Mueller Report To Be Released On Thursday

Robert Mueller’s report on the 2016 election interference will be made public this Thursday, according to The New York Times. The 400-page investigation report comes after search warrants, indictments, and more than 2,300 subpoenas over the last 23 months but is finally ready to be released with many American’s eager to read the special counsel’s findings.

However, not all the information in it will be made public. Attorney General William P. Barr has said that law enforcement officials will be covering “sensitive information” and the reasons why will be made available through the use of a color code.

Information that will be redacted includes anything that has been presented to a grand jury and is bound by secrecy rules, information that could compromise sensitive sources and methods – which will include information from the FBI – anything that could hamper current investigations, and anything that could potentially infringe on the privacy of “peripheral third parties.”

Barr says certain information is being redacted because of “concerns” about prosecutors handling this sensitive information. Under federal law, prosecutors may not disclose any grand jury material. They also want to make sure that any current criminal investigations underway are not jeopardized.

Mary McCord – who led the Justice Department’s national security division between 2016 and 2017 – appeared skeptical about Barr’s redactions, saying that the principles outlined are “well-established,” but it “remains to be seen how broadly or narrowly Barr applies them.”

“And of course because we won’t know what has been redacted, we can’t make much of a judgment about whether he has been too broad or not.”

What is likely to be interesting to reporters is the section that outlines why Mueller did not draw a conclusion about whether or not President Trump obstructed justice. According to Barr, the president did not act with “corrupt intent.” The final release of the report may state why this might be the case.

Barr also said last month that Mueller did not find any evidence to suggest that the Trump campaign of 2016 colluded with the Russian government to influence the outcome of the election.

As to whether the general public will be able to see Mueller’s report is yet to be confirmed, according to sources. The Justice Department may resist releasing the investigation fully, citing that the document will contain classified information.

While the report may not contain the “final word” about the election scandal, the Democrats are currently involved in their own investigation in an attempt to discover whether the president has “abused his powers” or “obstructed justice.”

Mueller’s report is expected to be available on the Justice Department’s website.