Mueller: I did not clear Trump of obstruction of justice

WASHINGTON - Former Trump-Russia special counsel Robert Mueller was sworn in Wednesday morning on Capitol Hill to testify before two House panels about his Russia investigation, telling lawmakers that he could not exonerate President Donald Trump of obstruction of justice and that the president's claims that he had done so in his report are not correct.

"The president was not exculpated for the acts that he allegedly committed," Mueller declared at the opening of congressional hearings into his investigation of Russian interference to help Trump win the 2016 election.

The House Judiciary Committee began questioning first, to be followed by the House Intelligence Committee.

Mueller dismissed Trump's claim of "total exoneration," saying it's not what his Russia report said.

Mueller's report said the investigation did not find sufficient evidence to establish charges of a criminal conspiracy between the Trump presidential campaign and Russia. But it said investigators did not clear Trump of trying to obstruct the probe.

The former special counsel told Congress that the Russian election interference was "among the most serious" challenges to American democracy.

Mueller testified before Congress that the Russians believed that they would benefit from Trump winning the 2016 presidential election.

The former special counsel was asked if his investigation found the Russian government perceived a benefit if one of the candidates won.

"Yes," he said.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., then asked which candidate that would be.

"It would be Trump," Mueller said.

Earlier, Mueller reiterated in his opening statement that his 448-page report also acts as his testimony. Questioning then got underway, led first by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., followed by Ranking Member Doug Collins, R-Ga.

Mueller proceeded to answer questions from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers.

In an opening statement prior to Mueller's, Nadler said his committee has "a responsibility to address" the evidence that Mueller uncovered in his Trump-Russia investigation.

Opening a three-hour hearing with Mueller, Nadler said there are themes to the hearing: "responsibility, integrity, and accountability."

Nadler laid out the examples from Mueller's report that committee members intend to focus on while questioning the reluctant former special counsel.

Mueller wrote in the document that he could not exonerate President Donald Trump on obstruction of justice.

He noted Trump's directions to then-White House counsel Donald McGahn to have Mueller removed and, once that was made public, orders from Trump to McGahn to deny it happened.

Nadler said "not even the president is above the law."

Earlier, Mueller was flanked by police officers in the Rayburn House Office Building as he headed toward a hearing room. Senior Mueller aide Aaron Zebley also was in the hearing room.

Mueller's investigation shadowed Donald Trump's presidency for nearly two years and officially concluded in March, when he submitted his report.

The nation has heard the former special counsel speak only once before, for nine minutes in May, since his 2017 appointment.

Mueller has expressed his reluctance to testify and said he won't go beyond what's in his report.

Trump has called Mueller's investigation a "witch hunt."

Democrats hope Mueller's testimony will weaken President Donald Trump's reelection prospects in ways that Mueller's book-length report did not. Republicans are ready to defend Trump and turn their fire on Mueller and his team instead.

The back-to-back Capitol Hill appearances in the morning and at noon are Mueller's first since wrapping his two-year Russia probe last spring.

The hearings carry the extraordinary spectacle of a prosecutor discussing in public a criminal investigation he conducted into a sitting U.S. president.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.