Mueller won't testify next week: House Judiciary Committee Chairman

Special Counsel Robert Mueller will not testify before the panel next week, said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler on Friday.

He said that the committee is still discussing Mueller's testimony on his report on alleged Russian interference in 2016 presidential election, but hoped that the Special Counsel would make an appearance.

"It won't be next week. We're negotiating now. We are talking with him and the Justice Department," The Hill quoted Nadler as saying while speaking to reporters.

Asked about the reason, Nadler said that it "just has not developed."

"He will come at some point. If it's necessary, we will subpoena him and he will come," he added.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday said that he would leave it up to Barr to decide whether Mueller should testify before the Congress.

The matter pertains to Mueller being discontented earlier Barr over his handling of the investigation report, saying that he failed to "fully capture the context, nature, and substance" of his investigations' findings.

The committee on Wednesday had voted to hold Barr in contempt of Congress, fuelling a simmering dispute between the Democrats and Republicans over Mueller's report. It had voted along party lines, 24 to 16.

The Democrats, who have been critical of Attorney General William Barr's handling of Mueller's report, had sought to have the Special Counsel testify on May 15. They are keen to grill Mueller on his inquiry, especially the probe into possible obstruction of justice by Trump.

Barr defended his handling of the case during a contentious Senate Judiciary Committee hearing recently, where he repeatedly denied accusations and insinuations by the Democrats that he had lied or misrepresented anything.

Last month, Muller's report revealed that there was no criminal conspiracy between Russia and Trump's campaign during the 2016 polls. Although Mueller probed 10 instances of possible obstruction of justice by Trump, he did not make charges.

Subsequently, Barr said that no obstruction charges would be carried out against Trump.