The Extraordinary Damage Bill Barr Has Done

FRED WERTHEIMER’S WEEKLY NOTE | DECEMBER 12, 2019

“William Barr will likely go down as the worst Attorney General in U.S. history.”

As President Trump heads for impeachment next week, it is clear beyond any reasonable doubt that he is unfit to serve.

So is his rogue Attorney General, Bill Barr.

Barr made clear from even before he was appointed AG that he saw his role as Trump’s political defender and not as the servant of the American people.

Barr did everything he could to undermine the Mueller report – delaying its release, misrepresenting its findings, and providing cover for the multitude of improper actions of President Trump.

Barr has defended Trump’s unprecedented effort to obstruct the constitutionally empowered right of Congress to conduct impeachment proceedings.

Barr has falsely accused the Obama Administration of “spying” on the Trump campaign – a partisan political attack rejected by the DOJ’s Inspector General, who found no evidence to support this claim.

Barr has rejected and attacked the findings of the independent DOJ Inspector General that the FBI investigation of the Trump campaign and Russian interference in the 2016 election was properly authorized.

Barr, without basis, has attacked the FBI he oversees, stating they may have acted “in bad faith” in investigating the 2016 Trump campaign.

Barr absurdly attacked the Trump/Russian interference investigation on the grounds it was “based on a completely bogus narrative that was largely fanned and hyped by an irresponsible press.” The independent Inspector General found the investigation was properly undertaken.

Barr has been a political operative and blind defender of President Trump since he took office. He has done extraordinary damage to the integrity and credibility of the Justice Department.

The sooner Barr is out of a job, the better off the Justice Department and the American people will be. William Barr will likely go down as the worst Attorney General in U.S. history.

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Fred Wertheimer is the Founder and President of Democracy 21, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to strengthen our democracy and ensure the integrity and fairness of government decisions and elections. See previous Notes from Fred here.