Trump says Special Counsel Mueller should not testify on Russia probe
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said Special Counsel Robert Mueller should not testify in Congress about the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Trump said on Twitter that Democrats in Congress were seeking a “redo” of Mueller’s report, which declined to conclude whether the president’s efforts to impede the investigation constituted obstruction of justice.
“Bob Mueller should not testify. No redos for the Dems!” Trump tweeted.
The Mueller report chronicled Russian efforts to help Trump win election in 2016 but found that Trump and his campaign did not engage in a criminal conspiracy with Moscow.
The Republican president has derided the investigation as a costly “witch hunt” and sought to characterize the report’s findings as a victory.
The Democratic-led House Judiciary Committee appears closest to arranging for Mueller to testify, possibly as soon as May 15.
Attorney General William Barr, under fire from Democrats for his handling of the report’s release, has said he has no problem with Mueller testifying.
Barr is headed for another showdown with Congress on Monday if he fails to meet a morning deadline to hand over the full, unredacted Mueller report requested by Democrats.
Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Andrea Ricci
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