The Latest: Barr: Trump not invoking executive privilege

The Latest on special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Russia and President Donald Trump (all times local):

UPDATE:

Read the redacted publicly released report here.

10:15 a.m.

The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee is asking special counsel Robert Mueller to testify before his panel as soon as possible about his report on the Trump campaign and Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Chairman Jerrold Nadler released a three-sentence letter to Mueller requesting his appearance, minutes after Attorney General William Barr ended a news conference in which he described the special counsel’s report. The New York Democrat tweeted that Congress and the public need to hear directly from Mueller to “better understand his findings.”

Nadler wrote in his letter that he wants Mueller to testify by May 23 and asked for his “prompt attention” to the request.

Barr said at his news conference that he did not object to Mueller testifying.

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10:05 a.m.

Attorney General William Barr says he will allow Congress to view special counsel Robert Mueller’s report with nothing redacted other than grand jury information.

Barr says three other categories of information also were redacted in the publicly released report, including information pertaining to ongoing prosecutions and sensitive intelligence sources and methods.

House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerrold Nadler says Attorney General William Barr is “taking unprecedented steps to spin” special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. (April 18)

Barr says he hopes that giving Congress access to the less redacted report and his upcoming testimony on Capitol Hill “will satisfy any need Congress has for information regarding the special counsel’s investigation.”

Barr spoke Thursday at a news conference with reporters shortly before the report’s release.

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10 a.m.

Attorney General William Barr says he has “no objection” to special counsel Robert Mueller testifying before Congress about his investigation.

Barr says: “I have no objection to Bob Mueller personally testifying.”

Mueller remains a Justice Department employee, and Barr could have blocked Mueller from speaking to Congress. Democrats have discussed calling Mueller to testify but have yet to formally ask.

9:50 a.m.

Attorney General William Barr says President Donald Trump did not exert executive privilege over any information included in special counsel Robert Mueller’s report.

He said the White House counsel reviewed a redacted version of the report before Trump decided not to invoke executive privilege.

Barr said “no material has been redacted based on executive privilege.”

Barr spoke Thursday at a news conference with reporters.

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9:45 a.m.

Attorney General William Barr says special counsel Robert Mueller’s report recounts 10 episodes involving President Donald Trump that were investigated as potential acts of criminal obstruction of justice.

Barr says Mueller did not reach a “prosecutorial judgment” and that he and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein concluded the evidence was not sufficient to establish the president committed an offense.

Barr spoke Thursday at a news conference with reporters.

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9:40 a.m.

Lawyers for President Donald Trump reviewed the final redacted version of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report before its public release.

That’s according to Attorney General William Barr, who said in Thursday’s press conference that Trump’s personal attorneys requested and were granted access to the report “earlier this week.”

Barr says Trump’s lawyers “were not permitted to make, and did not request, any redactions.”

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9:35 a.m.

Attorney General William Barr says he will give Congress a redacted copy of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigative report at 11 a.m.

He told reporters at the Justice Department that he would transmit to Congress copies of the public version of Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference during the 2016 election and President Donald Trump’s campaign.

Democrats complained that Barr’s news conference was an effort to influence reaction to the report ahead of its release.

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8:10 a.m.

President Donald Trump is blasting the investigation into Russian election meddling as “The Greatest Political Hoax of all time!” hours before the long-awaited released of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report Thursday.

Trump’s first tweet of the day blasted investigators.

Trump tweeted, “Crimes were committed by Crooked, Dirty Cops and DNC/The Democrats,” although there is no evidence of that. Trump frequently calls the probe into contacts between his 2016 campaign and Russia a “witch hunt.”

After nearly two years of waiting, America will get its first glimpse of Mueller’s report later Thursday– but not before Attorney General William Barr weighs in at a 9:30 a.m. press conference.

A redacted version of the nearly 400-page report will be delivered to Congress on CDs between 11 a.m. and noon and then be posted for the public on the special counsel’s website.

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7:55 a.m.

Attorney General William Barr’s news conference Thursday will address the Justice Department’s interactions with the White House over special counsel Robert Mueller’s report.

That’s according to a Justice Department official who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter. Barr has faced intense criticism from Democrats over his decision to hold a news conference before releasing Mueller’s report to the American people and Congress.

Barr is scheduled to release a redacted version of Mueller’s report. Lawmakers have said they want to see the full report, without redactions.

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6:45 a.m.

Congress’ top Democrats are calling for special counsel Robert Mueller to appear before Congress “as soon as possible” to testify about his report on Russia election meddling and contacts with the Trump campaign.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement Thursday that Attorney General William Barr’s “partisan handling” of Mueller’s report has “resulted in a crisis of confidence in his independence and impartiality.”

Barr is scheduled to release a redacted version of Mueller’s report Thursday after he holds a news conference about it.

Pelosi and Schumer criticized Mueller’s plan to “spin the report in a press conference” before allowing Congress and the public to see it. They said “the American people deserve to hear the truth.”

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12:24 a.m.

A redacted version of the special counsel’s report on Russian election interference and the Trump campaign is stirring controversy even before its release.

Democrats say a news conference ahead of the redacted report’s release on Thursday allows Attorney General William Barr to spin its contents before lawmakers and the public have a chance to read it.

The nearly 400-page report is expected to reveal what special counsel Robert Mueller uncovered about ties between the Trump campaign and Russia that fell short of criminal conduct.

Democrats have vowed to fight in court for the disclosure of additional information from the report. They are expected to seize on any negative portrait of the president to demand the release of the full report.