Politics

Mueller Criticized Barr's Memo To Congress On The Russia Probe

Special counsel Robert Mueller said the memo "did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance" of his office's work and conclusions.

Mueller Criticized Barr's Memo To Congress On The Russia Probe
Getty Images
SMS

Special counsel Robert Mueller criticized Attorney General William Barr's memo to Congress about his conclusions of the Russia investigation.

In a letter to Barr, Mueller urged Barr to release more information. He said the memo "did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance" of his office's work and conclusions.

The letter was dated March 27 – three days after Barr sent the memo saying Mueller hadn't discovered evidence of conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia. The memo also said Mueller didn't find President Donald Trump obstructed justice, and Barr himself didn't feel there was enough evidence to charge the president. We now know that the report laid out at least 10 instances of possible obstruction of justice by President Trump.

Mueller wrote in the letter: "There is now public confusion about critical aspects of the results of our investigation. This threatens to undermine a central purpose for which the Department appointed the Special Counsel: to assure full public confidence in the outcome of the investigations."

Barr has said several times that he gave Mueller a chance to review his memo before sending it to lawmakers, but Mueller declined. During his opening statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday, Barr also said Mueller told him during a phone conversation he didn't feel Barr's memo was inaccurate, but that "press reporting had been inaccurate."