House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler voiced harsh criticism of Attorney General William Barr on Wednesday for what he called was “a media campaign on behalf of President Trump” waged by the attorney general prior to the release of the special counsel’s report.
Other Democratic lawmakers joined Nadler in condemning Barr’s decision to release the report to Congress only after he has held a press conference on the matter. Nadler also took the opportunity to blast Barr for reports that the Justice Department has briefed the White House on Mueller’s findings.
“Rather than letting the facts of the report speak for themselves, the attorney general has taken unprecedented steps to spin Mueller’s nearly 2-year investigation,” the Democratic chairman said.
Nadler maintained that such moves along with Barr’s March letter to Congress about the findings in the report enable the attorney general to “put his own spin” on the special counsel’s findings.
“The fact that the attorney general is not releasing even the redacted report to Congress until after his press conference will again result in the report being presented through his own words, rather than the words of special counsel Mueller,” said Nadler, who has often hit Barr over how he has handled the report and has called for its full release.
On Wednesday, the Judiciary chairman even threatened to use a subpoena approved by his committee earlier this month should the Mueller report be “heavily redacted.”
Shortly after Nadler made his comments, a story by The Washington Post said that the special counsel’s report would be “lightly redacted” and offer a clear look at evidence of obstruction of justice as committed by Trump.
On Wednesday, Nadler also reiterated his past statement that he would like to see Robert Mueller, and possibly members of his team, testify before his panel.
The report is expected to be delivered to Congress at 11 a.m., shortly after Barr’s press conference.
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