WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after Attorney General William Barr released a redacted version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report to Congress and the public. 

“Special Counsel Mueller was charged with investigating important issues: whether the President or his team illegally coordinated with the Russian government during the 2016 campaign and whether they engaged in obstruction of justice. Since he received the Special Counsel’s 400-page report on March 22, Attorney General Barr has minimized serious concerns about the President’s actions, and has created more confusion rather than providing needed clarity and transparency. 

“The information included in the Special Counsel’s report that the President repeatedly attempted to interfere with the investigation, such as ordering the removal of Special Counsel Mueller, making false statements to the public, and encouraging others to lie or conceal evidence of the Trump campaign’s contact with Russia, is alarming and shows definitively that President Trump’s actions were, at the very least, completely inappropriate, and far below the standards we should expect from our leaders. It is clear why Special Counsel Mueller felt that he could not clear the President of obstruction of justice. 

“It is critical that the American people see as much of the evidence as possible to determine for themselves whether they believe President Trump’s conduct was appropriate. This isn’t just about following the letter of the law. It’s also about ensuring that the American people know that nobody in this country – including the President – is above the law." 

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