Rep. Lofgren Votes to Hold Attorney General Barr in Contempt for Refusing to Hand Congress Full Mueller Report

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif) and the House Judiciary Democratic Majority voted to hold U.S. Attorney General William Barr in contempt for failing to comply with the Committee's subpoena for the full, unredacted report prepared by Special Counsel Robert Muller and the underlying evidence related to the Special Counsel's investigation. This marks just the latest occasion that the Justice Department has failed to handover the document despite repeated Congressional requests; and it comes on the heels of today's announcement that President Donald Trump will assert executive privilege over all materials requested in the Committee's April 18 subpoena.

Following today's vote, Rep. Lofgren released the following statement:

"Attorney General Barr is in contempt of Congress because his stonewalling of the House Judiciary Committee violates the Constitution's system of checks and balances. When the nation's highest law enforcement officer won't comply with a Congressional subpoena, he is abdicating his responsibility to the law and inhibiting Congress' ability to perform our Constitutional duties. This obstruction must have consequences."

Now that the House Judiciary Committee has voted to hold Barr in contempt, the resolution moves to the floor for a vote of the full House of Representatives. Last month, Rep. Lofgren criticized Barr for making statements under oath that are not supported by the Mueller Report. Also last month, Lofgren cosponsored a resolution calling on the Justice Department to make Mueller's full, un-redacted report available to the public and Congress.

As a Congressional staffer, Rep. Lofgren worked on the Nixon impeachment trial. As a member of Congress, she worked on the Clinton impeachment proceedings.

# # #

Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren is serving her thirteenth term in Congress representing most of the City of San Jose and Santa Clara County. Congresswoman Lofgren is the Chair of the Committee on House Administration, is the elected Chair of the 46-member California Democratic Congressional Delegation and serves as the Chair of the House Judiciary Immigration and Citizenship Subcommittee.