Attorney General William Barr on Monday said that he is not acting as President Donald Trumps personal attorney, after accusations from Democrats that hes working in the presidents favor.
Thats completely wrong and there is no basis for it, and I act on behalf of the United States, Barr toldFox News.
Barrs defense comes days after the news that the Justice Departments investigation into the origins of the Russia probe had transitioned from a management review to a criminal investigation. The U.S. attorney for Connecticut, John Durham, is currently overseeing the investigation, and Barr said he is making progress with the FBIs help.
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I do want to say that one of the reasons Mr. Durham is able to make the kind of progress hes making is because Director [Christopher] Wray and his team at the FBI have just been outstanding in support and responsiveness given to Mr. Durham, Barr said on Monday. As you know, Ive said previously that I felt there was a failure of leadership at the bureau in 2016 and part of 2017, but since Director Wray and his team have taken over theres been a world of change.
Democratic congressional leaders have accused Barr of taking actions that are in the presidents best interest. Democrats have also voiced concern about Barrs ability to remain objective on matters that involve Ukraine, after the release of Trumps phone call in July with the countrys president, Volodymyr Zelensky, mentioned Barrs involvement. That call, in which Trump said that Barr and his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani would contact Zelensky, prompted a whistleblowers complaint that is at the center of the Houses impeachment inquiry into the president.
Reports by The Washington Post and The New York Times also found that Barr was meeting with foreign officials to get assistance with the Durham investigation.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and a leader of the impeachment inquiry, said on Sunday that the attorney general is weaponizing the Justice Department to go after the presidents enemies.
Hes demonstrating once again that he is merely a tool of the president, the presidents hand, not the representative of the American people, Schiff said on ABCs This Week With George Stephanopoulos.
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