Excellent post. Anyone who is familiar with how the DOJ works knows that all formal reporting is designed to be internal to the DOJ. Even a special counsel like Robert Mueller doesn’t issue a public report. His report is sent to the AG and to the appropriate committees in Congress. In Mueller’s case, AG Barr took the unusual step of releasing it to the public ... probably because he knew damn well that it would be selectively leaked by Congress anyway.
Yes, that and the public reading of Comey's findings on the Hillary investigation, via a press conference, no less, had people thinking the rules don't matter much any more.
I’m with you guys. Been driving me nuts, too. There was a brief discussion of this when Mueller’s report issued. Not so much that it would be leaked, but the political pressure to release would have been irresistible. Since, as you know, it was to be the smoking gun, beginning of the end, walls closing in, etc etc