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Special counsel Robert Mueller to testify publicly before House panels July 17

WASHINGTON — Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III has agreed to testify publicly in House hearings on July 17.

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House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said in a joint statement that the special counsel has agreed to testify about the Trump-Russia report he issued in April. The Justice Department declined to comment.

The committees have been in negotiations with Mueller for more than two months about his testimony. But he has been hesitant to testify and speak about the investigation beyond a public statement he issued last month.

In a letter to Mueller accompanying the subpoenas, the committee chairmen said "the American public deserves to hear directly from you about your investigation and conclusions."

President Donald Trump has denied all wrongdoing and consistently framed Mueller's investigation as an expensive and politically motivated "witch hunt" aimed at hurting his presidency.

Late Tuesday, Trump appeared to respond to the news in a tweet.

"Presidential Harassment!" he wrote.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.