U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan said Attorney General William Barr’s summation of the Mueller report clears President Trump and closes a chapter.
“There’s no evidence of collusion. It’s over. So, let’s move on,” Sullivan said.
Mueller did not reach a conclusion about whether Trump obstructed justice, but the attorney general did. Barr, in a letter to Congress members, said the evidence isn’t sufficient to find the president obstructed justice. Sullivan said the lack of an underlying crime suggests the president couldn’t have obstructed justice.
“If there’s no collusion, which was the conspiracy and the alleged crime, what would you be obstructing?” Sullivan asked.
Some legal experts and at least one former prosecutor point out that defendants are sometimes convicted of obstructing justice even when the investigations they obstruct fizzle out. Celebrity homewares maven Martha Stewart, for instance, went to jail for obstruction and lying to investigators who suspected her of insider trading.
While the Barr letter is a big win for the president, Democratic leaders in the House aren’t ready to close the book on the Mueller investigation.
“The American people are entitled to a full accounting to the president’s misconduct referenced by the special counsel,” said House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., at a press conference. He said he will work to get as much of the Mueller report made public as possible.
Sullivan and Sen. Lisa Murkowski also said they support releasing the Mueller report, with redactions required by law.
Murkowski, in a written statement, said the focus now should be on holding Russia accountable for its interference in the 2016 presidential election and ensuring it never happens again.
Liz Ruskin is the Washington, D.C., correspondent at Alaska Public Media. Reach her at lruskin@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Liz here.
