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Special counsel ends Russia investigation

23 March 2019 03:48 (UTC +04:00)

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into alleged collusion between Russia and President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign has concluded, ONA reports citing BBC.

Mr Mueller's report has been delivered to the Department of Justice, where Attorney General William Barr will decide how much to share with Congress.

In a letter to Congress, Mr Barr said he may be able to report back the principal conclusions by the weekend.

No details of Mr Mueller's report have been released.

The report is intended to explain any prosecutorial decisions the special counsel has made in the 22 months since his appointment by deputy US Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

A spokeswoman from the Department of Justice said she could not discuss whether there will be additional indictments, but said Mr Barr's principal conclusions may address that.

Mr Trump and other Republicans have repeatedly condemned the probe as a partisan "witch hunt".

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement: "The next steps are up to Attorney General Barr and we look forward to the process taking its course. The White House has not received or been briefed on the Special Counsel's report."

Mr Trump's personal lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Jay Sekulow echoed a similar sentiment, saying they were "pleased" the report had been delivered and trust Mr Barr to "determine the appropriate next steps".

In his letter to Congress' judiciary committee leaders - Senators Lindsey Graham and Dianne Feinstein and Congressmen Jerrold Nadler and Doug Collins - Mr Barr confirmed there were no instances during the investigation where the Department of Justice ordered Mr Mueller to not take action.

He said he will now consult with Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein - who managed the inquiry prior to Mr Barr's appointment - and Mr Mueller "to determine what other information from the report can be released to Congress and the public".

"I remain committed to as much transparency as possible, and I will keep you informed as to the status of my review."

Mr Nadler, a New York Democrat, acknowledged the investigation had concluded on Twitter, saying: "We look forward to getting the full Mueller report and related materials."

Earlier this month, the House of Representatives voted unanimously for a resolution demanding the Department of Justice to release the full report to the public, signalling support within both parties to find out what Mr Mueller discovered.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer also called for transparency in a joint statement, adding that the White House "must not be allowed to interfere".

"The Special Counsel's investigation focused on questions that go to the integrity of our democracy itself: whether foreign powers corruptly interfered in our elections, and whether unlawful means were used to hinder that investigation. The American people have a right to the truth."