The battle over releasing the special counselB次元官网网址檚 report intensified as Democrats in Congress insisted Attorney General William Barr must quickly release its full findings. Barr said heB次元官网网址檒l release at least a partial version in April.

Skepticism mounted over BarrB次元官网网址檚 four-page synopsis, which was released Sunday and found no evidence President Donald TrumpB次元官网网址檚 campaign B次元官网网址渃onspired or co-ordinatedB次元官网网址� with the Russian government to influence the 2016 presidential election. The longer it takes to release the full findings from special counsel Robert Mueller, the more Democrats, in particular, warn they will question the legitimacy of BarrB次元官网网址檚 actions.

The push came as the House moved ahead with its own oversight of the Trump administration, including an Intelligence Committee hearing scheduled Thursday on RussiaB次元官网网址檚 role in the 2016 election.

Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said Wednesday he was B次元官网网址渄isappointedB次元官网网址� Barr would take weeks, not days, to release the report.

B次元官网网址淭he president has now an opportunity for weeks, it sounds like, to do these victory laps,B次元官网网址� said Cummings, noting that TrumpB次元官网网址檚 lawyer, Michael Cohen, is among those headed to jail as a result of the probe. B次元官网网址淐ohen goes to jail, the president runs a victory lap.B次元官网网址�

The attorney general told the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., that heB次元官网网址檚 combing through MuellerB次元官网网址檚 report and removing classified, grand jury and other information in hopes of releasing it to Congress.

Graham told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he had dinner the previous evening with Barr, who said he is willing to testify before the committee after he sends Congress the report.

Trump also has said heB次元官网网址檚 fine with releasing the findings. B次元官网网址淭he president said, B次元官网网址楯ust let it go,B次元官网网址� and thatB次元官网网址檚 whatB次元官网网址檚 going to happen,B次元官网网址� Graham said.

WhatB次元官网网址檚 clear, though, is that Barr will miss the Tuesday deadline set by six House committee chairmen to see the full confidential report and its underlying documents. They have suggested they may eventually need to subpoena it.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., said he was B次元官网网址渧ery concernedB次元官网网址� Barr would not provide the material by the time set.

We have tried THREE times to bring up a vote on a resolution calling for the Mueller report to be made public. Republicans have blocked us each time. A four-page summary from AG Barr is insufficient. We must make the Mueller report public.

B次元官网网址� Sen Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein)

Nadler upped the oversight Wednesday by placing a call to Bar. Over 10 minutes, the chairman asked whether Barr would accede to CongressB次元官网网址� demand for the full report by April 2. Barr said no, according to Nadler.

Nadler asked if Barr would release a report to Congress without redactions. B次元官网网址淗e wouldnB次元官网网址檛 commit to that,B次元官网网址� the congressman said. He also told reporters that MuellerB次元官网网址檚 report was B次元官网网址渧ery substantialB次元官网网址� and fewer than 1,000 pages.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who has urged caution so as not to B次元官网网址渢hrow innocent people whoB次元官网网址檝e not been charged under the bus,B次元官网网址� is blocking legislation to force the disclosure of the Mueller report.

Other Republicans, however, insisted on Congress being able to review it. B次元官网网址淚 want to see it all,B次元官网网址� said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. B次元官网网址淚 think we should see the entire report.B次元官网网址�

The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia, was confident a full picture of MuellerB次元官网网址檚 report would emerge.

B次元官网网址淧eople are going to be very surprised,B次元官网网址� Collins said. B次元官网网址淏arr is going to put out a lot of stuff.B次元官网网址�

Beyond MuellerB次元官网网址檚 findings, House Democrats are pursuing multiple investigations into the presidentB次元官网网址檚 political, business and personal dealings, as they press on with their oversight agenda. Part of their work is to determine if anyone sought leverage over Trump, his family or associates.

Those probes, including a push to release his tax returns, are not fully dependent on whether the report backs up BarrB次元官网网址檚 conclusion. By BarrB次元官网网址檚 account, Mueller made no finding on whether the president obstructed justice. Though Barr cleared Mueller of obstruction, the question is now in CongressB次元官网网址� hands.

The House Intelligence Committee chairman, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said the Mueller report will B次元官网网址済uide us in terms of what has been fully investigated by the special counsel, what has gone uninvestigated.B次元官网网址�

Schiff said, B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 very difficult to make those decisions in the absence of really knowing whatB次元官网网址檚 in that report.B次元官网网址�

The panel expects to B次元官网网址渢ailorB次元官网网址� its investigation to focus beyond Mueller, said one member of the panel, Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn.

Releasing the report has become the immediate focus on Capitol Hill amid concerns from Democrats that what has been made public so far is tilted positively toward Trump.

Questions about Barr are amplified by his unusual role as a lawyer who advocated an expansive view of executive power, suggesting in an unsolicited letter to the administration before being hired that the president cannot be found to have obstructed a Justice Department probe.

Schiff has said Barr was all but auditioning for the job B次元官网网址� a sentiment shared by other Democrats in Congress.

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

MuellerB次元官网网址檚 role as a special counsel is different from the independent counsels that investigated earlier administrations, including Kenneth StarrB次元官网网址檚 probe against President Bill Clinton. The law authorizing the independent counsel was allowed to lapse after that and Mueller, as a special counsel, conducted his work under the Justice Department.

B次元官网网址淚 would hope the attorney general would not be acting as a political operative for the president,B次元官网网址� said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., a member of the Judiciary Committee.

B次元官网网址淭he Department of Justice should not be involved in a coverup of whatB次元官网网址檚 actually in the report,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 great for a banana republic, itB次元官网网址檚 not great for a constitutional democracy.B次元官网网址�

Barr wants to make sure nothing is released that could compromise national security or intelligence sources and methods, Graham said. He said Barr also told him he wants to check with prosecutors who have cases associated with MuellerB次元官网网址檚 Russia investigation. Mueller had referred cases to other federal courts as part of his probe.

Republicans have said itB次元官网网址檚 time for Congress to move on from the Russia probe, but Democrats indicated they are not worried about overreaching as they push ahead with both their oversight agenda and other legislative priorities.

B次元官网网址淚 havenB次元官网网址檛 read the Mueller report, but if it clears President Trump, I see that as nothing but a relief for our country,B次元官网网址� said Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Pa.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 the dream of the Founding Fathers that we have a separation of powers,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淐hecks and balances.B次元官网网址�

___

Associated Press writers Eric Tucker, Andrew Taylor, Catherine Lucey, Jill Colvin, Alan Fram, Mike Balsamo and Padmananda Rama contributed to this report.

___

Lisa Mascaro, Mary Clare Jalonick And Laurie Kellman, The Associated Press

Like us on and follow us on .