Democrats demand Bill Barr publish declassified Mueller report 'swiftly'

Congressional Democrats issued immediate demands that they have the ability to see the entire Mueller report – including its underlying evidence – after Special Counsel Robert Mueller handed his work product to the new attorney general.

With Attorney General William Barr vowing to rush out information on the report's 'principal conclusions' as soon as this weekend, Democrats were insisting they see both the complete document and the evidence in its entirety.

'It is imperative for Mr. Barr to make the full report public and provide its underlying documentation and findings to Congress,' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer said in a joint statement. 

'Attorney General Barr must not give President Trump, his lawyers or his staff any 'sneak preview' of Special Counsel Mueller's findings or evidence, and the White House must not be allowed to interfere in decisions about what parts of those findings or evidence are made public,' the leaders said.

'The American people have a right to the truth. The watchword is transparency,' they said.

Speaking to reporters Friday, Schumer said: 'The American people have a right to the truth. The watchword is transparency.'

He added: 'The president himself has called without qualification or the report to be made public. There is no reason on God’s green earth why Attorney General Barr should do any less.'

Schumer predicted the effort ultimately would prevail due to public sentiment. 

'The demand of the public is overwhelming to see the report when it’s on such a serious matter and it will be made public. Public pressure will force it to be,' he said.

Barr himself pledged transparency during his Senate confirmation hearing. But the strong defender of presidential power also left open the possibility he would share his own summary, rather than the report itself, to Congress – a move that would provoke a fight with the Democratic House. 

Although there were reports Mueller would bring no additional indictments, there remained the possibility of indictments already sealed, or that another body such as the Souther District of New York wold bring indictments.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, told https://twitter.com/politicususa/status/1109228468515102722?s=21 there was a 'high probability' that could happen.  

'I think there is a strong possibility of additional indictments, including president Trump's family,' Blumenthal said Friday evening. 

'Maybe not by the Department of Justice, main Justice. But by other offices. I know that you want to stick to the Mueller report. But the Mueller report cannot be viewed in isolation,' the former prosecutor and Trump nemesis continued. 'Any more than an investigation, even though it may end, cannot lead to additional investigative leads and actions. And so I think there's a high probability of additional indictments.'

With the White House already resisting document requests from the Democratic Congress, lawmakers want to get hold of Mueller's work product and use it as the basis for additional investigation. 

Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California, a member of the Intelligence and Judiciary panels, bluntly told CNN Friday afternoon:  'We want the full report.  We want it now.  We want it before the president is able to get it or make any edits.'