Release the Mueller Report

(Bloomberg Opinion) -- Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian sabotage of the 2016 presidential election has concluded. What exactly that means will not be known until Attorney General William Barr publicly releases Mueller’s report.

Barr’s own four-page summary, sent to congressional leaders on Sunday, relayed Mueller’s conclusion that neither President Donald Trump nor anyone else involved in his campaign conspired with Russian government agents to subvert the election.

There’s nothing to argue about here. Russian sabotage — and any American involvement in it — was the very heart of Mueller’s mandate. If, after more than 2,800 subpoenas and almost 500 search warrants, the special counsel concluded that no one in Trump world conspired with the Russians, then there is no legal or political basis to believe they did.

The second half of Barr’s letter is more problematic. Barr said Mueller chose not to decide whether Trump had obstructed justice. Rather, Mueller’s report “sets out evidence on both sides of the question.” Barr took it upon himself to decide the issue in the president’s favor. But the only way to know if Barr is correct is to see and weigh the evidence Mueller accumulated.

At a minimum, the full report describes an attack by a foreign power on the workings of American democracy, and the actions of the president while in office. Both topics are vital to Americans’ understanding of the 2016 campaign, the current functioning of American government, and the vulnerability of future U.S. elections.

The report is also vital to Congress. House Democrats have laid out an aggressive agenda for investigation and oversight of the executive. Facts included in the Mueller report may indicate that parts of that agenda are misguided. The report might also indicate that other lines of inquiry, currently unknown to Congress, are more pressing. Thus, Mueller’s findings can help make sure public resources are deployed efficiently. They should also enable Congress to take aggressive action to protect the machinery of U.S. elections.

These issues are not partisan. Mueller, a Republican, was appointed, and the investigation was launched, while Republicans held full control of Congress. Nor should lawmakers now rush to partisan corners. They need to obtain the full report — or as much as national security will permit.

Barr said he intends to “release as much of the Special Counsel’s report as I can consistent with applicable law, regulations and Departmental policies.” Congress and the American public will benefit if he does, at the earliest possible moment.

Editorials are written by the Bloomberg Opinion editorial board.

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