House Democrats win court case to see Mueller's grand jury evidence

Here comes another two wins for impeachment Democrats.

Washington's top federal judge ruled Friday that the House should get to see the previously withheld grand jury evidence from ex-Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. The Justice Department will have to hand over the evidence by Oct. 30, Judge Beryl Howell ruled Friday — along with issuing a ruling in favor of Democrats' impeachment inquiry.

House Democrats sued the DOJ for access to the redacted Mueller evidence in July, but the White House counsel's office has held out so far. Howell's ruling to force the DOJ's cooperation will ensure Democrats don't have to "redo the nearly two years of effort spent on the special counsel’s investigation, nor risk being misled by witnesses," she wrote in her decision.

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Howell also struck down Republican arguments that the House's impeachment inquiry requires a chamber vote to be legitimate. "Even in cases of presidential impeachment, a House resolution has never, in fact, been required to begin an impeachment inquiry," Howell wrote in her ruling.

The two wins continue a long streak of progress for impeachment Democrats, though they have been hindered by White House officials who've been barred from testifying before House committees.