The GOP House members have been threatening charges of contempt of Congress against both Rod Rosenstein and Jeff Sessions over the document Rosenstein used to give Robert Mueller the authority to investigate Russian collusion. At the first look, it appears to be surrender but there is another possibility. Judge TS Ellis has ordered Mueller to produce an unredacted copy of the document. If that document has legitimate security concerns it will remain hidden, but if it doesn’t, the judge plans to give it to Paul Manafort and his lawyers. It would be extremely bad optics if the DOJ withheld the document from Congress and a private citizen could read and review it.
Just last week, Congress was able to get other redacted copies of documents, one of which showed it was not redacted over national security concerns but to protect James Comey from perjury charges. Once was very bad but to do the same in such an important document could lead to charges against those who hid the information under false pretenses.
Both Rep Devin Nunes and Rep Trey Gowdy have been invited to the DOJ for a classified briefing on the charging document. This document is taking on great importance because it details to Robert Mueller what the parameters of his investigation is. Judge Ellis believes that Robert Mueller may have far exceeded that. But what if he didn’t? The only way that is possible is if Rosenstein overstepped the Special Counsel Act which requires the person who is appointing a special counsel to be specific in what the counsel is allowed to investigate. If he did go beyond what the law prescribes the special counsel could be dissolved.
Although Nunes and Gowdy cannot talk specifically about the document, they could tell us if they think the orders are legitimate or not. We could know by Thursday night.
Fox News reported:
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes and House Oversight Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy have been invited to the Justice Department Thursday for a classified briefing about Nunes’ latest requests for classified information related to the Russia investigation, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.
Fox News has learned this is a direct result of a meeting at the White House on Tuesday between Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, his deputy Ed O’Callahan and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly.
Rosenstein had been on official travel in New York but raced back to Washington for the meeting.
A source familiar with the situation tells Fox News that after the meeting the three held a speakerphone call with Nunes and Gowdy and told the lawmakers the DOJ would work with them in an effort to get them the information they have been seeking.