Washington (CNN) A federal judge on Friday gave a legal endorsement to the House Democrats' impeachment probe into President Donald Trump and ordered the Justice Department to release grand jury information redacted from special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. In a lengthy opinion, Chief Judge Beryl Howell of the US District Court in Washington, DC, said the House clearly is conducting an impeachment inquiry. The House Judiciary Committee had gone to court seeking information in the Mueller report that is redacted because it came from secret grand jury proceedings. Furthermore, Howell writes, "Impeachment based on anything less than all relevant evidence would compromise the public's faith in the process." It's not clear why the House believes details that would illuminate this answer are hidden by grand jury proceedings.

Source: CNN October 25, 2019 19:48 UTC