Mueller report: House Democrats in US issue subpoena for unredacted version

The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee in the United States has issued a subpoena for the full, unredacted Mueller report into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Chairman Jerry Nadler, the Democrat from New York, asked for the department to comply by at least May 1, the day US Attorney General William Barr is scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The subpoena is the opening shot in what could be a lengthy legal battle.

If the Justice Department does not respond, Democrats could hold officials in contempt of Congress or eventually fight the battle in court.

The Judiciary Committee voted 24-17 earlier this month to give Mr Nadler permission to issue subpoenas for the final report, its exhibits and any underlying evidence or materials prepared for Mr Mueller's investigation.

Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump slammed what he called a “fabricated” testimony in the report.

Mr Trump tweeted: “Statements are made about me by certain people in the Crazy Mueller Report, in itself written by 18 Angry Democrat Trump Haters, which are fabricated & totally untrue.

“Watch out for people that take so-called “notes,” when the notes never existed until needed. Because I never agreed to testify, it was not necessary for me to respond to statements made in the ‘report’ about me, some of which are total bulls*** and only given to make the other person look good (or me to look bad).

“This was an illegally started hoax that never should have happened.”