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Former special counsel Robert Mueller has been grilled in secret prep sessions for today's back-to-back Hill appearances, a source familiar with the process tells Axios.
The state of play: During the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committee sessions, which the networks are calling the most anticipated hearings in a decade, Mueller will face questions about his 448-page report from 63 total lawmakers, with little overlap, Politico points out.
Yesterday afternoon, Axios' Jonathan Swan called Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz to get a Mueller preview. Gaetz, along with Reps. Jim Jordan and John Ratcliffe, are expected to be the most aggressive Republican questioners.
- A source close to these three says they've spent weeks preparing to grill Mueller.
- "I can't talk right now," Gaetz told Swan. "I'm in Mr. Jordan's office working on my questions."
House Democrats spent 2½ hours in a "feisty" prep session — basically mock hearing — in the Rayburn House Office Building yesterday, NBC's Mike Memoli reported: "They say no one reads the book; everyone watches the movie."
- House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff told Axios' Alayna Treene that he wants to ask Mueller about the counterintelligence investigation that touched off the Russia/election scandal: "We want to find out the scope of what was investigated, what he didn't investigate. And what work is left to be done."