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Washington and Idaho lawmakers weigh in on Mueller report

Special counsel Robert Mueller’s redacted report on the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election is photographed Thursday, April 18, 2019, in Washington. The photos in the report show George Papadopoulos and others in meetings. (Jon Elswick / AP)
By Megan Rowe meganr@spokesman.com(509) 459-5382

With the release Thursday of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into the 2016 presidential election, Washington and Idaho legislators are weighing in on how to proceed.

Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers said in a statement that she had always supported providing the documents to the public.

“I’m glad that’s now happening, and in the coming days, I look forward to reviewing it myself,” McMorris-Rodgers said.

Sen. Patty Murray did not think that Attorney General William Barr’s speech lined up with the content of the report.

“It is clear there are tremendous discrepancies between what Attorney General Barr said about the Special Counsel’s findings and what the Special Counsel actually wrote on issues as important as obstruction of justice,” Murray said in a statement.

Sen. Mike Crapo emphasized the thorough nature of Mueller’s investigation.

“Special counsel Robert Mueller’s thorough, two-year investigation included more than 500 search warrants, 2,800 subpoenas, 40 Federal Bureau of Investigation agents and 500 witnesses,” Crapo said in a statement. “Since no credible evidence supports charges of collusion or conspiracy with the Kremlin, I am ready to move on from this drawn out attack on the President.”

Murray said that she believed that Congress should be able to review the report in full, as opposed to the current version which contains redactions, as well as have Mueller testify before the House and Senate.

Crapo, on the other hand, was not concerned about the redactions.

“He supports AG Barr’s decision to redact sensitive and classified information according to long established law,” Melanie Baucom, Crapo’s spokeswoman, said.