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SALT LAKE CITY — Another member of Utah's congressional delegation wouldn't mind seeing special counsel Robert Mueller testify about his report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
"If the special counsel believes his findings have been misrepresented in any way, I would welcome the opportunity to hear his testimony," Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah, posted on his Facebook page.
"As it stands, we have access to the 450-page Mueller report, which was the culmination of a two-year, $25 million investigation by a highly revered and respected special counsel, who had the support of both Republicans and Democrats in Congress for the duration of his efforts."
Attorney General William Barr released a redacted version of the report last month.
The Democrat-controlled House Judiciary Committee voted Wednesday to hold Barr in contempt of Congress for not turning over the unredacted document. Ahead of the vote, President Donald Trump invoked executive privilege over the report and its underlying evidence.
The committee has invited Mueller to testify but a date is not set.
Mueller criticized how Barr, who testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, initially characterized his report. He wrote a letter to Barr saying his four-page summary "did not fully capture the context, nature and substance of this office’s work and conclusions."
Mueller found no collusion between Trump and the Russians, and though he uncovered substantial evidence of obstruction, his report didn't say whether the president should be prosecuted.
I believe Robert Mueller should testify—publicly—before Congress. There’s lots of questions we would like to ask him. Why didn’t he investigate the authenticity and reliability of the Steele Dossier?
— Rep. Chris Stewart (@RepChrisStewart) May 6, 2019
Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, earlier said he's satisfied with the report's conclusion and that he's ready to turn the page on "this distracting chapter" in U.S. history.
"Whether or not Mueller testifies, I stand by my original statement," he said Wednesday.
Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, was the first member of the Utah delegation and one of the few Republicans who said he would welcome Mueller's "take" on the investigation.
"I’d like to hear from Mr. Mueller, I think a lot of people would like to hear his perspective on the report he put out and the conclusions he reached," Romney said.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, is "not against" Mueller testifying, said his spokesman Conn Carroll.
Utah's only Democrat in Congress, Rep. Ben McAdams, has said he is open to hearing from Mueller if that offers additional transparency for the public.
If the Special Counsel believes his findings have been misrepresented in any way, I would welcome the opportunity to hear his testimony. As it stands, we have access to the 450-page Mueller report, which was the culmination of a two-year, $25 million-dollar investigation by (1/3)
— Rep. John Curtis (@RepJohnCurtis) May 7, 2019
Curtis said he stood by the investigation because Utahns have an "absolute right" to the truth. He said now that the investigation is done, it's time for Congress to "honor the results" and move on to other pressing issues.
Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, also wants to bring Mueller before Congress, but for different reasons.
"There’s lots of questions we would like to ask him," Stewart posted on social media, including, "When did he first realize that conspiracy/collusion did not occur? Why did he not investigate or provide information on DOJ/Intelligence assets being run as spies into the Trump campaign?"
