Mueller investigation: House announces public hearings on Trump's 'overt acts of obstruction'

Democrats say first witness will be a former White House counsel, John Dean, who served during Nixon administration

Democrats in the US House of Representatives have announced a series of Mueller report hearings that will first examine what they are calling Donald Trump's "most overt acts of obstruction".

The hearings will also look into findings by special counsel Robert Mueller's team that Russia actively sought to meddle in the 2016 presidential election, and are set to begin with the question of obstruction on 10 June.

Jerry Nadler, the House Judiciary Committee chairman, announced the hearings in a statement accusing the White House of attempting to "stonewall" Congressional oversight, and pledging to move forward with the investigation whether the president cooperates or not.

"Given the threat posed by the president's alleged misconduct, our first hearing will focus on President Trump's most overt acts of obstruction," Mr Nadler's statement reads. "In the coming weeks, other hearings will focus on other important aspects of the Mueller report."

Mr Nadler also said that Mr Mueller, who submitted his report to the Justice Department in March, "has now left Congress to pick up where he left off."

Among those expected to testify in the public hearings will be former White House counsel John Dean, legal experts, and former US attorneys.

The announcement comes as Democrats and the White House have sparred over who can deliver testimony to the House, and just days after Mr Mueller delivered public remarks for the first time since his probe had ended. He said then that he has no interest in testifying before Congress publicly, and that his report can stand on its own.

Mr Nadler has not indicated if he would use his committee's power to subpoena Mr Mueller, even as members of his own party have called for such measures.

Attorney general William Barr has said that he determined from the report submitted to him that there was insufficient evidence to charge Mr Trump with obstruction.

A growing number of Democrats have nonetheless begun calling for Mr Trump's impeachment, citing what they see as evidence in the Mueller report that the president did in fact obstruct justice. Mr Mueller said during his recent statement that they had not found evidence to clear Mr Trump of obstruction, and cited a Justice Department policy that prohibited his office and the Justice Department from indicting a sitting president.