Trump’s Attorney General Pick William Barr Once Called The Mueller Investigation ‘Legally Insupportable’
Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, William Barr, is already making a name for himself in the White House. Barr is already on the outs with special counsel Robert Mueller after calling his investigation “legally insupportable” in an unsolicited memo that Barr sent to the Justice Department back in June, according to Business Insider.
The 20-page memo also referred to the investigation as “potentially disastrous,” as Barr insisted that the entire investigation is fraught with issues. Barr went on to accuse the special counsel of overreaching their powers and insisted that Mueller should not be permitted to interview Trump regarding accusations of obstruction of justice.
“As I understand it, his theory is premised on a novel and legally insupportable reading of the law,” Barr wrote in the memo. “Mueller should not be permitted to demand that the President submit to interrogation about alleged obstruction.”
This is not the first time that Barr has come out against the methods used in Mueller’s investigation. Barr has been critical of the probe since it began, suggesting on more than one occasion that the special counsel had an agenda of its own. Additionally, Barr has argued that Mueller’s team could be operating under a political bias, as several members have previously donated funds to support Democratic candidates.
Breaking News: William Barr, President Trump’s attorney general nominee, wrote a memo to the Justice Department in June criticizing the Mueller investigation https://t.co/kPBQqMWeqi
— The New York Times (@nytimes) December 20, 2018
Barr has also argued repeatedly that the investigation into Trump should not be sanctioned by the Justice Department. In an interesting twist, if Barr is confirmed as attorney general, the special counsel and much of the investigation will fall under his jurisdiction. In fact, if Barr assumes office, he would be able to fire Mueller — which would have a tremendous impact on the entire investigation.
Mueller and his team are currently looking into the level of Russian interference that took place during the 2016 presidential election. They are also attempting to determine if Trump is guilty of obstructing justice for firing former FBI director James Comey back in May of 2017. Barr has publicly stated that he thinks Trump made the right choice in firing Comey from the FBI.
Barr was nominated for the position of attorney general by Donald Trump after former Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigned last month. Barr is no stranger to the position as he served as attorney general from 1991 to 1993 under former President George H. W. Bush. He has since been working as a lawyer in the private sector, before being suggested for the position by Trump.
