AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta
Robert Mueller.
- On July 17, the former special counsel Robert Mueller will appear on Capitol Hill for a blockbuster session of testimony before the House Intelligence and Judiciary committees.
- But multiple lawmakers admitted to Politico that they still haven't read his final report, with one senator calling the 448-page legal document "tedious," and another wondering, "What's the point?"
- By bringing Mueller for a day of testimony before Congress to discuss his report, congressional leaders hope that the hearings - which will be televised in open session - will shine more light on Mueller's findings.
- INSIDER commissioned "Black Hawk Down" author Mark Bowden to adapt Mueller's findings into a more readable and captivating narrative, brought to life with illustrations by artist Chad Hurd, an illustrator for the TV show "Archer."
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
On July 17, the former special counsel Robert Mueller will appear on Capitol Hill for blockbuster testimony before the House Intelligence and Judiciary committees - but multiple lawmakers admitted to Politico that they still haven't read his final report in full.
On April 18, the Department of Justice released a redacted version of special counsel Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 US election and whether President Donald Trump and other administration officials attempted to obstruct federal investigations, with the redacted report coming in at 448 pages long.
Citing "public fatigue," a number of members of Congress told Politico they hadn't read the report cover-to-cover. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska called it "tedious," with Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan saying it was on his "reading list," and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina wondering: "What's the point?"
Rep. Jerry Nadler, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, told Politico: "You can't expect people to read lengthy documents in large numbers. They have their own lives to lead."
By bringing Mueller for a day of testimony before Congress to discuss his report, congressional leaders like Nadler hope that the hearings - which will be televised in open session - will shine more light on Mueller's findings and educate those who haven't read the report.
Read more: Former special counsel Robert Mueller agrees to testify before Congress in July
Very few Americans read the Mueller report, either
Evan Vucci/AP, Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
According to an INSIDER poll conducted shortly after the report's release, 5% said they had read the report in its entirety, 24% said they'd read some of the report, 32% said they hadn't read the report but intended to, and 31% said they had not read the report and did not intend to read it.
The report was divided into two sections: Volume I, which examined the Trump campaign's contacts with Russian-linked individuals, and Volume II, which investigated possible obstruction of justice by Trump.
While the report documented extensive contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia, Mueller did not find sufficient evidence to charge Trump or anyone associated with his campaign with conspiracy.
On the issue of obstruction, the Mueller report outlined 11 instances they examined for possible obstruction of justice but did not come to a "traditional prosecutorial decision" as to whether Trump had obstructed justice. The report said that, in many cases, Trump failed in his efforts to impede the Mueller probe and other federal investigations because his own aides chose not to follow through with his requests.
For lawmakers or anyone else who wants to understand the key findings of the Mueller report without reading a 448-page legal document, INSIDER commissioned journalist and "Black Hawk Down" author Mark Bowden to write the story of the Mueller report as a captivating narrative brought to life with illustrations by artist Chad Hurd, an illustrator for the TV show "Archer."
Read Bowden's adaption of the Mueller report here »
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