Dems seeking Mueller info say White House wants to 'run out the clock' on impeachment

House Democrats seeking redacted grand jury information from former special counsel Robert MuellerRobert (Bob) Swan MuellerGowdy: I ‘100 percent’ still believe public congressional hearings are ‘a circus’ Comey: Mueller ‘didn’t succeed in his mission because there was inadequate transparency’ Fox News legal analyst says Trump call with Ukraine leader could be ‘more serious’ than what Mueller ‘dragged up’ MORE’s investigation argued in a court filing Friday that the White House’s perceived stonewalling in the case is an effort to “run out the clock on impeachment.”

The Trump administration and Democratic-led House Judiciary Committee are locked in a tense legal fight over access to grand jury materials from Mueller’s probe, details that Democrats say are critical to the impeachment inquiry against President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump singles in on ‘Sleepy Joe Biden’ at campaign rally Trump at rally says impeachment an ‘attack on democracy itself’ GOP lawmaker says House impeachment rules vote ‘doesn’t change anything for me’ MORE.

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The Department of Justice (DOJ), representing the White House, has asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to continue shielding the documents while the court considers the legal issues at hand.

But House Democrats, who have pushed for the materials to be released as quickly as possible, accused the White House of engaging in legal posturing designed to drag out the battle to gain a political advantage.

“The public interest would be irreparably harmed if DOJ succeeds in running out the clock on impeachment through obstruction and delay,” lawyers for the House Judiciary Committee told the appeals court in their Friday filing.

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The impeachment inquiry may ultimately cover some of the same ground that Mueller explored in his nearly two-year investigation, including Trump’s possible obstruction of justice and his campaign’s interactions with Russia during the 2016 election.

So far, Democrats have spent much of the past several weeks hearing from various current and former Trump administration officials over the president’s dealings with Ukraine, including his push for the country to launch politically charged investigations.

Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiTrump at rally says impeachment an ‘attack on democracy itself’ GOP lawmaker says House impeachment rules vote ‘doesn’t change anything for me’ Overnight Health Care: Warren unveils ‘Medicare for All’ funding plan | Warren says plan won’t raise middle class taxes | Rivals question claims | Biden camp says plan will hit ‘American workers’ | Trump taps cancer doctor Stephen Hahn for FDA chief MORE (D-Calif.) has said the chamber has no particular timeline for the inquiry, and told Bloomberg on Friday she expects public hearings to begin this month. The White House, meanwhile, said it’s prepared for Trump to be impeached.

Mueller’s 448-page report on his investigation into Russian election meddling and the Trump campaign in 2016 contains redacted passages detailing information obtained from grand jury proceedings, but redactions may be lifted for lawmakers upon a judicial order.

Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, who was appointed by former President Obama, ruled in favor of Democrats last week. The Justice Department, on behalf of the White House, has appealed that ruling.