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Barr: Obama Probe of Trump Launched ‘Without Any Basis’ (VIDEO)

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The Obama administration’s counter-intelligence investigation of the 2016 Trump campaign was launched “without any basis,” charged Attorney General William Barr in an interview to air Thursday night.

“What happened to him was one of the greatest travesties in American history,” he told the Fox News Channel’s Laura Ingraham.

“Without any basis, they started this investigation of his campaign,” he said.

But “even more concerning,” the attorney general said, “is what happened after the campaign “to sabotage the presidency.”

(Read more from “Barr: Obama Probe of Trump Launched ‘Without Any Basis’ (VIDEO)” HERE)

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More Than 1,100 Former DOJ Staffers Call on AG Barr to Resign

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More than 1,100 former Department of Justice alumni signed a petition calling on Attorney General William Barr to resign. They take issue with the fact that he instructed the U.S. Attorney’s Office to reverse their recommendation for Roger Stone to serve between seven and nine years in prison. According to the petition, Barr did not uphold the department’s principle of “apply[ing] the law equally to all Americans.”

We, the undersigned, are alumni of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) who have collectively served both Republican and Democratic administrations. Each of us strongly condemns President Trump’s and Attorney General Barr’s interference in the fair administration of justice.

“This obligation flows directly from the Constitution, and it is embedded in countless rules and laws governing the conduct of DOJ lawyers. The Justice Manual — the DOJ’s rulebook for its lawyers — states that ‘the rule of law depends on the evenhanded administration of justice’; that the Department’s legal decisions ‘must be impartial and insulated from political influence’; and that the Department’s prosecutorial powers, in particular, must be ‘exercised free from partisan consideration,'” the petition stated.

“Although there are times when political leadership appropriately weighs in on individual prosecutions, it is unheard of for the Department’s top leaders to overrule line prosecutors, who are following established policies, in order to give preferential treatment to a close associate of the President, as Attorney General Barr did in the Stone case,” the petition said. “It is even more outrageous for the Attorney General to intervene as he did here — after the President publicly condemned the sentencing recommendation that line prosecutors had already filed in court.”

Those who signed the petition feel that President Trump has interfered with department policies and “gravely damaged the Department’s credibility.”

(Read more from “More Than 1,100 Former DOJ Staffers Call on AG Barr to Resign” HERE)

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Barr Blasts Trump Over Tweets About Roger Stone Case

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By Daily Caller. In a surprising rebuke Thursday, Attorney General William Barr criticized President Donald Trump’s tweets about Roger Stone’s case and other Justice Department matters.

“I think it’s time to stop the tweeting about Department of Justice criminal cases,” Barr told ABC News’ Pierre Thomas in an interview.

Trump on Tuesday blasted federal prosecutors’ recommendation that Stone serve up to nine years in prison for a conviction that stemmed from a case that started under the special counsel. . .

The Justice Department told reporters hours later that officials were “shocked” by the steep prison recommendation. Hours after that, four prosecutors on the Stone case withdrew, with one of them quitting the Justice Department altogether.

The U.S. attorney’s office in Washington, D.C., which handled Stone’s case, submitted a new sentencing recommendation for the GOP operative, saying he deserved to spend time in prison, but for “far less” time than initially proposed. (Read more from “Barr Blasts Trump Over Tweets About Roger Stone Case” HERE)

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So What Exactly Was Barr Doing in Criticizing Trump’s Tweets About the Roger Stone Case?

By Stephen Collinson. Perhaps Barr was acting to protect his own reputation, amid furious criticism of his conduct as the President’s shield. Or was he trying to head off a mutiny in his department? CNN reported on Wednesday that more prosecutors were considering walking out on the Justice Department amid fears for its independence after four lawyers had already quit the Stone case.

In the days ahead it may emerge that Barr gave the White House a heads-up about his move. A coordinated damage-control mission would not be impossible, since more than anyone in the administration, Barr may have leeway to buy some political capital, after basking in Trump’s praise for a string of decisions that appeared to protect the President. . .

One clue that Barr’s critique of Trump may not be an act of complete insubordination is suggested in the substance of his comments about the Stone case. The attorney general said he had always planned to reduce the department’s sentencing recommendation of up to nine years in jail for Stone, Trump’s longtime political fixer, implying that Trump’s tweet made that step more controversial. (Read more about Barr’s criticism of the President’s tweets on the Roger Stone case HERE)

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Bombshell: Trump Campaign ‘Clearly Spied upon’

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By Daily Wire. Attorney General William Barr slammed the FBI during an interview with NBC News on Tuesday, saying that the campaign was “clearly spied upon” and that it was the “first time in history” that something like that had ever happened to a presidential candidate.

NBC News Pete Williams asked Barr, “Based on what you know so far, do you still stand by your statement that the campaign was spied upon?”

“Oh, it was clearly spied upon. I mean, that’s what electronic surveillance is. I think wiring people up to go in and talk to people and make recordings of their conversations is spying,” Barr responded. “I think going through people’s emails which they did as a result of the FISA warrant. They went through everything, you know, from Page’s life.”

Earlier in the interview, Barr said that this was “the first time in history that this has been done to a presidential campaign, the use of these counterintelligence techniques against a presidential campaign.” . . .

Barr continued by highlighting what U.S. Attorney John Durham is looking at in his criminal investigation of the origins of the Russia investigation, noting that FBI officials falsified evidence to surveil the Trump campaign and that they continued to investigate Trump after their case collapsed and the investigation was over. (Read more from “Barr Bombshell: Trump Campaign ‘Clearly Spied upon’” HERE)

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Barr: Comey Refusal to Reinstate Security Clearance a ‘Problem’ in FISA Investigation

By Washington Examiner. Attorney General William Barr said a “problem” in the Justice Department watchdog report on the Russia investigation stems from fired FBI Director James Comey’s refusal to have his security clearance temporarily reinstated.

The former FBI chief, who claimed Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s assessment provided him vindication, was brought up by Barr during an interview Tuesday with NBC News’ Pete Williams.

Brushing off Horowitz’s determination that the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation into the Trump campaign was properly predicated, Barr said U.S. Attorney John Durham would need to finish his investigation before any final conclusions are made about the motivations behind the inquiry.

Noting the limits inherent in an inspector general review, including jurisdiction and inability to compel testimony, Barr pointed to Comey as an example where Horowitz’s report fell short. (Read more from “Barr: Comey Refusal to Reinstate Security Clearance a ‘Problem’ in FISA Investigation” HERE)

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William Barr Says Release of FISA Report Is ‘Imminent’

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Attorney General William Barr said Wednesday that the release of an inspector general’s report on FBI’s surveillance of the Trump campaign is “imminent.”

Multiple news outlets reported Tuesday that Michael Horowitz, the Justice Department inspector general, has invited witnesses interviewed in connection with the investigation to review portions of the forthcoming report. The step is routine in investigations conducted by inspectors general, and typically signals that the release of the report is near. . .

Horowitz has been investigating whether the FBI followed the law and bureau guidelines when applying for four Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants against former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.

The FBI relied on information from Christopher Steele, a former British spy, to argue in the FISA applications that there was probable cause to believe that Page was an agent of Russia. Steele worked for an opposition research firm hired by the Clinton campaign and DNC in 2016 to investigate Trump’s possible links to Russia.

The special counsel’s report said that prosecutors found no evidence that Page or anyone associated with the Trump campaign acted as an agent of Russia. The report also said that there was not evidence that the Trump campaign conspired with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election. Steele alleged in his dossier that Page and other Trump associates conspired with Kremlin operatives. (Read more from “William Barr Says Release of FISA Report Is ‘Imminent’” HERE)

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Review Into Origins of the Russia Investigation Is Now a Criminal Inquiry

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The U.S. Justice Department has opened a criminal inquiry into the origins of the Russia investigation, according to The New York Times. The Justice Department has been conducting an administrative review into the origins of the Russian investigation, but that review has now shifted into a criminal inquiry.

Now that a criminal investigation has been opened, prosecutor Durham has expanded powers to subpoena witnesses and impanel a grand jury, as noted by The Times.

(Read more from “Review Into Origins of the Russia Investigation Is Now a Criminal Inquiry” HERE)

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Following Epstein’s Prison Death, Barr Appoints New Federal Prison Chief

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Following the death of billionaire and accused child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein while in federal custody, Attorney General William Barr announced a shake-up of leadership at the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) on Monday.

According to a Justice Department press release, Barr has named Dr. Kathleen Hawk Sawyer as the acting director of the bureau. Dr. Hawk Sawyer was the first female director of the BOP and was appointed by Barr during his first stint as attorney general back in 1992. She remained at that position until 2003.

The press release also notes that the former-now-acting director received multiple awards during her previous tenure, including the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Management in 1992, two Presidential Rank Awards for Meritorious Service in 1994 and 2000, and the Presidential Distinguished Executive Award in 1997.

Barr also named Dr. Thomas R. Kane acting deputy director. He has previously served as BOP chief of staff, assistant director, deputy director, and acting director under four previous attorneys general, the release says.

“Under Dr. Hawk Sawyer’s previous tenure at the Bureau, she led the agency with excellence, innovation, and efficiency, receiving numerous awards for her outstanding leadership, ” said Attorney General Barr in a statement. “During this critical juncture, I am confident Dr. Hawk Sawyer and Dr. Kane will lead BOP with the competence, skill, and resourcefulness they have embodied throughout their government careers.”

Barr also thanked outgoing acting director Hugh Hurwitz “for his dedication and service to the Bureau over the last fifteen months.” The statement says that Hurwitz has been asked to return to his previous role in the BOP’s re-entry division, where one of his primary tasks will be overseeing the implementation of the First Step Act — 2018’s big criminal justice bill.

Epstein, a 66-year-old financier accused of child sex trafficking, was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell earlier this month. While the neither the press release nor Barr’s statement mention Epstein by name, the shake-up comes after Barr vowed to address how a high-priority inmate like Epstein could have died in federal custody.

Last week, Barr said that he was “appalled — indeed, the entire department was — and frankly angry, to learn of the [prison’s] failure to adequately secure this prisoner.” He also vowed that his team “will get to the bottom of what happened at the [prison] and we will hold people accountable for this failure.” The day after those remarks, Barr reassigned the warden of the prison where Epstein was held.

While Epstein’s death was recently ruled a suicide, there’s still a great deal of mystery surrounding the matter. There is no footage of what happened to the prisoner, law enforcement officials told the New York Post. Furthermore, a new report notes that Epstein’s cellmate was transferred to another part of the prison before Epstein’s death. And an autopsy performed last week found neck fractures that are more commonly found in homicides than suicides. (For more from the author of “Following Epstein’s Prison Death, Barr Appoints New Federal Prison Chief” please click HERE)

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DOJ Says It Won’t Prosecute Barr and Ross on the House’s Contempt Vote

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Despite a recent vote brought by House Democrats, the Department of Justice says it won’t take action to prosecute Attorney General William Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross for contempt of Congress.

In a letter sent to speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on Wednesday night, Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen said that “the department will not bring the congressional contempt citations before a grand jury or take any other action to prosecute the attorney general or the secretary.”

Rosen cites precedent of non-prosecution of contempt votes against Bush and Obama administration officials from 2008 and 2012 as well as legal opinions from the DOJ Office of Legal Counsel going all the way back to the Reagan administration.

“Consistent with this long-standing position and uniform practice,” Rosen’s letter concludes, “the Department has determined that the responses by the Attorney General and the Secretary of Commerce to the subpoenas issued by the Committee on Oversight and Reform did not constitute a crime and accordingly, the Department will not bring the congressional contempt citations before a grand jury or take any other action to prosecute the Attorney General or the Secretary.”

The House voted to hold the two Trump cabinet officials in contempt of Congress last week over complaints from House Democrats about their degree of cooperation with a House investigation into the attempt to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census — an effort that the administration is now pursuing by other means.

“House Democrats never sought to have a productive relationship with the Trump Administration,” Ross said in response to the vote, “and today’s PR stunt further demonstrates their unending quest to generate headlines instead of operating in good faith with our Department.”

Contrary to the complaints, the administration says that it has been working through the proper administrative channels to work with Congress but hasn’t been given adequate time to do so.

“By taking this action, the House is both unnecessarily undermining inter-branch comity and degrading the constitutional separation of powers and its own institutional integrity,” Barr and Ross wrote to Pelosi about the contempt vote.

“The departments have already accommodated numerous Committee requests,” Barr and Ross continue, “The key remaining issue is how the Departments and the Committee will address the material that is protected by privileges that have been reaffirmed by the courts.”

The committee voted to hold Barr and Ross in contempt last month after the being delayed a few hours over the news that the White House had asserted executive privilege over the subpoenaed materials. A DOJ statement later the same day said the committee’s decision “defies logic” and “undermines Congress’s credibility with the American people.” (For more from the author of “DOJ Says It Won’t Prosecute Barr and Ross on the House’s Contempt Vote” please click HERE)

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AG Barr Says He Found a Way to Get Key Citizenship Question on Census

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Cue the meltdown because [it] looks like one could hit liberal America very soon. We’ve been haggling over the citizenship question in the 2020 census. It’s been asked before in past surveys. As the Department of Justice was ordered to look into ways to include the key question, AG Barr recently announced that a path might have been found (via Post and Courier):

In a visit to South Carolina on Monday, U.S. Attorney General William Barr said the Trump administration will present a legal work-around that will allow a question on citizenship to be added to the 2020 Census.

Speaking to reporters after a scheduled stop at a federal prison, Barr said, “I think over the next day or two you’ll see what approach we’re taking and I think it does provide a pathway for getting the question on the census.”
He did not provide details in his brief remarks.

Barr also expressed little concern for the pending testimony of former special counsel Robert Mueller to federal lawmakers next week on his investigation into U.S. election interference by the Russian government.

(Read more from “AG Barr Says He Found a Way to Get Key Citizenship Question on Census” HERE)

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House Oversight Committee Votes to Hold Barr in Contempt

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The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Wednesday voted to hold Attorney General William Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in contempt, citing their refusal to comply with subpoenas for documents related to the Trump administration’s decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census.

The vote fell mostly along partisan lines, with 24 Democrats voting “aye” and 15 Republicans voting “no.” Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI) voted “yes” with Democrats. . .

Earlier this week, the full House had planned to vote on holding Barr and former White House counsel Don McGahn in contempt for not testifying to the Judiciary Committee and providing a fully-unredacted version of the special counsel report on Russian interference and underlying documents for the report.

However, the vote was called off after Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) reached a deal with the Justice Department to begin receiving the underlying documents. The House instead voted on a resolution giving Nadler and committee chairmen more power to enforce subpoenas.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is hoping to ward off calls for impeachment proceedings from membersof her own caucus by encouraging them to continue investigating the administration. (Read more from “House Oversight Committee Votes to Hold Barr in Contempt” HERE)

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