Sen. Dianne Feinstein Warns Trump Don’t Even Think About Hiding The Mueller Report

Last updated on February 24th, 2019 at 04:42 am

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The top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Dianne Feinstein warned Trump not to try to get away with releasing a summary of the Mueller report.

Sen. Feinstein said in a statement provided to PoliticusUSA:

Congress has a clear interest in obtaining the special counsel’s full report, supporting materials and all the facts and evidence surrounding the numerous investigations into President Trump, his associates and his campaign. The special counsel’s investigation has focused on Russian interference in the 2016 election and whether any Americans were involved, an investigation that has already led to 37 indictments or guilty pleas, including six Trump advisors, and raises questions about the conduct of the president himself.

These are matters of national significance with implications for the rule of law and stability of our democracy that cannot be hidden away.

There is clear precedent for releasing the report. The Justice Department has provided investigative materials to Congress on numerous occasions over the past several years, including FBI interview summaries from the Hillary Clinton email investigation and FISA warrant applications for Carter Page. The attorney general cannot take the position that it will only produce material to Congress when requested by Republicans.

A summary written by Attorney General Barr in place of the Mueller report will not be acceptable. This isn’t limited to a question of whether crimes have been committed. Congress must also determine if there was misconduct or abuse of power. In addition, Congress has a responsibility to examine whether existing laws are sufficient to deter and punish election interference. For that to happen, Attorney General Barr must release the full report and protect the ongoing investigations occurring in other jurisdictions.

In other words, don’t even think about hiding the report and having your attorney general write a summary that would leave out important information. Democrats are prepared for Trump to try to avoid releasing the report. It is almost a given that Trump will try to make sure that Mueller’s findings don’t see the light of day.

Democrats will use their subpoena power in the House to get the report. Trump can dodge and stall for time, but he can’t stop the facts from seeing the light of day.

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Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association