House Democrats Subpoena Robert Mueller to Testify in Open Committee Hearing

Reps. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and Adam Schiff (D-CA), the chairmen of the House Judiciary and House Intelligence committees, announced on Tuesday evening that they have subpoenaed Special Counsel Robert Mueller to testify before a joint committee hearing on July 17.

Nadler and Schiff announced:

Pursuant to subpoenas issued by the House Judiciary and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence tonight, Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III has agreed to testify before both Committees on July 17 in open session. Americans have demanded to hear directly from the Special Counsel so they can understand what he and his team examined, uncovered, and determined about Russia’s attack on our democracy, the Trump campaign’s acceptance and use of that help, and President Trump’s and his associates’ obstruction of the investigation into that attack. We look forward to hearing his testimony, as do all Americans.

Mueller concluded his investigation earlier this year and issued his full report–most of which, save for some redactions, was released publicly by Attorney General Bill Barr–in which he wrote that there was no collusion between President Donald Trump or his 2016 campaign or any other Americans and the Russians in their efforts to interfere in the 2016 election. He also did not make a determination on whether President Trump obstructed justice, writing that he did not find enough evidence to charge the president and was leaving the decision to Barr–who said he would not be charging the president.

In essence, the investigation essentially cleared Trump on all allegations of wrongdoing that the media and left had been leveling against him publicly for years. But the Democrats in Congress have refused to let the dud of an investigation go, and have kept pushing for more.

In fact, Mueller gave a rare public statement a few weeks ago in which he stated the findings of his report again and that he does not wish to testify before Congress.

Mueller said when making his statement:

Now, I hope and expect this to be the only time that I will speak to you in this manner. I am making that decision myself. No one has told me whether I can or should testify or speak further about this matter. There has been discussion about an appearance before Congress. Any testimony from this office would not go beyond our report. It contains our findings and analysis and the reasons for the decisions we made. We chose those words carefully and the work speaks for itself. And the report is my testimony. I would not provide information beyond that which is already public in any appearance before Congress.

It is unclear if Mueller would in fact provide anything beyond what is in his report during testimony, but he already said he will not.