House Judiciary holds first hearing on Mueller report “lessons”

June 10, 2019

The House Judiciary Committee is kicking off its hearings on the findings laid out in former special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia report. John Dean, White House counsel for President Richard Nixon and some former U.S. attorneys testify Monday to offer their insights on President Trump’s “most overt acts of obstruction.”

Dean is best known for his bombshell testimony before the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities during the Watergate scandal, which paved the way for Nixon’s dramatic resignation from office.

The nearly two-year-long probe into Mr. Trump’s alleged ties to Moscow came to an official close late last month after Mueller announced his resignation from the Department of Justice and the closure of the special counsel’s office. The Judiciary Committee has has already held two public hearings about the special counsel’s report, and another on Democrats’ ongoing concerns over possible abuse of executive authority.

Committee chair Rep. Jerry Nadler has said that the hearings would further allow Congress to “examine the findings laid out in Mueller’s report so that we can work to protect the rule of law and protect future elections through consideration of legislative and other remedies.”

Nadler added in a statement that “given the threat posed by the President’s alleged misconduct, our first hearing will focus on President Trump’s most overt acts of obstruction. In the coming weeks, other hearings will focus on other important aspects of the Mueller report.”