Attorney General William Barr released his letter summarizing Robert Mueller’s investigation into the President and stated that Mueller did not find that Donald Trump’s campaign or associates conspired with Russia.
Some Ohio politicians have issued statements about the findings of the report:
Senator Rob Portman (R) said in a statement that is pleased that the investigation has come to a conclusion.
I’m pleased that Special Counsel Mueller has finally concluded his investigation. I’ve said from the start of this process that the Special Counsel should follow the facts wherever they lead and complete the investigation expeditiously without any political interference. That is what happened.
Today’s summary by the Attorney General says that the Special Counsel’s report confirms that Russians meddled in the 2016 election but finds no evidence of collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign. Finally, the summary indicates that the Special Counsel reached no conclusion on obstruction of justice. The Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General have concluded that the Special Counsel’s investigation did not include sufficient evidence to warrant any obstruction of justice charges against the president.
As I’ve said consistently, I believe the report should be made public, with important exceptions for grand jury or classified information, and I hope the Attorney General provides as much information to the public as he possibly can, as soon as he can. I appreciate the summary received today, and hope to have the opportunity to review the report very soon.
Representative for Ohio’s 6th congressional district Bill Johnson (R), said that he believes that Democrats should apologize.
The findings of the Mueller Report are clear...there was no collusion between then candidate Donald Trump - or his campaign - and Russia. Month after month, many mainstream media journalists and elected Democrats, including some of my House colleagues, have been out spinning a false narrative to advance their political agenda. They should apologize. Not a single American was charged, indicted, or convicted for conspiring with Russia to influence the 2016 election - not one! Like many of you, I've maintained all along this would be the case. It was simply, and obviously, a fabricated hoax perpetrated by those who could not accept the fact that Donald Trump won the 2016 election fair and square.
Rep. Bob Gibbs of the 7th district (R), referred to the investigation as a "witch hunt" in a statement he issued on Sunday.
The summary of the Special Counsel’s conclusions confirms what we knew all along: that neither the President nor anyone in his campaign colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election. After two years and millions of dollars in taxpayer money, this witch hunt is finally over. I sincerely hope Congressional Democrats can finally accept that Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election despite the efforts by Andrew McCabe, James Comey, and others to smear Donald Trump. It is time the nation puts this spectacle behind us. Congressional Democrats should reconsider whether they want to drag this matter out after such a definitive conclusion from the Special Counsel.
Senator Sherrod Brown (D) said that the public needs more than a summary report and wants to see the findings in full.
A summary report is not enough. It’s important that the American public have the answers they deserve about the full scope of the Mueller report and its findings. The Department of Justice should turn over the full report to Congress, the Administration should preserve all of the information and underlying evidence it provided to the Special Counsel, and the report should be released to the public in full.
President Trump’s legal team called the report a “complete and total vindication of the President” in a statement released on Sunday.
Although the findings did not show President Trump, his campaign or his associates conspired with Russia, Senator Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that this does not exonerate Trump.
Attorney General Barr’s letter raises as many questions as it answers. The fact that Special Counsel Mueller’s report does not exonerate the president on a charge as serious as obstruction of justice demonstrates how urgent it is that the full report and underlying documentation be made public without any further delay. Given Mr. Barr’s public record of bias against the Special Counsel’s inquiry, he is not a neutral observer and is not in a position to make objective determinations about the report.
