Mar 10, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Appeals court rules House can access Mueller grand jury evidence

Fadel Allassan

Robert Mueller. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled 2-1 Tuesday to allow the House to access secret grand jury testimony from special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Why it matters: The decision gives the House a win in a separation-of-powers dispute with the Trump administration, and it's one of many feuds between the administration and Congress that have played out in the courts in recent months.

The state of play: Lawyers for House Democrats argued that the information was crucial to determining whether President Trump lied to the special counsel in written testimony — part of what they claim is a pattern in the president's conduct that was relevant to the impeachment inquiry.

Tuesday's ruling confirms an earlier judgment from U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell, who found that the material could be released in light of the House impeachment inquiry.

What's next: The Justice Department can appeal the ruling.

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Appeals court rules House can access Mueller grand jury evidence

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