Feinstein Calls for Release of Full Mueller Report, Underlying Evidence

   Washington—Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today called on Attorney General Barr to release the full Mueller report and underlying evidence to the Judiciary Committee.

            “Congress must now determine the risks to national security, whether there was misconduct or abuse of power, whether existing laws are sufficient to deter and punish election interference, and what next steps are appropriate,” Senator Feinstein wrote. “A four-page summary of Special Counsel Mueller’s extensive investigation and report, with no underlying evidence or findings, is not adequate to accomplish our constitutional, legislative, and oversight responsibilities.”

            Full text of the letter follows:

March 25, 2019

The Honorable William P. Barr
Attorney General
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20530

Dear Attorney General Barr:

            Yesterday, we received your summary of Special Counsel Mueller’s nearly two-year investigation and comprehensive report. However, I have several questions and request a full copy of the report and underlying evidence on behalf of the Judiciary Democrats.

            Special Counsel Mueller spent nearly two years investigating, with a team of 19 lawyers and 40 FBI agents and other professional staff. As you note in your summary, “[t]he Special Counsel issued more than 2,800 subpoenas, executed nearly 500 search warrants, obtained more than 230 orders for communication records, issued almost 50 orders authorizing use of pen registers, made 13 requests to foreign government for evidence, and interviewed approximately 500 witnesses.”

            Congress must now determine the risks to national security, whether there was misconduct or abuse of power, whether existing laws are sufficient to deter and punish election interference, and what next steps are appropriate. A four-page summary of Special Counsel Mueller’s extensive investigation and report, with no underlying evidence or findings, is not adequate to accomplish our constitutional, legislative, and oversight responsibilities.

            There is no law, regulation, or DOJ practice that prevents production of information related to a closed investigation to Congress. In fact, Congress routinely requests, and receives, confidential information related to closed criminal investigations and counterintelligence matters as part of its oversight responsibilities. For example, over the past several years, Republicans have requested and received 880,000 pages, including substantial confidential and classified information related to investigations of Hillary Clinton. Republicans have also requested and received confidential material related to the Special Counsel’s investigation while it has been ongoing, including classified documents from the FISA court.

            We are willing to work with you to ensure appropriate protections are put in place to protect information that implicates legitimate privacy interests or endangers ongoing investigations or criminal cases from becoming public. But these considerations are not a reason for withholding the report or underlying documentation from Congress. To the extent you believe existing law constrains your ability to comply with this request, we ask that you immediately begin the process of consultation and accommodation so that there is no delay in reaching agreement.

            Thank you for your immediate attention to this request. Please provide the full report by Monday, April 1 and start producing the underlying documentation on that date.

Sincerely,

Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator

CC: Senator Lindsey Graham,
Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee