According to documents uploaded by the New York Times, President Donald Trump's administration is asking the Supreme Court not to release any of the grand jury information from special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe.
"The government also respectfully requests an administrative stay while the Court considers this application," the filing to the high court says.
It's an interesting twist given that Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) has called for the House to release all of the documents involved in the Russia probe hearings. Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) also supports the release. It didn't stop Nunes from taking to Fox News Thursday to make a public demand for the documents.
“Schiff himself voted to release these transcripts and claims he wants them out,” Nunes said. “There’s no reason he can’t publish them all today—except that he really doesn’t want the American people to see how little evidence there ever was for the Russian collusion hoax he advocated and continues to advocate.”
Prior to the release of the information, acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell told Schiff they must review the documents for classified redactions and declassification.
“After more than a year of unnecessary delay, the ODNI has finally concluded its protracted classification review of the committee’s transcripts, and it also appears the White House has now abandoned its improper insistence on reviewing key transcripts, which the committee appropriately rejected,” the House Intelligence Committee spokesman said.
The letter from the solicitor general makes the case that there are other cases in which secret grand jury information has been blocked and that the Supreme Court should grant it in this case. Grand jury proceedings are generally secret.
"Accordingly, this Court should stay the mandate of the court of appeals pending the timely filing and disposition of the government's petition for a writ of certiorari and any further proceedings in this Court. In addition, because the court of appeals will issue its mandate on May 11, 2020, this Court should issue an administrative stay while it considers this application," the filing says.
It's unknown why the administration is against the release of the grand jury information but Trump allies are campaigning for the release of other information.
