The chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Jerrold Nadler, said that "the Special Counsel states that 'while this report does not conclude that the president committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him'". He also noted that the Department of Justice (DoJ) had "determined not to make a traditional prosecutorial judgement".
According to Nadler, the "Special Counsel clearly and explicitly is not exonerating president".
"The Special Counsel's investigation did not find that the Trump campaign or anyone associated with it conspired, or coordinated with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 US presidential election," Barr said in a letter to Congress published by the DoJ on Sunday.
READ MORE: Mueller Report: 'US Forced EU to Follow Through on Sanctions Without Proof'
The DoJ noted that Mueller asserted that hackers linked to Russian authorities got access to computers and e-mails of Democrats during the 2016 election campaign. According to the department, Mueller also claims that there were two main Russian efforts to influence the election.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reacted to the Mueller report's summary release by saying that the Kremlin had not seen the results of the investigation into alleged Russian meddling into the 2016 presidential election.
Meanwhile, Mueller's work has led so far to criminal charges being filed against at least 34 people, including six individuals with close ties to the Trump administration. However, no charges filed as part of the investigation have centred on alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. Instead, several well-known legal and political figures have been found guilty of a variety of charges including financial fraud.
Trump broke Twitter silence as the findings of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report on alleged Russia collusion came out, claiming that he was fully exonerated.
No Collusion, No Obstruction, Complete and Total EXONERATION. KEEP AMERICA GREAT!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 24, 2019
"No Collusion, No Obstruction, Complete and Total EXONERATION. KEEP AMERICA GREAT!" the president tweeted on Sunday.
US Vice President Mike Pence has also praised special counsel Robert Mueller’s conclusion that there was no collusion between Russia and the Trump camp as a total vindication, adding it was time for the Democrats to help the president advance his agenda to the nation’s benefit.
“This total vindication of the President of the United States and our campaign should be welcomed by every American who cherishes the truth and the integrity of our elections… We can only hope that Democrats, who have spent so much time on these discredited allegations, will join us to advance an agenda that will make our nation even more prosperous and more secure for every American,” he said in a statement.
Meanwhile, US Democratic congressional leaders, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, continued to call for a full release of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on alleged Russia collusion.
"Attorney General Barr’s letter raises as many questions as it answers. The fact that Special Counsel Mueller’s report does not exonerate the president on a charge as serious as obstruction of justice demonstrates how urgent it is that the full report and underlying documentation be made public without any further delay," they wrote in a joint statement.
Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in a statement thanked William Barr for promptly advising Congress of Mueller’s principle conclusions, adding he was alarmed by what he said were Russia’s "ongoing efforts to interfere with our democracy."
"I appreciate the Attorney General’s commitment to continue to review the record in this matter over the coming days, in conjunction with Special Counsel Mueller, with the goal of producing as much information as possible, consistent with the law. I look forward to reviewing that information," he wrote.
