Barr offered 6 Democrats a less redacted Mueller report. They didn't look at it.
Ahead of his Wednesday Senate and Thursday House testimonies about the report, Attorney General William Barr offered to let six Democrats and six Republicans see parts of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report the general public didn't, Politico reports. Yet despite Democrats' constant demands for Barr to release more of the report to the public, only two Republicans took advantage of that.
The top four members of both the House and Senate Judiciary committees were offered the less redacted report, as were House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). Only Senate Judiciary Chair Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and House Judiciary Ranking Member Doug Collins (R-Ga.) actually looked at it, with both telling Politico it didn't "change" any of their feelings from the first report.
Barr offered up the less redacted report at Justice Department headquarters last week, and also would let lawmakers choose one staffer to see it too, per Politico. The report moved to a secure room on Capitol Hill this week. McConnell has said he'd likely go look on Thursday and McCarthy said he was "satisfied' with the redacted report, but no Democrats gave Politico explanations for holding out.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In Barr's Wednesday testimony, Graham acknowledged again that he'd seen the confidential version of the report, though he said he hadn't "read it all." Given that grand jury information still remains redacted even in the confidential version that top lawmakers could've seen, no one really has.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
5 hilariously spirited cartoons about the spirit of Christmas
Cartoons Artists take on excuses, pardons, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Inside the house of Assad
The Explainer Bashar al-Assad and his father, Hafez, ruled Syria for more than half a century but how did one family achieve and maintain power?
By The Week UK Published
-
Sudoku medium: December 22, 2024
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Putin says Russia isn't weakened by Syria setback
Speed Read Russia had been one of the key backers of Syria's ousted Assad regime
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Georgia DA Fani Willis removed from Trump case
Speed Read Willis had been prosecuting the election interference case against the president-elect
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Democrats blame 'President Musk' for looming shutdown
Speed Read The House of Representatives rejected a spending package that would've funding the government into 2025
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump, Musk sink spending bill, teeing up shutdown
Speed Read House Republicans abandoned the bill at the behest of the two men
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Congress reaches spending deal to avert shutdown
Speed Read The bill would fund the government through March 14, 2025
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Luigi Mangione charged with murder, terrorism
Speed Read Magnione is accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Ex-FBI informant pleads guilty to lying about Bidens
Speed Read Alexander Smirnov claimed that President Joe Biden and his son Hunter were involved in a bribery scheme with Ukrainian energy company Burisma
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
South Korea impeaches president, eyes charges
Speed Read Yoon Suk Yeol faces investigations on potential insurrection and abuse of power charges
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published