AG Barr plans to use color-coding to explain Mueller report redactions
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U.S. Attorney General Will Barr said Tuesday that he plans to use color-coding and notes to explain redactions in the report by special counsel Robert Mueller.
Barr told the House Appropriations Committee that he will be in a position to release the report to the public within a week, report the National Law Journal, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. That is in keeping with his timetable announced March 29.
Barr has said four categories of information could be redacted. The categories include:
• Secret grand jury information;
• Material that can compromise sensitive sources and methods;
• Information that could affect ongoing matters;
• And material that could affect the privacy and reputations of peripheral third parties.
Barr also told lawmakers that he has no plans to ask a judge to permit release of grand jury information “at this stage.” He noted that the Democratic chair of the House Judiciary Committee, U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York, has threatened to subpoena the Department of Justice for the full report. The committee already has authorized him to do so.
Barr released a letter March 24 that summarized key findings in Mueller’s report. Barr said Mueller had not found any collusion with Russia by President Donald Trump or his campaign. Barr also said Mueller did not draw a conclusion as to whether Trump’s conduct constituted obstruction of justice. Barr said he concluded that the evidence outlined in the report was insufficient to establish obstruction.
Barr told lawmakers Tuesday that Mueller’s team didn’t help draft and didn’t review the letter, although he did provide the opportunity for review. He said he wanted to quickly reveal Mueller’s conclusions because the public was eager for information.
Barr refused to tell lawmakers whether the DOJ had briefed the White House on the report.
