Opinion: William Barr is making Trump’s obsession his own
President Trump, left, speaks to U.S. attorney general William Barr during the 38th annual National Peace Officers Memorial Day service on Wednesday. By Harry Litman Harry Litman Contributing columnist focused on legal issues Bio Follow Contributing columnist May 15 at 4:14 PM Attorney General William P. Barr wants to be certain the Justice Department and the FBI acted lawfully and appropriately in the initial stages of the Russia investigation.
To nobody’s surprise, Trump greeted the news of Durham’s appointment with self-satisfied glee, crowing, “I think it’s great a thing that he did it. … I am so proud of our attorney general.” The president used the opportunity to reassert that the Russia investigation “was the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the people of this country.”
Second, this political dividend to Trump comes at the direct cost to the former FBI officials whom the president already has spent two years unfairly demonizing. One of the bitterest disappointments of Barr’s short time in office has been his failure to stand up for the employees and institutional values of the Justice Department.
With the ground so well plowed, the question arises: And why not just wait for the inspector general’s report? Indeed, the basic charges against the bureau have been repeated ad nauseam on Fox News and in Congress.
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