Why can't Mueller hand over the unredacted report to Congress?

[MoonRiver]

And actually I thought that was supposed to be part of the process.

[Maeve]

1. There has to be a redaction of grand jury material OR

a judge has to sign off on that material being released

[manor321]

2. The SC law says the report goes to the AG.

The only thing that goes to Congress would be if the AG stopped the SC from doing something.

[comradebillyboy]

3. Well, he can. Some of the grand jury information and national security

matters can be restricted to members with appropriate security clearances.

[MoonRiver]

4. Then he should do it, NOW!

[tymorial]

6. With AG's permission

Mueller reports to the AG not congress.

[comradebillyboy]

7. Yes, it's Barr's duty to hand over the report.

[onenote]

12. It is not at all clear that Barr has a "duty" to turn over the unredacted report

Ultimately, it would be up to the courts to make that call. Nothing in the Special Counsel law requires him to do so and whether the law protecting grand jury testimony would apply would be the issue in any event.

[FBaggins]

14. Morally, perhaps... but certainly not legally

He doesn't have the authority - whether or not he arguably has a duty.

[tymorial]

5. Special Counsel is different than an independent counsel

The main difference is the special counsel works at the behest of the attorney general while the independent counsel reported to congress.

The attorney general has a lot of power under the new law and the AG determines and sets jurisdiction not the SC. This meant that Barr could decide that regardless of crimes the president committed, the SC did not have the authority to indict.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/28/part-600

[Ohiogal]

8. Why does he need to follow rules?

Donnie and his ilk don't give a rats' ass about following rules. Just sayin'.

[FBaggins]

13. He doesn't have an AG in his back pocket like some do

They aren't just "rules"... it's the law and they would not only be able to arrest/prosecute him, but that would also damage his credibility (and thus that of his work product).

[malaise]

9. The unredacted report was made available to the Senate in a special room

last week. Barr himself said that. There is no excuse to deny access to the House

[pbmus]

10. So when Schumer says Mitch is covering up the Cons shit...

He knows he is....from reading the unredacted...

[FBaggins]

11. It's partially unredacted... and the House has the same access as the Senate

It's currently restricted to half a dozen senior committee chairmen and ranking members (and, IIRC, one staff person each).

We don't know what proportion of the redacted material is unredacted in this version... and Democrats (at least until a day or so ago) refused to go look at it because they insisted on the whole thing.

Part of the "please don't hold a contempt vote" memo yesterday was an offer to expand the number of members who could see it... but Democrats want it to be the full chamber.

[malaise]

15. Thanks n/t

[bluestarone]

16. Just wondering here

Could any one of those half dozen committee chairman read this copy on the floor of the House? What would be the consequences if they did?

[FBaggins]

17. Nope.

It's being handled like highly-classified material when it's shared with Congress. It's in a DOJ-secured room and those with access can't take in any electronics or remove any of the materials. Notes can be taken, but they have to remain in DOJ custody.

As for consequences? If one of them had a Mike-Ross-level memory and released grand jury testimony or discussed one of the pending prosecutions that had been redacted... he/she would be committing a felony. While Barr appears to be willing to look the other way for some arguable crimes... I doubt he would feel the same way in this case.

[bluestarone]

18. TY!

So even Mueller is blocked from releasing the full report to the house (if House requested it) am i right?

[FBaggins]

19. You're correct.

He can't release the full report. His job was to write it and deliver it to the AG (or supervising Deputy AG when the AG was recused).

That doesn't mean that he couldn't be very useful while testifying (if he wants to). It just means that he can't answer questions like "What did McGahn say to the grand jury?" or "Provide us with recordings/transcripts of the FISA-ordered surveillance"

[bluestarone]

20. Gotcha! again TY