.”
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10:50 a.m.
Special counsel Robert Mueller’s first public statement on the Russia investigation is expected to last about eight minutes. That’s according to a Justice Department official.
The statement comes as Attorney General William Barr is traveling in Alaska. A second person familiar with Barr’s trip says Barr was told ahead of time that Mueller would be making a statement. But the person did not provide additional details.
Both people spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the matters publicly.
Mueller is not expected to take questions.
Mueller’s report revealed that President Donald Trump tried to seize control of the Russia probe and force Mueller’s removal to stop him from investigating potential obstruction of justice by the Republican president. Trump has called the investigation a “witch hunt.”
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By Eric Tucker and Michael Balsamo in Washington.
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10:10 a.m.
The White House says it was given a heads-up that special counsel Robert Mueller might be making a public statement about his Russia probe.
A White House official says the White House was not caught off-guard by Mueller’s announcement that he would be speaking Wednesday about the report.
It will be Mueller’s first statement on the report. He’s not expected to take questions.
It’s unclear what Mueller intends to say, but the statement comes amid demands for Mueller to testify on Capitol Hill about his findings and tension with Attorney General William Barr over the handling of his report.
Mueller’s report revealed that President Donald Trump tried to seize control of the Russia probe and force Mueller’s removal to stop him from investigating potential obstruction of justice by the Republican president. Trump has called the investigation a “witch hunt.”
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By Deb Riechmann.
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9:40 a.m.
Special counsel Robert Mueller will make his first public statement on the results of his nearly two-year long Russia investigation on Wednesday.
That’s according to the Justice Department, which said he would speak at 11 a.m. Mueller has not spoken publicly since he was appointed in May 2017.
Mueller investigated Russia meddling in the 2016 election and contacts with Donald Trump’s campaign.
The Western Journal has not reviewed this Associated Press story prior to publication. Therefore, it may contain editorial bias or may in some other way not meet our normal editorial standards. It is provided to our readers as a service from The Western Journal.
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