There will be two versions of the redacted special counsel report, with one being released to the public and one that will eventually go to a limited number of members of Congress with fewer redactions, the Justice Department said Wednesday.
Some of the redactions in the Mueller report will be because of the gag order in the case involving Republican activist Roger Stone, they wrote. Prosecutors say they are making these redactions so not to potentially prejudice a jury, since Stone has pleaded not guilty to the charges he faces and is headed to trial.
In a court filing related to the Stone case, prosecutors outlined a careful plan to prevent leaks of the less-redacted version the Justice Department plans to provide to Congress.
First, prosecutors will "secure" the less-redacted version -- suggesting it won't be available immediately. They will also keep it in an "appropriate setting" and limit its access to only some members of Congress and their staff.
If Congress wants copies of the less-redacted version, prosecutors may want to ask a federal judge for permission before giving it to them, prosecutors wrote on Wednesday.
