William Barr, former U.S. attorney general
President Donald Trump said Friday he will nominate William Barr as the next attorney general – putting in place a seasoned Washington veteran who defended his decision to fire former FBI Director James Comey.
Barr served alongside special counsel Mueller when he served as President George H.W. Bush's attorney general fro 1991 to 1993. As a commentator has bolstered some of Trump's positions – including saying Hillary Clinton's involvement in a uranium deal was as worthy of investigation as special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe.
Trump hailed Barr's credentials before taking off for Kansas City on Friday – after Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker has drawn fire for his business practices and for his statements slamming the Russia probe.
'I want to confirm that Bill Barr, one of the most respected jurists in the country, former attorney general under the Bush administration, a terrific man, a terrific person, a brilliant man,' Trump said.
'I did not know him well until recently when I went through the process of looking at people. And he was my first choice from Day One.'
The president added: 'Respected by Republicans and respected by Democrats. He will be nominated for the United States attorney general. And hopefully that process will go very quickly, and I think it will go very quickly.'
Trump was set to appear in Kansas City along with Whitaker, who the Washington Post reported wanted the job.
But his prospects for confirmation dimmed even in the GOP-controlled Senate amid a flurry of damaging reports, including his work for an inventions company that paid a $25 million fine, and a series of TV appearances where he tore into the Mueller probe.
Trump announcement comes amid some signs that Mueller is nearing the end of his 19-month investigation.
His critics promoted the theory that he put in place Whitaker in order to reign in or even shut down the probe as it continues to probe his inner circle. Whitaker had not held senior government position before he was put in place as Sessions' chief of staff before his firing.
The administration has refused to say whether or not Whitaker underwent an ethics review to determine whether he should recuse himself from the Russia probe – something Trump repeatedly bashed his predecessor Jeff Sessions for doing, following reports of his own Russia contacts during the campaign.
President Donald Trump is said to be close to nominating Barr to return to the Justice Department for a second stint as attorney general
Barr, who served as attorney general under President George H.W. Bush, has emerged as a top contender for that job in President Donald Trump's Cabinet, two people familiar with the president's selection process said Thursday.
The appointment of a new attorney general would come at a precarious time as special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, which the department oversees, is showing signs of entering its final stages.
Trump is 'very seriously considering' Barr, said one of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because no decision has been announced, adding that Barr is 'someone very much on the president's mind.' The other person characterized Barr as 'the leading contender.'
Trump has been known to change his mind on key personnel decisions before announcing them.
Barr was attorney general between 1991 and 1993, serving in the Justice Department at the same as Mueller did. Barr later worked as a corporate general counsel and is currently at a prominent international law firm.
Barr ran the DOJ between 1991 and 1993, serving in the department at the same as Robert Mueller did
If confirmed by the Senate, Barr would succeed Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who was forced out by Trump in November and who infuriated the president by stepping aside from the Russia investigation. Sessions' decision helped set in motion Mueller's appointment. Trump has elevated Sessions' chief of staff, Matthew Whitaker, to acting attorney general.
Democrats would presumably want reassurances that Barr, who as attorney general would be in position to oversee Mueller's investigation, would not do anything to interfere with the probe.
An attorney general opposed to the investigation could theoretically move to cut funding or block certain investigative steps. But depending on how long the confirmation process takes, it is not clear how much of the investigation would remain by the time a new attorney general takes office.
Trump dismissed AG Jeff Sessions 30 days ago, creating a vacuum in the department at a time when Robert Mueller's Russia probe is heating up
Sessions's chief of staff, Matt Whitaker, is serving as acting AG but has become a lightning rod because of his business ventures before he joined the Trump administration
'What I have said, without mentioning Mr. Barr – I've said, the best thing the administration can do is to get somebody who had majority support from Republicans and Democrats alike for attorney general. Those are the best attorneys general,' said Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which would hold hearings on a nominee.
Barr, he said, could fit that bill.
Still, while in private practice, Barr has occasionally weighed in on hot-button investigative matters in ways that could prompt concerns among Democrats.
He told The New York Times in November 2017, in a story about Sessions directing his prosecutors to look into actions related to Trump rival Hillary Clinton, that 'there is nothing inherently wrong about a president calling for an investigation' – though Barr also said one should not be opened just because a president wants it.
The late President George H.W. Bush's expansive state funeral ceremonies this week have cast his presidency in a new, more favorable light, opening the door for his former senior aides to share in his image-rehabilitation
He said there was more basis to investigate a uranium deal approved while Clinton was secretary of state in the Obama administration than potential collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign.
'To the extent it is not pursuing these matters, the department is abdicating its responsibility,' Barr told the newspaper.
He also wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post in May 2017 defending Trump's decision to fire former FBI Director James Comey, one of the actions Mueller has been examining for possible obstruction of justice.
Barr has been on a White House short list of contenders for several weeks, said a person with knowledge of internal discussions who was not authorized to speak publicly. But some inside the White House were concerned that Barr was too aligned with establishment GOP forces.
Link hienalouca.com
https://hienalouca.com/2018/12/07/trump-says-he-will-nominate-william-barr-to-run-justice-department/
Main photo article
William Barr, former U.S. attorney general
President Donald Trump said Friday he will nominate William Barr as the next attorney general – putting in place a seasoned Washington veteran who defended his decision to fire former FBI Director James Comey.
Barr served alongside special counsel ...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves US News HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/12/06/23/7114048-6468975-image-a-35_1544137758844.jpg
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