Barr defies Congress

Attorney General William Barr rebuffed Democrats’ demands that he turn over special counsel Robert Mueller's full report and all of its underlying evidence to Congress, telling lawmakers on Tuesday that he’ll release a redacted version of the report “within a week.”

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The attorney general also said lawmakers had no inherent authority to review Mueller’s sensitive grand jury evidence, adding that he does not intend to ask a court to authorize the release of grand jury evidence to Congress.

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Barr called the version he intends to release in the coming days a “first pass” and said he’ll work with House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) and his Senate counterpart Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) if they want to view some of the redacted areas of the report.

Nadler fired back at Barr via Twitter, writing: “Congress is—as a matter of law—entitled to each of the categories AG Barr proposed to redact from the Special Counsel’s report.”

Last week, the House Judiciary Committee authorized Nadler to issue a subpoena for the full Mueller report. Nadler has said he expects to use the subpoena in the coming days under the expectation that Barr will not provide the committee with enough information.

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During his testimony — which was ostensibly focused on the Justice Department’s budget — Barr said he was working with Mueller to identify sensitive information that should be redacted — including grand jury evidence, classified material and information relevant to ongoing investigations — before he submits the report. He said the process was “going along very well” and that he would explain using a color-coded system why each redaction was made.

  Politico

So Trump can understand it? I hope he's not using colors that can be confused by color-blind people.

Barr acknowledged [members of Mueller’s team's] frustrations, telling Rep. Charlie Crist (D-Fla.): “I suspect that they probably wanted more put out.”

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The attorney general said he gave Mueller and his prosecutors an opportunity to review his four-page summary of the report before it was released to the public last month. Barr said Mueller declined to review it in advance.

He's done, isn't he? Pretty much just washed his hands of the matter.

Barr bristled when he was pressed for additional details by Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.). Asked whether the White House had been briefed on any aspect of the report, Barr said: “I’ve said what I’m going to say about the report today.”

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Lowey, the chairwoman of the full Appropriations Committee, used her opening statement to hone in on what she called Barr’s “unacceptable handling” of the report. “All we have is your four-page summary letter, which seems to cherry pick from the report to draw the most favorable conclusion possible for the president,” Lowey said.

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“I’ve already laid out the process going forward to release these reports hopefully within a week,” he said. “I’m not going to say anything more about it until the report is out.”

It's my understanding that when Congress asks you a question you either answer it or you take the fifth. I don't think you get to say you're done for the day. But things have changed since Trump took the oval office.

Barr is slated to testify before the House and Senate Judiciary panels in early May specifically about his handling of the Mueller report.

I bet he doesn't get snippy with them.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.