Republicans and Democrats brace for renewed battles over Mueller report

WASHINGTON - Republicans and Democrats are anxiously awaiting the findings of special counsel RobertMueller III, as each side braced Sunday for a fresh burst of fighting between the White House and Congress over Russia’s election interference and the power of the presidency.

House Democrats held what they billed as an "emergency conference call" Saturday to talk strategy for the coming days. Democrats are demanding Mueller's entire report be made public and that lawmakers be allowed to review the underlying evidence that led to his conclusions.

President Donald Trump spent the weekend at his Florida resort, golfing and largely staying quiet on the investigation, which at times has threatened to consume his presidency - and which he has publicly labeled a "witch hunt."

Mueller submitted a confidential report Friday to Attorney General William Barr, who is reviewing the document and has notified congressional leaders that he will soon send them a summary of Mueller's "principal conclusions." Officials have said those conclusions could be shared as early as Sunday.

While the president's supporters are hopeful he will be vindicated by the end of Mueller's 22-month investigation into possible conspiracy between Trump associates and the Kremlin, Democrats pledged that the investigation's end will bring new focus to congressional inquiries aimed at the administration.

Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein huddled at the Justice Department on Saturday, reading and assessing Mueller’s work alongside key advisers.

[The battle over releasing the Mueller report begins as Trump allies claim victory]

"They're working basically hand in hand," a Justice Department official said on condition of anonymity to share general insights about the attorney general's process, adding that very few people know the report's contents, but described it as a "comprehensive" document.

The submission of Mueller's report ended a high-pressure investigation that has engulfed the Trump administration and led to criminal charges against 34 people, including six former Trump associates and advisers.

On Saturday, officials said that one of those cases - that of Trump's former deputy campaign chairman Rick Gates - will be transferred from the special counsel's office to federal prosecutors in Washington. Gates pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy and lying to the FBI, and he continues to cooperate with prosecutors while awaiting sentencing.

A senior Justice Department official said the special counsel has not recommended any further indictments - a revelation that buoyed Trump's supporters, even as additional Trump-related investigations continue in other parts of the Justice Department, in Congress and in New York state.

David Laufman, a former Justice Department official involved in the early stages of the Russia probe, said it was important that the lack of further charges "not be seen as a failure or an invalidation of his investigation."

"What matters is that prosecutors and agents faithfully carried out their jobs to uncover the relevant facts and applied law and policy to those facts," he said. "Of particular importance now is the comprehensiveness of the special counsel's evidentiary narrative in the report and how he explains his reasons for declining additional charges."

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said in an interview that the "main goal" and "No. 1 objective" of House Democrats "is to make certain that the attorney general releases the entire Mueller report and all of the underlying evidence that it is built on."

"Obviously the congressional scope of inquiry is far broader than that of a special counsel," he said. "We've got a broader interest than just nailing particular individuals for crimes committed."

Rudy Giuliani, one of the president's lawyers, said he has been counseling patience while everyone waits to learn what Mueller found.

“My message is: We’ve all waited this long, let’s just await the reading of what’s disclosed and then we can have proper final reactions. There’s too much assuming going on, on the other side, and we shouldn’t fall into that trap,” Giuliani said. “The best news is that the release means the case is over. But you can’t say more, or know more, until you read it.”