RESTRICTION SUMMARY: AP CLIENTS ONLY

SHOTLIST:

U.S. HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 19 April 2019

1. STILL IMAGES -  Various pages of House Judiciary Committee issued subpoena

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 19 April 2019

2. Wide of people reading newspaper headlines at Washington's Newseum

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"The report really paints a damning picture of the Trump presidency. It shows a president who was consumed by the Mueller investigation. Someone who tried to get his top advisers to lie or obfuscate on his behalf and who really was trying to interfere with the Mueller investigation and actually only was blocked by his own - by his own team who either refused to carry out some of his orders or simply just let them fall by the wayside."

4. Various newspaper headlines on Mueller's report

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"Ultimately Mueller did not find that, did not decide to go forward with criminal charges against Trump or some of the other figures that were around him at the early stages of his administration or during the campaign. But really when you,  when you put that aside there is a lot in here that really paints a troubling picture of this administration and it turns this into a political question now. That's for Democrats. Democrats have to decide if they want to continue to pursue these investigations, if they want to move forward with impeachment. There are really mixed feelings in the Democratic caucus about that but we now shift from a criminal question to a political question."

6. Medium of people reading displays of newspapers

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"Certainly the full report the unredacted report will provide us with, with some level of additional information. There are, there are pieces of this report where you can figure out what's probably behind the redactions but then there are some where we really don't know and Democrats and the public have probably or you know feel like they have a right to know what is behind those redactions."

8. Various newspaper headlines on Mueller's report

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"One of the reasons you're seeing the oversight committees move forward with trying to pursue the full report is they just want to keep the investigations going. It is very unlikely that we will learn something in the unredacted report that will fundamentally change either public opinion or understanding about what happened here. But these committees feel like it is their responsibility. They are the legislative branch. They are a check on the executive branch. They feel like it's their responsibility to push forward, take the next step, get the unredacted report. "

10. Various newspaper headlines on Mueller's report

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"There are definitely some loud voices in the Democratic caucus that want to move forward on impeachment but we've heard for from the start from Democratic leaders people like Nancy Pelosi that she sees a pretty high bar for, for impeachment hearings. She has said repeatedly that she feels like in order to move forward on impeachment, you have to not only have really solid evidence of an impeachable offense but you also have to be able to bring not just Democrats but also Republicans on board."

DONALD TRUMP VIA TWITTER @REALDONALDTRUMP - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Internet - 19 April 2019

++NOTE GRAPHIC LANGUAGE++

12. @realDonaldTrump Twitter page

13. Donald Trump tweet of a "Game of Thrones" type still image (English) "NO COLLUSION. NO OBSTRUCTION. FOR THE HATERS AND THE RADICAL LEFT DEMOCRATS -- GAME OVER"

14. Donald Trump tweet (English) "...agreed to testify, it was not necessary for me to respond to statements made in the "Report" about me, some of which are total bullshit & only given to make the other person look good (or me to look bad). This was an Illegally Started Hoax that never should have happened, a...

15. Donald Trump tweet (English) "Statements are made about me by certain people in the Crazy Mueller Report, in itself written by 18 Angry Democrat Trump Haters, which are fabricated & totally untrue. Watch out for people that take so-called "notes," when the notes never existed until needed. Because I never...."

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 19 April 2019

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"The president goes back and forth on this Mueller Report. On the one hand, he wants to argue that the main takeaway was hey I did nothing wrong there was no no collusion, no criminal obstruction. On the other hand, he's keenly aware that the report does paint this really damning picture of his presidency. And so he wants to with all those details out there now he wants to really undermine them. He wants to point fingers at Mueller's team and say they don't have enough credibility to make judgments on me. And then also he wants to cast doubt on the many Trump advisers who talked to Bob Mueller and provided pretty stunning details. He believes based on his track record over the past two years that he, he can undermine the credibility of that report, certainly for his base and perhaps for, for other Americans as well."

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 18 April 2019

17. STILL IMAGE - Pages from Mueller's redacted report

18. President Trump and Melania depart White House

STORYLINE:

The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena Friday for special counsel's Robert Mueller's report as Congress escalates its investigation of President Donald Trump.

"It now falls to Congress to determine the full scope of that alleged misconduct and to decide what steps we must take going forward," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y. He expects the Justice Department to comply by May 1.

While Mueller declined to prosecute Trump on obstruction of justice, he did not exonerate the president, all but leaving the question to Congress.

Associated Press Washington Bureau Chief Julia Pace says "Certainly the full report -- the unredacted report will provide us with -- with some level of additional information...there are pieces of this report where you can figure out what's probably behind the redactions but then there are some where we really don't know and Democrats and the public have probably or you know feel like they have a right to know what is behind those redactions."

Mueller's report provides fresh evidence of Trump's interference in the Russia investigation and challenges lawmakers to respond.

The risks for both parties are clear if they duck the responsibility or prolong an inquiry that, rather than coming to a close, may be just beginning.

"My committee needs and is entitled to the full version of the report and the underlying evidence consistent with past practice," Nadler said in a statement.

The materials are due the day Barr is scheduled to testify before a Senate committee and one day before Barr is set to appear before Nadler's committee.

Nadler also has summoned Mueller to testify.

Republicans are eager to move beyond what Trump calls the "witch hunt" that has overshadowed the party and the presidency.

While Democrats say Mueller's findings are far more serious than initially indicated in Barr's four-page summary last month, they've been hesitant to pursue the ultimate step, impeachment proceedings, despite pressure from the left flank of the party to begin efforts to try to remove the president from office.

Pace says "Democrats have to decide if they want to continue to pursue these investigations -- if they want to move forward with impeachment. There are really mixed feelings in the Democratic caucus about that but we now shift from a criminal question to a political question."

===========================================================

Clients are reminded:

(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com

(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service

(iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory.

RESTRICTION SUMMARY: AP CLIENTS ONLY

SHOTLIST:

U.S. HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 19 April 2019

1. STILL IMAGES -  Various pages of House Judiciary Committee issued subpoena

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 19 April 2019

2. Wide of people reading newspaper headlines at Washington's Newseum

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"The report really paints a damning picture of the Trump presidency. It shows a president who was consumed by the Mueller investigation. Someone who tried to get his top advisers to lie or obfuscate on his behalf and who really was trying to interfere with the Mueller investigation and actually only was blocked by his own - by his own team who either refused to carry out some of his orders or simply just let them fall by the wayside."

4. Various newspaper headlines on Mueller's report

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"Ultimately Mueller did not find that, did not decide to go forward with criminal charges against Trump or some of the other figures that were around him at the early stages of his administration or during the campaign. But really when you,  when you put that aside there is a lot in here that really paints a troubling picture of this administration and it turns this into a political question now. That's for Democrats. Democrats have to decide if they want to continue to pursue these investigations, if they want to move forward with impeachment. There are really mixed feelings in the Democratic caucus about that but we now shift from a criminal question to a political question."

6. Medium of people reading displays of newspapers

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"Certainly the full report the unredacted report will provide us with, with some level of additional information. There are, there are pieces of this report where you can figure out what's probably behind the redactions but then there are some where we really don't know and Democrats and the public have probably or you know feel like they have a right to know what is behind those redactions."

8. Various newspaper headlines on Mueller's report

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"One of the reasons you're seeing the oversight committees move forward with trying to pursue the full report is they just want to keep the investigations going. It is very unlikely that we will learn something in the unredacted report that will fundamentally change either public opinion or understanding about what happened here. But these committees feel like it is their responsibility. They are the legislative branch. They are a check on the executive branch. They feel like it's their responsibility to push forward, take the next step, get the unredacted report. "

10. Various newspaper headlines on Mueller's report

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"There are definitely some loud voices in the Democratic caucus that want to move forward on impeachment but we've heard for from the start from Democratic leaders people like Nancy Pelosi that she sees a pretty high bar for, for impeachment hearings. She has said repeatedly that she feels like in order to move forward on impeachment, you have to not only have really solid evidence of an impeachable offense but you also have to be able to bring not just Democrats but also Republicans on board."

DONALD TRUMP VIA TWITTER @REALDONALDTRUMP - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Internet - 19 April 2019

++NOTE GRAPHIC LANGUAGE++

12. @realDonaldTrump Twitter page

13. Donald Trump tweet of a "Game of Thrones" type still image (English) "NO COLLUSION. NO OBSTRUCTION. FOR THE HATERS AND THE RADICAL LEFT DEMOCRATS -- GAME OVER"

14. Donald Trump tweet (English) "...agreed to testify, it was not necessary for me to respond to statements made in the "Report" about me, some of which are total bullshit & only given to make the other person look good (or me to look bad). This was an Illegally Started Hoax that never should have happened, a...

15. Donald Trump tweet (English) "Statements are made about me by certain people in the Crazy Mueller Report, in itself written by 18 Angry Democrat Trump Haters, which are fabricated & totally untrue. Watch out for people that take so-called "notes," when the notes never existed until needed. Because I never...."

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 19 April 2019

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"The president goes back and forth on this Mueller Report. On the one hand, he wants to argue that the main takeaway was hey I did nothing wrong there was no no collusion, no criminal obstruction. On the other hand, he's keenly aware that the report does paint this really damning picture of his presidency. And so he wants to with all those details out there now he wants to really undermine them. He wants to point fingers at Mueller's team and say they don't have enough credibility to make judgments on me. And then also he wants to cast doubt on the many Trump advisers who talked to Bob Mueller and provided pretty stunning details. He believes based on his track record over the past two years that he, he can undermine the credibility of that report, certainly for his base and perhaps for, for other Americans as well."

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 18 April 2019

17. STILL IMAGE - Pages from Mueller's redacted report

18. President Trump and Melania depart White House

STORYLINE:

The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena Friday for special counsel's Robert Mueller's report as Congress escalates its investigation of President Donald Trump.

"It now falls to Congress to determine the full scope of that alleged misconduct and to decide what steps we must take going forward," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y. He expects the Justice Department to comply by May 1.

While Mueller declined to prosecute Trump on obstruction of justice, he did not exonerate the president, all but leaving the question to Congress.

Associated Press Washington Bureau Chief Julia Pace says "Certainly the full report -- the unredacted report will provide us with -- with some level of additional information...there are pieces of this report where you can figure out what's probably behind the redactions but then there are some where we really don't know and Democrats and the public have probably or you know feel like they have a right to know what is behind those redactions."

Mueller's report provides fresh evidence of Trump's interference in the Russia investigation and challenges lawmakers to respond.

The risks for both parties are clear if they duck the responsibility or prolong an inquiry that, rather than coming to a close, may be just beginning.

"My committee needs and is entitled to the full version of the report and the underlying evidence consistent with past practice," Nadler said in a statement.

The materials are due the day Barr is scheduled to testify before a Senate committee and one day before Barr is set to appear before Nadler's committee.

Nadler also has summoned Mueller to testify.

Republicans are eager to move beyond what Trump calls the "witch hunt" that has overshadowed the party and the presidency.

While Democrats say Mueller's findings are far more serious than initially indicated in Barr's four-page summary last month, they've been hesitant to pursue the ultimate step, impeachment proceedings, despite pressure from the left flank of the party to begin efforts to try to remove the president from office.

Pace says "Democrats have to decide if they want to continue to pursue these investigations -- if they want to move forward with impeachment. There are really mixed feelings in the Democratic caucus about that but we now shift from a criminal question to a political question."

===========================================================

Clients are reminded:

(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com

(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service

(iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory.

RESTRICTION SUMMARY: AP CLIENTS ONLY

SHOTLIST:

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 19 April 2019

1. Wide of people reading newspaper headlines at Washington's Newseum (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

2. Newspaper headlines on Mueller's report (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"The report really paints a damning picture of the Trump presidency. It shows a president who was consumed by the Mueller investigation. Someone who tried to get his top advisers to lie or obfuscate on his behalf and who really was trying to interfere with the Mueller investigation and actually only was blocked by his own - by his own team who either refused to carry out some of his orders or simply just let them fall by the wayside."

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 18 April 2019

4. STILL IMAGE - Pages from Mueller's redacted report (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 19 April 2019

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"Ultimately Mueller did not find that, did not decide to go forward with criminal charges against Trump or some of the other figures that were around him at the early stages of his administration or during the campaign. But really when you,  when you put that aside there is a lot in here that really paints a troubling picture of this administration and it turns this into a political question now. That's for Democrats. Democrats have to decide if they want to continue to pursue these investigations, if they want to move forward with impeachment. There are really mixed feelings in the Democratic caucus about that but we now shift from a criminal question to a political question."

ASSOCIATED PRESS /U.S. HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE - AP CLIENTS ONLY

6. STILL IMAGES -  Compilation (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 18 April 2019

Special counsel Robert Mueller's redacted report  and

U.S. HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

Washington - 19 April 2019

Various pages of House Judiciary Committee issued subpoena

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"Certainly the full report the unredacted report will provide us with, with some level of additional information. There are, there are pieces of this report where you can figure out what's probably behind the redactions but then there are some where we really don't know and Democrats and the public have probably or you know feel like they have a right to know what is behind those redactions."

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 18 April 2019

8. President Trump and Melania depart White House (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 19 April 2019

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"There are definitely some loud voices in the Democratic caucus that want to move forward on impeachment but we've heard for from the start from Democratic leaders people like Nancy Pelosi that she sees a pretty high bar for, for impeachment hearings. She has said repeatedly that she feels like in order to move forward on impeachment, you have to not only have really solid evidence of an impeachable offense but you also have to be able to bring not just Democrats but also Republicans on board."

DONALD TRUMP VIA TWITTER @REALDONALDTRUMP - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Internet - 19 April 2019

10. @realDonaldTrump Twitter page (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

11. Donald Trump tweet of a "Game of Thrones" type still image (English) "NO COLLUSION. NO OBSTRUCTION. FOR THE HATERS AND THE RADICAL LEFT DEMOCRATS -- GAME OVER" (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

12. Donald Trump tweet (English) "Statements are made about me by certain people in the Crazy Mueller Report, in itself written by 18 Angry Democrat Trump Haters, which are fabricated & totally untrue. Watch out for people that take so-called "notes," when the notes never existed until needed. Because I never...." (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

13. Donald Trump tweet (English) "...agreed to testify, it was not necessary for me to respond to statements made in the "Report" about me, some of which are total bullshit & only given to make the other person look good (or me to look bad). This was an Illegally Started Hoax that never should have happened, a... (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 19 April 2019

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Julie Pace, Associated Press, Washington Bureau Chief:

"The president goes back and forth on this Mueller Report. On the one hand, he wants to argue that the main takeaway was hey I did nothing wrong there was no no collusion, no criminal obstruction. On the other hand, he's keenly aware that the report does paint this really damning picture of his presidency. And so he wants to with all those details out there now he wants to really undermine them. He wants to point fingers at Mueller's team and say they don't have enough credibility to make judgments on me. And then also he wants to cast doubt on the many Trump advisers who talked to Bob Mueller and provided pretty stunning details. He believes based on his track record over the past two years that he, he can undermine the credibility of that report, certainly for his base and perhaps for, for other Americans as well."

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 18 April 2019

15. President Trump and Melania depart White House (PARTIALLY COVERS PREVIOUS SOUNDBITE)

STORYLINE:

The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena Friday for special counsel's Robert Mueller's report as Congress escalates its investigation of President Donald Trump.

"It now falls to Congress to determine the full scope of that alleged misconduct and to decide what steps we must take going forward," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y. He expects the Justice Department to comply by May 1.

While Mueller declined to prosecute Trump on obstruction of justice, he did not exonerate the president, all but leaving the question to Congress.

Associated Press Washington Bureau Chief Julia Pace says "Certainly the full report -- the unredacted report will provide us with -- with some level of additional information...there are pieces of this report where you can figure out what's probably behind the redactions but then there are some where we really don't know and Democrats and the public have probably or you know feel like they have a right to know what is behind those redactions."

Mueller's report provides fresh evidence of Trump's interference in the Russia investigation and challenges lawmakers to respond.

The risks for both parties are clear if they duck the responsibility or prolong an inquiry that, rather than coming to a close, may be just beginning.

"My committee needs and is entitled to the full version of the report and the underlying evidence consistent with past practice," Nadler said in a statement.

The materials are due the day Barr is scheduled to testify before a Senate committee and one day before Barr is set to appear before Nadler's committee.

Nadler also has summoned Mueller to testify.

Republicans are eager to move beyond what Trump calls the "witch hunt" that has overshadowed the party and the presidency.

While Democrats say Mueller's findings are far more serious than initially indicated in Barr's four-page summary last month, they've been hesitant to pursue the ultimate step, impeachment proceedings, despite pressure from the left flank of the party to begin efforts to try to remove the president from office.

Pace says "Democrats have to decide if they want to continue to pursue these investigations -- if they want to move forward with impeachment. There are really mixed feelings in the Democratic caucus about that but we now shift from a criminal question to a political question."

===========================================================

Clients are reminded:

(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com

(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service

(iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory.

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee issued a stern warning to President Donald Trump on Thursday: "If you shut down or throttle" the investigation into Russian meddling led by special prosecutor Robert Mueller, "you will plunge this country into a constitutional crisis."

New York Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler continued, "Mr. President, we are watching you. The American people are watching you."

Many House Democrats called for legislation to protect the special counsel to be included in the spending bill Congress must pass by Friday to keep the government running.

Republicans didn't agree to the measure, however, and the provision was not included.

Asked if firing Mueller was a "red line" that could lead to impeachment, Rep. Nadler stopped short of predicting the consequences, saying only, "all options would be on the table."

Nadler said the firing of the special counsel would lead to a "sea change in the political landscape of the country," that would cause Republicans "to be moved to act" against the president, too.

But he said, "We're not there yet."

Washington, D.C. - 22 March 2018

1. Wide shot of Rep. Nadler and other Democrats walking into House press gallery

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, (D) New York:

"Let us set aside for a moment that so much of what the president says is simply factually incorrect. These tantrums are more than merely the online musings of a passionate viewer of Fox News. These statements are threats from the president of the United States against our rule of law. They specifically target Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is charged with investigating allegations of serious crimes against the United States, including a conspiracy to defraud the United States government in an attempt to influence the 2016 election. That is why I am standing here today with my Democratic colleagues from the House Judiciary Committee to deliver a united message to President Trump: Do not meddle with the special counsel investigation. We expect and the rule of law demands that the special counsel be permitted to complete his investigation wherever it may lead free from political interference and that the facts be presented for public review so that the American people can know the full truth."

++BLACK BETWEEN SOUNDBITES++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, (D) New York:

"Where, however, is the Republican leadership. Why does Speaker Ryan take days to make tepid statements in general support of the Mueller investigation? Why does the majority refuse to take action to protect the special counsel from a president who clearly wants him gone? Why would they not agree to a bipartisan amendment to the omnibus budget bill to make it all but impossible to remove a special counsel without cause? My colleagues here have the courage to do it. Republican leadership will not. Mr. President, we are watching you. The American people are watching you. If you shut down or throttle the Mueller investigation by firing either (Attorney General Jeff) Sessions or (Deputy Attorney General Rod) Rosenstein or Mueller, you will plunge this country into a constitutional crisis."

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, (D) New York:

"Should a red line be crossed and firing the special counsel or throttling his investigation would be an absolute red line. Then there would be a total sea change in the political landscape of the country. And at that point, all options would be on the table. All options would be on the table. I believe that as the president puts us in a constitutional crisis, that there are enough Republicans who care about the rule of law and are concerned by the president's action they would be moved to act too. But if this happens, if the president puts us in a constitutional crisis by crossing a red line by firing the special prosecutor or really constraining the investigation, all options would be on the table. But we're not going to say now what we would do then because all kinds of things change not just change but .. we're not there yet."

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee issued a stern warning to President Donald Trump on Thursday: "If you shut down or throttle" the investigation into Russian meddling led by special prosecutor Robert Mueller, "you will plunge this country into a constitutional crisis."

New York Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler continued, "Mr. President, we are watching you. The American people are watching you."

Many House Democrats called for legislation to protect the special counsel to be included in the spending bill Congress must pass by Friday to keep the government running.

Republicans didn't agree to the measure, however, and the provision was not included.

Asked if firing Mueller was a "red line" that could lead to impeachment, Rep. Nadler stopped short of predicting the consequences, saying only, "all options would be on the table."

Nadler said the firing of the special counsel would lead to a "sea change in the political landscape of the country," that would cause Republicans "to be moved to act" against the president, too.

But he said, "We're not there yet."

Washington, D.C. - 22 March 2018

1. Wide shot of Rep. Nadler and other Democrats walking into House press gallery

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, (D) New York:

"Let us set aside for a moment that so much of what the president says is simply factually incorrect. These tantrums are more than merely the online musings of a passionate viewer of Fox News. These statements are threats from the president of the United States against our rule of law. They specifically target Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is charged with investigating allegations of serious crimes against the United States, including a conspiracy to defraud the United States government in an attempt to influence the 2016 election. That is why I am standing here today with my Democratic colleagues from the House Judiciary Committee to deliver a united message to President Trump: Do not meddle with the special counsel investigation. We expect and the rule of law demands that the special counsel be permitted to complete his investigation wherever it may lead free from political interference and that the facts be presented for public review so that the American people can know the full truth."

++BLACK BETWEEN SOUNDBITES++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, (D) New York:

"Where, however, is the Republican leadership. Why does Speaker Ryan take days to make tepid statements in general support of the Mueller investigation? Why does the majority refuse to take action to protect the special counsel from a president who clearly wants him gone? Why would they not agree to a bipartisan amendment to the omnibus budget bill to make it all but impossible to remove a special counsel without cause? My colleagues here have the courage to do it. Republican leadership will not. Mr. President, we are watching you. The American people are watching you. If you shut down or throttle the Mueller investigation by firing either (Attorney General Jeff) Sessions or (Deputy Attorney General Rod) Rosenstein or Mueller, you will plunge this country into a constitutional crisis."

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, (D) New York:

"Should a red line be crossed and firing the special counsel or throttling his investigation would be an absolute red line. Then there would be a total sea change in the political landscape of the country. And at that point, all options would be on the table. All options would be on the table. I believe that as the president puts us in a constitutional crisis, that there are enough Republicans who care about the rule of law and are concerned by the president's action they would be moved to act too. But if this happens, if the president puts us in a constitutional crisis by crossing a red line by firing the special prosecutor or really constraining the investigation, all options would be on the table. But we're not going to say now what we would do then because all kinds of things change not just change but .. we're not there yet."

US President Donald Trump claimed on October 8th 2018 that "the Democrats colluded with Russia".

Trump was speaking in Washington after returning from his meeting with Deputy US Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

He claimed that the Obama administration did nothing when it found out about possible Russian meddling in the 2016 US elections.

Trump also commented on Jamal Khashoggi, a missing Saudi journalist, saying: "I do not like it".

When asked about superstar Taylor Swift's support for Democratic candidates in Tennessee, Trump said he liked her music "about 25 percent less now".

***

President Donald Trump says he has answered written questions from special counsel Robert Mueller but hasn't yet submitted them.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on November 16th that he answered the questions "very easily" this week but added that "you have to always be careful."

The president did not say when he would turn over the answers to Mueller as part of the ongoing investigation into possible ties between Russia and the Trump campaign.

Trump had huddled with lawyer at the White House this week but made clear: "my lawyers don't write answers, I write answers."

Mueller had signaled a willingness to accept written answers on matters of collusion. The White House has said it would not answer Mueller's questions on possible obstruction of justice.

The president spoke to reporters shortly after a district judge ordered the Trump administration to immediately return the White House press credentials of CNN reporter Jim Acosta, though a lawsuit over the credentials' revocation is continuing.

Trump said "people have to behave" while in the White House and he said his staff will be "writing up rules and regulations" to guide press for future events.

The president insists he wants "total freedom of the press," but journalists "have to act with respect."

Trump didn't say what the new rules and regulations will entail.

***

Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, has pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about work he did on a Trump real estate deal in Russia.

Cohen made a surprise appearance on November 29th in a New York courtroom.

He admitted to making false statements in 2017 to the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence about a plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow.

In August 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to other federal charges involving his taxi businesses, bank fraud and his campaign work for Trump.

One of the prosecutors working with Special Counsel Robert Mueller was present in the courtroom.

Cohen's lawyer told the judge the plea deal involved cooperation with Mueller's investigation of Russian interference in the U.S. election.

***

A federal judge has agreed to delay former national security adviser Michael Flynn's sentencing so he can continue cooperating with the Russia probe.

U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan on December 18th set a status conference for March 2019.

Attorneys for Flynn asked the judge to postpone the sentencing. The stunning request came after Sullivan warned Flynn that if he were sentenced as scheduled Tuesday, he might not get all the credit for his cooperation with investigators that he is entitled to.

Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his Russia contacts. Prosecutors had recommended no prison time, citing his cooperation. But the judge's rebuke raised the prospect that Flynn could get a harsher sentence.

00:55:18

00:00:00

Trump says Democrats colluded with Russia

4176320

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington DC - 8 October 2018

1. SOUNDBITE: (English) Donald Trump, US President:

" Everybody understands there was no collusion with Russia. It was all made up by the Democrats. They're the ones that colluded with Russia.

00:08:16

Trump: I answered Mueller's questions very easily

4182647

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 16 November 2018

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, US President:

" I was asked a series of questions, I've answered them very easily, very easily. I'm sure they're tripped up because you know, they like to catch people, gee, you know was the weather sunny or was it rainy? He said, 'it may have been a good day. It was rainy.' Therefore he told a lie, he perjured himself. OK, so you have to always be careful when you answer questions with people that probably have bad intentions. But no it's, the questions were very routinely answered by me, by me.

00:42.04

Michael Cohen pleads guilty to lying to Congress

4184494

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - 29 November 2018

3. Michael Cohen walks out of courthouse with lawyer

00:49:23

Flynn sentencing delayed, he's still cooperating

4187405

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington DC - 18 December 2018

4. Michael Flynn leaves courthouse, enters SUV8

Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee issued a stern warning to President Donald Trump on Thursday: "If you shut down or throttle" the investigation into Russian meddling led by special prosecutor Robert Mueller, "you will plunge this country into a constitutional crisis."

New York Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler continued, "Mr. President, we are watching you. The American people are watching you."

Many House Democrats called for legislation to protect the special counsel to be included in the spending bill Congress must pass by Friday to keep the government running.

Republicans didn't agree to the measure, however, and the provision was not included.

Asked if firing Mueller was a "red line" that could lead to impeachment, Rep. Nadler stopped short of predicting the consequences, saying only, "all options would be on the table."

Nadler said the firing of the special counsel would lead to a "sea change in the political landscape of the country," that would cause Republicans "to be moved to act" against the president, too.

But he said, "We're not there yet."

Washington, D.C. - 22 March 2018

1. Wide shot of Rep. Nadler and other Democrats walking into House press gallery

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, (D) New York:

"Let us set aside for a moment that so much of what the president says is simply factually incorrect. These tantrums are more than merely the online musings of a passionate viewer of Fox News. These statements are threats from the president of the United States against our rule of law. They specifically target Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is charged with investigating allegations of serious crimes against the United States, including a conspiracy to defraud the United States government in an attempt to influence the 2016 election. That is why I am standing here today with my Democratic colleagues from the House Judiciary Committee to deliver a united message to President Trump: Do not meddle with the special counsel investigation. We expect and the rule of law demands that the special counsel be permitted to complete his investigation wherever it may lead free from political interference and that the facts be presented for public review so that the American people can know the full truth."

++BLACK BETWEEN SOUNDBITES++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, (D) New York:

"Where, however, is the Republican leadership. Why does Speaker Ryan take days to make tepid statements in general support of the Mueller investigation? Why does the majority refuse to take action to protect the special counsel from a president who clearly wants him gone? Why would they not agree to a bipartisan amendment to the omnibus budget bill to make it all but impossible to remove a special counsel without cause? My colleagues here have the courage to do it. Republican leadership will not. Mr. President, we are watching you. The American people are watching you. If you shut down or throttle the Mueller investigation by firing either (Attorney General Jeff) Sessions or (Deputy Attorney General Rod) Rosenstein or Mueller, you will plunge this country into a constitutional crisis."

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerrold Nadler, (D) New York:

"Should a red line be crossed and firing the special counsel or throttling his investigation would be an absolute red line. Then there would be a total sea change in the political landscape of the country. And at that point, all options would be on the table. All options would be on the table. I believe that as the president puts us in a constitutional crisis, that there are enough Republicans who care about the rule of law and are concerned by the president's action they would be moved to act too. But if this happens, if the president puts us in a constitutional crisis by crossing a red line by firing the special prosecutor or really constraining the investigation, all options would be on the table. But we're not going to say now what we would do then because all kinds of things change not just change but .. we're not there yet."

++ENDS ON SOUNDBITE++

Former special counsel Robert Mueller is affirming that a president can be charged with crimes after leaving office.

He says Justice Department guidelines prevented him from considering charges against President Donald Trump while he is in office.

Because of the longtime Justice Department guidance that a sitting president cannot be indicted, Mueller says "one of the tools a prosecutor would use is not there."

Mueller has said his investigators could not exonerate Trump on obstruction of justice. His report said they did not find sufficient evidence to establish charges of criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Mueller is testifying Wednesday before the House Judiciary Committee about his Russia investigation.

President Donald Trump's sons and advisers are weighing in on Mueller's congressional testimony with quips on Twitter targeting Democrats.

Donald Trump Jr. is calling the hearing a "disaster" for Democrats. He says Mueller claims he can't understand the Republicans' questions, but totally gets the ones from Democrats.

Eric Trump says GOP Rep. Jim Jordan's comments at the hearing were "spot on." Jordan says Democrats should be investigating what he says are "false accusations" that started the Russia probe.

Former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders says the hearing shows the Russia probe was run by Democrats wanting to destroy Trump.

Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway tweeted three words: "drop the mic."

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington DC - 24 July 2019

1. Various of former special counsel Robert Mueller walking back into hearing after break

2. Cutaway of hearing

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ken Buck, (R) Colorado:

"So what I have to ask you and what I think people are working around in this hearing is. Let me lay a little foundation for the ethical rules require that a prosecutor have a reasonable probability of conviction to bring a charge is that correct?"

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Mueller, Fmr. Speical Counsel:

"Sounds generally accurate."

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ken Buck, (R) Colorado:

"Was there sufficient evidence to convict President Trump or anyone else with obstruction of justice?"

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Mueller, Fmr. Speical Counsel:

"We did not make that calculation.

(Buck off camera: How could you not have made the calculation regularly?)

Well OLC (Office of Legal Counsel) opinion, OLC opinion, Office Legal Counsel indicates that we cannot indict a sitting president. So one of the tools that a prosecutor would use is not there."

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ken Buck, (R) Colorado:

"The decision on the Russian interference you couldn't have indicted the president on that. And you made the decision on that but when it came to obstruction you threw a bunch of stuff up against the wall to see what would stick."

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Mueller, Fmr. Speical Counsel:

"I would not agree, I would not agree to that characterization at all. What we did is provide to the attorney general in the form of a confidential memorandum our understanding of the case. Those cases that were brought, those cases were declined. And the one case where the president cannot be charged with a crime."

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ken Buck, (R) Colorado:

"You believe that he committed... you could charge the President of the United States with obstruction of justice after he left office."

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Mueller, Fmr. Speical Counsel:

"Yes.

(Buck off camera: Ethically under the ethical standards?)

Well I'm I'm not certain, I haven't looked at the ethical standards but oh well OLC Opinion says that the prosecutor why he cannot bring a charge against a sitting president. Nonetheless he can continue the investigation, to see if there are any other persons who might be drawn into the conspiracy."

11. Cutaway

TWITTER/@DonaldTrumpJr

Internet - 24 July 2019

12. Tweet from Donald Trump Jr. reading (English):

"Funny, Muelller can't understand the Republicans but he can totally understand the Democrats questions. This is a disaster for dems."

TWITTER/@EricTrump

Internet - 24 July 2019

13. Tweet from Eric Trump reading (English):

"@Jim_Jordan is terrific. Spot on..."

TWITTER/@KellyannePolls

Internet - 24 July 2019

14. Tweet from Kellyann Conway reading (English):

"Drop the Mic."

TWITTER/@SarahHuckabee

Internet - 24 July 2019

15. Tweet from Sarah Huckabee Sanders reading (English):

"What's been clear to all but the liberal media is this was a partisan investigation run by Democrats out to destroy

@realDonaldTrump  with Mueller as the figurehead. Thank you House Democrats for calling today's hearing and exposing the truth for all Americans to see."

Former special counsel Robert Mueller is affirming that a president can be charged with crimes after leaving office.

He says Justice Department guidelines prevented him from considering charges against President Donald Trump while he is in office.

Because of the longtime Justice Department guidance that a sitting president cannot be indicted, Mueller says "one of the tools a prosecutor would use is not there."

Mueller has said his investigators could not exonerate Trump on obstruction of justice. His report said they did not find sufficient evidence to establish charges of criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Mueller is testifying Wednesday before the House Judiciary Committee about his Russia investigation.

President Donald Trump's sons and advisers are weighing in on Mueller's congressional testimony with quips on Twitter targeting Democrats.

Donald Trump Jr. is calling the hearing a "disaster" for Democrats. He says Mueller claims he can't understand the Republicans' questions, but totally gets the ones from Democrats.

Eric Trump says GOP Rep. Jim Jordan's comments at the hearing were "spot on." Jordan says Democrats should be investigating what he says are "false accusations" that started the Russia probe.

Former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders says the hearing shows the Russia probe was run by Democrats wanting to destroy Trump.

Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway tweeted three words: "drop the mic."

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington DC - 24 July 2019

1. Various of former special counsel Robert Mueller walking back into hearing after break

2. Cutaway of hearing

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ken Buck, (R) Colorado:

"So what I have to ask you and what I think people are working around in this hearing is. Let me lay a little foundation for the ethical rules require that a prosecutor have a reasonable probability of conviction to bring a charge is that correct?"

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Mueller, Fmr. Speical Counsel:

"Sounds generally accurate."

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ken Buck, (R) Colorado:

"Was there sufficient evidence to convict President Trump or anyone else with obstruction of justice?"

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Mueller, Fmr. Speical Counsel:

"We did not make that calculation.

(Buck off camera: How could you not have made the calculation regularly?)

Well OLC (Office of Legal Counsel) opinion, OLC opinion, Office Legal Counsel indicates that we cannot indict a sitting president. So one of the tools that a prosecutor would use is not there."

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ken Buck, (R) Colorado:

"The decision on the Russian interference you couldn't have indicted the president on that. And you made the decision on that but when it came to obstruction you threw a bunch of stuff up against the wall to see what would stick."

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Mueller, Fmr. Speical Counsel:

"I would not agree, I would not agree to that characterization at all. What we did is provide to the attorney general in the form of a confidential memorandum our understanding of the case. Those cases that were brought, those cases were declined. And the one case where the president cannot be charged with a crime."

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ken Buck, (R) Colorado:

"You believe that he committed... you could charge the President of the United States with obstruction of justice after he left office."

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Robert Mueller, Fmr. Speical Counsel:

"Yes.

(Buck off camera: Ethically under the ethical standards?)

Well I'm I'm not certain, I haven't looked at the ethical standards but oh well OLC Opinion says that the prosecutor why he cannot bring a charge against a sitting president. Nonetheless he can continue the investigation, to see if there are any other persons who might be drawn into the conspiracy."

11. Cutaway

TWITTER/@DonaldTrumpJr

Internet - 24 July 2019

12. Tweet from Donald Trump Jr. reading (English):

"Funny, Muelller can't understand the Republicans but he can totally understand the Democrats questions. This is a disaster for dems."

TWITTER/@EricTrump

Internet - 24 July 2019

13. Tweet from Eric Trump reading (English):

"@Jim_Jordan is terrific. Spot on..."

TWITTER/@KellyannePolls

Internet - 24 July 2019

14. Tweet from Kellyann Conway reading (English):

"Drop the Mic."

TWITTER/@SarahHuckabee

Internet - 24 July 2019

15. Tweet from Sarah Huckabee Sanders reading (English):

"What's been clear to all but the liberal media is this was a partisan investigation run by Democrats out to destroy

@realDonaldTrump  with Mueller as the figurehead. Thank you House Democrats for calling today's hearing and exposing the truth for all Americans to see."

Robert Mueller on Wednesday bluntly dismissed President Donald Trump's claims of total exoneration in the federal probe of Russia's 2016 election interference, telling Congress he explicitly did not clear the president of obstructing his investigation.

Eric Tucker of the Associated Press said after viewing the testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, "Special Counsel Mueller was very clear today that he did not exonerate President Donald Trump on the question of whether he had committed obstruction of justice. He was adamant in response to questioning from Democrats that that is not what his report said."

In hours of sometimes halting and stilted testimony, reliant on terse one-word answers and a steely determination to remain outside the partisan fray, Mueller also declared Russian election interference as one of the greatest challenges to democracy he has encountered in his career.

The televised Capitol Hill appearances, Mueller's first since wrapping his two-year Russia probe last spring, unfolded at a moment of deep divisions in the country, with many Americans hardened in their opinions about the success of Donald Trump's presidency and whether impeachment proceedings are necessary.

Republicans and Democrats took divergent paths in questioning Mueller, with Trump's GOP allies trying to cast the former special counsel and his prosecutors as politically motivated.

Democrats, meanwhile, sought to emphasize the most incendiary findings of Mueller's 448-page report and weaken Trump's reelection prospects in ways that Mueller's book-length report did not.

They hoped that even if his testimony did not inspire impeachment demands — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has made clear she will not pursue impeachment, for now — Mueller could nonetheless unambiguously spell out questionable, norm-shattering actions by the president.

Yet Mueller by midday appeared unwilling or unable to offer crisp sound bites that could reshape already-entrenched public opinions.

He frequently gave single-word answers to lawmakers' questions, even when given opportunities to crystallize allegations of obstruction of justice against the president. He referred time again to the wording in his report or asked for questions to be repeated. He declined to read aloud hard-hitting statements in the report when prodded by Democrats to do so.

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington - 24 July 2019

1. Mueller swearing into House Judiciary committee

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"Special Counsel Mueller was very clear today that he did not exonerate President Donald Trump on the question of whether he had committed obstruction of justice. He was adamant in response to questioning from Democrats that that is not what his report said."

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington - 24 July 2019

3. Mueller testifying to House Judiciary committee

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"There is no question that he did not elaborate for whatever reason on questions that Democrats had. Soundbites they were hoping he would deliver. He did not walk through doors that they had opened in hopes of really giving a crisp expansive answer that could bring home allegations of wrongdoing against President Trump. It is clear that Mueller was either unwilling or unable or just simply resistant to the idea that he was going to use this forum to answer questions in a way that was going to really shed light and new details on his report."

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington - 24 July 2019

5. Medium of House Judiciary Committee

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"I think for Republicans what they were really trying to focus on was not so much what was in the report but what was not in the report namely how the FBI's Russian election interference began. And some of the concerns that the FBI began having about the Trump campaign. Some of that's detailed but I think Republicans really wanted to focus on allegations of partisanship on Mueller's team, allegations that a British spy who compiled a dossier of research had a political axe to pick and it was interesting to see there were certain questions from Republicans that really seemed to irritate Mueller. And then he responded in an animated way."

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington - 24 July 2019

7. Wide cutaway of House Judiciary Committee hearing

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"Democrats repeatedly seized on the fact that there are a thousand prosecutors -- former prosecutors who signed onto this letter saying that was Trump anyone other than the president he would have been charged. Mueller didn't say 'oh yes' I would have definitely charged him. But I think it was important for Democrats to make that point regardless of the answer that Mueller gave. I think Democrats wanted to have the American public hear that from them. That position that he would have been charged were he not the president. And so that's why we heard that so often."

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington - 24 July 2019

9. Wide cutaway of House Judiciary Committee

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"I'm not sure that there's going to be any lasting success from the testimony -- certainly not enough to propel any kind of impeachment drive. I'm not really sure what kind of soundbite you're left with that you could put on TV and repeat an air over and over and over again. He did have an exchange where he was asked about the OLC (Office of Legal Counsel) opinion and did you not indict because of the OLC opinion and Mueller said 'correct'. And I think that gave Democrats some cheer that Mueller seemed to be suggesting that were it not for the OLC opinion saying you can't indict a sitting president that he would have charged. That gave Democrats some hope. But no I think Mueller was very clear of I'm not going to be your mouthpiece. I'm not going to be the person who you hold up as you try to push towards impeachment or try to get the president out of there."

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington - 24 July 2019

11. Medium  of House Judiciary Committee hearing

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"Mueller was very clear that if you ask me something that is in the report I will confirm that it's in the report and I will refer you back to it. But I'm not going to expound or give opinions which is frankly not uncommon for a prosecutor. Right? You do your talking in court or you do you're talking through a legal document. I think they didn't want it. He did not want to do it through Congress. And I think he wanted to make sure that I'm not saying anything that's outside the four corners of my report. And so what we frequently heard from Mueller is he would decline to answer a question say I'm not going into that. That's not my purview or that's in the report and I stand by the report and you'll find your answer there. And that was really his standard response, time and again."

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington - 24 July 201

13. Wide of House Judiciary Committee hearing

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"Mueller is there basically saying I am not here to try to drive the president out of office for a political reason I'm here to just investigate. And so I am not part of this process that the Democrats are trying to have here of answering questions for the purpose of political gain, for the purpose of pushing towards impeachment. I'm just here to talk about what I found in my criminal and counter intelligence investigation period. And so I think for Republicans who say look how tainted this process is. Mueller didn't really do them any favors either because he did not come across as a partisan in any way."

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington - 24 July 2019

15. Wide cutaway of House Judiciary Committee hearing

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"I think the American public is so hungry for more information to understand what Mueller found and did not find. The 448 page Mueller Report is a complicated legal document. It's not easy to get through. And I think the expectation is frankly most Americans have not picked it up let alone actually read it. So in many ways, Mueller appearing on TV is the first introduction that the American public has to what the investigation actually found."

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington - 24 July 2019

17. Cutaway of Mueller testifying to House Judiciary committee

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus120898

Robert Mueller on Wednesday bluntly dismissed President Donald Trump's claims of total exoneration in the federal probe of Russia's 2016 election interference, telling Congress he explicitly did not clear the president of obstructing his investigation.

Eric Tucker of the Associated Press said after viewing the testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, "Special Counsel Mueller was very clear today that he did not exonerate President Donald Trump on the question of whether he had committed obstruction of justice. He was adamant in response to questioning from Democrats that that is not what his report said."

In hours of sometimes halting and stilted testimony, reliant on terse one-word answers and a steely determination to remain outside the partisan fray, Mueller also declared Russian election interference as one of the greatest challenges to democracy he has encountered in his career.

The televised Capitol Hill appearances, Mueller's first since wrapping his two-year Russia probe last spring, unfolded at a moment of deep divisions in the country, with many Americans hardened in their opinions about the success of Donald Trump's presidency and whether impeachment proceedings are necessary.

Republicans and Democrats took divergent paths in questioning Mueller, with Trump's GOP allies trying to cast the former special counsel and his prosecutors as politically motivated.

Democrats, meanwhile, sought to emphasize the most incendiary findings of Mueller's 448-page report and weaken Trump's reelection prospects in ways that Mueller's book-length report did not.

They hoped that even if his testimony did not inspire impeachment demands — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has made clear she will not pursue impeachment, for now — Mueller could nonetheless unambiguously spell out questionable, norm-shattering actions by the president.

Yet Mueller by midday appeared unwilling or unable to offer crisp sound bites that could reshape already-entrenched public opinions.

He frequently gave single-word answers to lawmakers' questions, even when given opportunities to crystallize allegations of obstruction of justice against the president. He referred time again to the wording in his report or asked for questions to be repeated. He declined to read aloud hard-hitting statements in the report when prodded by Democrats to do so.

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington - 24 July 2019

1. Mueller swearing into House Judiciary committee (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"Special Counsel Mueller was very clear today that he did not exonerate President Donald Trump on the question of whether he had committed obstruction of justice. He was adamant in response to questioning from Democrats that that is not what his report said."

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington - 24 July 2019

3. Mueller testifying to House Judiciary committee (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"There is no question that he did not elaborate for whatever reason on questions that Democrats had.  Soundbites they were hoping he would deliver. He did not walk through doors that they had opened in hopes of really giving a crisp expansive answer that could bring home allegations of wrongdoing against President Trump. It is clear that Mueller was either unwilling or unable or just simply resistant to the idea that he was going to use this forum to answer questions in a way that was going to really shed light and new details on his report."

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington - 24 July 2019

5. Medium of House Judiciary Committee hearing during questioning (PARTIALLY COVERS PREVIOUS SOUNDBITE)

6. Cutaway of House Judiciary Committee hearing during questioning (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"I think for Republicans what they were really trying to focus on was not so much what was in the report but what was not in the report namely how the FBI's Russian election interference began. And some of the concerns that the FBI began having about the Trump campaign. Some of that's detailed but I think Republicans really wanted to focus on allegations of partisanship on Mueller's team, allegations that a British spy who compiled a dossier of research had a political axe to pick and it was interesting to see there were certain questions from Republicans that really seemed to irritate Mueller. And then he responded in an animated way."

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington - 24 July 2019

8. Medium of House Judiciary Committee hearing during questioning (PARTIALLY COVERS PREVIOUS SOUNDBITE)

9. Cutaway of Mueller testifying before Judiciary Committee (PARTIALLY COVERS PREVIOUS SOUNDBITE)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"I'm not sure that there's going to be any lasting success from the testimony -- certainly not enough to propel any kind of impeachment drive. I'm not really sure what kind of soundbite you're left with that you could put on TV and repeat and air over and over and over again. He did have an exchange where he was asked about the OLC (Office of Legal Counsel) opinion and did you not indict because of the OLC opinion and Mueller said 'correct'."

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington - 24 July 2019

11. Wide of House Judiciary Committee hearing (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"Mueller was very clear that if you ask me something that is in the report I will confirm that it's in the report and I will refer you back to it. But I'm not going to expound or give opinions which is frankly not uncommon for a prosecutor. Right? You do your talking in court or you do you're talking through a legal document. I think they didn't want it. He did not want to do it through Congress. And I think he wanted to make sure that I'm not saying anything that's outside the four corners of my report. And so what we frequently heard from Mueller is he would decline to answer a question say I'm not going into that. That's not my purview or that's in the report and I stand by the report and you'll have to find your answer there. And that was really his standard response, time and again."

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington - 24 July 2019

13. Cutaway of Mueller testifying to House Judiciary committee (PARTIALLY COVERS PREVIOUS SOUNDBITE)

Robert Mueller on Wednesday bluntly dismissed President Donald Trump's claims of total exoneration in the federal probe of Russia's 2016 election interference, telling Congress he explicitly did not clear the president of obstructing his investigation.

Eric Tucker of the Associated Press said after viewing the testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, "Special Counsel Mueller was very clear today that he did not exonerate President Donald Trump on the question of whether he had committed obstruction of justice. He was adamant in response to questioning from Democrats that that is not what his report said."

In hours of sometimes halting and stilted testimony, reliant on terse one-word answers and a steely determination to remain outside the partisan fray, Mueller also declared Russian election interference as one of the greatest challenges to democracy he has encountered in his career.

The televised Capitol Hill appearances, Mueller's first since wrapping his two-year Russia probe last spring, unfolded at a moment of deep divisions in the country, with many Americans hardened in their opinions about the success of Donald Trump's presidency and whether impeachment proceedings are necessary.

Republicans and Democrats took divergent paths in questioning Mueller, with Trump's GOP allies trying to cast the former special counsel and his prosecutors as politically motivated.

Democrats, meanwhile, sought to emphasize the most incendiary findings of Mueller's 448-page report and weaken Trump's reelection prospects in ways that Mueller's book-length report did not.

They hoped that even if his testimony did not inspire impeachment demands — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has made clear she will not pursue impeachment, for now — Mueller could nonetheless unambiguously spell out questionable, norm-shattering actions by the president.

Yet Mueller by midday appeared unwilling or unable to offer crisp sound bites that could reshape already-entrenched public opinions.

He frequently gave single-word answers to lawmakers' questions, even when given opportunities to crystallize allegations of obstruction of justice against the president. He referred time again to the wording in his report or asked for questions to be repeated. He declined to read aloud hard-hitting statements in the report when prodded by Democrats to do so.

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington - 24 July 2019

1. Mueller swearing into House Judiciary committee

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"Special Counsel Mueller was very clear today that he did not exonerate President Donald Trump on the question of whether he had committed obstruction of justice. He was adamant in response to questioning from Democrats that that is not what his report said."

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Washington - 24 July 2019

3. Mueller testifying to House Judiciary committee

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"There is no question that he did not elaborate for whatever reason on questions that Democrats had. Soundbites they were hoping he would deliver. He did not walk through doors that they had opened in hopes of really giving a crisp expansive answer that could bring home allegations of wrongdoing against President Trump. It is clear that Mueller was either unwilling or unable or just simply resistant to the idea that he was going to use this forum to answer questions in a way that was going to really shed light and new details on his report."

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Washington - 24 July 2019

5. Medium of House Judiciary Committee

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"I think for Republicans what they were really trying to focus on was not so much what was in the report but what was not in the report namely how the FBI's Russian election interference began. And some of the concerns that the FBI began having about the Trump campaign. Some of that's detailed but I think Republicans really wanted to focus on allegations of partisanship on Mueller's team, allegations that a British spy who compiled a dossier of research had a political axe to pick and it was interesting to see there were certain questions from Republicans that really seemed to irritate Mueller. And then he responded in an animated way."

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington - 24 July 2019

7. Wide cutaway of House Judiciary Committee hearing

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"Democrats repeatedly seized on the fact that there are a thousand prosecutors -- former prosecutors who signed onto this letter saying that was Trump anyone other than the president he would have been charged. Mueller didn't say 'oh yes' I would have definitely charged him. But I think it was important for Democrats to make that point regardless of the answer that Mueller gave. I think Democrats wanted to have the American public hear that from them. That position that he would have been charged were he not the president. And so that's why we heard that so often."

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington - 24 July 2019

9. Wide cutaway of House Judiciary Committee

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"I'm not sure that there's going to be any lasting success from the testimony -- certainly not enough to propel any kind of impeachment drive. I'm not really sure what kind of soundbite you're left with that you could put on TV and repeat an air over and over and over again. He did have an exchange where he was asked about the OLC (Office of Legal Counsel) opinion and did you not indict because of the OLC opinion and Mueller said 'correct'. And I think that gave Democrats some cheer that Mueller seemed to be suggesting that were it not for the OLC opinion saying you can't indict a sitting president that he would have charged. That gave Democrats some hope. But no I think Mueller was very clear of I'm not going to be your mouthpiece. I'm not going to be the person who you hold up as you try to push towards impeachment or try to get the president out of there."

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington - 24 July 2019

11. Medium  of House Judiciary Committee hearing

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"Mueller was very clear that if you ask me something that is in the report I will confirm that it's in the report and I will refer you back to it. But I'm not going to expound or give opinions which is frankly not uncommon for a prosecutor. Right? You do your talking in court or you do you're talking through a legal document. I think they didn't want it. He did not want to do it through Congress. And I think he wanted to make sure that I'm not saying anything that's outside the four corners of my report. And so what we frequently heard from Mueller is he would decline to answer a question say I'm not going into that. That's not my purview or that's in the report and I stand by the report and you'll find your answer there. And that was really his standard response, time and again."

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Washington - 24 July 201

13. Wide of House Judiciary Committee hearing

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"Mueller is there basically saying I am not here to try to drive the president out of office for a political reason I'm here to just investigate. And so I am not part of this process that the Democrats are trying to have here of answering questions for the purpose of political gain, for the purpose of pushing towards impeachment. I'm just here to talk about what I found in my criminal and counter intelligence investigation period. And so I think for Republicans who say look how tainted this process is. Mueller didn't really do them any favors either because he did not come across as a partisan in any way."

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington - 24 July 2019

15. Wide cutaway of House Judiciary Committee hearing

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 24 July 2019

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press:

"I think the American public is so hungry for more information to understand what Mueller found and did not find. The 448 page Mueller Report is a complicated legal document. It's not easy to get through. And I think the expectation is frankly most Americans have not picked it up let alone actually read it. So in many ways, Mueller appearing on TV is the first introduction that the American public has to what the investigation actually found."

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington - 24 July 2019

17. Cutaway of Mueller testifying to House Judiciary committee

Elaine Kamarck, of the Brookings Institution says "we're pretty much at the end of this process" as she discussed the next steps in the special prosecutors Russia probe.

Kamarack, Senior fellow in the Governance Studies program as well as the Director of the Center for Effective Public Management , said on Tuesday that "The only thing that really seems to remain is whether or not the president himself is guilty of some crimes and do those crimes constitute in the minds of the members of Congress, high crimes and misdemeanors."

In a related story The Associated Press reports that President Donald Trump has been calling the Russia probe a witch hunt for two years.

But now, Trump and his allies are starting to see it as something potentially very different: a political opportunity.

Trump has grown increasingly confident that special counsel Robert Mueller's report will produce no clear evidence of a conspiracy between Russia and his election campaign.

A change is also underway among congressional Democrats, who had believed the report would offer damning evidence

Kamarack says "We're at a point where this is about to move unless there's some you know smoking gun. This is this investigation is about to move from the legal to the political and there the Democrats are going to have to decide do we move forward with impeachment."

Washington - 19 March 2019

1.Wide shot of Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro walking out of White House into Rose Garden

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Elaine Kamarck, Senior Fellow Brookings Institution:

"It's not often that a president is subject to a special counsel and that means often that the findings of a special counsel could lead to something very dramatic like impeachment. Or it could just turn out to be a bunch of nothing. And so everybody was interested in this. Everybody was excited about it. The president himself was furious about it. But this is a big deal. We don't generally have investigations like this of sitting presidents."

3. Side shot of Trump speaking

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Elaine Kamarck, Senior Fellow Brookings Institution:

"The only thing that really seems to remain is whether or not the president himself is guilty of some crimes and do those crimes constitute in the minds of the members of Congress, high crimes and misdemeanors, which is the constitutional issue for impeachment, and so we're sort of down to the end game here. I mean it looks like there was a rapid string of indictments, trials, etc. It's possible that one or more of the president's children or in-laws could get indicted but it's, we're pretty much at the end of this process."

5. Trump speaking

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Elaine Kamarck, Senior Fellow Brookings Institution:

"The issue, though, is did the House and Senate, did the intelligence committees when they were controlled by Republicans ignore important pieces of evidence? The Democrats think they did. And so the Democrats will have to start their own investigation. They may find nothing as well."

Washington - 25 February 2019

7. STILL - The Capitol is seen in Washington as Congress returns to work following a week-long recess. A top House Democrat, Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, has threatened to call special counsel Robert Mueller to Capitol Hill, subpoena documents and sue the Trump administration if the full report on Mueller's Russia investigation is not made public.

Washington - 06 March 2019

8. STILL - House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, of California, left, and Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., return to hear Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, testify before a closed-door session of the House Intelligence Committee, on Capitol Hill

Washington - 19 March 2019

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Elaine Kamarck, Senior Fellow Brookings Institution:

"We're at a point where this is about to move unless there's some you know smoking gun. This is this investigation is about to move from the legal to the political and there, the Democrats are going to have to decide do we move forward with impeachment? Now, Nancy Pelosi has said, wisely I think, that probably not that. There's just not unless there's some blockbuster finding in the Muller report or someplace else. Probably not because bet we're almost at 2020. Let, it's cleaner, easier for democracy to let the voters decide."

Washington - 06 March 2019

10. STILL - House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., with Ranking Member Doug Collins

Washington - 19 March 2019

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Elaine Kamarck, Senior Fellow Brookings Institution:

"This investigation has taken place simultaneously with a very chaotic presidency and with a separate investigation into Donald Trump's business empire. Now it may not be impeachable to be a corrupt businessman. All you have to do is look at the Deutsche Bank story in today's (New York) Times and you can see that that's that's going to be a big story. But maybe it's not impeachable but it sure isn't desirable."

12. STILL - President Donald Trump walks along the Colonnade of the White House, towards the Rose Garden with visiting Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro

Elaine Kamarck, of the Brookings Institution says "we're pretty much at the end of this process" as she discussed the next steps in the special prosecutors Russia probe.

Kamarack, Senior fellow in the Governance Studies program as well as the Director of the Center for Effective Public Management , said on Tuesday that "The only thing that really seems to remain is whether or not the president himself is guilty of some crimes and do those crimes constitute in the minds of the members of Congress, high crimes and misdemeanors."

In a related story The Associated Press reports that President Donald Trump has been calling the Russia probe a witch hunt for two years.

But now, Trump and his allies are starting to see it as something potentially very different: a political opportunity.

Trump has grown increasingly confident that special counsel Robert Mueller's report will produce no clear evidence of a conspiracy between Russia and his election campaign.

A change is also underway among congressional Democrats, who had believed the report would offer damning evidence

Kamarack says "We're at a point where this is about to move unless there's some you know smoking gun. This is this investigation is about to move from the legal to the political and there the Democrats are going to have to decide do we move forward with impeachment."

Washington - 19 March 2019

1.Wide shot of Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro walking out of White House into Rose Garden

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Elaine Kamarck, Senior Fellow Brookings Institution:

"It's not often that a president is subject to a special counsel and that means often that the findings of a special counsel could lead to something very dramatic like impeachment. Or it could just turn out to be a bunch of nothing. And so everybody was interested in this. Everybody was excited about it. The president himself was furious about it. But this is a big deal. We don't generally have investigations like this of sitting presidents."

3. Side shot of Trump speaking

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Elaine Kamarck, Senior Fellow Brookings Institution:

"The only thing that really seems to remain is whether or not the president himself is guilty of some crimes and do those crimes constitute in the minds of the members of Congress, high crimes and misdemeanors, which is the constitutional issue for impeachment, and so we're sort of down to the end game here. I mean it looks like there was a rapid string of indictments, trials, etc. It's possible that one or more of the president's children or in-laws could get indicted but it's, we're pretty much at the end of this process."

5. Trump speaking

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Elaine Kamarck, Senior Fellow Brookings Institution:

"The issue, though, is did the House and Senate, did the intelligence committees when they were controlled by Republicans ignore important pieces of evidence? The Democrats think they did. And so the Democrats will have to start their own investigation. They may find nothing as well."

Washington - 25 February 2019

7. STILL - The Capitol is seen in Washington as Congress returns to work following a week-long recess. A top House Democrat, Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, has threatened to call special counsel Robert Mueller to Capitol Hill, subpoena documents and sue the Trump administration if the full report on Mueller's Russia investigation is not made public.

Washington - 06 March 2019

8. STILL - House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, of California, left, and Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., return to hear Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, testify before a closed-door session of the House Intelligence Committee, on Capitol Hill

Washington - 19 March 2019

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Elaine Kamarck, Senior Fellow Brookings Institution:

"We're at a point where this is about to move unless there's some you know smoking gun. This is this investigation is about to move from the legal to the political and there, the Democrats are going to have to decide do we move forward with impeachment? Now, Nancy Pelosi has said, wisely I think, that probably not that. There's just not unless there's some blockbuster finding in the Muller report or someplace else. Probably not because bet we're almost at 2020. Let, it's cleaner, easier for democracy to let the voters decide."

Washington - 06 March 2019

10. STILL - House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., with Ranking Member Doug Collins

Washington - 19 March 2019

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Elaine Kamarck, Senior Fellow Brookings Institution:

"This investigation has taken place simultaneously with a very chaotic presidency and with a separate investigation into Donald Trump's business empire. Now it may not be impeachable to be a corrupt businessman. All you have to do is look at the Deutsche Bank story in today's (New York) Times and you can see that that's that's going to be a big story. But maybe it's not impeachable but it sure isn't desirable."

12. STILL - President Donald Trump walks along the Colonnade of the White House, towards the Rose Garden with visiting Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro

Private tensions between Justice Department leaders and Robert Mueller's team broke into public view in extraordinary fashion Wednesday as Attorney General William Barr pushed back at the special counsel's "snitty" complaints over his handling of the Trump-Russia investigation report.

Testifying for the first time since releasing Mueller's report, Barr said he was surprised Mueller did not reach a conclusion on whether President Donald Trump had tried to obstruct justice, and that he had felt compelled to step in with his own judgment that the president had committed no crime.

Barr was also perturbed by a private letter Mueller sent him last month complaining that the attorney general had not properly portrayed the special counsel's finding.

Barr called the note "a bit snitty."

"I said 'Bob, what's with the letter? Just pick up the phone and call me if there is an issue,'" Barr said.

The airing of disagreements over the handling of the report followed Mueller's two-year investigation into Russian interference to help Trump in the 2016 campaign and the possibility that Trump's team conspired with the Russians.

During most of the investigation, the Justice Department and Mueller's team seemed to be unified in approach.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been anything but unified.

And their partisan divide was on full display during Wednesday's contentious Judiciary Committee hearing, which included three Democratic presidential candidates.

Some Republicans, in addition to defending Trump, focused on the president's 2016 Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton's email and campaign practices and what they argued has been a lack of investigation of them.

Democrats, for their part, moved to exploit the daylight between Barr and Mueller to attack the attorney general's credibility and accuse him of unduly spinning the special counsel's report in the president's favor.

Barr sought to minimize the rift by suggesting the special counsel's concerns were largely about process, not substance.

Barr's appearance gave him his most extensive opportunity to explain the department's actions, including his news conference held before the Mueller report's release.

Barr has also been invited to appear Thursday before the Democratic-led House Judiciary panel, but the Justice Department has said he would not testify if the committee insisted on having its lawyers question him.

Neither side broke much new ground Wednesday on the specifics of Mueller's investigation, though Barr did articulate a robust defense of Trump as he made clear his firm conviction that there was no prosecutable case against the president for obstruction of justice.

POOL

Washington DC - 1 May 2019

1. Wide, Senate Judiciary Committee

2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. Cory Booker, Democrat - New Jersey:

"We right now have a new normal in our country. We have a document that shows over 200 hundred attempts, connections between a presidential campaign and a foreign adversary sharing information that would be illegal if you did it with a super PAC. We know that. (Barr: What information was shared?)  The polling data was shared sir. It's in the report I can cite you the page. (Barr: With who?) And I guess my point here is is that your willingness to seem to brush over this and use words like the American people should be grateful. What's in this report? Nobody should be grateful."

3. Back view of hearing

4. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"Sen. Kamala Harris: Attorney General Barr has the president or anyone at the White House ever asked or suggested that you open an investigation of anyone?

Umm, I wouldn't I wouldn't.

Harris: Yes or no.

Could you repeat that question?"

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Kamala Harris, Democrat - California:

"I will repeat it. Has the president or anyone at the White House ever asked or suggested that you open an investigation of anyone? Yes or no please sir?"

6. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"The president or anybody else.

Harris: Seems you'd remember something like that and be able to tell us.

Yeah but I'm trying to grapple with the words suggest. I mean there have been discussions of of matters out there that they have not asked me to open investigation but  ...

Harris: Perhaps they've suggested?

I don't know, I wouldn't say suggest.

Harris: Hinted? Inferred?"

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Kamala Harris, Democrat - California:

"Is in reaching your conclusion did you personally review all of the underlying evidence?"

8. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"No. We took and  ...

Harris: Did Mr. Rosenstein?

No we accepted the statements in the report as the factual record. We did not go underneath it to see whether or not they were accurate. We accepted it as accurate."

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Kamala Harris, Democrat - California:

"As the Attorney General of the United States. You run the United States Department of Justice. If in any U.S. attorney's office around the country, the head of that office when being asked to make a critical decision about in this case the person who holds the highest office in the land and whether or not that person committed a crime, would you accept them recommending a charging decision to you if they had not reviewed the evidence?

Barr: Well that's a question for Bob Mueller. He's the U.S. attorney. He's the one who presents the report.

But it was you who made the charging decision, sir? You made the decision not to charge the president."

10. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"In a pross (process) memo and then a declination memo.

Harris: You said it was your baby, what did you mean by that?

It was my baby to to let to decide whether or not to disclose it to the public

Harris: And whose decision was it? Who had the power to make the decision about whether or not the evidence was sufficient to make a determination of whether there had been an obstruction of justice?

Prosecution memos go up to the supervisor, in this case it was the the attorney general and the deputy attorney general who who decide on the final decision."

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Democrat - Minnesota:

"Mr. Attorney General, on April 27th President Trump stated 'Mueller, I assume for 35 million dollars he checked my taxes and he checked my financials.' Is that accurate? Did the special counsel review the president's taxes and the Trump Organization's financial statements?"

12. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"I don't know.

Klobuchar: Can you find out if I ask later in a written question?

I, yes or you could ask Bob Mueller when he comes here.

Klobuchar: OK I'll do that too."

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Democrat - Connecticut:

"In fact in response to your question 'why not just pick up the phone,' this letter was an extraordinary act. A career prosecutor rebuking the attorney general of the United States, memorializing in writing. Right? I know of no other instance of that happening. Do you?"

14. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"I don't consider Bob at this stage a career prosecutor. He's had a career as a prosecutor.

Blumenthal: Well, he's a very eminent prosecutor.

He was the head of the FBI for 12 years.

Blumenthal: He's a career a law enforcement professional, right? Yeah I know of no other instance of ...

But he was also political appointee and he was a political appointee with me at the Department of Justice. I don't know the letters a bit snitty and I think it was probably written by one of his staff people."

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Democrat - Connecticut:

"Did you make a memorandum of your conversation? Did you make a memorandum"

Barr: I didn't.

Did anyone, either you or anyone on your staff memorialize your conversation with Robert Mueller?"

16. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"Yes.

Blumenthal: Who did that?

Barr: There were notes taken of the call.

Blumenthal: May we have those notes?

Barr: No

Blumethal: Why not?"

Barr: Why should you have them."

16. Pan, Barr leaving hearing

Private tensions between Justice Department leaders and Robert Mueller's team broke into public view in extraordinary fashion Wednesday as Attorney General William Barr pushed back at the special counsel's "snitty" complaints over his handling of the Trump-Russia investigation report.

Testifying for the first time since releasing Mueller's report, Barr said he was surprised Mueller did not reach a conclusion on whether President Donald Trump had tried to obstruct justice, and that he had felt compelled to step in with his own judgment that the president had committed no crime.

Barr was also perturbed by a private letter Mueller sent him last month complaining that the attorney general had not properly portrayed the special counsel's finding.

Barr called the note "a bit snitty."

"I said 'Bob, what's with the letter? Just pick up the phone and call me if there is an issue,'" Barr said.

The airing of disagreements over the handling of the report followed Mueller's two-year investigation into Russian interference to help Trump in the 2016 campaign and the possibility that Trump's team conspired with the Russians.

During most of the investigation, the Justice Department and Mueller's team seemed to be unified in approach.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been anything but unified.

And their partisan divide was on full display during Wednesday's contentious Judiciary Committee hearing, which included three Democratic presidential candidates.

Some Republicans, in addition to defending Trump, focused on the president's 2016 Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton's email and campaign practices and what they argued has been a lack of investigation of them.

Democrats, for their part, moved to exploit the daylight between Barr and Mueller to attack the attorney general's credibility and accuse him of unduly spinning the special counsel's report in the president's favor.

Barr sought to minimize the rift by suggesting the special counsel's concerns were largely about process, not substance.

Barr's appearance gave him his most extensive opportunity to explain the department's actions, including his news conference held before the Mueller report's release.

Barr has also been invited to appear Thursday before the Democratic-led House Judiciary panel, but the Justice Department has said he would not testify if the committee insisted on having its lawyers question him.

Neither side broke much new ground Wednesday on the specifics of Mueller's investigation, though Barr did articulate a robust defense of Trump as he made clear his firm conviction that there was no prosecutable case against the president for obstruction of justice.

POOL

Washington DC - 1 May 2019

1. Wide, Senate Judiciary Committee

2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. Cory Booker, Democrat - New Jersey:

"We right now have a new normal in our country. We have a document that shows over 200 hundred attempts, connections between a presidential campaign and a foreign adversary sharing information that would be illegal if you did it with a super PAC. We know that. (Barr: What information was shared?) The polling data was shared sir. It's in the report I can cite you the page. (Barr: With who?) And I guess my point here is is that your willingness to seem to brush over this and use words like the American people should be grateful. What's in this report? Nobody should be grateful."

3. Back view of hearing

4. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"Sen. Kamala Harris: Attorney General Barr has the president or anyone at the White House ever asked or suggested that you open an investigation of anyone?

Umm, I wouldn't I wouldn't.

Harris: Yes or no.

Could you repeat that question?"

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Kamala Harris, Democrat - California:

"I will repeat it. Has the president or anyone at the White House ever asked or suggested that you open an investigation of anyone? Yes or no please sir?"

6. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"The president or anybody else.

Harris: Seems you'd remember something like that and be able to tell us.

Yeah but I'm trying to grapple with the words suggest. I mean there have been discussions of of matters out there that they have not asked me to open investigation but ...

Harris: Perhaps they've suggested?

I don't know, I wouldn't say suggest.

Harris: Hinted? Inferred?"

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Kamala Harris, Democrat - California:

"Is in reaching your conclusion did you personally review all of the underlying evidence?"

8. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"No. We took and ...

Harris: Did Mr. Rosenstein?

No we accepted the statements in the report as the factual record. We did not go underneath it to see whether or not they were accurate. We accepted it as accurate."

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Kamala Harris, Democrat - California:

"As the Attorney General of the United States. You run the United States Department of Justice. If in any U.S. attorney's office around the country, the head of that office when being asked to make a critical decision about in this case the person who holds the highest office in the land and whether or not that person committed a crime, would you accept them recommending a charging decision to you if they had not reviewed the evidence?

Barr: Well that's a question for Bob Mueller. He's the U.S. attorney. He's the one who presents the report.

But it was you who made the charging decision, sir? You made the decision not to charge the president."

10. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"In a pross (process) memo and then a declination memo.

Harris: You said it was your baby, what did you mean by that?

It was my baby to to let to decide whether or not to disclose it to the public

Harris: And whose decision was it? Who had the power to make the decision about whether or not the evidence was sufficient to make a determination of whether there had been an obstruction of justice?

Prosecution memos go up to the supervisor, in this case it was the the attorney general and the deputy attorney general who who decide on the final decision."

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Democrat - Minnesota:

"Mr. Attorney General, on April 27th President Trump stated 'Mueller, I assume for 35 million dollars he checked my taxes and he checked my financials.' Is that accurate? Did the special counsel review the president's taxes and the Trump Organization's financial statements?"

12. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"I don't know.

Klobuchar: Can you find out if I ask later in a written question?

I, yes or you could ask Bob Mueller when he comes here.

Klobuchar: OK I'll do that too."

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Democrat - Connecticut:

"In fact in response to your question 'why not just pick up the phone,' this letter was an extraordinary act. A career prosecutor rebuking the attorney general of the United States, memorializing in writing. Right? I know of no other instance of that happening. Do you?"

14. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"I don't consider Bob at this stage a career prosecutor. He's had a career as a prosecutor.

Blumenthal: Well, he's a very eminent prosecutor.

He was the head of the FBI for 12 years.

Blumenthal: He's a career a law enforcement professional, right? Yeah I know of no other instance of ...

But he was also political appointee and he was a political appointee with me at the Department of Justice. I don't know the letters a bit snitty and I think it was probably written by one of his staff people."

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Democrat - Connecticut:

"Did you make a memorandum of your conversation? Did you make a memorandum"

Barr: I didn't.

Did anyone, either you or anyone on your staff memorialize your conversation with Robert Mueller?"

16. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General:

"Yes.

Blumenthal: Who did that?

Barr: There were notes taken of the call.

Blumenthal: May we have those notes?

Barr: No

Blumethal: Why not?"

Barr: Why should you have them."

16. Pan, Barr leaving hearing

Appearing before Congress for the first time on his Trump-Russia investigation, former special counsel Robert Mueller testified Wednesday that the Russians believed they would benefit from Donald Trump winning the 2016 presidential election.

The former special counsel was asked if his investigation found the Russian government perceived a benefit if one of the candidates won.  Mueller answered, "Yes."

"And which candidate would that be?" asked Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a California Democrat. "It would be Trump," Mueller said.

The televised Capitol Hill appearance unfolded at a moment of deep divisions in Congress and the country. Democrats hoped his testimony would weaken Trump's reelection prospects in ways that Mueller's book-length report did not.

Republicans, however, immediately defended Trump and criticized the Democrats for continuing to go after him.

They also attacked Mueller for leading a politically motivated investigation that reached few conclusions.

"You wrote 180 pages, 180 pages about decisions that weren't reached, about potential crimes that weren't charged or decided," said Texas Rep. John Ratcliffe. "And respectfully, respectfully by doing that you managed to violate every principle and the most sacred of traditions about prosecutors not offering extra prosecutorial analysis about potential crimes that aren't charged," he added.

In a particularly notable exchange, Mueller was pressed as to why he hadn't investigated the so-called "Steele dossier" of claims that the Republicans insist helped lead to the start of the probe.

Mueller insisted that was not his charge and said he was "not familiar" with Fusion GPS, the firm whose opposition research helped to compile the Steele dossier.

Under Republican questioning, Mueller also disputed President Donald Trump's claim that he was rebuffed in a bid to fill the post of FBI director.

Mueller said he spoke with Trump about the FBI job before he was named as special counsel, but "not as a candidate."

Then-White House chief strategist Steve Bannon has said that while the White House invited Mueller to speak to the president about the FBI and thought about asking him to become director again, Mueller did not come in looking for a job.

Trump tweeted Wednesday that there are "numerous witnesses," including Vice President Mike Pence, who could say that Mueller applied and interviewed for the job and was "turned down" for it.

US NETWORK POOL VIA ABC NEWS VIDEOSOURCE - STRICTLY NO ARCHIVE RESALE/AUTHORIZED RE-USE BY AP'S BROADCAST AND DIGITAL OUTPUT ONLY

Washington, DC - 24 July 2019

1. Wide side shot of Mueller testifying

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-California:

"Did your investigation find that the Russian government perceived it would benefit from one of the candidates winning?

(Mueller) Yes.

And which candidate would that be?"

5. SOUNDBTE (English) Robert Mueller, Former Special Counsel:

"Well, it would be Trump."

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-California:

"The Trump campaign wasn't exactly reluctant to take Russian help, you wrote it expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts, isn't that correct?"

7. SOUNDBTE (English) Robert Mueller, Former Special Counsel:

"That's correct."

8. Wide shot of hearing

9. SOUNDBTE (English) Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas:

"With respect to potential obstruction of justice, the special counsel made neither a prosecution decision or a declination decision. You made no decision. You told us this morning and in your report that you made no determination, so respectfully Director, you didn't follow the special counsel regulations. It clearly says 'write a confidential report about decisions reached.' Nowhere in here does it say write a report about decisions that weren't reached. You wrote 180 pages, 180 pages about decisions that weren't reached, about potential crimes that weren't charged or decided. And respectfully, respectfully by doing that you managed to violate every principle and the most sacred of traditions about prosecutors not offering extra prosecutorial analysis about potential crimes that aren't charged."

10. Cutaway of Ratcliffe speaking

11. SOUNDBTE (English) Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas:

"I agree with the chairman this morning when he said Donald Trump is not above the law he's not. But he damn sure shouldn't be below the law which is where volume two of this report puts him."

12. Cutaway of Mueller

13. Wide side shot of hearing

14. SOUNDBTE (English) Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio:

"On page 103 of Volume 2 of your report, when discussing the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting, you reference quote, 'the firm that produced the 'Steele report' unquote. The name of that firm was Fusion GPS. Is that correct?"

15. SOUNDBTE (English) Robert Mueller, Former Special Counsel:

"And you're on page 103?

(Chabot) 103, that's correct, Volume 2."

16. SOUNDBTE (English) Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio:

"When you talk about the firm that produced the Steele reporting, the name of the firm that produced that was Fusion GPS, Is that correct?"

17. SOUNDBTE (English) Robert Mueller, Former Special Counsel:

"I'm not familiar with that. Can you...

(Chabot) It was. It's not a trick question or anything. It was Fusion GPS."

18. SOUNDBTE (English) Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio:

"Now Fusion GPS produced the opposition research document widely known as the Steele Dossier and the owner of Fusion GPS was someone named Glenn Simpson. Are you familar with..."

19. SOUNDBTE (English) Robert Mueller, Former Special Counsel:

"This is outside my purview."

20. SOUNDBTE (English) Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio:

"OK Glenn Simpson was never mentioned in the 448 page Mueller report, was he?"

21. SOUNDBTE (English) Robert Mueller, Former Special Counsel:

"Well as I say, this is outside my purview and it's being handled in the department by others."

22. Wide side shot of hearing

23. SOUNDBTE (English) Rep. Louis Gohmert, R-Texas:

"Let me ask you, when you talked to President Trump the day before he appointed or you were appointed as special counsel, you were talking to him about FBI director position again. Did he mention the firing of James..."

24. SOUNDBTE (English) Robert Mueller, Former Special Counsel:

"Not as a candidate. I was asked..."

25. SOUNDBTE (English) Rep. Louis Gohmert, R-Texas:

"Did he mention the firing of James Comey in your discussion with him?"

26. SOUNDBTE (English) Robert Mueller, Former Special Counsel:

"I cannot remember.

(Gohmert) Pardon?

I cannot remember. I don't believe so. I'm not going to be specific.

(Gohmert) You don't remember. But if he did, you could been a fact witness as to the president's comments in state of mind on firing James Comey?

I suppose that's possible."

27. SOUNDBTE (English) Rep. Louis Gohmert, R-Texas:

"And if somebody knows they did not conspire with anybody from Russia to affect the election, and they see the big Justice Department with people that hate that person coming after them and then a special counsel appointed who hires a dozen or more people that hate that person, and he knows he's innocent, he's not corruptly acting in order to see that justice is done. What he is doing is not obstructing justice. He is pursuing justice. And the fact that you ran it out two years means you perpetuated injustice."

28. Wide side shot of hearing

Within minutes of receiving notification that special counsel Robert Mueller had turned over his report on the Russia investigation, congressional Democrats were calling for the report to be fully released, including the underlying evidence. They have threatened subpoenas if it is not.

The demands are setting up a potential tug of war between congressional Democrats and President Donald Trump's administration that federal judges might eventually have to referee.

Six Democratic committee chairmen wrote in a letter to Attorney General William Barr on Friday that if Mueller has any reason to believe that Trump "has engaged in criminal or other serious misconduct," then the Justice Department should not conceal it.

"The president is not above the law and the need for public faith in our democratic institutions and the rule of law must be the priority," the chairmen wrote.

Reacting to the release, Democratic Congressman Ted Lieu, who serves on the Judiciary Committee, told the Associated Press that "the American people paid for this report," adding "both American people and Congress have a right to see the full report. "

Lieu said although the special counsel report focused on Russia, the findings could also be used in a wide array of Judicary Committee investigations.

It's unclear what Mueller has found related to the president, or if any of it would be damning. In his investigation of whether President Donald Trump's campaign coordinated with Russia to sway the 2016 election, Mueller has already brought charges against 34 people, including six aides and advisers to the president, and three companies.

Lawmakers say they need the underlying evidence - including interviews, documents and material turned over to the grand jury - because the Justice Department has maintained that a president cannot be indicted, and also that derogatory information cannot be released about people who have not been charged. So if the investigation did find evidence incriminating against Trump, they may not be able to release it, under their own guidelines.

The Democrats say that it could be tantamount to a cover-up if the department did not let Congress and the public know what they found.

Washington - 22 March 2019

1. Wide, exterior view of Department of Justice

Los Angeles - 3 May 2018

2. STILL Image, Rep. Ted Lieu, Democrat - California, Member of House Judiciary Committee

Torrence, California - 22 March 2019

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ted Lieu, Democrat - California: ++ AUDIO ONLY++

"Today is a proud day for America. Despite many attempts by Donald Trump to block this investigation Robert Mueller and his team were able to complete it. The fact that Mueller and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein kept their jobs I think is a strong testament to the vitality and strength of our institutions. This was a Republican led investigation of a Republican president and it was allowed to continue. I think that says a lot about America."

Washington - 22 March 2019

4. Wide, exterior view of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office

Torrence, California - 22 March 2019

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ted Lieu, Democrat - California: ++ AUDIO ONLY++

"Now in terms of distribution, the American people paid for this report. It is a matter of intense national interest and under both the separation of powers as well as just general fairness and transparency, both American people and Congress have a right to see the full report. "

Washington - 22 March 2019

6. Wide, exterior view of Department of Justice ++NIGHT SHOT++

Torrence, California - 22 March 2019

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ted Lieu, Democrat - California: ++ AUDIO ONLY++

"It's hard to know without knowing what's in the actual report. It's also important to understand that because the Department of Justice has taken the position that they won't indict a sitting president then the only other institution that can hold the press accountable is Congress. And we can't do that if we don't see the full report. So, that at every level when you look at it from separation of powers or the functions of both Congress and the special counsel in this case, the different functions we have to see the entire report."

Washington - 22 March 2019

8. Wide, people standing in front of White House

9. Close-up protester

Torrence, California - 22 March 2019

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ted Lieu, Democrat - California: ++ AUDIO ONLY++

"Special Counsel Mueller's investigation was largely centered on Russia. The House Judiciary Committee and other committees were interested in knowing did Donald Trump, his family, his associates commit any crime? Second, did they engage in any ethical misconduct, whether or not it rose to the level of a federal crime? And third how do we explain this to the American people to keep it from happening again?"

Washington - 22 March 2019

11. Wide, tourists walking in front of White House

12. Wide, White House ++NIGHT SHOT++

Within minutes of receiving notification that special counsel Robert Mueller had turned over his report on the Russia investigation, US congressional Democrats were calling for the report to be fully released, including the underlying evidence. They have threatened subpoenas if it is not.

The demands are setting up a potential tug of war between congressional Democrats and US President Donald Trump's administration that federal judges might eventually have to referee.

Six Democratic committee chairmen wrote in a letter to Attorney General William Barr on Friday that if Mueller has any reason to believe that Trump "has engaged in criminal or other serious misconduct," then the Justice Department should not conceal it.

"The president is not above the law and the need for public faith in our democratic institutions and the rule of law must be the priority," the chairmen wrote.

Reacting to the release, Democratic Congressman Ted Lieu, who serves on the Judiciary Committee, told the Associated Press that "the American people paid for this report," adding "both American people and Congress have a right to see the full report. "

Lieu said although the special counsel report focused on Russia, the findings could also be used in a wide array of Judicary Committee investigations.

It's unclear what Mueller has found related to the president, or if any of it would be damning. In his investigation of whether President Donald Trump's campaign coordinated with Russia to sway the 2016 election, Mueller has already brought charges against 34 people, including six aides and advisers to the president, and three companies.

Lawmakers say they need the underlying evidence - including interviews, documents and material turned over to the grand jury - because the Justice Department has maintained that a president cannot be indicted, and also that derogatory information cannot be released about people who have not been charged. So if the investigation did find evidence incriminating against Trump, they may not be able to release it, under their own guidelines.

The Democrats say that it could be tantamount to a cover-up if the department did not let Congress and the public know what they found.

Washington DC - 22 March 2019

1. Wide, exterior view of Department of Justice

Los Angeles - 3 May 2018

2. STILL Rep. Ted Lieu, Democrat - California, Member of House Judiciary Committee

Torrence, California - 22 March 2019

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ted Lieu, Democrat - California: ++ AUDIO ONLY++

"Today is a proud day for America. Despite many attempts by Donald Trump to block this investigation Robert Mueller and his team were able to complete it. The fact that Mueller and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein kept their jobs I think is a strong testament to the vitality and strength of our institutions. This was a Republican led investigation of a Republican president and it was allowed to continue. I think that says a lot about America."

Washington DC - 22 March 2019

4. Wide, exterior view of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office

Torrence, California - 22 March 2019

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ted Lieu, Democrat - California: ++ AUDIO ONLY++

"Now in terms of distribution, the American people paid for this report. It is a matter of intense national interest and under both the separation of powers as well as just general fairness and transparency, both American people and Congress have a right to see the full report."

Washington DC - 22 March 2019

6. Wide, exterior view of Department of Justice ++NIGHT SHOT++

Torrence, California - 22 March 2019

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ted Lieu, Democrat - California: ++ AUDIO ONLY++

"It's hard to know without knowing what's in the actual report. It's also important to understand that because the Department of Justice has taken the position that they won't indict a sitting president then the only other institution that can hold the press accountable is Congress. And we can't do that if we don't see the full report. So, that at every level when you look at it from separation of powers or the functions of both Congress and the special counsel in this case, the different functions we have to see the entire report."

Washington DC - 22 March 2019

8. Wide, people standing in front of White House

9. Close-up protester

Torrence, California - 22 March 2019

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Ted Lieu, Democrat - California: ++ AUDIO ONLY++

"Special Counsel Mueller's investigation was largely centered on Russia. The House Judiciary Committee and other committees were interested in knowing did Donald Trump, his family, his associates commit any crime? Second, did they engage in any ethical misconduct, whether or not it rose to the level of a federal crime? And third how do we explain this to the American people to keep it from happening again?"

Washington DC - 22 March 2019

11. Wide, tourists walking in front of White House

12. Wide, White House ++NIGHT SHOT++

Elaine Kamarck, of the Brookings Institution says "we're pretty much at the end of this process" as she discussed the next steps in the special prosecutors Russia probe.

Kamarack, Senior fellow in the Governance Studies program as well as the Director of the Center for Effective Public Management , said on Tuesday that "The only thing that really seems to remain is whether or not the president himself is guilty of some crimes and do those crimes constitute in the minds of the members of Congress, high crimes and misdemeanors."

In a related story The Associated Press reports that President Donald Trump has been calling the Russia probe a witch hunt for two years.

But now, Trump and his allies are starting to see it as something potentially very different: a political opportunity.

Trump has grown increasingly confident that special counsel Robert Mueller's report will produce no clear evidence of a conspiracy between Russia and his election campaign.

A change is also underway among congressional Democrats, who had believed the report would offer damning evidence

Kamarack says "We're at a point where this is about to move unless there's some you know smoking gun. This is this investigation is about to move from the legal to the political and there the Democrats are going to have to decide do we move forward with impeachment."

Washington - 19 March 2019

1.Wide shot of Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro walking out of White House into Rose Garden

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Elaine Kamarck, Senior Fellow Brookings Institution:

"It's not often that a president is subject to a special counsel and that means often that the findings of a special counsel could lead to something very dramatic like impeachment. Or it could just turn out to be a bunch of nothing. And so everybody was interested in this. Everybody was excited about it. The president himself was furious about it. But this is a big deal. We don't generally have investigations like this of sitting presidents."

3. Side shot of Trump speaking

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Elaine Kamarck, Senior Fellow Brookings Institution:

"The only thing that really seems to remain is whether or not the president himself is guilty of some crimes and do those crimes constitute in the minds of the members of Congress, high crimes and misdemeanors, which is the constitutional issue for impeachment, and so we're sort of down to the end game here. I mean it looks like there was a rapid string of indictments, trials, etc. It's possible that one or more of the president's children or in-laws could get indicted but it's, we're pretty much at the end of this process."

5. Trump speaking

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Elaine Kamarck, Senior Fellow Brookings Institution:

"The issue, though, is did the House and Senate, did the intelligence committees when they were controlled by Republicans ignore important pieces of evidence? The Democrats think they did. And so the Democrats will have to start their own investigation. They may find nothing as well."

Washington - 25 February 2019

7. STILL - The Capitol is seen in Washington as Congress returns to work following a week-long recess. A top House Democrat, Rep. Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, has threatened to call special counsel Robert Mueller to Capitol Hill, subpoena documents and sue the Trump administration if the full report on Mueller's Russia investigation is not made public.

Washington - 06 March 2019

8. STILL - House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, of California, left, and Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., return to hear Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former lawyer, testify before a closed-door session of the House Intelligence Committee, on Capitol Hill

Washington - 19 March 2019

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Elaine Kamarck, Senior Fellow Brookings Institution:

"We're at a point where this is about to move unless there's some you know smoking gun. This is this investigation is about to move from the legal to the political and there, the Democrats are going to have to decide do we move forward with impeachment? Now, Nancy Pelosi has said, wisely I think, that probably not that. There's just not unless there's some blockbuster finding in the Muller report or someplace else. Probably not because bet we're almost at 2020. Let, it's cleaner, easier for democracy to let the voters decide."

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP Clients Only

Washington - 06 March 2019

10. STILL - House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., with Ranking Member Doug Collins

Washington - 19 March 2019

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Elaine Kamarck, Senior Fellow Brookings Institution:

"This investigation has taken place simultaneously with a very chaotic presidency and with a separate investigation into Donald Trump's business empire. Now it may not be impeachable to be a corrupt businessman. All you have to do is look at the Deutsche Bank story in today's (New York) Times and you can see that that's that's going to be a big story. But maybe it's not impeachable but it sure isn't desirable."

12. STILL - President Donald Trump walks along the Colonnade of the White House, towards the Rose Garden with visiting Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro