2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, Democrat - New York, House Judiciary Committee chairman:
"Good evening, earlier today I received a four-page letter from Attorney General Barr outlining his summary of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report while making a few questionable legal arguments of his own. I take from this letter, three points. First, President Trump is wrong. This report does not amount to a so-called total exoneration. Special Counsel Muller was clear that his report quote does not exonerate close quote the president. The special counsel spent 22 months uncovering evidence of obstruction and other misconduct. Attorney General Barr, who auditioned for his role with an open memorandum suggesting that the obstruction investigation was unconscionable and that a president and that it was almost impossible for any president to commit obstruction of justice since he is the head of the executive branch, made a decision about that evidence in under 48 hours. His conclusions raise more questions than they answer. Given the fact that Mueller uncovered evidence that in his own words does not exonerate the president. It is unconscionable that President Trump would try to spin the special counsel counsel's findings as if his conduct was remotely acceptable. Second, given these questions it is imperative that the attorney general release the full report and the underlying evidence. The entire unfiltered report, as well as the evidence underlying that report, must be made available to Congress and to the American people. As much information can be as can be made public should be made public without delay. I intend to fight for that transparency. We will ask the attorney general to testify before the House Judiciary Committee. We will demand the release of the full report. The American people are entitled to a full accounting of the President's misconduct referenced by the special counsel. Third, the attorney general's comments make it clear that Congress must step in to get the truth and provide full transparency to the American people. The president has not been exonerated by the special counsel, yet the attorney general has decided not to go further or apparently to share those findings with the public. We cannot simply rely on what may be a hasty partisan interpretation of the facts. Earlier this month the House passed a resolution calling for a full and complete release of the special counsel's report by a vote of 420 to nothing. We now call on the attorney general to honor that request, to release the report and the underlying evidence and to appear before the Judiciary Committee to answer our questions without delay. "
3. Wide news conference
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, Democrat - New York, House Judiciary Committee chairman:
"Reporter: Would you be willing to use subpoena power if necessary?
Sure. I would hope that it would not be necessary to use subpoena power to get the attorney general to appear before the committee. We also want to see the full report and if necessary we'll use subpoena power to get that too."
++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK++
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, Democrat - New York, House Judiciary Committee chairman:
"Now, it is as far as I know unprecedented for a special prosecutor not to make that decision one way or another one way or the other and certainly unprecedented for an attorney general to arrogate himself that decision and certainly precedent for an attorney general who campaigned for the role by saying presidents can hardly ever commit obstruction of justice. All right. Thank you very much everybody."
Special counsel Robert Mueller did not find evidence that President Donald Trump's campaign "conspired or coordinated" with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election but reached no conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice, Attorney General William Barr declared Sunday.
That brought a hearty claim of vindication from Trump but set the stage for new rounds of political and legal fighting.
House Judiciary Committee chairman Congressman Jerrold Nadler said Sunday night that Congress needs to hear from Attorney General Barr about his decision and see "all the underlying evidence."
Mueller clearly and explicitly is not exonerating the president, said Nadler but Barr is telling the American people that while the president is not exonerated, there will be no action by DOJ.
"I would hope that it would not be necessary to use subpoena power to get the attorney general to appear before the committee," Nadler told reporters at a news conference in New York.
"We also want to see the full report and if necessary we'll use subpoena power to get that too."
In a statement, two other top Democrats, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, said Barr was "not a neutral observer" and they also urged the full release of special counsel Robert Mueller's report.
