Monday, February 4, 2019

End of Mueller investigation could spark battle between Justice Dept. and Congress over release of special counsel’s report Devlin   Barret       Washington Post








The growing expectation that special counsel Robert S. Mueller III is nearing the end of his work is pushing the Justice Department toward a potential confrontation with congressional Democrats over the release of any report he produces — and lawmakers will have the edge in any battle, according to former department officials.

The confirmation hearings for William P. Barr to be the next attorney general highlighted the uncertainty surrounding the public’s ability to read Mueller’s conclusions when he finishes his investigation into President Trump and Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Democrats delayed Barr’s committee vote to this week, after they were unhappy he would not pledge to make any Mueller report public and follow the advice of Justice Department ethics officials on whether he should recuse himself from the investigation because of past positions on the matter.

Barr’s nomination is not believed to be in any real jeopardy, but the flare-up points to the burgeoning conflict between senior law enforcement officials and political leaders over the Mueller investigation that has gripped Washington for nearly two years.

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