WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Robert Mueller testifies at a Senate Judiciary Hearing focusing on the attempted bombing incident on Northwest Flight 253 January 20, 2009 in Washington, DC. The committee's goal is to improve the effectiveness of anti-terrorism tools and inter-agency communication in an attempt to increase airline safety after the attempted Christmas bombing of the flight.Ann Heisenfelt/Getty ImagesThis story is breaking. Check back for updates.
The Justice Department agreed Monday to begin complying with a congressional subpoena for the unredacted Mueller report and its underlying evidence.
The move came one day before House Democrats were preparing to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress for refusing to meet their demands.House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler's office said in a statement that the DOJ will begin turning over key evidence related to the former special counsel Robert Mueller's obstruction-of-justice case to the committee on Monday. The documents will be made available to all members of the judiciary committee.
"These documents will allow us to perform our constitutional duties and decide how to respond to the allegations laid out against the President by the Special Counsel," Nadler said in his statement.
"Given our conversations with the Department, I will hold the criminal contempt process in abeyance for now," he added. "We have agreed to allow the Department time to demonstrate compliance with this agreement. If the Department proceeds in good faith and we are able to obtain everything that we need, then there will be no need to take further steps."
But he noted that if the department withholds "important information" from the committee, lawmakers will have "no choice but to enforce our subpoena in court and consider other remedies."