Trump-Russia investigation report given to US Attorney General

Special counsel Robert Mueller has submitted his long-awaited report on the Trump-Russia investigation to the US Attorney General, but the findings themselves are not yet public.

In a letter to Congress' judiciary committee leaders Senators Lindsey Graham and Dianne Feinstein and Congressmen Jerrold Nadler and Doug Collins last night, US Attorney General William Barr confirmed there were no instances of interference by the Department of Justice during the investigation.

The details of the final report are yet to be disclosed, but because Attorney General Barr has said there were no instances where he or his predecessors overrode the special counsel's prosecutorial decisions - and no new indictments have been announced - it is thought that no further criminal action will be taken.

Over the past 22 months, the special counsel has revealed how Russian agents had allegedly obtained information about US elections to launch a campaign aimed at influencing Americans, fund political activities in the US and hack the emails of top Democrats to undermine Hillary Clinton's campaign.

Mueller was also investigating whether Trump had obstructed justice by firing FBI director James Comey, or by trying to mislead or end the inquiry.

Trump has repeatedly denied colluding with Russia or obstructing the inquiry. He had also called the inquiry a “witch hunt” and had to be talked out of firing Mueller.

The president refused to sit for an interview with Mueller's team during the inquiry, but his lawyers submitted written answers to questions after months of negotiating terms.

It is ultimately up to Barr, who was confirmed as Trump’s attorney general only last month, to decide how much of the information unearthed by Mueller may be disclosed to Congress and the public.

Barr was only obliged to tell the members of Congress that Mueller has completed his work, and to note any actions proposed by Mueller that Barr blocked.