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DOJ not sending 'principal conclusions' of Mueller report to Hill today

Posted at 1:50 PM, Mar 23, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-23 14:07:41-04

Attorney General William Barr is not sending the "principal conclusions" of special counsel Robert Mueller's report to lawmakers Saturday, multiple congressional sources and a DOJ official tell CNN.

In a letter to lawmakers Friday, Barr wrote that he may be in a position to share the principal conclusions "this weekend."

Barr wrote in his letter that throughout the investigation, Justice Department leaders never told the special counsel a proposed action should not be pursued.

The completion of the special counsel's investigation marks the end of one of the most dramatic chapters in Donald Trump's presidency, one that led to numerous criminal charges against and guilty pleas by some of his closest associates. The conclusion of the investigation, however, opens a new chapter into the fallout from the report -- a potentially fraught political battle over the extent to which its contents are made public and further investigations from congressional Democrats.

It's too soon to say what Mueller's report will ultimately mean for the President, but surviving the investigation without being subpoenaed for a sit down interview with the special counsel's team is a significant triumph for Trump and his legal team.

It's not clear what Mueller uncovered about Trump's involvement or advance knowledge, if any, of WikiLeaks' release of damaging information about Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. The special counsel's findings on the question of obstruction of justice are also unknown, but Trump's allies will likely argue anything short of a criminal indictment proves the President did nothing wrong.