President Trump's nominee for attorney general, William Barr, would allow Robert Mueller to finish the Russia investigation without interference. Not only that, but if confirmed as attorney general, he would make public as much of the special counsel’s findings as possible.

“On my watch,” Barr said in his prepared opening statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday, Mueller “will be allowed to complete his work.” He continued:



I also believe it is very important that the public and Congress be informed of the results of the special counsel’s work. For that reason, my goal will be to provide as much transparency as I can consistent with the law. I can assure you that, where judgments are to be made by me, I will make those judgments based solely on the law and will let no personal, political, or other improper interests influence my decision.



Anticipation has been building for so long with the special counsel that the significance of this statement could easily be missed. Despite all the hysteria on cable news, there has never been any guarantee that Congress, let alone the public, would ever see a final report.

“At the conclusion of the Special Counsel's work,” reads the original commission that established the investigation, “he or she shall provide the Attorney General with a confidential report explaining the prosecution or declination decisions reached by the Special Counsel.”

If confirmed, Barr would be the only one with access to this confidential report. He is under no obligation to show these finding to Congress — even if Mueller was to uncover an impeachable offense.

Barr is only required to come forward if Mueller goes off the rails, if Mueller proposed a course of action that is “so inappropriate or unwarranted under established Departmental practices that it should not be pursued.”

This current legal framework makes Barr’s promise that much more significant. Regardless of what Mueller finds, whether it incriminates or absolves Trump, keeping the final report secret would keep the country in an unsustainable fever pitch. Transparency is the only to end the hysteria.