Some members of Congress will see a less-redacted version of Mueller report, DOJ says
WASHINGTON – Not one, but two versions of special counsel Robert Mueller's report are planned to be released.
After the public is given a redacted version of the nearly 400-page report on Thursday, a less-redacted version would go to a "limited number of Members of Congress" for their review. It's unclear when lawmakers would be able to view the more transparent report.
"Once the redacted version of the report has been released to the public, the Justice Department plans to make available for review by a limited number of Members of Congress and their staff a copy of the Special Counsel's report without certain redactions," prosecutors wrote in a court filing on Wednesday.
The revelations were made by prosecutors in a legal filing when they replied to a request from President Donald Trump's longtime friend and political adviser Roger Stone, who was arrested in January on one count of obstruction of an official proceeding, five counts of making false statements and one count of witness tampering.
Stone has pleaded not guilty.
Last week in a flurry of legal filings, Stone's defense team argued that he and his team should be allowed an exclusive look at the Mueller report, while also arguing special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation was unconstitutional.
More: Roger Stone tells court he alone is entitled to see the Mueller report
More: AG William Barr to hold news conference Thursday on special counsel Robert Mueller's report
"The Special Counsel Report may be of political interest to many," the defense team argues in a motion to dismiss the entire case. "It may be of commercial interest to others. It may be of public interest to some. But for Roger Stone, the Special Counsel’s Report is a matter of protecting his liberty. Only by full disclosure to him, can he determine whether the Report contains material which could be critical to his defense."
Prosecutors replied, telling Stone of their plans for the report and its decimation. They wrote that the less-redacted version would not be made public or made available for all members of Congress.
"Rather, the Justice Department intends to secure this version of the report in an appropriate setting that will be accessible to a limited number of Members of Congress and their staff," prosecutors wrote.
While seeing more of the secretive report is a goal of lawmakers, it's likely not to appease House Democrats who have said they would subpoena the full report without any redactions.
Earlier this month, the House Judiciary Committee voted to authorize a subpoena for Mueller’s full report and the evidence his investigators gathered, setting up what could be a historic legal clash with the Justice Department.
Attorney General William Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein will hold news conference Thursday to discuss Mueller's report, according to a spokeswoman. Barr had previously said he would release the long-awaited report on Thursday. The news conference will be at 9:30 a.m., according to spokeswoman Kerri Kupec.
President Donald Trump, who has claimed "total exoneration" from a summary of the report, said Wednesday he may hold a news conference as well. He is scheduled to leave for a three-day weekend in South Florida by mid-afternoon Thursday, but he may speak with reporters upon departure.
"You’ll see a lot of strong things come out tomorrow," Trump told WMAL radio's Larry O'Connor show. "Attorney General Barr is going to be doing a press conference. Maybe I’ll do one after that, we’ll see.”
Contributing: Doug Stanglin, Kevin Johnson and Bart Jansen
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Some members of Congress will see a less-redacted version of Mueller report, DOJ says
