This archive report was first published on 23 July 2019.
On July 23, 2019, the House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to question Robert Mueller, the former special counsel, about his report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. However, Mueller has made it clear that he will only discuss the findings of his report and will not provide any new information.
According to Politico, Mueller has been seen as a 'grudging witness' and has warned Congress not to force him to testify beyond the scope of his report. In a statement in May, he said, 'The report is my testimony.'
Lawmakers have been preparing for the hearing by holding mock sessions and fine-tuning their questions. Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler has said that he will ask Mueller to read from his report and ask if it describes obstruction of justice. However, Democrats acknowledge that it will be a challenge to get anything new out of Mueller.
House Democratic leadership has warned members against grandstanding, and Republicans are also aiming to keep their team from overreaching and appearing too partisan in their attacks on Mueller. Representative Devin Nunes of California has been among Congress's most fervent crusaders in trying to discredit the Mueller investigation.
President Trump has also waded into the drama, tweeting out fresh insults of Mueller and warning that the hearings will end badly for Democrats. He even found a way to work in Hillary Clinton, claiming that all of her people had been 'given immunity.'
