The Department of Justice on Monday released a new version of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Russian meddling in the 2016 election and President Donald Trump's campaign, shedding light on why significant portions of the 448-page document were redacted before it was released to the public earlier this month. The new version was released by the Department of Justice in response to a Freedom of Information Act request and a subsequent lawsuit filed by BuzzFeed News and separately by the Electronic Privacy and Information Center. The copy of Mueller’s report that Attorney General William Barr released in April contained redactions that were labeled according to one of four categories: harm to ongoing matter, meaning investigations that are still ongoing; grand jury material, which is secret under federal rules and exempt from disclosure; classified information; and personal privacy. Want to support more reporting like this? Become a BuzzFeed News member today. This new version of the report clearly states which information was withheld because it would interfere with ongoing law enforcement proceedings, which "would disclose techniques and procedures for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions," and which was withheld on national security grounds. For example, on page 9 of volume one of the version of the report Barr released last month, DOJ explained that a couple of sentences related to Trump's former personal attorney and fixer Michael Cohen are redacted because it would cause "harm to ongoing matter" if details were released. But the copy of the report DOJ released Monday further explains that the sentences were redacted because it relates to an ongoing investigation; "pertains to records or information compiled for law enforcement purposes, the release of which would deprive a person of a right to a fair trial or an impartial adjudication"; and personal privacy.<doc-sep>The Department of Justice on Monday released a second redacted version of the Mueller report, but the document doesn’t appear to make public new details about the special counsel’s investigation and findings. This redacted version of the report was released in response to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits filed by the privacy group Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and BuzzFeed News reporter Jason Leopold. Leopold noted on Twitter that while the lengthy report itself doesn’t seem to provide new public information, it does shed more light on why certain information was withheld. It appears the version of the report is identical but clearly identifies what info was withheld in response to ongoing investigations, etc. — Jason Leopold (@JasonLeopold) May 6, 2019 ADVERTISEMENT While the initial version of the Mueller report released last month labeled redactions in categories such as “harm to an ongoing matter” and “grand jury information,” redactions in this version of the document are aligned with certain FOIA regulations. Leopold also tweeted out a letter the Justice Department sent him that explains the redactions made to the report under FOIA. The letter points to FOIA exemptions pertaining to national security, grand jury proceedings and ongoing law enforcement actions. It also cites exemptions that would reveal law enforcement tactics as well as information that could violate individuals’ right to privacy and right to a fair trial or other legal processes. NEW: Here is DOJ's letter accompanying the release of this version of the Mueller report in response to my/@BuzzFeedNews and @EPICprivacy's #FOIA lawsuit, explaining the information redacted under FOIA. pic.twitter.com/FUxSL7AEQM — Jason Leopold (@JasonLeopold) May 6, 2019 Attorneys for EPIC and Leopold said in court last week that they intended to challenge each redaction made under the FOIA law. Justice Department attorneys argued that both parties should wait until they see this newly released version of the report, suggesting that they believed it was unreasonable for each redaction to be challenged, as some would not be overturned. District Judge Reggie Walton, who is overseeing the case, has set a series of deadlines in the lawsuits that stretch into the summer, indicating that the case will not be fully resolved for several more months. Walton, who was nominated by former President George W. Bush, said during last week's hearing that both parties have to make challenges to the redactions "in good faith," noting that the government has the right to withhold information such as grand jury matters. He has also said that he understands the desire to quickly move forward with the case. EPIC is also suing under FOIA for the Justice Department to release the underlying evidence used to draft the Mueller report. The privacy group reiterated in a blog post after the second version of the report was released on Monday that it still plans to challenge each redaction made to the document. Attorney General William Barr Bill BarrWatchdog group suing for Trump obstruction memo blasts DOJ for trying to block release Biden DOJ to appeal court order to release Trump obstruction memo CNN reporter's phone and email records secretly obtained by Trump administration: report MORE said ahead of the initial release of the Mueller report that he would redact certain information from the document. But House Democrats are fighting to obtain the entire report as well as all of the underlying evidence. Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee announced earlier Monday that lawmakers would hold a markup of a contempt citation for Barr on Wednesday after he missed a deadline to hand over the documents. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler Jerrold (Jerry) Lewis NadlerMcGahn to testify next week before closed-door House panel over longtime subpoena fight McGahn to sit for closed-door interview with House Democrats House to consider anti-Asian hate crimes bill, protections for pregnant workers this month MORE (D-N.Y.) said later Monday that the Justice Department agreed to meet with his staff on Tuesday about the report.<doc-sep>WASHINGTON — The White House is invoking executive privilege, reserving the right to block the full release of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on the Russia probe, escalating President Donald Trump’s battle with Congress. The administration’s decision was announced just as the House Judiciary Committee was gaveling in to consider holding Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress over failure to release the report. NEWS: The Justice Department says President Trump has invoked executive privilege over materials subpoenaed by the House Judiciary Committee on April 18, including the unredacted version of special counsel Robert Mueller's report. pic.twitter.com/o7WmZNGCxK — PBS NewsHour (@NewsHour) May 8, 2019 Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler of New York declared the action by Trump’s Justice Department was a clear new sign of the president’s “blanket defiance” of Congress’ constitutional rights. “Every day we learn of new efforts by this administration to stonewall Congress,” Nadler said. “This is unprecedented.” White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said the action was rather a response to the “blatant abuse of power” by Democratic Rep. Nadler. “Neither the White House nor Attorney General Barr will comply with Chairman Nadler’s unlawful and reckless demands,” she said. Nadler said earlier Wednesday the Trump administration’s refusal to provide special counsel Robert Mueller’s full Russia report to Congress presents a “constitutional crisis,” leaving the panel no choice but to move forward with a contempt vote against Barr. Talks with the Justice Department broke down late Tuesday over the committee’s subpoena for an unredacted version of the report. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested Democrats were surprised by the department’s decision as last-minute talks failed late Tuesday. She said if the committee approves contempt resolution, as is expected, the “next step” would be eventual consideration by the full House. Barr released a redacted version of Mueller’s report to the public last month, but Democrats said they want to see the full document, along with underlying evidence, and subpoenaed the full report . The department has rejected that demand, while allowing a handful of lawmakers to view a version of Mueller’s report with fewer redactions. Democrats have said they won’t view that version until they get broader access. It was not immediately clear how the claim of privilege would work with respect to Mueller’s report, since it has already been released to the public in redacted form. Executive privilege is the president’s power to keep information from the courts, Congress and the public to protect the confidentiality of the Oval Office decision-making process. The top Republican on the panel, Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia, sharply criticized the Democrats’ plan to go ahead with the vote. “I can’t imagine a more illogical hill for a legislator to die on,” Collins said in a statement. If the committee holds Barr in contempt, it would be the first step in what could be a protracted, multipronged court battle between Congress and the Trump administration. Trump has defied requests from House Democrats since the release of Mueller’s report last month, and Democrats are fighting the White House on several fronts as they attempt to learn more about the report, call witnesses and obtain Trump’s personal and financial documents. In a related move, Nadler also threatened to hold former White House counsel Don McGahn in contempt of Congress if he doesn’t testify before the committee later this month. Nadler rejected a White House claim that documents McGahn refused to provide despite a subpoena are controlled by the White House and thus McGahn has no legal right to them. On Monday, Justice spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said the department has “taken extraordinary steps to accommodate the House Judiciary Committee’s requests for information” regarding Mueller’s report, but that Nadler had not reciprocated. She noted that Democrats have refused to read the version of Mueller’s report with fewer redactions that has been provided to Congress. A contempt vote against Barr would head to the full House for a vote. If the House were to pass the resolution, it would send a criminal referral to the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, a Justice Department official who is likely to defend the attorney general. Democratic House leaders could also file a lawsuit against the Justice Department to obtain the Mueller report, though the case could take months or even years to resolve. Some committee members have suggested they also could fine Barr as he withholds the information. Republicans have largely united behind the president, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday declaring “case closed” on Mueller’s Russia probe and potential obstruction by Trump. McConnell said Democrats are “grieving” the result. Mueller said he could not establish a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, but he did not reach a conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice. Mueller didn’t charge Trump but wrote that he couldn’t exonerate him, either. Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer issued a joint statement calling it “a stunning act of political cynicism and a brazen violation of the oath we all take.” Nadler: ‘Constitutional crisis’ over Mueller report dispute<doc-sep>
A new version of Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 elections has just been made public in response to a BuzzFeed News lawsuit. PDF Links, 5/6/2019 edition: VOLUME 1 | VOLUME 2 This new version of the Mueller report was released by the Department of Justice on Monday in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, and a followup lawsuit filed by BuzzFeed News and separately by the Electronic Privacy and Information Center (EPIC.org). The new version helps to explain "why significant portions of the 448-page document were redacted before it was released to the public earlier this month," write BuzzFeed News reporters Jason Leopold and Anthony Cormier. Excerpt: The copy of Mueller's report that Attorney General William Barr released earlier this month contained redactions that were labeled according to one of four categories: harm to ongoing matter, meaning investigations that are still ongoing; grand jury material, which is secret under federal rules and exempt from disclosure; classified information; and personal privacy. Before the report was released, BuzzFeed News filed its public records request, as well as the related lawsuit, to compel the Department of Justice to explain any redactions in accordance with FOIA's nine exemptions. Each of those exemptions spell out the type of information the government can withhold and the harm that would result if it was disclosed. Earlier this month, during a hearing in the case, US District Judge Reggie Walton said Barr had "created an environment that has caused a significant part of the American public to be concerned about whether there will be full transparency." Walton, who made those comments before the report was publicly released, told the government attorney he may want to review an unredacted copy of the report to better understand the reasons for the redactions. BuzzFeed News and EPIC will now have the opportunity to challenge the legitimacy of the redactions and argue before Walton that overwhelming public interest compels the disclosure of additional information in the report. At a hearing last week, Walton said he will still consider whether he should review an unredacted copy of the report but will wait until BuzzFeed News, EPIC and the government finish arguments over the redactions. A New Version Of The Mueller Report Has Been Released In Response To A BuzzFeed News Lawsuit