Judge: Justice must give House Mueller grand jury evidence

A judge on Friday ordered the Justice Department to give the House secret grand jury testimony from special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, handing a victory to Democrats who want it for the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump.

Chief US District Judge Beryl Howell ordered the department to turn over the materials by October 30. A Justice Department spokeswoman said it was reviewing the decision.

The material covered by Howell's order includes redacted grand jury material mentioned in Mueller's report, which is the only piece of the document that Democrats have yet to see.

In a 75-page ruling accompanying the order, Howell slashed through many of the administration's arguments for withholding materials from Congress. While the Justice Department said it couldn't provide grand jury material under existing law, "DOJ is wrong," she wrote. And while the White House and its Republican allies argued impeachment is illegitimate without a formal vote, she later added, "A House resolution has never, in fact, been required."