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BumRushDaShow

(127,331 posts)
Wed May 22, 2019, 09:07 AM May 2019

Justice Department and House intelligence panel strike deal for Mueller materials

Source: Washington Post



The House Intelligence Committee will not enforce a subpoena against Attorney General William P. Barr as planned Wednesday, after the Justice Department agreed at the 11th hour to produce the redacted material and underlying information from the special counsel's report that the panel sought, albeit more slowly than it wanted.

Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), the committee's chairman, announced the deal in a statement Wednesday morning. He warned that the subpoena "will remain in effect and will be enforced should the Department fail to comply with the full document request." Schiff added that he expects the "initial production" of providing the committee with 12 categories of counterintelligence and foreign intelligence material from special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's probe of election interference by Russia would "be completed by the end of next week."

In a letter Tuesday to Schiff, Assistant Attorney General Stephen E. Boyd wrote that "the Department is willing to move forward with efforts to accommodate the Committee's legitimate interests" to view the items it requested. But he argued that the Justice Department would need more time to produce them. Boyd made the counteroffer contingent on the committee's promise "that it will not pursue any vote on an 'enforcement action,' either on May 22, or while such good-faith accommodation measures continue." "To be clear should the Committee take the precipitous and unnecessary action of recommending a contempt finding or other enforcement action against the attorney general, then the Department will not likely be able to continue to work with the Committee to accommodate its interest in these materials," Boyd wrote.

Schiff's decision to hold off on enforcing the subpoena represents a rare moment of detente between House Democrats and Barr, who have been pitted against each other over access to the full substance of Mueller's report and the administration's efforts to keep witnesses from testifying in congressional investigations of President Trump's campaign, his businesses and his foreign ties. But holding off on the subpoena puts Schiff somewhat at odds with the rest of the House Democratic conference, whose members have been agitating for impeachment proceedings against the president as other panels' efforts to secure materials and witnesses are met with recalcitrance from the administration.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/justice-department-and-house-intelligence-panel-strike-deal-for-mueller-materials/2019/05/22/f8f2380a-7c7e-11e9-8ede-f4abf521ef17_story.html

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Justice Department and House intelligence panel strike deal for Mueller materials (Original Post) BumRushDaShow May 2019 OP
Risky, indeed. Eyeball_Kid May 2019 #1
I assume that "produce the redacted material" means produce the unredacted report. rainin May 2019 #2
Does anyone really think that Barr will Bettie May 2019 #3
He is apparently lazy since he never read the report nor any of the underlying evidence for it BumRushDaShow May 2019 #5
No, he will. But the real question is all of them, all totally, 100% unredacted? machoneman May 2019 #25
When are they going to learn these people cannot be trusted CanonRay May 2019 #4
They can't go to court to "enforce" anything unless they can show, without a shadow of a doubt BumRushDaShow May 2019 #6
This 👆🏼 UpInArms May 2019 #10
Not Barr or anyone else on Team Trump is willing to DeminPennswoods May 2019 #7
Oh, I disagree! What makes us think Barr, called out of retirement, didn't get a promise of millions machoneman May 2019 #26
+1 Chin music May 2019 #27
Helping craft a narrative or engaging in some DeminPennswoods May 2019 #29
Why is there even negotiation going on? Hugin May 2019 #8
They have to establish to the courts that they did their "due diligence" if this "agreement" fails. BumRushDaShow May 2019 #9
+1 Chin music May 2019 #28
"....but the Justice Dept. needs time to produce them." What? Why? Do they mean edit? Firestorm49 May 2019 #11
There are documents that were footnoted in the final report BumRushDaShow May 2019 #14
... Crepuscular May 2019 #12
If I'm reading this correctly, PRETZEL May 2019 #13
There were several categorizes of material redacted from the publicly-released report. One of those 24601 May 2019 #15
Schiff has said that the Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee have not been briefed csziggy May 2019 #16
right?! So as soon as Comey was gone, Wray just stymies them MadLinguist May 2019 #18
Just another instance of obstruction of justice csziggy May 2019 #19
ok, fine, but they've had 2 months already MadLinguist May 2019 #17
Bravo Sierra... Earth Bound Misfit May 2019 #20
Lucy. Charlie Brown. Football. Grasswire2 May 2019 #21
Some of it may have been stuff that came out of the various trials BumRushDaShow May 2019 #22
They're slow-walking the release of material in the hopes that John Q. Public loses interest... LudwigPastorius May 2019 #23
I think a large percent of "John Q. Public" already believe that BumRushDaShow May 2019 #24
"...good-faith accommodation measures..." GReedDiamond May 2019 #30

Eyeball_Kid

(7,410 posts)
1. Risky, indeed.
Wed May 22, 2019, 09:15 AM
May 2019

Trumpy has a long history of stiffing anyone who displeases him. Schiff is no different. This isn't Barr's decision. It's Trumpy's. So look for some deceit, some treachery. It's always the case with Trumpy.

rainin

(3,010 posts)
2. I assume that "produce the redacted material" means produce the unredacted report.
Wed May 22, 2019, 09:15 AM
May 2019

Better late than never. Beats the circus we'd have trying to fine (or jail) Barr. Hope Barr follows through.

Bettie

(15,998 posts)
3. Does anyone really think that Barr will
Wed May 22, 2019, 09:18 AM
May 2019

produce any more documents? He's just kicking it down the road.

BumRushDaShow

(127,331 posts)
5. He is apparently lazy since he never read the report nor any of the underlying evidence for it
Wed May 22, 2019, 09:26 AM
May 2019

as admitted by him when Kamala Harris questioned him. He relied on the DOJ staff to compile what was handed over and he just added his 2 cents to it.

They will probably provide some of the least controversial stuff at first but I expect none of that will be made public (at least initially).

machoneman

(3,955 posts)
25. No, he will. But the real question is all of them, all totally, 100% unredacted?
Wed May 22, 2019, 04:32 PM
May 2019

What other information will he withhold? Did they fake certain passages by deletion or through out right changes?

Time will tell.........

CanonRay

(14,038 posts)
4. When are they going to learn these people cannot be trusted
Wed May 22, 2019, 09:25 AM
May 2019

it's just another stall, another delay. Enforce the fucking subpoena. Enforce something, for God's sake.

BumRushDaShow

(127,331 posts)
6. They can't go to court to "enforce" anything unless they can show, without a shadow of a doubt
Wed May 22, 2019, 09:29 AM
May 2019

that they did their "due diligence" to come to an agreement before taking more drastic action. Otherwise the courts will throw it back to the Committee and ask why they came to court in the first place when DOJ "claimed" they were seeking an agreement.

machoneman

(3,955 posts)
26. Oh, I disagree! What makes us think Barr, called out of retirement, didn't get a promise of millions
Wed May 22, 2019, 04:35 PM
May 2019

from the Kochs, the Adelson's et al after he gets Trumpy off and Barr then retires? Maybe Barr is dying and the money and legacy (RW scum that he is) he gets IS what he wants?

DeminPennswoods

(15,246 posts)
29. Helping craft a narrative or engaging in some
Wed May 22, 2019, 07:10 PM
May 2019

obstructive behavior is not the same as as having a court officer put the cuffs on you and whisk you away to jail. Even Jr caved when it was obvious he could face real consequences of defying a subpoena. Adelson didn't get rich by giving away his money to help out poor saps who got caught.

BumRushDaShow

(127,331 posts)
9. They have to establish to the courts that they did their "due diligence" if this "agreement" fails.
Wed May 22, 2019, 09:38 AM
May 2019

BumRushDaShow

(127,331 posts)
14. There are documents that were footnoted in the final report
Wed May 22, 2019, 10:14 AM
May 2019

that they want to see (much of it considered the "underlying evidence" ) - e.g., there may have been phone records or copies of email exchanges that were referenced and summarized in the report but not incorporated in it or provided with it).

PRETZEL

(3,245 posts)
13. If I'm reading this correctly,
Wed May 22, 2019, 09:55 AM
May 2019

I think this is the info that is not in the Mueller Report and would relate to the information Mueller gathererd during the course of his investigation that was turned over to the FBI.

If that is the case, I don't see where Barr would have any other choice but to turn it over. I think Barr knows this and this is his way of appeasing the President while at the same time covering his own butt.

24601

(3,940 posts)
15. There were several categorizes of material redacted from the publicly-released report. One of those
Wed May 22, 2019, 10:17 AM
May 2019

categories was classified information.

Since classified information is routinely briefed to House and Senate Select Intelligence Committees, this agreement most likely applies to portions of the report report withheld because the Intelligence Community judged it classified and/or revealing Intelligence Sources and methods.

Given the HPSCI lane in the road, it probably will not will not apply to information from a Grand Jury (6C), that which would compromise ongoing criminal investigations or anything withheld because of privacy of uncharged peripheral people.

csziggy

(34,120 posts)
16. Schiff has said that the Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee have not been briefed
Wed May 22, 2019, 10:40 AM
May 2019

For over two years. I suspect the Trump administration does not want to let the Democratic congress people to know anything about what they are actually doing.

The California congressman told Hayes that despite the statutory requirement that declares the Judiciary Committee be kept informed of significant intelligence and counterintelligence activities, the committee has not been briefed since the firing of FBI Director James Comey over two years ago.
http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/mueller-testimony-going-happen-rep-schiff

MadLinguist

(781 posts)
18. right?! So as soon as Comey was gone, Wray just stymies them
Wed May 22, 2019, 10:55 AM
May 2019

That's some high level skullduggery there

csziggy

(34,120 posts)
19. Just another instance of obstruction of justice
Wed May 22, 2019, 10:56 AM
May 2019

Nothing to see here, according to the Trump administration, just another day of coverups and corruption.

MadLinguist

(781 posts)
17. ok, fine, but they've had 2 months already
Wed May 22, 2019, 10:53 AM
May 2019

How could they not have properly vetted this material by now? In addition, the house intelligence committee members are completely authorized to view classified material and are trained in security and privacy related to such information, so I don't see that as an actual barrier to release either.

To me, this agreement is a face-saving mechanism, designed to continue the pressure build-up. For the DOJ, the agreement is meant to show that *they* are being cooperative, reasonable, etc. I sure hope there is a plan amongst the Dems for exactly how and when the blowout comes blasting onto the public stage.

Grasswire2

(13,564 posts)
21. Lucy. Charlie Brown. Football.
Wed May 22, 2019, 01:24 PM
May 2019

And why would it even take a week to produce the material?

Copy to a thumb drive. Voila.

BumRushDaShow

(127,331 posts)
22. Some of it may have been stuff that came out of the various trials
Wed May 22, 2019, 01:33 PM
May 2019

("underlying evidence" ) and has probably been kept in those U.S. Attorneys offices (D.C., & EDVA, SDNY), which would need to get their staff gathering it to electronically submit.

LudwigPastorius

(8,944 posts)
23. They're slow-walking the release of material in the hopes that John Q. Public loses interest...
Wed May 22, 2019, 04:18 PM
May 2019

in Trump's crimes.

...and, that may work.

BumRushDaShow

(127,331 posts)
24. I think a large percent of "John Q. Public" already believe that
Wed May 22, 2019, 04:27 PM
May 2019

"all" politicians are "corrupt". They often see it at their own local levels as it is. What gets their attention is if some policy is negatively impacting their lives - like this trade war that is about to really escalate and may impact the prices for the "Made in China" stuff they buy from their local Walmarts.

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