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AG Barr Says Hollywood ‘Kowtowing’ to China, Warns U.S. Executives Against Acting as Chinese Foreign Agents (VIDEO)

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Attorney General William Barr said Thursday the Chinese government has achieved a “massive propaganda coup” by shaping the content coming out of Hollywood, while warning U.S. business executives against acting as agents of the communist regime in possible violation of foreign lobbying laws.

Speaking at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library, Barr offered a sober assessment of China’s efforts to “raid” U.S. companies and institutions with a goal of becoming the world’s lone superpower. . .

Barr pointed to the movie “World War Z,” which originally included a scene showing that the origins of a zombie apocalypse originated in China. Paramount Pictures ordered the scene removed from the movie at the request of Chinese authorities.

“This is a massive propaganda coup for the Chinese Communist Party,” Barr said.

“Hollywood is far from alone in kowtowing to the PRC. America’s big tech companies have also allowed themselves to become pawns of Chinese influence.” (Read more from “AG Barr Says Hollywood ‘Kowtowing’ to China, Warns U.S. Executives Against Acting as Chinese Foreign Agents” HERE)

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GOP Lawmakers Urge Attorney General to Defend Couple’s Gun Rights After Firearm Confiscation (VIDEO)

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GOP lawmakers wrote a letter to Attorney General William Barr Friday, urging the protection of the firearm rights of the St. Louis couple that saw their guns confiscated after they went viral for defending their home against demonstrators, according to reports.

Mark and Patricia McCloskey were seen in a video brandishing a M16A2-style rifle and small handgun outside of their home as demonstrators broke through a private gate and encroached on their property line in June. Police executed a search warrant Friday and confiscated the couple’s rifle, and later their pistol, despite not yet filing any known charges against the pair, according to KSDK News.

The dozen Republican congressmen who signed the letter to Barr said the decision to commandeer the family’s guns could leave a “chilling effect” on all Americans, according to Fox News.

“At this crucial time in history, our nation needs the Department of Justice to exert strong leadership to ensure that none of our constitutional protections are eroded by mob rule,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter, according to Fox News. “Charges against this couple will have a chilling effect on the entire nation, sending the message that American citizens no longer have the right to protect themselves at their own homes.”

The signers of the letter were Reps. Louis Gohmert and Brian Babin of Texas, Paul Gozar of Arizona, Andy Harris of Maryland, Mo Brooks of Alabama, Greg Steube of Florida, Alex Mooney of West Virginia, Ted Budd of North Carolina, Steve Watkins of Kansas, Steve King of Iowa, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, and Jody Hice of Georgia, according to Fox. (Read more from “GOP Lawmakers Urge Attorney General to Defend Couple’s Gun Rights After Firearm Confiscation” HERE)

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AG Barr: DOJ Has Over 500 Investigations Into Violent Rioters; Trump Tweets FBI ‘Wanted’ Poster of Suspected Vandals in Damage of Statue

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By The Federalist. United States Attorney General William Barr announced that the Department of Justice is leading over 500 investigations into the destruction caused by riots across the country. Barr explained the reason for the investigations on Sen. Ted Cruz’s podcast “The Verdict.”

“We’ve had scores of indictments so far for such things as arson, destruction of federal property,” Barr said. “We have right now about 500 investigations underway, so it’s picking up pace. We are committed to holding accountable the people who engaged in this.”

Barr explained the reason for the increase in investigations is heavily associated with the lack of response by other levels of government.

“That’s where the burden is right now, on state and local, and in many places, they’re not stepping up to the plate, they’re not doing their job,” said Barr.

Barr also suggested that many of these riots were protests that were infiltrated by “provocateurs and agitators” with some even having associations to Antifa. (Read more from “AG Barr: DOJ Has Over 500 Investigations Into Violent Rioters” HERE)

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Trump Tweets FBI ‘Wanted’ Poster of Suspected Vandals in Damage of Statue

By The Washington Times. President Trump tweeted an FBI “wanted” poster Friday of 15 suspects sought for vandalizing the statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square near the White House.

“MANY people in custody, with many others being sought for Vandalization of Federal Property in Lafayette Park. 10 year prison sentences!” the president said. (Read more from “Trump Tweets FBI ‘Wanted’ Poster of Suspected Vandals in Damage of Statue” HERE)

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Rep. Nadler Preparing to Subpoena AG Barr for Testimony

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The Democratic U.S. representative who leads the House Judiciary Committee is set to subpoena U.S. Attorney General William Barr for testimony early next month, NBC News has confirmed.

Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., is preparing to subpoena testimony on July 2, a committee spokesperson confirmed Monday night.

“We have begun the process to issue that subpoena,” Nadler said on MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show” Monday night. . .

Barr has been criticized in recent days for the abrupt removal of the top prosecutor for the influential Southern District of New York, U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman, over the weekend. (Read more from “Rep. Nadler Preparing to Subpoena AG Barr for Testimony” HERE)

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AG Barr Drops a Bombshell About Durham Probe: ‘Very Troubling’

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Attorney General Bill Barr told Fox News’ Bret Baier in an exclusive interview aired Tuesday that Americans will be able to recognize “some” of the names under investigation as part of U.S. Attorney John Durham’s ongoing probe into federal surveillance abuses — and that he is “very troubled” by “what has been called to” his attention so far.

Barr asserted that despite the coronavirus pandemic, the Durham team “has been working very aggressively to move forward,” and that there “will be public disclosure” of his findings. Part one of Baier’s interview with Barr aired on Monday.

“I think before the election, I think we’re concerned about the motive force behind the very aggressive investigation that was launched into the Trump campaign without, you know, with a very thin, slender reed as a basis for it,” Barr told Baier. “It seemed that the bureau was sort of spring-loaded at the end of July to drive in there and investigate a campaign.”

The Justice Department’s (DOJ’s) watchdog has identified critical errors in every FBI wiretap application that it audited as part of the fallout from the bureau’s heavily flawed investigation into former Trump adviser Carter Page, who was surveilled during the campaign in part because of a largely discredited dossier funded by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

Additionally, an ex-FBI lawyer in that case even falsified a CIA email submitted to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court in order to make Page’s communications with Russians appear nefarious, the DOJ inspector general found. The FBI lawyer, Kevin Clinesmith, was allegedly told by the CIA that Page had reported his Russian contacts and was essentially acting as an informant — only for Clinesmith to allegedly omit that exculpatory information in a surveillance warrant application that framed Page’s communications with Russians as a sign that he was a secret foreign agent. (Read more from “AG Barr Drops a Bombshell About Durham Probe: ‘Very Troubling'” HERE)

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AG Bill Barr Identifies Antifa Activists as Organizers of National Mob Violence, Looting and Arson; 80% of Protesters From Out of State (VIDEO)

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Earlier today U.S. Attorney Bill Barr made a public statement about the George Floyd killing and the opportunistic mob violence that has taken place over the last three days. Within the statement the attorney general correctly identified Antifa as the primary organizing mob behind the riots, looting and mayhem.

[Transcript] – “The greatness of our nation comes from our commitment to the rule of law.

The outrage of our national community about what happened to George Floyd in Minneapolis is real and legitimate. Accountability for his death must be addressed, and is being addressed, through the regular process of our criminal justice system, both at the state and at the federal level. That system is working and moving at exceptional speed. Already initial charges have been filed. That process continues to move forward. Justice will be served.

Unfortunately, with the rioting that is occurring in many of our cities around the country, the voices of peaceful protest are being hijacked by violent radical elements.

Groups of outside radicals and agitators are exploiting the situation to pursue their own separate and violent agenda.

In many places, it appears the violence is planned, organized, and driven by anarchistic and far left extremists, using Antifa-like tactics, many of whom travel from out of state to promote the violence.

We must have law and order on our streets and in our communities, and it is the responsibility of the local and state leadership, in the first instance, to halt this violence. The Department of Justice (including the FBI, Marshals, ATF, and DEA), and all of our 93 U.S. Attorneys across the country, will support these local efforts and take all action necessary to enforce federal law.

In that regard, it is a federal crime to cross state lines or to use interstate facilities to incite or participate in violent rioting. We will enforce these laws.” (link)

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said Saturday the majority of the people causing destruction in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul are “outsiders.”

According to Walz, an estimated roughly 80% of the people acting violently and destroying businesses are from outside the state. “Our best estimate right now that I heard is about 20%, is what we think are Minnesotans, and about 80% are outside,” he said.

The governor said he believes Minnesota residents were the catalyst for protests, but that the situation has since evolved and grown violent. (link) Additionally, the mayor of St. Paul noted that every person arrested last night was from out of town.

(For more from the author of “AG Bill Barr Identifies Antifa Activists as Organizers of National Mob Violence, Looting and Arson” please click HERE)

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Attorney General Barr Has Become Trump’s Religious Liberty Enforcer

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When President Trump announced Friday that he would “override” governors who did not adopt his new guidelines for the reopening of churches, critics were quick to question if he had that authority.

Reporters in the White House pressroom hammered press secretary Kayleigh McEnany about whether or not Trump could legally act upon his threats. McEnany appeared to walk back the president’s words, suggesting that Trump would only “strongly encourage” governors to comply. It seemed to work: Over Memorial Day weekend, California, Minnesota, and Vermont, three of the five states still upholding complete bans on church services, relaxed their restrictions.

These results were a needed win for Trump, whose approval rating with many faith groups has slipped in the past month, partly because of his inconsistent attitude on churches remaining open during the coronavirus pandemic. And it’s a win Trump wouldn’t have scored without his dedicated enforcer on religious liberty issues: Attorney General William Barr.

Even before churches began suing states for alleged First Amendment violations, Barr was already sensing the coming fight over church closures. While Trump urged people to stay home for Easter, Barr said he was “very concerned” that churches were being given the short shrift in the rush to lock down the country. (Read more from “Attorney General Barr Has Become Trump’s Religious Liberty Enforcer” HERE)

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Barr Warns States Not to Go ‘Too Far’ in Stay-At-Home Orders, Threatens Legal Action

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Attorney General Bill Barr, in a new interview on Tuesday, characterized some state ‘stay-at-home’ restrictions amid the pandemic as “disturbingly close to house arrest” and said the Justice Department will consider legal action if governors start to take restrictions on movement and civil liberties ‘too far.’

“These are unprecedented burdens on civil liberties right now. You know, the idea that you have to stay in your house is disturbingly close to house arrest,” Barr told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. “I’m not saying it wasn’t justified. I’m not saying in some places it might still be justified.”

In the interview, Barr also lavished praise on President Donald Trump’s handling of the crisis and cautioned that the department would be watching governors who don’t follow the latest federal guidance on phased reopenings for certain parts of the economy.

“I think the president’s guidance has been, as I say, superb and very common sensical, and I think a lot of the governors are following that,” Barr said. “And you know, to the extent that governors don’t and impinge on either civil rights or on the national commerce, our common market that we have here, then we’ll have to address that.” . . .

Last week, the Justice Department filed a statement of interest in support of a Mississippi church whose members were fined after attending a drive-thru church service, a penalty the department argued was imposed unfairly on the church versus other commercial activities that were occurring in the community. (Read more from “Barr Warns States Not to Go ‘Too Far’ in Stay-At-Home Orders, Threatens Legal Action” HERE)

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DOJ: ‘Expect Action’ to Protect Churches From Tyrannical Local ‘Social Distancing’ Orders

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On Saturday, Department of Justice (DOJ) spokeswoman Kerri Kupec announced that Attorney General William Barr would take action to protect churches from tyrannical local government orders that destroy their religious freedom.

“During this sacred week for many Americans, AG Barr is monitoring govt regulation of religious services,” Kupec tweeted. “While social distancing policies are appropriate during this emergency, they must be applied evenhandedly & not single out religious orgs. Expect action from DOJ next week!”

This statement follows a week of legal clashes as Democratic mayors have explicitly banned drive-in church services where parishioners remain apart in their cars with the windows up. Police in the city of Greenville, Miss., have slapped worshipers with $500 fines and mobbed a drive-in service, apparently aiming to prevent attendance. . .

“Government is clearly overstepping its authority when it singles out churches for punishment, especially in a ridiculous fashion like this,” Ryan Taylor, director of the Center for Christian Ministries at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) said in a statement. ADF is representing Scott in a lawsuit against the leaders of Greenville. “In Greenville, you can be in your car at a drive-in restaurant, but you can’t be in your car at a drive-in church service. That’s not only nonsensical, it’s unconstitutional, too.”

On Thursday, police mobbed King James Bible Baptist Church, near Temple Baptist Church, just as Pastor Charles E. Hamilton Jr. was preparing for a service. Hamilton responded by preaching Romans 13, condemning a tyrannical government that does not exercise its God-given authority to punish evil, but rather punishes good. He also cited Acts 5:26-29, when Peter refuses a command to stop preaching the name of Jesus, saying, “We are to obey God rather than man.” (Read more from “DOJ: ‘Expect Action’ to Protect Churches From Tyrannical Local ‘Social Distancing’ Orders” HERE)

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Barr Says Evidence From Durham Investigation Is ‘Far More Troubling’ Than Mistakes or Sloppiness; AG Says Investigation Was to ‘Sabotage’ President Trump

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By Washington Examiner. Attorney General William Barr shed new light on U.S. Attorney John Durham’s review of the Russia investigation.

He told Fox News host Laura Ingraham that Connecticut’s top federal prosecutor is unearthing troubling evidence and vowed prosecutions if laws were broken and a case can be made.

“My own view is that the evidence shows that we’re not dealing with just mistakes or sloppiness. There is something far more troubling here, and we’re going to get to the bottom of it. And if people broke the law, and we can establish that with the evidence, they will be prosecuted,” Barr said in the segment of the interview that aired Thursday evening.

Durham was appointed last year by Barr to investigate the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation and to review possible misconduct by federal law enforcement and intelligence officials. The review upgraded into a criminal investigation in the fall, giving the prosecutor the power to impanel a grand jury and hand down indictments. The attorney general told Durham to focus just as much on the time period after the 2016 election as before it.

“He is looking to bring to justice people who are engaged in abuses if he can show that they were criminal violations, and that’s what the focus is on,” Barr said. “And as you know, being a lawyer you yourself, building these cases — especially the kinds of sprawling case we have between us that went on for two or three years here — it takes some time — it takes some time to build the case. So, he’s diligently pursuing it.” (Read more from “Barr Says Evidence From Durham Investigation Is ‘Far More Troubling’ Than Mistakes or Sloppiness” HERE)

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Barr Claims Trump-Russia Investigation Was FBI Attempt to ‘Sabotage’ the President

By The Guardian. William Barr has said without evidence that he believes the Russia investigation that shadowed Donald Trump for the first two years of his administration was started without any basis and amounted to an effort to “sabotage the presidency”, he said in an interview with Fox News Channel that aired on Thursday.

The attorney general offered no support for his assertion that the FBI lacked a basis for opening the investigation and made no mention of the fact that the bureau began its investigation after a Trump campaign adviser purported to have early knowledge that Russia had dirt on his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton.

Barr, who has appointed a US attorney to scrutinize the origins of the Russia investigation, said the justice department has evidence there was “something far more troubling” than just mistakes during the investigation that was eventually taken over by special counsel Robert Mueller. (Read more from “Barr Claims Trump-Russia Investigation Was FBI Attempt to ‘Sabotage’ the President” HERE)

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