Mueller's hearing before Congress postponed till July 24

Mueller's hearing before Congress postponed till July 24

Robert Mueller (Photo: IANS)

Washington, July 13 (IANS) Former Special Counsel Robert Muellers long-awaited testimony before the US Congress has been delayed by a week, until July 24, two House committees announced in a joint statement.

"We have agreed to postpone the hearing for one week, until July 24," Jerrold Nadler, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said in the joint statement on Friday night.

Mueller had to testify before the Congress on July 17 to present a report on Russian election interference, Efe news.

He will now appear first before the House Judiciary Committee on the set date and later for another two hours before the Intelligence Committee.

Mueller will appear before the House of Representatives for five hours to respond to the queries of the panel on his report on the Russian interference, an hour more than previously planned for the July 17 appearance.

The Mueller report said there were no proofs on the links between the election team of President Donald Trump and Russia, but did not give a conclusion on the possible crime of obstruction of justice by Trump.

"The American people will finally have an opportunity to hear directly from Mueller about what his investigation uncovered", as well as his relation with President Trump's campaign, the joint statement said.

Mueller investigated for nearly two years on the alleged link between Trump's election campaign team and the Kremlin during the 2016 presidential elections, and concluded his report in March this year.

Before the calls for appearing before the Congress by the Democrats, Mueller had said that he had decided not to testify before the Judiciary by himself.

He said he had decided himself that "any testimony from this office will not go beyond our report", during a statement read at the Department of Justice.

Mueller said he did not "believe that it is appropriate for me to speak further about the investigation or to comment on the actions of the Justice Department or the Congress", as it has been insisted upon by the Democrats ever since Attorney General William Barr submitted a four paged document to the Congress on the major conclusions of the Russian inquiry report.

"This report is my testimony," Mueller had said.

Trump and Barr had opposed to Mueller testifying before the Congress.

--IANS

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