• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents

2

Peter Thiel and other tech billionaires are publicly shielding their children from the products that made them rich

3

A Trump Account could make your kid a millionaire by 45—but financial experts say the app's projections come with a catch

1

The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents

2

Peter Thiel and other tech billionaires are publicly shielding their children from the products that made them rich

3

A Trump Account could make your kid a millionaire by 45—but financial experts say the app's projections come with a catch
LeadershipPolitics

If the Full Mueller Report Is Released, Here’s What You’ll Actually See

By
Renae Reints
Renae Reints
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Renae Reints
Renae Reints
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 3, 2019, 12:04 PM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Attorney General William Barr says the redacted report from the special counsel investigation will be publicly available “within a week,” but the public will only be able to read what’s left after the redactions.

According to Barr’s March 29 letter to Congress, there are four categories of information that must not be made public: grand jury matters, compromising intelligence, ongoing investigations, and the privacy and reputation of third parties.

While much of this information is typical for redactions, Barr will have to balance removing the necessary information with maintaining the public’s trust. If he redacts a significant amount, those suspicious of President Donald Trump might believe Barr is trying to hide potentially damaging information.

“I don’t think you could possibly compare anything ever in the history of American jurisprudence to this in terms of what the guidelines are for what should be redacted and what shouldn’t be,” said criminal defense attorney Jeffrey Chabrowe, formerly a prosecutor at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.

The grand jury information must remain secret under the Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 6(e), which places restrictions on the disclosure of matters occurring before a grand jury. Congress, while itself not an exception to the rule, can still obtain the documents in select situations for legislative purposes. The public, however, is not privy to this information.

Barr’s second category of confidential information—”material the intelligence community identifies as potentially compromising sensitive sources and methods”—is more vague. Without seeing the Mueller report, it’s difficult to glean what kind of information this could entail. Being that Mueller was investigating the Russian interference in the 2016 election, however, it’s possible there are elements to the report the intelligence community would want kept secret.

The ongoing investigations could be the largest category leading to redactions, said Chabrowe. As Mueller wrapped up his probe, he referred countless investigations to other offices: the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of New York, the Eastern District of Virginia, and the District of Columbia have each taken over various investigations or sentencing.

In terms of redacting this information, “it becomes more beneficial for them to acknowledge that there are many more ongoing investigations,” argued Chabrowe.

“The more so they acknowledge that, the more so that they can redact certain things as being pertinent to an ongoing investigation,” he continued. “If it’s heavily redacted and that’s what’s going to be published, then Trump is in a good position to be like, ‘See, there’s nothing here.'”

Chabrowe added that there may be investigations the public doesn’t even know about, which will likely be the most heavily redacted. Regardless, he says, Barr will be “given a lot of leeway” in this area: if anyone later accuses him of over-redacting to protect the president, Barr can justifiably argue he was attempting to protect ongoing investigations.

Barr’s final category for redaction is “information that would unduly infringe on the personal privacy and reputational interests of peripheral third parties.” This could refer to names and identifying attributes of players who were a part of the investigation in some way, but were not themselves involved with any crimes.

Barr’s brief summary of the investigation for Congress says Mueller issued more than 2,800 subpoenas, executed almost 500 search warrants, and interviewed about 500 witnesses. The report itself is nearly 400 pages long, and according to Barr, it lays out Mueller’s “findings, his analysis, and the reasons for his conclusions.”

Whatever he eventually releases to the public, Chabrowe said, “It has to be something intelligible where when you’re reading it, you can actually read it from beginning to end.” He referenced a time he received a redacted document that was practically “10 black pieces of paper.”

Congress wants the full report, and the public wants as much as possible. According to a recent NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll, 75% of Americans want the full Mueller report released—including 54% of Republicans.

Mueller may have some input on the redactions, but as attorney general, Barr has the final say.

About the Author
By Renae Reints
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

TIAA’s CEO shares her advice for separating your personal identity from your title
C-SuiteNext to Lead
TIAA’s CEO shares her advice for separating your personal identity from your title
By Ruth UmohJuly 13, 2026
1 hour ago
Why corporate strategy is moving to the CFO’s office
AICFO Daily
Why corporate strategy is moving to the CFO’s office
By Sheryl EstradaJuly 13, 2026
2 hours ago
The escalating U.S.–Iran war is rewriting the CEO playbook again
NewslettersCEO Daily
The escalating U.S.–Iran war is rewriting the CEO playbook again
By Diane BradyJuly 13, 2026
4 hours ago
‘Without our money, people will struggle’: Muangthai Capital’s new CEO Parithad Petampai defends the role of microfinance in Thailand
AsiaThailand
‘Without our money, people will struggle’: Muangthai Capital’s new CEO Parithad Petampai defends the role of microfinance in Thailand
By Angelica AngJuly 13, 2026
6 hours ago
DOJ investigating allegations against UAW President Shawn Fain
LawDepartment of Justice
DOJ investigating allegations against UAW President Shawn Fain
By David Welch and BloombergJuly 12, 2026
16 hours ago
Volkswagen’s CEO suggests ‘more intelligent solutions than closing plants’ amid turnaround effort and touts cost cuts
C-SuiteAutos
Volkswagen’s CEO suggests ‘more intelligent solutions than closing plants’ amid turnaround effort and touts cost cuts
By The Associated PressJuly 12, 2026
22 hours ago

Most Popular

The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents
Innovation
The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 12, 2026
1 day ago
Peter Thiel and other tech billionaires are publicly shielding their children from the products that made them rich
Big Tech
Peter Thiel and other tech billionaires are publicly shielding their children from the products that made them rich
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 12, 2026
1 day ago
A Trump Account could make your kid a millionaire by 45—but financial experts say the app's projections come with a catch
Personal Finance
A Trump Account could make your kid a millionaire by 45—but financial experts say the app's projections come with a catch
By Sydney LakeJuly 12, 2026
1 day ago
Wyoming officials say Meta’s 715,000-square-foot data center is responsible for contaminating its water system with a rare bacterium
Environment
Wyoming officials say Meta’s 715,000-square-foot data center is responsible for contaminating its water system with a rare bacterium
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 10, 2026
3 days ago
The U.S. and Iran can't agree on fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The solution could be straight out of the Old Testament
Middle East
The U.S. and Iran can't agree on fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The solution could be straight out of the Old Testament
By Jason MaJuly 11, 2026
2 days ago
A Yale professor says America is now an 'oldigarchy'—and Boomers on LinkedIn are enraged
Crypto
A Yale professor says America is now an 'oldigarchy'—and Boomers on LinkedIn are enraged
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 12, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.