Special counsel Robert Mueller says President Donald Trump's efforts to influence the Russia investigation "were mostly unsuccessful," but that was because the people surrounding the president "declined to carry out orders to accede to his requests."

AP reporter Chad Day gives an initial review of the two-volume report that exceeds 400 pages.

"The first volume that deals with Russian election interference and the actions of the Trump campaign is a couple of hundred pages long and goes into exhaustive detail about the information that they've gathered," he says.

"Interviewing 500 witnesses, issuing more than twenty eight hundred subpoenas, and putting together probably the most complete picture of what happened during the 2016 election involving the Trump campaign and Russia."

Mueller's report details instances by several officials, including former FBI Director James Comey, former White House counsel Don McGahn and former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, ignoring or refusing Trump's requests to interfere in the investigation.

"But some of those episodes show that Trump made several attempts to seize control of the investigation try to have Special Counsel Robert Mueller removed from the probe, or that his attorneys were trying to gather information about what people who were cooperating with the investigation were telling prosecutors," Day says.

Washington, D.C. - 17 April 2019

+++STARTS AND ENDS ON A SOUNDBITE+++

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Chad Day, Associated Press

"So the headline today is that Mueller has made two big conclusions out of his report. Number one is that he did not establish that there was a criminal conspiracy between the Russian government and the Trump campaign to interfere in the 2016 election. The other is that he did not exonerate the president on the question of whether he obstructed justice, or tried to influence the Russia probe and crossed over into criminal conduct. Now, it's a 448 page report and portions of it are redacted. We're still kind of gathering the information right now to determine how much has been withheld. We know that the attorney general said that he withheld information about ongoing investigations, grand jury material, information that could be derogatory about uncharged people, and other information that he saw fit to withhold."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

SOUNDBITE (English) Chad Day, Associated Press

"So in particular on the question of obstruction, Mueller examined 10 different episodes in which he was looking at the president's conduct to determine whether or not it crossed over into criminal conduct. Now again, he did not determine, didn't answer the question of whether it was criminal obstruction. But some of those episodes show that Trump made several attempts to seize control of the investigation try to have Special Counsel Robert Mueller removed from the probe, or that his attorneys were trying to gather information about what people who were cooperating with the investigation were telling prosecutors."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

SOUNDBITE (English) Chad Day, Associated Press

"In particular, there's one episode that's related involving his personal attorney of his who is trying to gather information from former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Now, this is going back in time a little bit, but Flynn had just cut off contact with the Trump legal team, ahead of his pleading guilty and cooperating with the government. The report says that one of Trump's attorneys then reached out and tried to remind them that the president had warm feelings for Flynn and ask him to see if there was any information that he knew that could implicate the president. Whenever Flynn's attorneys rebuffed that effort, the attorney then said that he would remind the president that that Flynn's actions showed hostility towards the president. So, what they're showing is that they're painting a picture here of a president and people around him who are trying to shape and gather information about the probe but also to in some cases you know take control of it and influence the direction of where it's going."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

SOUNDBITE (English) Chad Day, Associated Press

"The report also details what happened in the months right after Special Counsel Robert Mueller was appointed in May of 2017. In particular, it shows that the president ordered his then White House counsel Don McGahn to try to have a special counsel Robert Mueller removed. Now McGahn rebuffed this effort but it shows how the president and the report quotes him saw the probe as possible into his presidency, and something that would threaten his power. And at that point was trying to take efforts to take control of the investigation by having Mueller removed."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

SOUNDBITE (English) Chad Day, Associated Press

"I think the level of detail in the report is one of the most important take-aways from it. The first volume that deals with Russian election interference and the actions of the Trump campaign is a couple of hundred pages long and goes into exhaustive detail about the information that they've gathered interviewing 500 witnesses, issuing more than 2,800 subpoenas, and putting together probably the most complete picture of what happened during the 2016 election involving the Trump campaign and Russia. The other thing is how much the special counsel grappled with whether or not the president had crossed over the legal line into criminal obstruction. As you see in the second volume of the report. He details these 10 episodes, and also then discusses you know what the law is and how it applies to a president ultimately deciding that they could not answer the question because there are difficult legal issues at play, and leaving that kind of open. As we know after the report was turned in weeks ago, the attorney general then stepped in and decided that the president had not obstructed justice. And today you saw him reflect that in his news conference announcing the report."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

SOUNDBITE (English) Chad Day, Associated Press

"Immediately after the report was announced by the attorney general this morning, Trump and his legal team claimed victory, with Trump kind of touting his usual refrain of 'no collusion.' That there was 'no obstruction' and saying it was a 'total exoneration.' Now, as we know, the report did not exonerate him on the question of obstruction of justice. But his legal team did issue a statement saying that they see this as a victory, and that what it appears is now going to be the president's strategy is to go and try to turn the tables and attack the investigators who carried out the Russia investigation.

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

SOUNDBITE (English) Chad Day, Associated Press

"Also what we will have after this report drops is that Barr will go to to the Hill to testify. Democrats are also calling for him to release the full report and say that they may go to court for that. Barr is scheduled to testify in early May. We also have seen Democrats say that they want to hear from Special Counsel Robert Mueller himself, and Barr said that he wouldn't object to that during his news conference."

+++ENDS ON A SOUNDBITE+++

Special counsel Robert Mueller says President Donald Trump's efforts to influence the Russia investigation "were mostly unsuccessful," but that was because the people surrounding the president "declined to carry out orders to accede to his requests."

AP reporter Chad Day gives an initial review of the two-volume report that exceeds 400 pages.

"The first volume that deals with Russian election interference and the actions of the Trump campaign is a couple of hundred pages long and goes into exhaustive detail about the information that they've gathered," he says.

"Interviewing 500 witnesses, issuing more than twenty eight hundred subpoenas, and putting together probably the most complete picture of what happened during the 2016 election involving the Trump campaign and Russia."

Mueller's report details instances by several officials, including former FBI Director James Comey, former White House counsel Don McGahn and former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, ignoring or refusing Trump's requests to interfere in the investigation.

"But some of those episodes show that Trump made several attempts to seize control of the investigation try to have Special Counsel Robert Mueller removed from the probe, or that his attorneys were trying to gather information about what people who were cooperating with the investigation were telling prosecutors," Day says.

Washington, D.C. - 17 April 2019

+++STARTS AND ENDS ON A SOUNDBITE+++

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Chad Day, Associated Press

"So the headline today is that Mueller has made two big conclusions out of his report. Number one is that he did not establish that there was a criminal conspiracy between the Russian government and the Trump campaign to interfere in the 2016 election. The other is that he did not exonerate the president on the question of whether he obstructed justice, or tried to influence the Russia probe and crossed over into criminal conduct. Now, it's a 448 page report and portions of it are redacted. We're still kind of gathering the information right now to determine how much has been withheld. We know that the attorney general said that he withheld information about ongoing investigations, grand jury material, information that could be derogatory about uncharged people, and other information that he saw fit to withhold."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

SOUNDBITE (English) Chad Day, Associated Press

"So in particular on the question of obstruction, Mueller examined 10 different episodes in which he was looking at the president's conduct to determine whether or not it crossed over into criminal conduct. Now again, he did not determine, didn't answer the question of whether it was criminal obstruction. But some of those episodes show that Trump made several attempts to seize control of the investigation try to have Special Counsel Robert Mueller removed from the probe, or that his attorneys were trying to gather information about what people who were cooperating with the investigation were telling prosecutors."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

SOUNDBITE (English) Chad Day, Associated Press

"In particular, there's one episode that's related involving his personal attorney of his who is trying to gather information from former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. Now, this is going back in time a little bit, but Flynn had just cut off contact with the Trump legal team, ahead of his pleading guilty and cooperating with the government. The report says that one of Trump's attorneys then reached out and tried to remind them that the president had warm feelings for Flynn and ask him to see if there was any information that he knew that could implicate the president. Whenever Flynn's attorneys rebuffed that effort, the attorney then said that he would remind the president that that Flynn's actions showed hostility towards the president. So, what they're showing is that they're painting a picture here of a president and people around him who are trying to shape and gather information about the probe but also to in some cases you know take control of it and influence the direction of where it's going."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

SOUNDBITE (English) Chad Day, Associated Press

"The report also details what happened in the months right after Special Counsel Robert Mueller was appointed in May of 2017. In particular, it shows that the president ordered his then White House counsel Don McGahn to try to have a special counsel Robert Mueller removed. Now McGahn rebuffed this effort but it shows how the president and the report quotes him saw the probe as possible into his presidency, and something that would threaten his power. And at that point was trying to take efforts to take control of the investigation by having Mueller removed."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

SOUNDBITE (English) Chad Day, Associated Press

"I think the level of detail in the report is one of the most important take-aways from it. The first volume that deals with Russian election interference and the actions of the Trump campaign is a couple of hundred pages long and goes into exhaustive detail about the information that they've gathered interviewing 500 witnesses, issuing more than 2,800 subpoenas, and putting together probably the most complete picture of what happened during the 2016 election involving the Trump campaign and Russia. The other thing is how much the special counsel grappled with whether or not the president had crossed over the legal line into criminal obstruction. As you see in the second volume of the report. He details these 10 episodes, and also then discusses you know what the law is and how it applies to a president ultimately deciding that they could not answer the question because there are difficult legal issues at play, and leaving that kind of open. As we know after the report was turned in weeks ago, the attorney general then stepped in and decided that the president had not obstructed justice. And today you saw him reflect that in his news conference announcing the report."

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

SOUNDBITE (English) Chad Day, Associated Press

"Immediately after the report was announced by the attorney general this morning, Trump and his legal team claimed victory, with Trump kind of touting his usual refrain of 'no collusion.' That there was 'no obstruction' and saying it was a 'total exoneration.' Now, as we know, the report did not exonerate him on the question of obstruction of justice. But his legal team did issue a statement saying that they see this as a victory, and that what it appears is now going to be the president's strategy is to go and try to turn the tables and attack the investigators who carried out the Russia investigation.

+++BLACK FRAMES+++

SOUNDBITE (English) Chad Day, Associated Press

"Also what we will have after this report drops is that Barr will go to to the Hill to testify. Democrats are also calling for him to release the full report and say that they may go to court for that. Barr is scheduled to testify in early May. We also have seen Democrats say that they want to hear from Special Counsel Robert Mueller himself, and Barr said that he wouldn't object to that during his news conference."

+++ENDS ON A SOUNDBITE+++

House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler said his committee is filing a court petition Friday in an effort to obtain secret grand jury material underlying former special counsel Robert Mueller's report.

The panel is also expected to file a lawsuit next week to try to enforce a subpoena against former White House counsel Donald McGahn, a key Mueller witness, if he doesn't comply before then.

That suit is expected to challenge the White House's claim that former White House employees have "absolute immunity" from testifying before Congress.

The move comes after Mueller's testimony Wednesday to Congress saying he had not "exculpated" President Donald Trump. Democrats are trying to focus public attention on Mueller's words and on his 448-page report's contents, including several episodes in which Trump sought to influence the special counsel's investigation into Russia election interference.

Mueller concluded that he could not exonerate Trump on obstruction of justice. He also concluded that there was no evidence of a criminal conspiracy between Trump's campaign and Russia.

The panel has struggled to bring in witnesses like McGahn who spoke extensively to Mueller because the White House has directed them to refuse to testify. Trump has said he will fight "all of the subpoenas."

Nadler said the committee is still negotiating with McGahn for documents and testimony, and the committee will file the lawsuit "in very short order" if he does not comply.

The court battles are beginning as the House leaves for a six-week recess and Democrats are debating whether to impeach the Republican president. More than 90 House Democrats have said they favor starting the impeachment process, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said she wants to build the strongest case possible before making that decision, including by going to court to force witnesses to comply.

Nadler said the court filing will include a line saying that the materials are necessary "to determine whether the committee should recommend articles of impeachment."

Washington, DC - 26 July 2019

1. Wide, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler walks into briefing room, along with members of committee

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Jerrold Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:

"Before he (Robert Mueller) ever stepped into our hearing room, the director had rendered our country a great and necessary public service. He showed through his report and his indictments that the United States was attacked and remains under siege by a foreign adversary. He showed that the Trump campaign both welcomed and benefited from this attack on our country. And he showed that the president repeatedly lied to cover it up. And if that were not enough. Director Mueller's testimony removed all doubt. He told us that Donald Trump obstructed justice and abused his office by tampering with witnesses, attempting to block the investigation and attempting to fire the special counsel. He told us that Donald Trump lied to the public about the Trump Tower meeting in New York. Lied to the public about his plans for Trump Tower in Moscow and lied in his written responses to the special counsel. He told us in a remarkable exchange with Mr. (Ted) Lieu that but for the Department of Justice policy from prohibiting, prohibiting from doing so, he would have indicted President Trump."

3. Wide, news conference

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:

"We will continue to seek testimony from key fact witnesses.  As many of you know the committee has authorized several additional subpoenas. Our work will continue into the August recess and we will use those subpoenas, if we must. We will also continue to seek important documents from the Department of Justice and the White House. We have made some progress on this front. There appears to be compelling evidence of the President's misconduct outside of the four corners of the redacted version of the Mueller Report. And we will work to uncover that evidence as well. Finally, today we are filing an application for the grand jury material underlying the Mueller report. That information is critically important for our ability to examine witnesses including former White House counsel Don McGahn and to investigate the president's misconduct. I will not comment on reports of our ongoing negotiations with Mr. McGahn but unless he complies with our accommodation efforts in very short order we expect to file an additional suit to enforce a subpoena for his testimony and that would be next week or earlier next week."

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, Democrat - Pennsylvania:

"The court filings today are the next step and we'll continue down that road to see whether we have the strong case that is needed to put to the American people."

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Eric Swalwell, Democrat - California:

"Well if you shut up expecting a Broadway show sure you may have been disappointed but if you listened to what he said he said that the Russians attacked us they had a preference for Donald Trump. The Trump campaign welcomed it and planned around it and when the police investigated it they took great lengths to cover it up including the president and the president is the only person in America who would be shielded from being held accountable because of what they did. That is pretty cut and dry. And what you've seen is not members who have called for impeachment saying take me off of that call in light of what Mr. Mueller have said. Six members since have come forward and have said add me to that call for impeachment."

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Madeleine Dean, Democrat - Pennsylvania:

"And what I believe we really should be focused on is not the performance of Mr. Mueller but the performance or behaviors of this president, obstructing justice. That's the performance you need to be examining. The performance of the Trump administration welcoming, wallowing in interference by Russia. The performance of Russia interfering with our elections in massive and sweeping ways that will continue. And a Senate yesterday that did nothing, in fact blocked attempts, to take care of or protect our elections."

8. Wide

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Veronica Escobar, Democrat - Texas:

"We're crossing a threshold. Absolutely. When you think about the, the, the mode that we were operating under before it really was an oversight function. We're now crossing a threshold with the filing of this, of this, with this filing and we are now officially entering into an examination of whether or not to recommend the articles of impeachment. So it's we have crossed a threshold. I just wanted to make that real clear."

10. Pan as members walk away

House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler said his committee is filing a court petition Friday in an effort to obtain secret grand jury material underlying former special counsel Robert Mueller's report.

The panel is also expected to file a lawsuit next week to try to enforce a subpoena against former White House counsel Donald McGahn, a key Mueller witness, if he doesn't comply before then.

That suit is expected to challenge the White House's claim that former White House employees have "absolute immunity" from testifying before Congress.

The move comes after Mueller's testimony Wednesday to Congress saying he had not "exculpated" President Donald Trump. Democrats are trying to focus public attention on Mueller's words and on his 448-page report's contents, including several episodes in which Trump sought to influence the special counsel's investigation into Russia election interference.

Mueller concluded that he could not exonerate Trump on obstruction of justice. He also concluded that there was no evidence of a criminal conspiracy between Trump's campaign and Russia.

The panel has struggled to bring in witnesses like McGahn who spoke extensively to Mueller because the White House has directed them to refuse to testify. Trump has said he will fight "all of the subpoenas."

Nadler said the committee is still negotiating with McGahn for documents and testimony, and the committee will file the lawsuit "in very short order" if he does not comply.

The court battles are beginning as the House leaves for a six-week recess and Democrats are debating whether to impeach the Republican president. More than 90 House Democrats have said they favor starting the impeachment process, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said she wants to build the strongest case possible before making that decision, including by going to court to force witnesses to comply.

Nadler said the court filing will include a line saying that the materials are necessary "to determine whether the committee should recommend articles of impeachment."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 26 July 2019

1. Wide, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler walks into briefing room, along with members of committee

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Jerrold Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:

"Before he (Robert Mueller) ever stepped into our hearing room, the director had rendered our country a great and necessary public service. He showed through his report and his indictments that the United States was attacked and remains under siege by a foreign adversary. He showed that the Trump campaign both welcomed and benefited from this attack on our country. And he showed that the president repeatedly lied to cover it up. And if that were not enough. Director Mueller's testimony removed all doubt. He told us that Donald Trump obstructed justice and abused his office by tampering with witnesses, attempting to block the investigation and attempting to fire the special counsel. He told us that Donald Trump lied to the public about the Trump Tower meeting in New York. Lied to the public about his plans for Trump Tower in Moscow and lied in his written responses to the special counsel. He told us in a remarkable exchange with Mr. (Ted) Lieu that but for the Department of Justice policy from prohibiting, prohibiting from doing so, he would have indicted President Trump."

3. Wide, news conference

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:

"We will continue to seek testimony from key fact witnesses.  As many of you know the committee has authorized several additional subpoenas. Our work will continue into the August recess and we will use those subpoenas, if we must. We will also continue to seek important documents from the Department of Justice and the White House. We have made some progress on this front. There appears to be compelling evidence of the President's misconduct outside of the four corners of the redacted version of the Mueller Report. And we will work to uncover that evidence as well. Finally, today we are filing an application for the grand jury material underlying the Mueller report. That information is critically important for our ability to examine witnesses including former White House counsel Don McGahn and to investigate the president's misconduct. I will not comment on reports of our ongoing negotiations with Mr. McGahn but unless he complies with our accommodation efforts in very short order we expect to file an additional suit to enforce a subpoena for his testimony and that would be next week or earlier next week."

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, Democrat - Pennsylvania:

"The court filings today are the next step and we'll continue down that road to see whether we have the strong case that is needed to put to the American people."

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Eric Swalwell, Democrat - California:

"Well if you shut up expecting a Broadway show sure you may have been disappointed but if you listened to what he said he said that the Russians attacked us they had a preference for Donald Trump. The Trump campaign welcomed it and planned around it and when the police investigated it they took great lengths to cover it up including the president and the president is the only person in America who would be shielded from being held accountable because of what they did. That is pretty cut and dry. And what you've seen is not members who have called for impeachment saying take me off of that call in light of what Mr. Mueller have said. Six members since have come forward and have said add me to that call for impeachment."

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Madeleine Dean, Democrat - Pennsylvania:

"And what I believe we really should be focused on is not the performance of Mr. Mueller but the performance or behaviors of this president, obstructing justice. That's the performance you need to be examining. The performance of the Trump administration welcoming, wallowing in interference by Russia. The performance of Russia interfering with our elections in massive and sweeping ways that will continue. And a Senate yesterday that did nothing, in fact blocked attempts, to take care of or protect our elections."

8. Wide

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Veronica Escobar, Democrat - Texas:

"We're crossing a threshold. Absolutely. When you think about the, the, the mode that we were operating under before it really was an oversight function. We're now crossing a threshold with the filing of this, of this, with this filing and we are now officially entering into an examination of whether or not to recommend the articles of impeachment. So it's we have crossed a threshold. I just wanted to make that real clear."

10. Pan as members walk away

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus121022

House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler said his committee is filing a court petition Friday in an effort to obtain secret grand jury material underlying former special counsel Robert Mueller's report.

The panel is also expected to file a lawsuit next week to try to enforce a subpoena against former White House counsel Donald McGahn, a key Mueller witness, if he doesn't comply before then.

That suit is expected to challenge the White House's claim that former White House employees have "absolute immunity" from testifying before Congress.

The move comes after Mueller's testimony Wednesday to Congress saying he had not "exculpated" President Donald Trump. Democrats are trying to focus public attention on Mueller's words and on his 448-page report's contents, including several episodes in which Trump sought to influence the special counsel's investigation into Russia election interference.

Mueller concluded that he could not exonerate Trump on obstruction of justice. He also concluded that there was no evidence of a criminal conspiracy between Trump's campaign and Russia.

The panel has struggled to bring in witnesses like McGahn who spoke extensively to Mueller because the White House has directed them to refuse to testify. Trump has said he will fight "all of the subpoenas."

Nadler said the committee is still negotiating with McGahn for documents and testimony, and the committee will file the lawsuit "in very short order" if he does not comply.

The court battles are beginning as the House leaves for a six-week recess and Democrats are debating whether to impeach the Republican president. More than 90 House Democrats have said they favor starting the impeachment process, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said she wants to build the strongest case possible before making that decision, including by going to court to force witnesses to comply.

Nadler said the court filing will include a line saying that the materials are necessary "to determine whether the committee should recommend articles of impeachment."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 26 July 2019

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Jerrold Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman: ++SOUNDBITE PARTIALLY OVERLAID++

"Before he (Robert Mueller) ever stepped into our hearing room, the director had rendered our country a great and necessary public service. He showed through his report and his indictments that the United States was attacked and remains under siege by a foreign adversary. He showed that the Trump campaign both welcomed and benefited from this attack on our country. And he showed that the president repeatedly lied to cover it up."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY WHITE FLASHES++

POOL

Washington - 24 July 2019

2. Various Robert Mueller testifying

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 26 July 2019

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:

"We will continue to seek testimony from key fact witnesses.  As many of you know the committee has authorized several additional subpoenas. Our work will continue into the August recess and we will use those subpoenas, if we must. We will also continue to seek important documents from the Department of Justice and the White House. We have made some progress on this front. There appears to be compelling evidence of the President's misconduct outside of the four corners of the redacted version of the Mueller Report. And we will work to uncover that evidence as well. Finally, today we are filing an application for the grand jury material underlying the Mueller report. That information is critically important for our ability to examine witnesses including former White House counsel Don McGahn and to investigate the president's misconduct. I will not comment on reports of our ongoing negotiations with Mr. McGahn but unless he complies with our accommodation efforts in very short order we expect to file an additional suit to enforce a subpoena for his testimony and that would be next week or earlier next week."

US House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler said former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski remained obligated to answer the committee's questions, despite a White House order that he not discuss his confidential conversations with the president.

Lewandowski is testifying at the committee's first official hearing in what the panel is calling an impeachment investigation.

The White House sent Nadler a letter late Monday saying that Lewandowski was not allowed to discuss his conversations with President Donald Trump beyond what is already public in former special counsel Robert Mueller's report.

Nadler said in a letter back to the White House on Tuesday that Nadler must answer questions because the committee has subpoenaed him.

Mueller's investigators detailed two episodes in which Trump asked Lewandowski to direct then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to limit Mueller's investigation.

The Republican members of the committee accused the chairman that the hearing wasn't really about finding out information.

"My majority made a promise, we'll impeach him, we'll investigating," said ranking member Rep. Doug Collins.

"For most of them it happened in November 2016 because they couldn't believe the Donald Trump won. And they still can't get over it today."

POOL

Washington DC - 17 September 2019

1. Various of former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski arriving and sitting at House Judiciary Committee hearing

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:

"Mr. Lewandowski is here and has vital information about presidential obstruction of justice. But the White House wants to limit our and your ability to hear it all. Mr. Lewandowski doubts he was called alone one on one into the Oval Office on June and June 19th 2017 and again on July 19th 2017 and the president is something I find startling. He dictated a speech to Mr Lewandowski. A speech not for Mr Lewandowski but for Attorney General Sessions to deliver, then Attorney General Sessions."

3. Cutaway

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:"As the Mueller Report found limiting the investigation to future elections would have cut off the investigation of any past conduct and struck at the heart of the Special Counsel's mandate. It would have ended the investigation of the president's conduct. The evidence found by the special counsel meant all the elements of obstruction of justice. Mr Lewandowski was nervous about this demand from his former boss, as he should have been. It raised serious questions about criminal conduct and he was recused, forbidden from doing anything regarding the Mueller investigation. He was certainly not allowed to curtail it. So Mr. Lewandowski tried to serendipitously meet with the A.G. When that failed he tried to pass the buck to Mr. Dearborn. Mr. Lewandowski gave Mr. Dearborn the script that had been dictated by the president, all while telling the president that he would follow through when the president's orders"

5. Cutaway

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:

"So that is what we want to learn, try to learn more about today. As we learned with Special Counsel Muller. Witness testimony is critical to any investigation. But the White House does not want us or the American people to hear this story in full. Late yesterday, the White House sent this a letter claiming that Mr. Lewandowski doubts his conversations with the president quote are protected from disclosure by executive branch confidentiality interests, close quote. They say he may testify about presidential communications that are already disclosed in the Mueller Report. But no more."

7. Cutaway

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:

"They make that claim despite the fact that Mr. Lewandowski was at all times a private political operative, apparently was not offering advice of any kind, the usual prerequisite for executive privilege and was enlisted for apparent wrongdoing. No court has ever said that the president is entitled to confidentiality, under these circumstances. Indeed the Department of Justice has said executive privilege should not be invoked to conceal evidence of wrongdoing on the part of executive officers."

9. Cutaway

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:

"The White House is advancing a new and dangerous theory: the crony privilege. It makes absolute immunity look good by comparison. Where are the limits? This is a cover up plain and simple. If it were to prevail, especially while the Judiciary Committee is considering whether to recommend Articles of Impeachment it would upend the separation of powers as envisioned by our founders. And today's cover up is part of a pattern of the White House blocking Congress."

11. Cutaway

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:

"Well Mr. Lewandowski you are here under subpoena. That means you are required to answer our questions, all our questions completely and truthfully Our investigation also extends beyond the four corners of the Mueller report. We are looking at corruption and abuse of power more broadly. So we will inquire about other subjects as well. We will not be daunted by the cover up. We intend to secure accountability for any wrongdoing, because no one is above the law not even the President of the United States."

13. Cutaway of Lewandowski

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Doug Collins, (R) Georgia, Ranking Member of House Judiciary Committee:

"But here is the problem, 17 of the members of the Judiciary Committee have said that they think the president ought to be impeached, so why are we still investigating it? 17, you get some more, the problem is you don't have the votes. You don't have the numbers, even if you do, if you get it out of this committee you don't have it on the floor. That's your problem. So the thing that we're going to do is we're gonna drag this committee through oversight hearings talking about things have been talked about ad nauseam and nauseam and nauseam, we're going to talk about it, we put filters up we won't say what it really is it really is not. While all the things we're going to try to imply that this president shouldn't be president."

15. Cutaway

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Doug Collins, (R) Georgia, Ranking Member of House Judiciary Committee:

"I understand it's tough making a promise and not keeping it. I understand all of us in this room can relate to a time when we can't make a promise and we couldn't keep it. My majority made a promise, we'll impeach him, we'll investigate him. For most of them it happened in November 2016 because they couldn't believe the Donald Trump won. And they still can't get over it today."

17. Cutaway

18. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Doug Collins, (R) Georgia, Ranking Member of House Judiciary Committee:

"So what do we do, we have public hearings, lots of flashbulbs, embarrassing the president, not gathering facts, not investigating, not doing oversight. This is certainly not being fair. But we like to issue subpoenas, we are setting a world record at that, 40 times faster than a previous chairman. But we don't want any answers because we're not willing to engage in dialogue to get information from folks."

19. Cutaway

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler says former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski remains obligated to answer the committee's questions despite a White House order that he not discuss his confidential conversations with the president.

Lewandowski is testifying at the committee's first official hearing in what the panel is calling an impeachment investigation.

The White House sent Nadler a letter late Monday saying that Lewandowski was not allowed to discuss his conversations with President Donald Trump beyond what is already public in former special counsel Robert Mueller's report.

Nadler said in a letter back to the White House on Tuesday that Nadler must answer questions because the committee has subpoenaed him.

Mueller's investigators detailed two episodes in which Trump asked Lewandowski to direct then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to limit Mueller's investigation.

The Republican members of the committee accused the chairman that the hearing wasn't really about finding out information.

"My majority made a promise, we'll impeach him, we'll investigating," said ranking member Rep. Doug Collins.

"For most of them it happened in November 2016 because they couldn't believe the Donald Trump won. And they still can't get over it today."

POOL

Washington DC - 17 September 2019

1. Various of former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski arriving and sitting at House Judiciary Committee hearing

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:

"Mr. Lewandowski is here and has vital information about presidential obstruction of justice. But the White House wants to limit our and your ability to hear it all. Mr. Lewandowski doubts he was called alone one on one into the Oval Office on June and June 19th 2017 and again on July 19th 2017 and the president is something I find startling. He dictated a speech to Mr Lewandowski. A speech not for Mr Lewandowski but for Attorney General Sessions to deliver, then Attorney General Sessions."

3. Cutaway

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:"As the Mueller Report found limiting the investigation to future elections would have cut off the investigation of any past conduct and struck at the heart of the Special Counsel's mandate. It would have ended the investigation of the president's conduct. The evidence found by the special counsel meant all the elements of obstruction of justice. Mr Lewandowski was nervous about this demand from his former boss, as he should have been. It raised serious questions about criminal conduct and he was recused, forbidden from doing anything regarding the Mueller investigation. He was certainly not allowed to curtail it. So Mr. Lewandowski tried to serendipitously meet with the A.G. When that failed he tried to pass the buck to Mr. Dearborn. Mr. Lewandowski gave Mr. Dearborn the script that had been dictated by the president, all while telling the president that he would follow through when the president's orders"

5. Cutaway

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:

"So that is what we want to learn, try to learn more about today. As we learned with Special Counsel Muller. Witness testimony is critical to any investigation. But the White House does not want us or the American people to hear this story in full. Late yesterday, the White House sent this a letter claiming that Mr. Lewandowski doubts his conversations with the president quote are protected from disclosure by executive branch confidentiality interests, close quote. They say he may testify about presidential communications that are already disclosed in the Mueller Report. But no more."

7. Cutaway

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:

"They make that claim despite the fact that Mr. Lewandowski was at all times a private political operative, apparently was not offering advice of any kind, the usual prerequisite for executive privilege and was enlisted for apparent wrongdoing. No court has ever said that the president is entitled to confidentiality, under these circumstances. Indeed the Department of Justice has said executive privilege should not be invoked to conceal evidence of wrongdoing on the part of executive officers."

9. Cutaway

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:

"The White House is advancing a new and dangerous theory: the crony privilege. It makes absolute immunity look good by comparison. Where are the limits? This is a cover up plain and simple. If it were to prevail, especially while the Judiciary Committee is considering whether to recommend Articles of Impeachment it would upend the separation of powers as envisioned by our founders. And today's cover up is part of a pattern of the White House blocking Congress."

11. Cutaway

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chairman:

"Well Mr. Lewandowski you are here under subpoena. That means you are required to answer our questions, all our questions completely and truthfully Our investigation also extends beyond the four corners of the Mueller report. We are looking at corruption and abuse of power more broadly. So we will inquire about other subjects as well. We will not be daunted by the cover up. We intend to secure accountability for any wrongdoing, because no one is above the law not even the President of the United States."

13. Cutaway of Lewandowski

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Doug Collins, (R) Georgia, Ranking Member of House Judiciary Committee:

"But here is the problem, 17 of the members of the Judiciary Committee have said that they think the president ought to be impeached, so why are we still investigating it? 17, you get some more, the problem is you don't have the votes. You don't have the numbers, even if you do, if you get it out of this committee you don't have it on the floor. That's your problem. So the thing that we're going to do is we're gonna drag this committee through oversight hearings talking about things have been talked about ad nauseam and nauseam and nauseam, we're going to talk about it, we put filters up we won't say what it really is it really is not. While all the things we're going to try to imply that this president shouldn't be president."

15. Cutaway

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Doug Collins, (R) Georgia, Ranking Member of House Judiciary Committee:

"I understand it's tough making a promise and not keeping it. I understand all of us in this room can relate to a time when we can't make a promise and we couldn't keep it. My majority made a promise, we'll impeach him, we'll investigate him. For most of them it happened in November 2016 because they couldn't believe the Donald Trump won. And they still can't get over it today."

17. Cutaway

18. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Doug Collins, (R) Georgia, Ranking Member of House Judiciary Committee:

"So what do we do, we have public hearings, lots of flashbulbs, embarrassing the president, not gathering facts, not investigating, not doing oversight. This is certainly not being fair. But we like to issue subpoenas, we are setting a world record at that, 40 times faster than a previous chairman. But we don't want any answers because we're not willing to engage in dialogue to get information from folks."

19. Cutaway