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| US President Donald Trump has nominated William Barr to be the new attorney general, a post he held in the 1990s. |
VietPress USA (Jan. 14, 2019): William Pelham Barr (born
May 23, 1950) is an American attorney who served as the 77th United States Attorney
General from 1991 to 1993 during the
first Bush administration.[1] He is a member of the Republican Party.
On December 7, 2018,
President Donald
Trump announced that he would nominate Barr to again serve as Attorney General of the
United States
Trump fired his Attorney
General Jeff Sessions and selected Whitaker to replace him as new AG but
Democrats feared Whitaker would bring an end to the investigation of special
counsel Robert Mueller.
Bipartisan lawmakers of
congress criticized the appointment of Matt Whitaker, therefore Trump now
nominate William Barr as new Attorney General of the United States.
If Barr is confirmed by
the senate after his official nomination, he will replace the current acting
attorney general, Matt Whitaker.
The
president called William Barr a "highly respected lawyer" by both
Republicans and Democrats and "a terrific man" while speaking to
reporters on the White House South Lawn.
Democrats
say they will definitely press Barr on his views regarding protecting Mueller
and his work, during his confirmation hearings.
William
Barr will pledge at his confirmation hearing to protect Special Counsel Robert
Mueller's investigation into whether Trump's 2016 election campaign coordinated
with Russia, according to prepared testimony released on Monday, Jan. 14, 2019.
"On my watch, Bob
will be allowed to complete his work," Barr said in the prepared remarks
ahead of two days of confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary
Committee starting on Tuesday morning.
Barr, a former attorney
general under President George H.W. Bush, also will address his prior criticism
of Mueller's probe, telling members of the committee that a memo he sent last
year that called the investigation "fatally misconceived" only outlined
his concerns that Mueller might be misinterpreting one aspect of the law.
"The memo did not
address - or in any way question - the Special Counsel's core
investigation," Barr will tell the panel.
Mueller
is investigating Russia's interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election,
possible collusion between the Kremlin and the Trump campaign and potential
obstruction of justice.
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Trump's AG pick to pledge protection for Mueller's Russia probe: testimony
"On my watch, Bob will be allowed to complete his work," Barr said in the prepared remarks ahead of two days of confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee starting on Tuesday morning.
Barr, a former attorney general under President George H.W. Bush, also will address his prior criticism of Mueller's probe, telling members of the committee that a memo he sent last year that called the investigation "fatally misconceived" only outlined his concerns that Mueller might be misinterpreting one aspect of the law.
"The memo did not address - or in any way question - the Special Counsel's core investigation," Barr will tell the panel.
Mueller is investigating Russia's interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, possible collusion between the Kremlin and the Trump campaign and potential obstruction of justice.
Russia has denied U.S. intelligence agencies' findings that it meddled in the election, running an interference operation to spread disinformation and hacking political party emails. Trump has denied any collusion with Moscow and called Mueller's probe a "witch hunt."
Barr has broad support from Republicans who control the Senate, but some Democrats have questioned whether he is the best choice to serve as the top law enforcement officer in the United States at a time when Trump is battling multiple legal investigations.
Barr will emphasize his independence, telling lawmakers that he did not seek out the job and has not given Trump any assurances of loyalty.
"As Attorney General, my allegiance will be to the rule of law, the Constitution, and the American people," he will say.
Barr said he has known Mueller professionally for 30 years and has confidence in his abilities.
"If confirmed, I will not permit partisan politics, personal interests, or any other improper consideration to interfere with this or any other investigation," Barr said in his written remarks.
Democrats have worried that Trump may try to quash Mueller's findings when he concludes his work. Barr will tell lawmakers that he believes it is important that Congress and the public are informed of his results. "My goal will be to provide as much transparency as I can consistent with the law," he said.
Mueller's investigation and other inquiries have clouded Trump's two years in office. Mueller has secured more than 30 indictments and guilty pleas and has spawned at least four federal investigations.
Government ethics forms released publicly on Monday show that if confirmed, Barr will within 90 days divest his financial interests in multiple bonds, private funds and stocks including AT&T Inc, Bristol Myers Squib Co, Dominion Energy Inc, J.P. Morgan Co, Bank of America Corp, Altria Group Inc, Merck & Co Inc, and Pfizer Inc, among others.
(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; editing by Grant McCool)
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