Crime

House Chairs Tell Barr They Expect Mueller Report to Be Made Public

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Today, the chairs of six committees in the U.S. House of Representatives wrote to Attorney General William Barr to inform him of their expectation that he will make Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report public “without delay and to the maximum extent permitted by law.”

Published

7 years ago

February 23, 2019

Oakland Post

WASHINGTON — Today, the chairs of six committees in the U.S. House of Representatives wrote to Attorney General William Barr to inform him of their expectation that he will make Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report public “without delay and to the maximum extent permitted by law.” The letter follows news reports that suggest the Special Counsel investigation is nearing an end.

The letter was signed by House Committee on Financial Services Chairwoman Maxine Waters, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, Committee on Oversight and Reform Chairman Elijah E. Cummings, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Adam B. Schiff, Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Richard E. Neal and Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairman Eliot L. Engel.

Full text of the letter is available here and below.

February 22, 2019
The Honorable William P. Barr
Attorney General
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20530
Dear Mr. Attorney General:
Recent reports suggest that Special Counsel Robert Mueller may be nearing the end of his investigation into “any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump” and other matters that may have arisen directly from the investigation.^[1] As you know, Department of Justice regulations require that, “[a]t the conclusion of the Special Counsel’s work, he or she shall provide the Attorney General with a confidential report explaining the prosecution or declination decisions reached by the Special Counsel.”^[2]
Trending
Why Most Businesses Don’t Realize They’re Underinsured Until It’s Too Late

After nearly two years of investigation—accompanied by two years of direct attacks on the integrity of the investigation by the President—the public is entitled to know what the Special Counsel has found. We write to you to express, in the strongest possible terms, our expectation that the Department of Justice will release to the public the report Special Counsel Mueller submits to you—without delay and to the maximum extent permitted by law.
There also remains a significant public interest in the full disclosure of information learned by the Special Counsel about the nature and scope of the Russian government’s efforts to undermine our democracy. To the extent that the Department believes that certain aspects of the report are not suitable for immediate public release, we ask that you provide that information to Congress, along with your reasoning for withholding the information from the public, in order for us to judge the appropriateness of any redactions for ourselves.
We also expect that the Department will provide to our Committees, upon request and consistent with applicable law, other information and material obtained or produced by the Special Counsel regarding certain foreign actors and other individuals who may have been the subject of a criminal or counterintelligence investigation. This expectation is well-grounded in the precedent set by the Department in recent years. In other closed and pending high-profile cases alleging wrongdoing by public officials, both the Department and the FBI have produced substantial amounts of investigative material, including classified and law enforcement sensitive information, to the House of Representatives.
Finally, although we recognize the policy of the Department to remain sensitive to the privacy and reputation interests of individuals who will not face criminal charges,^[3] we feel that it is necessary to address the particular danger of withholding evidence of misconduct by President Trump from the relevant committees.
If the Special Counsel has reason to believe that the President has engaged in criminal or other serious misconduct, then the President must be subject to accountability either in a court or to the Congress. But because the Department has taken the position that a sitting President is immune from indictment and prosecution,^[4] Congress could be the only institution currently situated to act on evidence of the President’s misconduct. To maintain that a sitting president cannot be indicted, and then to withhold evidence of wrongdoing from Congress because the President will not be charged, is to convert Department policy into the means for a cover-up. The President is not above the law.
Thank you for your consideration.

^[1] Appointment of Special Counsel to Investigate Russian interference with the 2016 Presidential Election and Related Matters, Order No. 3915-2017, Office of the Deputy Attorney General, May 17, 2017.

^[2] 26 C.F.R. § 600.8(c).

^[3] See, e.g., United States Attorneys’ Manual 9-27.790 and 9-11.130.

^[4] See Memorandum from Robert G. Dixon, Jr., Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel, Amenability of the President, Vice President, and Other Civil Officers to Federal Criminal Prosecution while in Office (Sept. 24, 1973).

Posts by

Up Next

A New Year’s Resolution for Children in New York: School Improvement

Don't Miss

COMMENTARY: Four Hundred Years and We Still Ain’t Clear:

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Crime

Congresswoman Simon Demands Investigation into Trump’s Abuse of Emergency Powers for Coal Export Terminal in West Oakland

POST NEWS GROUP — Last week, in a letter to the GAO Acting Comptroller General Orice Williams Brown, Simon and her colleagues questioned the Department of Energy’s plan to use up to $425 million in DPA funds to support coal-fired power plants and construct the West Gateway Terminal Project in Oakland.

Published

6 days ago

August 9, 2026

bpusa-syndication

‘No On Coal’ demonstrators protest the use of the Port of Oakland as a terminal to ship coal overseas. File photo.

By Post Staff

U.S. Rep. Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12) joined California senators and other members of the California delegation to Congress to call on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate the Trump administration’s use of the Defense Production Act and other taxpayer funds to support coal projects, including the proposed coal export terminal in West Oakland.

Defense Production Act funding is for national defense emergencies, such as authorizing private car companies to build parts for tanks or ships.

Since President Donald Trump’s June 4 announcement of $75 million in funding for the Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal, Simon has opposed and worked to stop the proposed coal terminal.

She filed an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2027 Energy and Water Appropriations bill that would have prohibited funding for the proposed Oakland coal export terminal project; however, House Republicans blocked the amendment.

Last week, in a letter to the GAO Acting Comptroller General Orice Williams Brown, Simon and her colleagues questioned the Department of Energy’s plan to use up to $425 million in DPA funds to support coal-fired power plants and construct the West Gateway Terminal Project in Oakland.

This terminal project would primarily serve foreign commercial markets, rather than meet national emergency needs.

“The Defense Production Act was intended to scale up domestic industrial capabilities to meet urgent military or national emergency needs; therefore, its invocation to construct a commercial, civilian export facility intended primarily to serve foreign commercial markets raises profound statutory, legal, and fiscal questions,” wrote the lawmakers, which included Senators Alex Padilla (D) and Adam Schiff (D), Jared Huffman (D-CA-02), ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee and Reps. John Garamendi (D-CA-08) and Ro Khanna (D-CA-17).

“We do not believe this satisfies the statutory definition of ‘national defense’ or ‘critical infrastructure protection’ under the DPA and that there is no legally sufficient, data-driven nexus between civilian coal exports and immediate U.S. military readiness or critical infrastructure defense,” the lawmakers’ letter said.

DPA funds are intended for U.S. national security and defense readiness. The Trump administration is instead diverting these funds to support a commercial export project that primarily benefits private industries and foreign markets in East Asia.

“Congress has never appropriated funds to the DOE’s DPA account with the intent of propping up a dying industry or financing a purely commercial project,” continued the lawmakers. “We are deeply concerned that DOE has improperly diverted funds from accounts intended by Congress for the critical modernization and resilience support of our nation’s grid to instead finance a commercial fossil fuel export project.”

Simon and colleagues also raised concerns that the Trump administration has improperly diverted funds designated for critical grid modernization and may be using emergency authorities to circumvent local environmental protections.

“With no clear national security nexus, we question whether the DOE utilized emergency DPA authorities with the intent of preempting or subverting valid local health ordinances and environmental regulations. If so, this would be a gross departure from the intent of the DPA,” concluded the lawmakers.

bpusa-syndication

Posts by bpusa-syndication

Community

Rep. Kamlager Dove Demands Care, Justice for Man Shot by ICE

POST NEWS GROUP — According to Kamlager-Dove, Parias was shot near his elbow by ICE during an encounter in October. She said he received initial treatment at a hospital but has not received proper medical care since being transferred to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in December.

Published

6 days ago

August 9, 2026

bpusa-syndication

U.S. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA-37). File photo.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

U.S. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA-37) is calling on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to provide immediate medical care to a constituent she says has been denied treatment after being shot by ICE officers last year.

Speaking on the House floor, Kamlager-Dove urged ICE to provide urgent care for Carlitos Ricardo Parias, describing him as a father, husband and community volunteer who was recognized by his local city council for his service.

According to Kamlager-Dove, Parias was shot near his elbow by ICE during an encounter in October. She said he received initial treatment at a hospital but has not received proper medical care since being transferred to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in December.

The congresswoman said she visited Parias in late May and found his condition had worsened. She said his hand had turned purple, his fingers had become atrophied, and he was suffering from headaches and persistent nerve pain.

“I am worried that he may have a bone infection, and that his arm could be amputated,” said Kamlager-Dove during her remarks.

Kamlager-Dove said Parias’ case highlights broader concerns about medical care at the Adelanto detention facility. She noted that a federal judge recently ordered sweeping changes to improve conditions for detainees.

“It is time for ICE to comply with this judge’s orders and end this cruelty at Adelanto and nationwide,” she said.

ICE has not publicly responded to the allegations raised during Kamlager-Dove’s House floor speech. The congresswoman urged the agency to provide Parias with immediate medical treatment while implementing the court-ordered reforms at the Adelanto facility.

bpusa-syndication

Posts by bpusa-syndication

Crime

Oakland Faith Leaders Welcome New Police Chief, Mobilize Around Housing and Civic Action

POST NEWS GROUP — Hosted by the Interfaith Council of Alameda County (ICAC), the meeting brought together clergy, businesses and residents to identify practical resources, strengthen community partnerships and coordinate action on issues affecting Oakland and surrounding Alameda County communities. Participants also discussed opposition to a proposed coal terminal in West Oakland.

Published

6 days ago

August 9, 2026

bpusa-syndication

Oakland Police Department’s new chief JAMES BEERE, Dr Ken Chambers, Interfaith Council of Alameda County (ICAC) President and Dr Jim Hopkins, Pastor Emeritus, Lake Shore Avenue Baptist Church, and ICAC founding former board member.

OAKLAND — Newly appointed Oakland Police Chief James Beere joined faith leaders, nonprofit representatives and community advocates on July 22 for a wide-ranging discussion on public safety, affordable housing, homelessness and civic engagement.

Hosted by the Interfaith Council of Alameda County (ICAC), the meeting brought together clergy, businesses and residents to identify practical resources, strengthen community partnerships and coordinate action on issues affecting Oakland and surrounding Alameda County communities. Participants also discussed opposition to a proposed coal terminal in West Oakland.

Beere, the meeting’s keynote speaker, discussed strategies for collaborating on public safety, community policing, Oakland’s Ceasefire program and ICAC’s overnight safe-parking sites for unhoused people living in vehicles in East and West Oakland.

Dr. Jim Hopkins, pastor emeritus of Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church, offered a prayer for Beere following his remarks.

The conversation then turned to affordable housing. Evita Chavez, a senior program officer with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, discussed resources available to affordable housing developers and advocates, including predevelopment assistance, development coaching and partnership opportunities.

Representatives of No Coal in Oakland — Ann Harvey, Margaret Rossoff and Ted Franklin — joined Care 4 Community lead organizer Nicole Dean to discuss the proposed development of a coal terminal in West Oakland near the Bay Bridge.

The advocates said transporting thousands of tons of coal from Utah through Contra Costa and Alameda counties to Oakland for overseas shipment would increase daily traffic and pollution in West Oakland, a historically underserved community with high rates of asthma and other health problems.

Meeting participants also viewed the Oakland FAITH art gallery, which features photography and maps documenting 450 clergy members and congregations across the city. The project was created by photographer Nicolo Sertorio.

During the meeting, ICAC founding president Dr. Ken Chambers also raised concerns about funding for the organization’s safe-parking programs. Chambers said ICAC has not yet received a $450,000 grant approved by the Oakland City Council on Dec. 19, 2023, to support overnight parking sites for individuals and families living in their vehicles.

West Side Baptist Church and Williams Chapel Baptist Church have served more than 1,000 clients through the program since it opened in 2017, according to Chambers.

Chambers said he is working with Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and the interim city administrator to secure the grant funding. He said the money would allow the program to accommodate up to 50 clients each night and provide a safe environment, wraparound services, minor automobile repairs, smog checks, Department of Motor Vehicles registration assistance, insurance support, job development and help securing permanent affordable housing.

Joe Davis, an ICAC client, described how the program helped him transition from living in his vehicle to temporary housing and employment.

“If it hadn’t been for a safe place to park overnight, and now I’ve moved into a tiny home temporary shelter, I started a new job working at the post office, walking distance from the program. I’m so thankful,” Davis said.

ICAC’s next community meeting is scheduled for Sept. 10 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Oakland FAITH Gallery, 1500 Broadway in downtown Oakland. The meeting will focus on job development at the Port of Oakland.

For more information or to donate, visit interfaithac.org or call Chambers at 510-239-6969.