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Congressman Cohen Urges Attorney General Garland to Make Mueller Investigation Documents Public

May 5, 2021

Citing a judge’s ruling, says predecessor Barr’s misleading actions must be revealed to Congress and the American public

MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, this evening wrote to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, asking him to comply with a recent federal judge's order and release information about how his predecessor, William Barr, misled the federal courts and the American public about the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, and provided misleading information to both Congress and the American public.

Congressman Cohen, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, made the same argument at a hearing of the Judiciary Committee earlier today.

The letter, which expresses confidence in and praises the current Attorney General while calling his predecessor's actions indefensible, reads in part:

"Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the District Court in the District of Columbia ruled in Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics and Washington (CREW) v. Department of Justice that documents relating to former Attorney General Bill Barr's characterization of Special Counsel Mueller's report and the decision not indict the former President must be released to the American public. Judge Jackson is certainly right that "it is time for the public to see" them. I encourage you not to appeal Judge Jackson's ruling so the American people can have this information. The Department of Justice cannot be allowed to mislead our courts or our citizenry. If it does, those lies must be exposed to the light of day, which of course is the best disinfectant. Nothing less than a founding notion of our democracy, equal justice under law, is at stake.

"Additionally, I encourage you to release evidence collected by the Special Counsel and the full extent of the Department's attempts to insulate President Trump from criminal culpability. The House Judiciary Committee rightfully remains insistent that former White House Counsel Don McGahn comply with the duly issued subpoena for his testimony. The Committee must also see the full Mueller Report in its least-redacted form possible."

See the entire letter here. See Congressman's remarks at the Judiciary Committee hearing this morning here.