More proof today that Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general isn’t a fan of the Mueller investigation, a probe he could soon be overseeing. There are reports that William Barr sent Rod Rosenstein an “unsolicited” 20-page memo this past summer to the Justice Department that showed, in his view, the investigation concerned him.
The Wall Street Journal reports:
He wrote he was concerned about the part of Mr. Mueller’s probe that, according to news reports in the Journal and elsewhere, has explored whether Mr. Trump obstructed justice in asking then-FBI director James Comey to drop an investigation into former national security adviser Mike Flynn’s contacts with Russia, and by later firing Mr. Comey.
Mr. Barr’s memo, dated June 8 and sent to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, argues that, based on the facts as he understands them, the president was acting well within his executive-branch authority.
Barr sent Justice Department an unsolicited memo this year excoriating Mueller probe on obstruction of justice, arguing that it was based on a "fatally misconceived" legal theory that would damage the presidency. @sgurman @aviswanatha https://t.co/oJnmGriP1Z
— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) December 20, 2018
The WSJ went on to write:
Mr. Barr’s memo is peppered with strongly worded phrases about the peril he sees in Mr. Mueller’s reading of the law, as he understood it. He described Mr. Mueller’s approach as “grossly irresponsible” with “potentially disastrous implications” for the executive branch. He also wrote: “Mueller should not be permitted to demand that the President submit to interrogation about alleged obstruction.”
https://twitter.com/JoyceWhiteVance/status/1075759218437832704
The Washington Post had previously reported, “Trump’s new top AG pick has urged more Clinton probes and played down both Russia collusion and obstruction.”
Harvard Law Profession Laurence Tribe tweeted, “This is ominous: Barr’s unsolicited critique of Mueller’s pursuit of Trump’s obstruction of justice needs to be challenged in the Senate Judiciary Committee.”