A letter sent from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to Senate Republicans last June may provide a road map for the remainder of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation.
ABC News reported that the letter, which had not yet been publicized until Thursday, quotes now-Attorney General Bill Barr, who previously appointed three special counsels when he was attorney general under President George H.W. Bush.
In the letter, Rosenstein argued that the Justice Department cannot and should not include in a special counsel report "disparaging or incriminating information about anybody who has not been charged with a crime."
"Punishing wrongdoers through judicial proceedings is only one part of the Department's mission," the deputy AG wrote. "We also have a duty to prevent the disclosure of information that would unfairly tarnish people who are not charged with crimes."
"In fact, disclosing uncharged allegations against American citizens without a law-enforcement need is considered to be a violation of a prosecutor's trust," Rosenstein added.
Sources close to the Mueller investigation told ABC that they believe no more indictments will come down from the special counsel's office before his investigation is over.