AURORA | While some Republicans are making the case that special counsel Robert Mueller’s now-released report of the Russia investigation vindicates President Donald Trump of any wrongdoing during the 2016 election, Democrats are quick to criticize the redacted document.
Aurora Congressman Jason Crow, a Democrat, wants Attorney General William Barr to release “an unredacted report to Congress so we can end this political theatre and restore trust with the American people.”
Photo by Philip B. Poston/Sentinel Colorado
“The role of the attorney general is to uphold the rule of law, not to be the personal lawyer for President Trump,” Crow said in a statement Thursday. “This morning’s press conference was deeply troubling and made clear that Attorney General Barr would rather serve the political agenda of the President than provide the American people with an independent and transparent assessment of the fact.”
Barr says a version of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report with fewer redactions will be made available to a small group of lawmakers.
In a letter to Congress on Thursday, Barr says the second version of the report would be given to the “Gang of Eight,” the top-ranking House and Senate lawmakers from both parties who can view sensitive classified information. The chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate judiciary committees will also receive it.
Barr said all redactions would be removed from that version of the report except those relating to grand-jury information.
The attorney general said, “I do not believe that I have discretion to disclose grand-jury information to Congress. Nevertheless, this accommodation will allow you to review the bulk of the redacted material for yourselves.”
Democrats want the full report released.
Denver Congresswoman Diana DeGette said the redacted report is “unacceptable.”
This is unacceptable. #ReleasetheFULLreport pic.twitter.com/EoU1vIz7Td
— Rep. Diana DeGette (@RepDianaDeGette) April 18, 2019
“The Attorney General has once again tried to sway public opinion about Mueller’s report before it’s released. Enough already,” she said on Twitter. “The AG needs to release the full report and ALL the supporting documents now.”
Special Counsel Robert Mueller led a fair & thorough investigation. I’ve continuously supported ensuring this investigation reached its conclusion & look forward to reviewing the report & hearing answers from appropriate personnel regarding the process & the report’s contents.
— Cory Gardner (@SenCoryGardner) April 18, 2019
Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner, a Republican, said on Twitter that he now wants Congress to move past the investigation and that the report “confirms what we already know, Russia interfered in our election. I will keep up the pressure on the Putin regime and pursue additional sanctions – they cannot go unpunished.”
Colorado Congressional Republicans Scott Tipton has not made a statement. But Colorado Springs Congressman Doug Lamborn said the report clearly pointed to a “no collusion” conclusion.
“It is time to move away from the false collusion allegations that stem from the Democrats and the media. I voted to make the report public because I believe the government should be transparent, and my constituents deserve to read the findings of the report,” Lamborn said on Facebook. “I hope this will finally end all of the partisan games so we may focus on our jobs, and continue with the legislative agenda to better our country.
Tweets from the Colorado GOP endorse that the report proves no collusion. GOP Chair Ken Buck, who is also a sitting congressman said in a statement for the GOP that, “These baseless accusations were simply partisan lies used by Democrats and the press to attempt to discredit the President and his agenda. It’s time for Democrats to give up this futile effort, and start focusing on the real issues our nation faces.”
Sen. Michael Bennet, Colorado’s Democratic Senator who’s hinted at a possible presidential bid, said in a statement the report and the president’s behavior “should deeply concern every American.”
“The report documents the president’s failure to cooperate with the special counsel, efforts to mislead the American people, and troubling interactions with Russia, a foreign adversary,” Bennet said. “To exercise its constitutional responsibility to provide oversight, Congress should have access to the full report and all underlying materials.”
— The Associated Press contributed to this report.