Mueller Submits Report on Trump-Russia Collusion Investigation. What Happens Next?

Twenty-two months, 37 indictments, and seven convictions later, Robert Mueller’s report on the Trump-Russia probe has finally been submitted.

The Department of Justice confirmed the filing Friday afternoon, marking the end of the special counsel’s investigation into Russia’s interference with the 2016 presidential election, and their possible collusion with members of the Trump campaign. 

“I write to notify you pursuant to 28 C.F.R. 600.9(a)(3) that Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III has concluded his investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election and related matters,” Attorney General Bill Barr wrote in a letter to Congress on Friday. “[…] The Special Counsel has submitted to me today a ‘confidential report explaining the prosecution or declination decisions’ he has reached, as required by 28 C.F.R. § 600.8(c). I am reviewing the report and anticipate that I may be in a position to advise you of the Special Counsel’s principal conclusions as soon as this weekend.”

Now that Mueller’s investigation has officially wrapped up, many Americans are left wondering: Is this the end of a scandal that has plagued POTUS for nearly three years? Or is the scandal about to accelerate? No one really knows at this point, as the details of Mueller’s full report have not been revealed.

So, what happens next?

According to federal code, Barr must now decide how much of the report he will release to Congress and the public. During his confirmation hearings earlier this year, Barr said his goal was to “provide as much transparency as I can consistent with the law.” He also told senators that he would withhold grand jury information, information subject to executive privilege, and, of course, classified information. Barr also said he would not release any “derogatory” information about unindicted individuals, such as the president. 

He must, however, explain Mueller’s findings to ranking members of the House and Senate judiciary committees, and address any of Mueller’s “proposed actions” that he or Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein chose to overrule. If the report presents criminal evidence against the president—and Bar decides not to pursue an indictment—it’s unlikely that the public will ever hear about Trumps’s alleged crimes until he is out of office. 

A number of Democratic leaders have expressed concerns over Barr’s promised “transparency.” Rep. Adam Schiff, who is also the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said he will keep a close eye on the AG to ensure he doesn’t “to try to bury any part of this report.” 

Republican lawmakers have also called for maximum transparency. On March 14, the House voted unanimously, 420-0, for a resolution calling for Mueller’s full report to be made public. But, as pointed out by President Trump, the vote was non-binding.

Once the House and Senate intelligence committees are breifed on Mueller’s report, chairmen Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) and Congressman Schiff (D-CA) will decide how much of the information will be shared with the public.