President Donald Trump's attorney general nominee William Barr told senators Tuesday he would resist pressure to axe special counsel Robert Mueller, including from the president, unless there was good cause to do so.
Asked if he would fire the special counsel – or if he would change Justice Department regulations and then fire him if asked to do so by the president without 'good cause,' Barr responded: 'I would not carry out that instruction.'
He was pressed by Delaware Democratic Sen. Chris Coons and multiple other lawmakers on how he would handle Mueller, his longtime friend who President Trump has accused of overseeing a 'witch hunt' against him.
'I don't believe Mr. Mueller would be involved in a witch hunt,' Barr said under questioning.
He said he met with President Trump in June 2017 when the president was seeking to expand his legal team, and asked him how well he knew Mueller.
'I said Bob is a straight shooter and should be dealt with as such,' Barr said he told the president.
William Barr's confirmation hearing to return to the helm of the Justice Department featured tough grilling from Democrats about his views on the Robert Mueller probe
The comments were among multiple markers of independence Barr put down during the hearing, where he also praised fired Attorney Gen. Jeff Sessions' decision to recuse from the Russia probe and praised deputy attorney gen. Rod Rosenstein, another favore target of the president's.
He also offered explanations for the unsolicited memo he sent to Rosenstein arguing Mueller's probe was 'fatally misconceived' by going after possible obstruction of justice by the president.
And he refused to give Democrats commitments they sought repeatedly that he would yield to ethics professionals if they advised him to recuse himself from the Mueller probe.
'I'm not surrendering that responsibility. I'm not giving it away,' he said.
Asked by Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris of California under what scenario he would not follow the advice of career ethics officials, he said curtly: ‘If I disagreed with them.’
But on other matters, Barr told lawmakers he didn't need the high-level job he has previously held, would not be 'bullied' by anyone, and stated explicitly several instances of interference in prosecution that would be improper or illegal.
Barr said the president would violate his oath of office if he ordered the Justice Department to take an action in which he had a 'stake.'
Barr made the statement as part of a hypothetical example during his first day of high-stakes testimony before the Senate Judiciary, asked about his views on executive power and whether the president could intervene in political cases.
He made the comments as on a day when he backed up his friend Mueller, and said longtime Trump foil former Attorney Gen. Jeff Sessions was probably right to recuse himself from the Russia probe.
But he also repeatedly refused under questioning by Democrats to state that he would relinquish powers he said were established in the office.
'I am not going to surrender the responsibilities that I have,' he said.
On the president's powers, he said: 'The other category of cases –and let's pick an easy bad example – would be if a member of the president's family or a business associate or something was under investigation and he tries to intervene.'
'He's the chief law enforcement officer, and you could say well he has the power, but that would be a breach of his obligation under the Constitution to faithfully execute the laws,' Barr said.
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Sworn in: William Barr takes the oath at the start of his confirmation hearing
Major hearing: The confirmation process for William Barr is a critical moment for the Trump administration
Family presence: William Barr's family sat immediately behind him including (from left): wife Christine, a retired librarian; daughter Meg, legislative assistant to new Republican senator Mike Braun; daughters Patricia, counsel to the House Agriculture Committee; and Mary, coordinator for opioid enforcement in the Office of the Deputy Attorney General; Mary's husband, Mike, an attorney at the Department of Justice in the National Security division; their son Liam; Patricia's husband, Pelham, who is a founding partner of a consulting firm; Meg's husband Tyler,assistant United States attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia
'So in my opinion, if a president attempts to intervene in a matter that he has a stake in to protect himself – that should first be looked at as a breach of his constitutional duties. Whether it also violates a statute depending on what statute comes into play and what all the facts are,' he said.
Such pronouncement would ordinarily be boilerplate, but takes on extra significance while a probe President Trump has labeled a 'witch hunt' continues to examine Trump associates and family members who had contacts with Russians during the campaign.
Barr spoke as Senate Democrats pressed him on his views of the Mueller probe – including its investigation of any obstruction of justice by Trump, something Barr has criticized in writing.
Trump fired FBI Director James Comey early in his term, and according to Comey asked if he could relieve pressure on his former national security advisor Mike Flynn.
'I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go,' Comey says Trump told him.
As Demoratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein brought up in the hearing, Trump has called for rival Hillary Clinton to be jailed. His son, Donald Trump Jr., has testified to congressional investigators after a June 2016 Trump Tower meeting he attended with Russians.
The Mueller probe has already resulted in guilty pleas by Flynn and longtime Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, and the conviction of former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort.
Barr was pressed on his expansive view of executive power at the top of the hearing. He called the president the nation's chief law enforcement officer – but stated it wouldn't accurately reflect his views to say the president could order a probe that would then be carried out of anything he wants.
'Let's say the president's concerned about Chinese stealing trade secrets: I want you to go after this company that may be stealing trade secrets,' he explained.
'That's perfectly appropriate for him to do – to communicate that. But, whether it's bonafide or not, the Department of Justice's obligation and the Attorney General's obligation is not to take any action unless we reach … their own independent conclusion that it is justified under the law. Regardless of the instruction,' Barr continued.
'Everyone is saying I'm siccing – it's okay for the president to direct things,' he said. 'All I said was, It's not per se improper for the president to call on the Department for doing something, especially if he has no personal or political interest in it,' he added.
PREPARED: Attorney General nominee William Barr, center, and his wife Christine, right, smile before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019
Barr was pressed repeatedly on whether he would allow Special Counsel Robert Mueller to repeat his work
Sen. Dianne Feinstein questioned Barr on his written argument that the president's law enforcement powers extend to 'all matters including those in which he has a personal stake'
Senate Democrats opened the the Barr hearing to be attorney general by pressing him on his memo going after special counsel Robert Mueller's probe and asked if he'll have the 'strength' to push back at President Trump.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the panel, said in her opening statement she had read the memo that Barr sent unsolicited to the White House, and would press him on his far-reaching view of executive powers.
'I believe it's important that the next attorney general be able to strongly resist pressure, whether from the administration or Congress, to conduct investigations for political purposes,' the California Democrat said.
'He must have the integrity, the strength and the fortitude to tell the president no - regardless of the consequences,' Feinstein said in her remarks.
She said she would question Barr on his written argument that the president's law enforcement powers 'extend to all matters, including those in which he has a personal stake, and that the Constitution places no limits on the president's authority to act on matters which concern him or his own conduct' – and brought up Trump's own vows to jail political opponent Hillary Clinton.
'Let me just say that, some of your past statements on the role of attorney general and presidential power are concerning,' she said.
Barr also assured lawmakers that he has the independence needed to carry out the job. Some questioners, including Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois, brought up Trump's constant attacks on former attorney general Jeff Sessions and others.
Durbin also brought up the stunning resignation of Defense Sec. James Mattis.
Barr said he was too old to succumb to pressure.
'It might give me pause if I were 45 or 50 y old but it doesn't give me pause right now,' he explained.
'I had a very good life. I have a very good life. I love it. But I also want to help in this circumstance. And I am not going to do anything that I think is wrong and I will not be bullied into doing anything I think is wrong, by anybody - whether it be the editorial boards or Congress or the president. I'm going to do what I think is right,' Barr said.
In his own opening remarks, Barr acknowledged the government shutdown and expressed solidarity with federal workers in the Justice Department who 'continue to perform their critical jobs.'
Feinstein also asked a question at the behest of House Judiciary Chairman Jerold Nadler, who has said he would subpoena the final Mueller report if necessary.
Barr maintained a large caveat: 'I am going to make as much information available as I can, consistent with the rules and regulations that are part of the special counsel regulations,' he said.
Right away, Barr provided an assurance he won't allow Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe to be shut down.
'On my watch, Bob will be allowed to finish his work,' referring to his friend Mueller by his first name.
He said Mueller wouldn't be terminated except for good cause, that he wouldn't hold up his resources.
And in another tip to opponents, he said the Justice Department should be a place 'where the rule of law, not politics, holds sway.'
'I will serve in the same independence I did in 1991,' he said, opening his remarks with quips about family members he brought along.
'I feel like I'm in a position in life where I can do the right thing and not really care about the consequences,' he said under questioning by Sen. John Coryn of Texas.
Barr sprinkled his remarks with policy and rhetorical acknowledgements of the priorities of minority Democrats, even though Republicans in the Senate can confirm him without Democratic votes.
Barr shared his view on Comey's decision to announce why the FBI decided not to charge Hillary Clinton after investigating her emails during the 2016 campaign.
'I thought that to the extent that he actually announced a decision, was wrong, and the other thing is, if you're not going to indict someone, then you don't stand up there and unload negative information about the person,' he said
In introductory remarks, Barr mentioned as priorities the right to vote, the integrity of elections, and foreign interference in elections.
Barr introduced about 10 family members who are all government prosecutors or lawyers.
New Judiciary Chairman 'Lindsey Graham told the little boy he should be a doctor so someone in the family makes some real money. Barr's financial disclosures revealed he has amassed about $37 million in assets.
President Donald Trump picked Barr to replace Jeff Sessions, the attorney general he fired in November
Barr and Mueller worked together when Barr was Bush's attorney general between 1991 and 1993 and Mueller oversaw the department's criminal division. The two men are 'best friends,' Graham said, and have known each other for 20 years.
Their wives attend Bible study together, and Mueller attended the weddings of two of Barr's daughters.
Barr, pictured with Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn, released prepared remarks in advance of Tuesday's hearing in an attempt to pre-empt some of Democrats' questions
https://hienalouca.com/2019/01/16/bill-barr-says-he-would-not-carry-out-an-instruction-to-fire-mueller-without-good-cause/
Main photo article President Donald Trump’s attorney general nominee William Barr told senators Tuesday he would resist pressure to axe special counsel Robert Mueller, including from the president, unless there was good cause to do so.
Asked if he would fire the special counsel – or if he would change Ju...
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/2019/01/15/15/8553738-6592707-image-a-6_1547565766207.jpg
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