Deal struck for Mueller to appear, give extended testimony before Congress on July 24

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Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller will give extended testimony as part of a deal for him to appear before congressional lawmakers later this month, Democratic Party officials said Friday.

Mueller's highly anticipated appearance was pushed back at his request, Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., and Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said in a joint statement.

"We are pleased to announce that Special Counsel Mueller will provide additional public testimony when he appears before our committees," they said.

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In this May 29 photo, Robert Mueller speaks at the Department of Justice about the Russia investigation. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

"The House Judiciary Committee will convene on July 24 at 8:30 a.m. with Special Counsel Mueller testifying in public for three hours.  After a brief break, the House Intelligence Committee will convene for additional public testimony beginning at 12 p.m.," the statement continued.

Mueller had been scheduled to testify on July 17 about the findings of his two-year Russia probe after he was subpoenaed by the panels last month.

His appearance was thrown into disarray when lawmakers complained about the time allotted for committee members to ask questions.

Two hours had been scheduled for each committee to inquire about Mueller's 448-page report, in which he concluded Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election. He found no evidence of collusion between President Trump and Russia, a point Trump has consistently noted via social media.

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Mueller's only public comments on the investigation came in May, when he did not clear Trump of wrongdoing and reaffirmed his reluctance to testify in front of Congress. He did not say whether Trump obstructed justice during his probe, citing a Justice Department policy saying a sitting president cannot be charged with a crime.

“Charging the president with a crime was not an option we could consider,” he said at the time.

However, charges were brought against three businesses and 34 people, including former Trump aides, senior advisers and Russian agents.

On Thursday, Rep. Doug Collins,  top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, praised the news of Mueller's scheduled testimony.

"I appreciate news the chairman has taken seriously the concerns Judiciary Republicans raised this week, The new format will allow all Judiciary Republicans to question the special counsel on July 24," he tweeted.