U.S. Attorney General William Barr speaks at a news conference to discuss Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential race, in Washington, U.S., April 18, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General William Barr said on Thursday that most of the redactions made to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia report ahead of its release were made to prevent harm to ongoing legal matters.

Barr said that none of the redactions were made due to executive privilege, a legal doctrine that allows the president to withhold information from other government branches. Barr also said that the U.S. Congress will receive a less redacted version of the report on Thursday than the one released to the public.