Rudy Giuliani says this marks the end of the Russian investigation, confident there is no finding of collusion
President Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani comments on the completion of Robert Mueller's investigation; chief White House correspondent John Roberts reports.
President Trump’s legal team projected confidence Friday that Special Counsel Robert Mueller did not find collusion connected to the president, as he turned over the results of his exhaustive probe into Russian meddling during the 2016 presidential election.
“This marks the end of the Russia investigation. We await a disclosure of the facts,” attorney Rudy Giuliani told Fox News late Friday. “We are confident that there is no finding of collusion by the president and this underscores what the president has been saying from the beginning -- that he did nothing wrong.”
MUELLER NOT RECOMMENDING FURTHER INDICTMENTS AFTER REPORT TURNOVER
Giuliani’s statement comes after Mueller transmitted his report to Attorney General William Barr.
The conclusions are not yet known, but Barr indicated he might be able to advise Congress of the main takeaways as early as this weekend.
That alone was cause for optimism in Trump world.
“This is a grand slam for President Trump. If Barr says he can brief Congress by this weekend, that means he has nothing,” said Joe diGenova, a former U.S. attorney who has advised Trump on the probe.
Giuliani and Trump attorney Jay Sekulow also told Fox News on Friday that they are "pleased that the Office of Special Counsel has delivered its report,” noting: "Attorney General Barr will determine the appropriate next steps."
Concluding an investigation that has been tight-lipped from the start, Barr quietly sent a letter to Republican and Democratic members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees late Friday alerting them to the probe’s completion.
"Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III has concluded his investigation of the Russian interference in the 2016 election and related matters," Barr's letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.; Ranking Member Doug Collins, R-Ga.; Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; and Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., read.
"Separately, I intend to consult with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Special Counsel Mueller to determine what other information from the report can be released to Congress and the public consistent with law, including the Special Counsel regulations, and the Department's long-standing practices and policies."
Barr also said in the letter that he "may be in a position to advise you of the Special Counsel's principal conclusions as soon as this weekend."
Despite the fact that the investigation has come to a close, after almost two years, Mueller still remains special counsel, according to Justice Department officials.
In a statement on Friday, Collins said that he looked forward to reviewing Barr's report "carefully."
"I fully expect the Justice Department to release the special counsel's report to this committee and to the public without delay and to the maximum extent permitted by law," Collins said.
Nadler weighed in on Twitter calling for transparency.
"A.G. Barr has confirmed the completion of the Special Counsel investigation. We look forward to getting the full Mueller report and related materials. Transparency and the public interest demand nothing less. The need for public faith in the rule of law must be the priority," Nadler tweeted Friday.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., released a joint statement calling for the release of the report.
“It is imperative for Mr. Barr to make the full report public and provide its underlying documentation and findings to Congress," they said in a statement.
"Attorney General Barr must not give President Trump, his lawyers or his staff any 'sneak preview' of Special Counsel Mueller's findings or evidence, and the White House must not be allowed to interfere in decisions about what parts of those findings or evidence are made public."
Fox News’ Doug McKelway and Jake Gibson contributed to this report.
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