Representative Adriano Espaillat Statement on Special Counsel Mueller's Report

Statement

Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) released the following statement in response to today's press conference from Attorney General William Barr on Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report.

"Of course Attorney General Barr disagrees with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report. Today's press conference by Attorney General Barr was for an audience of one: President Trump -- it was regrettably partisan and misleading," said Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13). "The rollout of this report underlines the Attorney General's embracement of a two-tiered justice system and his distressing loyalty to the President. Many questions remain unanswered, but two do not:

1) The Russian government led a full-fledged effort to interfere with our elections and on several occasions the Trump campaign sought to find the "dirt' Russia had on Hillary Clinton. Specific examples include the Trump Tower meeting and an instance where President Trump directed Michael Flynn to find the emails, an effort he subsequently undertook.

2) The President fully intended to impede and ultimately end the investigation into the Russian government's efforts to meddle in our election, and his campaigns role in their efforts. And according to the report, if his aids had faithfully carried out his demands, he may have succeeded in doing so. The Special Counsel provided ten separate pillars -- including misleading statements about meetings with Russians and attempts to fire the Special Counsel -- that construct a sturdy case to charge the President with obstruction of justice, and the underlying legal theories and precedents that would bind together a case.

"Lastly, despite the river of lies flowing from the Attorney General's office, the President is not exonerated of obstruction of justice, as the Special Counsel noted, "the conclusion that Congress may apply the obstruction laws to the President's corrupt exercise of the powers of office accords with our constitutional system of checks and balances and the principle that no person is above the law.'

"Before we decide to undertake that consequential course of action, and as the American people continue to learn the truth about the improper, untruthful, and corrupt conduct of the President and his campaign, we must turn over every rock. The Department of Justice must provide the unredacted report to Congress immediately, as well as the underlying evidence collected by the Special Counsel.

"Robert Mueller and members of his team should be called to testify under oath so the American people are provided clear answers to the countless outstanding questions that this report raises."

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