Sen. Coons’ statement on conclusions from the Mueller report

March 25, 2019

WILMINGTON, DE – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after Attorney General William Barr shared the principal conclusions of Special Counsel Mueller’s report with Congress.

“I appreciate that Attorney General Barr has promptly shared with Congress the principal conclusions from Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation.  It is essential that Attorney General Barr move quickly to make available to Congress the full report and relevant investigatory materials so that Congress can see the basis for these conclusions and take whatever next steps are appropriate.  While the conclusions of the investigation are important, the additional materials are no less so and must be made available to instill confidence in the independence and impartiality of the Justice Department.

“The conclusions from Special Counsel Mueller’s report raise more questions than they answer. In particular, the Special Counsel’s statement that ‘while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him’ demands much more context, oversight, and investigation. Congress has a different charge than Special Counsel Mueller and given that Mueller declined to conclude whether or not President Trump committed obstruction, Congress must be allowed to proceed with its vital oversight role and to investigate further.  Again, it’s now critical for Congress to be given access to all of the information from Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation so that Congress, as a coequal branch of government, can do its important work and restore the trust of the American people.

“Finally, it is critical to remember that several relevant investigations into President Trump’s business and campaign activities, such as those in the Southern District of New York – which stem from Special Counsel Mueller’s work – remain active. Those investigations must be allowed to proceed without interference.

“The Special Counsel’s investigation has produced 37 total indictments, guilty pleas, and convictions. It is good news for the country that the Special Counsel’s investigation ‘did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.’  However, it is sobering that the investigation exposed serious crimes were committed by the President’s former national security advisor, campaign chairman, deputy campaign chairman, personal lawyer, and foreign policy advisor.  I have said from the beginning of this investigation that I trust Special Counsel Mueller to conduct a thorough investigation and pursue the truth.  All Americans should be grateful for his service to our nation.”