House Democrats Will Subpoena Mueller Report

They say Barr’s pledge to release a redacted report later this month doesn’t cut it.

Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.

House Democrats say they will vote this week to subpoena Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s complete report, underlying evidence, and other material—rejecting as insufficient Attorney General William Barr’s pledge to produce a redacted version of the report later this month. 

House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) announced Monday that the panel will meet Wednesday morning to consider a resolution that would authorize the subpoenas, after Barr said in a letter Friday that he expects to release a redacted version of Mueller’s report “by mid-April, if not sooner.” Barr said the report would be scrubbed to exclude grand jury testimony; information that could compromise intelligence “sources and methods”; material that could affect ongoing Justice Department investigations; and information that might “infringe on the personal privacy” or reputation of “peripheral third parties.”

Barr sent lawmakers a four-page letter on March 24 that said Mueller had completed his investigation into Trump campaign contacts with Russia. The letter said the probe “did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.” The letter also said Mueller had chosen not to reach a determination about whether Trump had obstructed justice, but Barr concluded that Mueller’s evidence “was not sufficient to establish that the President committed an obstruction of justice offense.” Trump and his allies have claimed this information vindicates him.

But Democrats say they they need to review the entire report as part of their own investigation into Trump’s Russian ties and alleged obstruction of justice. Nadler and other Democrats set an April 2 deadline for Barr to turn over the whole report—without redactions—and to start handing over underlying evidence.

Nadler, who has not said when he may issue subpoenas the committee okays on Wednesday, also said he will also seek authorization to subpoena documents from a number of ex-White House aides: former senior adviser Steven Bannon; former White House Communications Director Hope Hicks; former Chief of Staff Reince Priebus; former White House Counsel Don McGahn; and Ann Donaldson, McGahn’s former deputy. Nadler said those people “may have received documents from the White House relevant to the Special Counsel investigation, or their outside counsel may have, waiving applicable privileges under the law.” 

PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

payment methods

PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate