Read Robert Mueller’s opening statement

Former special counsel Robert Mueller opened his hearing before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday by noting it was unusual that he was testifying at all — and trying to head off lawmakers from asking questions he won’t be able to answer.

“It is unusual for a prosecutor to testify about a criminal investigation, and given my role as a prosecutor, there are reasons why my testimony will necessarily be limited,” he said.

Mueller is set to appear before two congressional committees on Wednesday to discuss the results of his two-year investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and potential cooperation between Russia and Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. He released the full report in April and delivered a statement on the report in May.

While both hearings are expected to deliver some fireworks, it’s unclear any new information will come from them — though, of course, having Mueller read aloud a report most Americans haven’t sifted through is powerful. In his opening statement, Mueller tried to set the tone: He laid out concisely the findings of his report and indicated he doesn’t plan to stray from them in his testimony. He also emphasized the gravity of the broader matter — a foreign government interfering in US elections. “I’ve seen a number of challenges to our democracy,” he said. “The Russian government’s effort to interfere in our election is among the most serious.”

Read Mueller’s full opening statement below:

Good morning Chairman Nadler, Ranking Member Collins, and members of the Committee.

As you know, in May 2017, the Acting Attorney General asked me to serve as Special Counsel. I undertook that role because I believed that it was of paramount interest to the nation to determine whether a foreign adversary had interfered in the presidential election.