The Supreme Court agreed this morning to consider the Trump administration’s appeal of a lower court’s decision compelling the U.S. Department of Justice to give Congress documents from former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
The case is cited as Department of Justice v. House Committee on the Judiciary. As is its custom, the Supreme Court did not provide reasons for its decision to review the March 10 ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit that ordered the Justice Department to produce the documents.
At least four of the nine sitting justices would have had to vote to hear the case for review to have been granted. The petition for certiorari, or review, was filed June 1 by U.S. Solicitor General Noel Francisco after the high court put a hold on an appeals court ruling May 8.
Oral arguments in the case are not expected to be heard before the Supreme Court’s new term begins this October, probably denying House Democrats the opportunity to access the grand jury materials before Election Day. President Donald Trump is currently campaigning for reelection against presumptive Democratic Party nominee and former vice president, Joe Biden.
Grand jury materials are generally kept secret but the documents are being sought by the House Judiciary Committee, which has reportedly indicated it is continuing to investigate Trump for possibly impeachable offenses.
In its filings with the Supreme Court, the Justice Department argued the high court had to act because the House had not indicated it “urgently needs these materials for any ongoing impeachment investigation.”
Earlier this year, the president was impeached by the House of Representatives, purportedly for putting pressure on Ukraine to investigate Biden. Trump was later acquitted by the Senate.
The 448-page report released in April last year by Mueller “stopped short” of arriving at conclusions about Trump’s conduct, the appeals court previously stated.
This is a developing story. This article will be updated later today.
From The Epoch Times
