Huh. So it turns out there's another report that has to be made at the conclusion of the Mueller investigation -- namely, that AG William Barr has to provide Congress with a listing of every instance where Robert Mueller’s supervisors told him “no.”
That should be informative! Via Politico:
The reporting requirement is tucked into the department regulations that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein used when he appointed Mueller. No matter what the memo says, it’s expected to be one of the few items on a fast track for being made public that will be closely scrutinized for insights into the inner workings of the special counsel’s tight-lipped investigation.
Barr’s report could very well end up being blank, which itself would be a telling reveal that gives President Donald Trump and the leaders of the Justice Department he appointed tangible proof that the special counsel was allowed to carry out his investigation without interference.
By contrast, a report that includes explosive revelations detailing instances in which Mueller clashed with his department supervisors — say, over a subpoena for the president or an indictment against a top Trump aide or family member — would open a road map for Democratic lawmakers who have already begun their own investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 elections, as well as the president’s conduct since taking office.
The report will be delivered to the Democratic and Republican leaders of the House and Senate judiciary committees as Mueller shuts down his investigation.
But all the special counsel himself is required to do under department regulations is give a confidential report to Barr detailing whom he has prosecuted and whom he declined to bring charges against. It’s then up to the attorney general to make anything from Mueller’s work public, and the most Barr has said on the topic is a vow during his Senate confirmation hearing to release a summary document.
According to the Politico story, the reporting requirement probably deterred Trump and his cronies at Justice from interfering with Mueller. The story quotes Matthew Axelrod, a former Justice Department official under Obama: “If you know that on the back end you’re going to have to justify yourself to Congress, it has a good deterrent effect of preventing anyone from maybe squashing something the special counsel wanted to do."
