Here's why Mueller’s testimony is vitally important — even without any major bombshells: report
Although former special counsel Robert Mueller agreed to testify before the House Intelligence Committee as well as the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, legal experts have been stressing that there are unlikely to be any major bombshells beyond what has already been reported in his final report for the Russia investigation. Mueller has made it clear that he plans to stick to the report during his testimony. But a report by Alana Abramson, Tessa Berenson and Vera Bergengruen for Time Magazine, published Wednesday morning, stresses that even without any major bombshells or new revelations, Mueller’s testimony is vitally important.
“Mueller’s testimony could allow members of Congress to drill down into the details of the report in the most public forum yet, creating high stakes for both Trump’s allies and critics,” the Time journalists note.
Time’s article quotes California Rep. Ted Lieu. The Democratic congressman stressed that although Mueller’s testimony won’t offer any major surprises for those who have read his report, many Americans — including politicians — haven’t read it. And those who haven’t read the Mueller Report might learn some things from his testimony before the two Democrat-led House committees.
“For people who have read the Mueller Report or have followed these issues, this hearing is not expected to be surprising,” Lieu told Time earlier this week. “For people who have not read the Mueller Report and only get their information from the president or Attorney General Bill Barr, this will be a very surprising hearing because they will see that the president committed numerous acts that constitute the felony of obstruction of justice.”
Mueller, Time notes, has asserted, “The report is my testimony” — and he is unlikely to “elaborate” on the Mueller Report during his testimony on Wednesday. But Time stresses that “even if Mueller only refers back to a report that has been largely public for more than three months, the s
