Syracuse, N.Y. (NCC News) – The House Judiciary Committee approved subpeonas for special counsel Robert Mueller’s full report on Russian election interference, obstruction of justice, and collusion this Wednesday. The approval is meant to increase pressure from Democrats on the Justice Department to release the report without any redactions.
The Committee voted along partisan lines 24-17 in support of giving Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler permission to issue the subpoenas for the report itself as well as any underlying evidence or materials prepared as part of the investigation.
Attorney General William Barr ignored a previously set deadline by Democrats to produce the full report to Congress. Instead, he announced that a redacted version would be available mid-April. According to Barr, the report needs to be redacted and reviewed before further dissemination to avoid the publication of grand jury information and classified material. In response, Nadler said that he would give Barr time to change his mind before deciding to issue subpoenas.
The conflict between the Justice Department and Democrats over access to the report is likely to escalate further until it reaches the court system. According to Nadler, the dissemination of the report is highly time-sensitive for various reasons, “because we may have to go to court to obtain the complete text of the special counsel’s report, and because the president may attempt to invoke executive privilege to withhold that evidence from us, it is imperative that the committee take possession of these documents, and others, without delay.”
