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Congressman Cohen Seeks Answers on Why Trump was not Charged with Obstruction of the Mueller Investigation

May 5, 2021

Citing judge’s ruling, says it appears former Attorney General Barr lied to Congress and the public

MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, today urged Chairman Jerrold Nadler to join him and encourage Attorney General Merrick Garland to release information about former Attorney General William Barr's efforts to cover up the findings of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation and mislead Congress and the public about the contents of the Special Counsel's report and decision not to pursue criminal charges against former President Trump.

At a Judiciary Committee hearing on oversight of the U.S. Copyright Office, Congressman Cohen cited a ruling released Monday night by U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in which she said she had been misled by Barr and that the memo advising the former attorney general on the obstruction issue be released to the public.

In his statement, Congressman Cohen said he agreed with some Republicans that the "house is on fire," and continued:

"What we saw yesterday, in an opinion by Judge Amy Berman Jackson about the president's conduct that was hidden from us by the attorney general who lied to Congress and lied to the American public about the Mueller Report, is the ‘house being on fire.' Are our colleagues on the other side concerned about that? No…The previous attorney general contemptuously avoided appearing before our committee and then, when he finally did, he arrogantly answered questions and he lied to us. Judge Jackson has seen information that shows he lied to the American public when he released the Mueller Report – or released a synopsis, a summary of the Mueller Report, a four-page summarizing of a 400-page report -- and said that he could not indict the president. Mueller said that was not true. Judge Jackson has ordered that the paper that was used to support his mendacity should be released to the public.

"Merrick Garland is an outstanding attorney general, I believe; he was a great judge. I hope the chairman will write him, as I plan to do, and urge him not to appeal this case and let the American public see what happened and what was done at Justice to pervert justice and not allow the American people and Congress know what went on with the Mueller Report (and) why the president of the United States was not charged with obstruction of justice…

"The American public needs to know about the illegalities, the lies, the contempt, the disregard for democracy and the continuation of it…Let's put the fire out."

See the entire statement here.

Congressman Cohen also suggested that the Judiciary Committee investigate the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.