Rep. Doug Collins (Ga.), the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, wrote an op-ed Wednesday ahead of former special counsel Robert Mueller’s testimony urging his Democratic colleagues to “move on.”
In a New York Times opinion piece, titled “It’s Time to Move On From Robert Mueller,” Collins urged Democrats to “accept” the special counsel’s report released earlier this year and instead work on policy issues.
{mosads}”The Mueller report has been public since April, and it’s time to accept it and let Americans live again with confidence that their elected officials aren’t playing Fortnite against one another,” he wrote, referencing a popular video game.
“Short of revelations that patently contradict the conclusions found in the Mueller report, the Democrats’ insistence on relitigating a closed investigation (against the will of most Americans) must end,” he wrote.
The GOP lawmaker predicted ahead of Mueller’s testimony that Democrats would “fail to prove collusion or obstruction,” saying they will have “made their case for closure.”
“Republicans will be happy to let them move on so our country can move forward,” he wrote.
He also accused Democrats of underestimating the American public, asserting that a Democratic aide told him that many would watch the “movie” version but wouldn’t read the “book.”
“Democrats are giving Americans too little credit. Chairman Nadler’s team has made its arguments — they’re just not compelling,” he wrote, referring to Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.).
Collins’s op-ed was published shortly before Mueller testified before the Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. Mueller said during the hearing that President Trump could be charged with a crime after he leaves office.
Nadler emphasized in his opening statement at the hearing that Mueller’s appearance was necessary to underscore the special counsel findings and provide oversight of the administration. He later asked Mueller to confirm many details in his report.
Mueller’s report laid out 10 instances in which Trump may have obstructed justice. It did not find illegal coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia, a finding that Mueller underscored in his testimony Wednesday.