Former Attorney General William Barr distanced himself from reports that the Trump DOJ seized communications records belonging to two prominent Democratic lawmakers who were spearheading investigations into Trump.
Former Attorney General William Barr on Friday distanced himself from reports that the Trump Justice Department seized communications records belonging to two prominent Democratic lawmakers who were spearheading investigations into then-President Donald Trump.Barr’s comments came afterthat in 2017 and 2018, the Justice Department seized the records of at least 12 people connected to the House Intelligence Committee, including its current chair. Barr became attorney general in 2019.
Trump "was not aware of who we were looking at in any of the cases,” Barr said. “I never discussed the leak cases with Trump. He didn’t really ask me any of the specifics.”the Trump Justice Department’s efforts to seize the communications records. And Barr’s comments are unlikely to quell their criticisms of his leadership at the department.
“This appalling politicization of the Department of Justice by Donald Trump and his sycophants must be investigated immediately by both the DOJ Inspector General and Congress,” Schumer and Durbin, the top two Democrats in the upper chamber, said in a joint statement, adding that the Judiciary Committee “will vigorously investigate this abuse of power.”
“I was getting criticized by Cabinet members and members of the Intelligence Community about the department not having done anything on these leak cases, so I wanted to make sure they were being pursued,” Barr said. “All I can say is that any investigation involving an elected official would be considered a sensitive matter that would need high-level approval at the department,” she told POLITICO when reached for comment.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Biden administration reverses Trump ban on TikTok, WeChat; will review potential security risksThe Commerce Department will conduct its own 'evidence-based' analysis of the apps to assess any national security risks related to user data collection or to Chinese military or intelligence activities.
Read more »
Biden Task Force Identifies 3,900+ Kids Separated From Families Under TrumpA Biden administration task force has identified more than 3,900 immigrant children separated from their families under Trump.
Read more »
Garland defends Justice Department moves seen as pro-TrumpAttorney General Merrick Garland strongly defended recent Justice Department moves that appeared to give legal cover to former President Donald Trump and his appointees
Read more »
Biden's attorney general defends controversial Justice Department arguments related to TrumpAttorney General Merrick Garland defended a series of controversial arguments made by the Justice Department in recent weeks that endorsed legal positions held by former President Donald Trump and the previous administration
Read more »