Special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation "did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities" during the 2016 campaign, he wrote in his final report. Attorney General William Barr summarized the report's findings in a letter to lawmakers Sunday.
President Trump declared victory shortly after the summary was released, claiming it was a "complete and total exoneration."
"This was an illegal takedown that failed and, hopefully, somebody's going to be looking at the other side," Mr. Trump told reporters in Florida before boarding Air Force One.
In his letter, Barr said Mueller described the facts surrounding his investigation into allegations of obstruction of justice but made no determination as to whether Mr. Trump committed a crime, deferring the question to Barr. The report "does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him," Barr quotes Mueller as writing.
But Barr said he and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein determined the available evidence was insufficient to establish Mr. Trump obstructed justice.
Barr's letter was addressed to the top Democrats and Republicans on the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler, the chairman of the House committee,vowed to call Mueller to testifybefore lawmakers "in the near future." Nadler said there were "very concerning discrepancies and final decision making at the Justice Department following the Special Counsel report."