Neal Katyal: Barr’s Problematic Summary Makes It Critical That Report Is Made Public

ASPEN, CO - JULY 03:  Neal Katyal speaks during the Aspen Ideas Festival 2015 on July 3, 2015 in Aspen, Colorado.  (Photo by Leigh Vogel/WireImage)
Neal Katyal speaks during the Aspen Ideas Festival 2015 on July 3, 2015 in Aspen, Colorado. (Photo by Leigh Vogel/WireImage)
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Neal Katyal, former acting solicitor general, laid out Sunday the reasons that he thinks Attorney General William Barr’s summary is intensely troubling and requires the immediate release of the Mueller report to the public.

In a New York Times op-ed, Katyal says that Barr’s conclusion that President Donald Trump did not obstruct justice, made less than 48 hours after receipt of the report and without interviewing Trump himself, is “deeply concerning.”

“His letter says Mr. Mueller set ‘out evidence on both sides of the question and leaves unresolved what the special counsel views as ‘difficult issues’ of law and fact concerning whether the president’s actions and intent could be viewed as obstruction,’ Katyal writes. “Yet we don’t know what those “difficult issues” were, because Mr. Barr doesn’t say, or why Mr. Mueller, after deciding not to charge on conspiracy, let Mr. Barr make the decision on obstruction.”

Katyal concludes that the next steps are obvious.

“Congress now has a clear path of action. It must first demand the release of the Mueller report, so that Americans can see the evidence for themselves,” he writes. “Then, it must call Mr. Barr and Mr. Mueller to testify. Mr. Barr in particular must explain his rationale for reaching the obstruction judgment he made.”

Read the full op-ed here.

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  1. “Congress now has a clear path of action. It must first demand the release of the Mueller report, so that Americans can see the evidence for themselves,” he writes. “Then, it must call Mr. Barr and Mr. Mueller to testify. Mr. Barr in particular must explain his rationale for reaching the obstruction judgment he made.”

    From the consistency of these noodles, I’m tempted to conclude that Mr. Katyal seriously overcooks his pasta.

  2. Previous to Mueller’s forwarding of his report to Barr many were saying Barr would be so concerned about his legacy and judgment in history there was no way he’d do anything questionable in reviewing and releasing his opinion on the entire affair.

    So much for that I guess.

  3. It’s masterful trolling. Barr promised he won’t compromise himself, and that’s what he will claim now
    @denisj with a clarification .

  4. Khyber has an interesting take in a post on the thread “Barr: Evidence Mueller Found Not Sufficient to Charge Trump With Obstruction”…near the last group of posts…

    This was a contract that Barr signed on with Trump. The motive could be a variety of things. But Barr is seriously corrupt and will regret that he ever knew of Trump.

  5. why Mr. Mueller, after deciding not to charge on conspiracy, let Mr. Barr make the decision on obstruction.

    Was that Mueller’s call to make?

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