Interesting….
THAT is NOT what we ALL thought Donald Trump was looking for when he tapped Willam Bar for the permeant AG job….
I wonder what Trump thinking after reading about what Barr has said to members of the Senate?
Oh, and Barr and Mueller have worked together in the past….
William Barr’s testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee this week was as close as you can get to a re-run of a similar hearing some 45 years ago to confirm another potential attorney general. In 1973, in the midst of breaking reports surrounding the Watergate scandal, Elliot Richardson, then the secretary of defense, was appointed by Richard Nixon to be his top law enforcement official. The constant drum beat of allegations of criminal wrongdoing, much like those currently surrounding Donald Trump, was growing in volume. Then, as now, the question was whether a political appointee would be able to ensure a full and fair independent investigation of the same president who nominated them for the job…
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Today we are facing a similar, if not identical situation. Now, as then, an American president is at the center of a rapidly growing political scandal. The good news is that nominee William Barr’s testimony thus far mirrors the promises made by Elliot Richardson — and it seems likely Barr would not make such promises lightly. The bad news is that Robert Mueller, the special counsel assigned to investigate these various allegations, does not have the same kind of independence that Cox was afforded.
Mueller does report to the attorney general, who can approve or disapprove of his proposed actions. The attorney general can remove a special counsel “for misconduct, dereliction of duty, incapacity, conflict of interest, or for other good cause, including violation of Departmental policies,” and “the Attorney General shall inform the Special Counsel in writing of the specific reason for his or her removal.” This is a lower standard for removal than existed for Cox….