Massachusetts

‘Make It Public': New England Lawmakers React to Mueller Summary

A four-page summary of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's findings was sent to Congress on Sunday

Many New England lawmakers are demanding the full report on Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into the 2016 Trump campaign after the U.S. attorney general's summary of the report said there was no collusion between the campaign and Russia, but didn't exonerate the president, either.

The four-page summary was sent to Congress on Sunday afternoon after the much-anticipated report was delivered to the Department of Justice Friday.

MASSACHUSETTS

Massachusetts' senior U.S. senator was among the first to react after U.S. AG William Barr's report was delivered.

"Congress voted 420-0 to release the full Mueller report," Elizabeth Warren tweeted. "Not a 'summary' from his handpicked Attorney General. AG Barr, make the full report public. Immediately."

U.S. Ed Markey also quickly weighed in on the summary's release.

"You should not write a book report from Cliff Notes, and Congress should not make any final determinations from one summary," he said in a statement. "We need the full Mueller report and underlying documents. I want to read it all and so do the American people. Make it public."

NEW HAMPSHIRE

New Hampshire's U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas said Americans and Congress "deserve the opportunity" to read Mueller's full report, adding, "It's the least we are owed ... and it will help restore faith in our democracy."

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen also pushed for the release of the Mueller report, and said she would question Barr when he appears before the Senate.

"This report could have serious implications for our national security -- there is no excuse for not disclosing all the facts and keeping its details secret," she said in a series of tweets.

Fellow U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan called for transparency regarding the Mueller report's release, and said a summary written by an attorney general appointed by Trump "will not suffice."

VERMONT

"I don't want a summary of the Mueller report," Vermont's U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders tweeted. "I want the whole damn report."

U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy said in a statement that he appreciates Mueller and his team's work, but stressed the entire report needed to be released because Americans "deserve better."

"Transparency is the touchstone of democracy," he said. "If no person, however powerful, is truly above the law, then no person should be permitted to conceal the results of such a critical national security investigation from public view."

MAINE

In a series of tweets, Maine's U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree pointed to Mueller's team charging 37 defendants and netting seven guilty pleas and a guilty trial conviction in connection with the 22 monthslong investigation as reason enough to have the full report be released.

"The American public deserves more than a four page summary," she wrote.

In a statement, U.S. Sen. Angus King said he still has "lingering questions" after the summary was delivered to Congress, including Barr's "thought process and reasoning surrounding the Special Counsel's office decision to not make a 'traditional prosecutorial judgment' on the issue of obstruction of justice."

CONNECTICUT

Connecticut U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy also called on the release of the full report.

"Congress should be able to review the evidence independent of the interpretation of Trump-appointed allies like the Attorney General," he said in a statement. "This is too important to our democracy to keep anything hidden from public view, especially when the future of our democracy is at stake."

U.S. Richard Blumenthal also demanded the report's release in a series of tweets.

"On obstruction of justice, the Special Counsel tossed a jump ball, & the AG tipped it to President Trump, but shared none of the information supporting his conclusion," he said, adding, "Now Congress must demand transparency & full disclosure -- moving forward to protect the rule of law & our democratic institutions."

RHODE ISLAND

The Ocean State's U.S. Rep. David Cicilline, who is a member of the House Judiciary Committee, pointed to the fact that Mueller's report did not explicitly exonerate President Trump as reason enough to release the special counsel's full report.

"According to the Attorney General's letter, he described a pattern of evidence suggesting the President engaged in obstruction of justice," he said in a statement. "The Attorney General needs to make this evidence available to Congress immediately, along with the entirety of the Mueller report, so we can decide what steps to take next."

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed stressed he would want to see supporting documents released as well as the full report.

"Filing this report does not end this process, as we know from every prior Special Counsel investigation. The crucial next step is Congress fulfilling its constitutional oversight duty," he said in a statement. "Mr. Mueller and others involved in the report should testify before Congress in open setting."

U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said it was apparent from Barr's confirmation hearing that the attorney general would not conclude Trump obstructed justice, "which is why it is critical for Congress to see the full Mueller report and the evidence behind it."

Whitehouse added that Americans and Congress need to review the report and evidence "to decide whether the President acted appropriately, and how to best protect our democracy from the sweeping assault on our elections the Kremlin executed in 2016. This is not the time for a cover-up."

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