Report stays secret

Trump vows revenge as move to release Russia findings fails

SENATE majority leader Mitch McConnell has blocked a second attempt by Democrats to pass a measure to prod the Justice Department to release special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election.

Earlier this month, the House of Representatives voted 420-0 in favour of making the report public. No Republican representatives opposed the motion.

Attorney-General William Barr told Congress on Sunday that Mr Mueller had concluded President Donald Trump’s campaign had not colluded with Russia to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.

“There is no good reason not to make the report public,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said. Senator McConnell, noting it had taken nearly two years for Mr Mueller to conduct his investigation, said: “It’s not unreasonable to give the special counsel and the Justice Department just a little time to complete their review.”

The legislation does not set a deadline for the release but expresses Congress’s desire it be made publicly available.

Mr Trump accused those responsible for starting the special counsel’s inquiry of “treason” and said they “will certainly be looked at”.

Mr Trump did not specify to whom he was referring but said yesterday: “There are a lot of people out there that have done some very, very evil things, very bad things. I would say treasonous things against our country.

“Those people will certainly be looked at … I’ve been looking at them for a long time.”

Asked about the possibility he might issue pardons to some of those convicted of crimes as a result of the investigation, Mr Trump said: “I haven’t thought about it.”

He said he was glad Mr Mueller’s probe was over, and he wished it could all have been dealt with more quickly.