Rep. Steve Cohen said Attorney General William P. Barr’s summary of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian collusion was a “charade.”
“Well, I think this whole thing has been a charade. Bill Barr was appointed to give this type of analysis, quote, unquote, of the Mueller report. And it really discredits and is an undoing of what… Bob Mueller has spent 22 months doing,” the Tennessee Democrat said on CNN’s “Newsroom” show.
“For him to sum it up in a three-page report, and I think this is continuing —Republicans in the House voted to say it should be made public. Trump said he’d let them do it. I think he knew that McConnell wouldn’t let it go through the Senate,” Mr. Cohen added.
Mr. Cohen, who serves on the House Judiciary Committee, suggested a larger agenda involving President Trump, adding the summary would “hurt democracy” while repeating it was a “charade.”
“I think this has been a charade by Trump and some group to help get Bill Barr and do this, and I don’t think you can ever let charades that hurt democracy and take away the people’s opportunity through transparent government to see the product that they paid for succeed,” he said.
The four-page summary provided by Mr. Barr on Sunday said Mr. Mueller exonerated Mr. Trump and his campaign from any collusion with Russia but chose to not make a determination on obstruction of justice.
Mr. Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said the evidence against obstruction of justice is not enough to pursue charges.
• Bailey Vogt can be reached at bvogt@washingtontimes.com.
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