Nebraska and Iowa lawmakers respond to release of Mueller report

Nebraska and Iowa lawmakers respond to release of Mueller report
World-Herald News Service

Nearly a month after Special Counsel Robert Mueller submitted his findings on Russian election interference and possible coordination with Trump associates to the Department of Justice, his report has been released to the public.

The World-Herald’s Washington Bureau collected responses from Nebraska and Iowa lawmakers on the release of the Mueller report.

You can see their responses below, and you can click here to read the report for yourself:

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa

“Unfortunately, for more than two years, many critics of the constitutionally-elected president perpetuated the baseless Russian collusion hysteria to the detriment of our democracy and to the delight of the Kremlin. Now that President Trump has been cleared of collusion and obstruction of justice, those critics ought to focus their energy on preventing future exploitation of our government and our democratic processes.”

Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb.

“My position was clear when I voted with my 419 colleagues in the House urging the release of the Mueller report. Attorney General Barr has released it within the bounds of the law, just as he said he would. That the report clearly says there was no evidence of criminal collusion with Russia should bring peace of mind to our nation. Along with the rest of the nation, I will be reviewing the full report. Congress must start working together to build consensus on how to best solve the most pressing challenges facing our country, such as immigration policy, border security and prescription drugs.”

Rep. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa

“I’ve long called for as much of the Mueller report that can be made public under the law to be made available to the ones who paid millions for it — the American people. I look forward to reviewing the report.”

Jane Kleeb, chairwoman, Nebraska Democratic Party

“It’s a fact that Russia meddled in our elections to undermine our Democracy, and yet President Trump continues to praise Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Mueller report examined 10 episodes of obstruction of justice. Congress must do its job of getting the full report and not taking the Cliffs Notes version offered by Attorney General Barr. Nebraskans expect Rep. Bacon and the rest of the delegation to put aside their loyalty to Trump in this next phase of the process.”

Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb.

“While I haven’t had time to review the full report, the Attorney General’s statements this morning align with what was previously shared. The special counsel’s investigation was a long and unfortunate distraction, and I hope this issue can be put to rest so our country can move forward and work on real issues facing Americans.”

Rep Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb.

“While portions of the public version of the special counsel’s report had to be redacted to protect intelligence sources and methods, as well as grand jury testimony, Members of Congress from both parties will now be able to review most of the un-redacted report. I am grateful to the Attorney General for his commitment to transparency while protecting the integrity of the investigative process. The Mueller report should be thoroughly evaluated, but not used to create a permanent political crisis.”

Jeff Kaufmann, chairman, Republican Party of Iowa

“In a clear vindication of President Trump, the Special Counsel’s report is finally forcing Democrats to come to terms with their ludicrous collusion delusion. Despite attempts to manufacture a crime in their refusal to accept the results of the 2016 election, Mueller’s report has confirmed what we’ve known all along — there was no collusion or obstruction. After all the wasted time, energy, and money spent on this partisan witch hunt, Democrats owe the American people an explanation for their years of lies and deception.”

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