Members of Congress react to Mueller report release
Members of mid-Missouri’s congressional delegation are reacting to the release of the 400-page redacted report on special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.
U.S. Attorney General William Barr released the report Thursday morning after a news conference. The investigation did not conclude President Donald Trump committed a crime but did not exonerate him, according to the report summarizing Mueller’s findings.
ABC 17 News has contacted members of Congress representing central Missouri or sought out statements they’ve distributed publicly.
U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt
Blunt, a Republican, released a statement ahead of the report’s release. He is a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
“I look forward to the opportunity to look through the publicly available report. I agree with the four categories of redacted material that will not be made public. I am hopeful that the Senate Intelligence Committee is able to look at all of the report, with the exception of the grand jury material, and believe it will assist us in bringing our investigation of Russian involvement in our elections to a conclusion.”
Blunt also answered questions for reporters in Washington, D.C., about the report’s release. ABC News recorded the scrum.
U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer
Luetkemeyer, a Republican, released the following:
“Today every American has the opportunity to see for themselves what President Trump has been saying for two years: there was no collusion. As Special Counsel Mueller’s report states, ‘the investigation did not establish that the Campaign coordinated or conspired with the Russian government in its election-interference activities.’ With this investigation behind us, it is time for Democrats to put down the talking points and join Republicans in focusing on the priorities of the American people.”
U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley
A Twitter account for the press office of Hawley, a Republican, posted a link to a TV interview (conducted Wednesday) after the report’s release in which Hawley reiterated calls for an investigation of potential FBI misconduct during Trump’s campaign.
During his interview with @kytv, Sen. Hawley reiterated his calls for a special counsel to investigate potential misconduct by the FBI during and following the Trump presidential campaign: “I don’t want to go back to the day when the FBI in this country tried to run the country.” pic.twitter.com/hlRty2rKtR
— Senator Hawley Press Office (@SenHawleyPress) April 18, 2019
U.S. Rep. Sam Graves
The Republican who represents northern Missouri’s Sixth Congressional District released the following:
“After nearly 2 years of thorough investigations, thousands of subpoenas, and more than $25 million taxpayer dollars spent, we now have the special counsel report. There is no evidence that President Trump or anyone on his campaign colluded with the Russian government. I’m glad the Mueller investigation has finally concluded and President Trump has been vindicated. I hope we can now focus on real issues that affect the American people such as securing our border and repairing our nation’s infrastructure.”
Look for updated reactions throughout the day.
