Republicans backpedal on call for transparency of Mueller report: Washington Post columnist

Washington Post columnist James Downie called out the GOP for backpedaling on their sentiment that the full Mueller report should be released.

"A little more than a week ago, the House of Representatives voted 420-0 to recommend a public release of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s report," Downie wrote. This call for transparency was so unobjectionable that even the four Republicans who didn’t want to vote for the resolution voted 'present.'"

However since Barr released his report to the public, Republicans have said enough information was given after the report said: "did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities."

"Since Mueller sent his report to Barr on Friday, though, many Republicans have suddenly become more reluctant about transparency," he said.

He explained that there are still a lot of unanswered questions.

"Mueller may not have indicted anyone else because there wasn’t any evidence. But it also could be because Roger Stone, Paul Manafort and others lied and/or refused to cooperate, because rules about classified evidence hinder making the case, or because, under Justice Department policy, he couldn’t indict a sitting president," he said.

Adding, "It’s hardly surprising that Trump’s most committed defenders might not want a full airing of the report. They may see Mueller’s decision not to issue any more indictments for conspiracy with Russians over the 2016 election as vindication."

He went on to explain that the full release of the report could  "reveal more damaging information."

"It could reveal more damaging information on other criminal investigations related to Trump, such as the SDNY probe into his inaugural committee. And it could expose even more corruption from Trump and his associates. While not rising to the level of criminality, none of those outcomes would be good for the president. No wonder many Republicans are back to hemming and hawing," he said.

Read the full column below.