Yuri Gripas/Reuters
Some investigators on special counsel Robert Mueller’s team have told associates that Attorney General William Barr did not accurately portray the findings of their investigation into potential Russia collusion in the 2016 election, The New York Times reports. The investigators reportedly said the findings were “more troubling for President Trump” than Barr had let on. Mueller's office reportedly has written “multiple summaries” of the almost-400 page report, and some on the team believe that Barr should have “included more of their material” in his letter to Congress informing them of the general findings. However, the Times reports that Mueller's office never requested the release of the summaries and the Justice Department concluded their summaries had “sensitive information” in them that “must remain confidential”—including information on current federal prove and grand jury testimony.
Sources interviewed by the Times reportedly did not explain why some investigators believed the report was more damaging to Trump than Barr portrayed. Two government officials told the newspaper Barr and others at the Justice Department believe Mueller's team “fell short” by declining to conclude whether Trump committed obstruction of justice. In his letter to Congress, Barr said he concluded that the evidence was “insufficient” to conclude Trump committed obstruction. Representatives for the DOJ and Special Counsel's office reportedly declined to comment.