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Republicans and the Justice Department criticized the Democrats for failing to at least read the less-redacted version of the report made public to lawmakers as they negotiated access to the fully unredacted report and to the sub-documents. underlying.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr, and Speaker of the Senate Judiciary Lindsey Graham read it, as did House Leader Kevin McCarthy and Doug Collins, a Republican on the Judiciary Committee, have seen him, according to the source, Devin Nunes, a member of the House Intelligence rankings, has not done so yet.
The Department of Justice offered 12 congressional leaders – party leaders and judicial and intelligence committee leaders – and one staff member the opportunity to view a version of the Mueller report that contained only jury, that the Department of Justice argued that it is forbidden by law to share without a court order. This version of the report contains information that has been written in the public report because it has been classified, related to ongoing investigations, or contains information about third-party devices.
But Democrats have rejected this proposal from the Justice Department in their quest to obtain the full, unedited report, as well as the underlying evidence of the special council. They argued that they should be allowed to read the full report, along with the grand jury documents, and they also objected to the fact that only the six congressional leaders of each party can read the report less redacted, pushing the full intelligence and judiciary committees to be allowed to read it.
Jerry Nadler, president of the Justice and Judiciary Department of the House, negotiated the unredacted report and Mueller's testimony earlier this week before Nadler's committee voted Wednesday to convict Attorney General William Barr contempt of Congress. If the case ends up in a federal court, the Democrats will be forced to explain their need for the material and may be asked why they have not reviewed the material made available to date.
Nunes is the only Republican legislator allowed to read the report that has not yet done so. Nunes has a habit of not reading the records of the Department of Justice, even those that he asks. CNN announced last year that it had been fighting to gain access to a fully uncensored version of a Justice Department document explaining the start of the investigation into Russia, but that he had not read it yet when the ministry put it at his disposal.
In their negotiations with the Department of Justice, the Democrats rejected an offer that would have allowed another staff member to review the less-redacted report, the legislators taking their notes in the security zone and the lawyers' maintain with those authorized to read the reports. document. Nadler rejected this offer. In the latest offer of Democrats before the end of negotiations on Tuesday, Nadler proposed allowing all members of the judiciary and intelligence to read the report less redacted.
"The ministry has imposed unacceptable restrictions on access to this information," said Nadler during the contempt hearing held Wednesday. "Their offer would prevent members of this committee from reading these parts of the report themselves, which would prevent me from talking with my colleagues at other committee members about what I could see. What use can this committee make of information that I have but that I can not discuss with another committee member? "
The Justice Department argued that the less redacted report was an effort of adaptation, and Republicans say their refusal to read it shows that they are not negotiating seriously.
"Could it be that the Attorney General did not respond to the President's requests for information?" No. He proposed to let the President and five other Democratic leaders examine the less redacted report presented to the Ministry of Justice. Justice, including a 99.9% volume on unredacted obstruction, "Collins said during the hearing for contempt of Barr. "This is a strange gesture for anyone asking for access to information, the president and other elected Democrats who have access denied access to this report."
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