Numerous Democratic presidential candidates are saying that Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s long-awaited report on Russian interference in the 2016 election and related matters must be made public. Mueller submitted his report to Attorney General William Barr on Friday, and it is now up to Barr to decide how much of it sees the light of day.
The packed field of presidential contenders took to social media almost immediately after the news broke that Barr had the report in his possession. “Release the Mueller report to the American people,” former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke tweeted. “Special counsel Mueller’s report should be made public without any delay. The American people have a right to know its findings,” tweeted New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
Candidates such as Sens. Cory Booker and Amy Klobuchar made similar calls for transparency.
Sen. Bernie Sanders quoted the president himself, tweeting to followers: “As Donald Trump said, ‘Let it come out.’ I call on the Trump administration to make Special Counsel Mueller’s full report public as soon as possible. No one, including the president, is above the law.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren took the development as a fundraising opportunity — directing supporters to add their name to a petition demanding the public release of the report. Upon signing, supporters are then directed to a donation page for the Warren campaign.
“Let’s be clear: If Elizabeth Warren is elected President of the United States, there will be no pardons for anyone implicated in these investigations – and everyone who might succeed Donald Trump as president should adopt that same policy, starting with Vice President Mike Pence,” a pop-up reads on the donation page.
Booker also sent out a fundraising email tied to the report.
Meanwhile, Sen. Kamala Harris, a former prosecutor and California attorney general, called for a full-fledged congressional hearing, demanding in a statement that Barr testify before the “appropriate Congressional committees.”
“We need total transparency here,” said Harris. “This is about securing American democracy and protecting voters’ confidence in our elections and our system of government.”
Barr will now summarize Mueller’s findings for lawmakers, in accordance with the regulations governing the special counsel. In a letter to top lawmakers on the judiciary committees, Barr said he anticipated that he might be able to advise them of Mueller’s principal conclusions “as soon as this weekend.”
