Rep. Adam Schiff calls Mueller testimony ‘inevitable’ as Congress awaits special counsel’s findings

Rep. Adam B. Schiff, California Democrat, said Wednesday that it is “inevitable” that special counsel Robert Mueller will testify before Congress about his recently completed investigation into the 2016 election.

Mr. Schiff, the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, indicated during an interview on MSNBC that Mr. Mueller is more than likely to be called before at least one congressional panel to answer questions about the special counsel’s probe.

“I think it’s inevitable that Bob Mueller is going to have to testify before Congress,” Mr. Schiff said on the “Morning Joe” program.

“We will have an interest in his testimony or others’ on the issue of the counterintelligence findings, and the Judiciary Committee, maybe the Oversight Committee as well, might have an interest in other aspects of the investigation,” Mr. Schiff continued. “But in the intel committee, we have a statutory requirement that the intelligence community [and] FBI brief us on any significant counterintelligence or intelligence activity, and it’s hard to imagine something that rises more to that level than this investigation.”

The Department of Justice appointed Mr. Mueller, a former FBI director, in 2017 to investigate allegations involving Russian interference in the presidential race and related matters. He finished the probe last month after nearly two years, and Attorney General William Barr is reviewing a report summarizing his findings prior to its anticipated release.

The special counsel’s investigation resulted in the Justice Department bringing criminal charges against more than 30 individuals, including several former members of Mr. Trump’s election campaign but not the president himself.

“[T]he investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities,” Mr. Mueller concluded, according to a summary released by Mr. Barr last month.

“While this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him,” the summary said.

The House Judiciary Committee voted later Wednesday to authorize subpoenas seeking access to Mr. Mueller’s full report as members of Congress and the public continue to await its release weeks nearly two weeks since the probe’s conclusion.

Another member of the intel committee, meanwhile, previously said the panel is poised to seek a similar order compelling Mr. Mueller’s personal testimony.

“We’re going to subpoena him,” Rep. Eric Swalwell, California Democrat, said late last month.

Peter Carr, a spokesperson for the special counsel’s office, declined to comment.