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American Democracy Needs Better Reporters than Pete Williams
https://www.emptywheel.net/2019/12/11/american-democracy-needs-better-reporters-than-pete-williams/
Bill Barr made big news yesterday saying intemperate things in what has charitably been called an interview with NBCs Pete Williams. Those comments have distracted from other details of the so-called interview, which deserve further attention for the way that Williams was utterly useless in guiding the interview towards any of the questions that needed to be answered. Given Barrs assault on the rule of law, garbage interviews like this undermine the Constitution.
Williams helps Barr continue to cover up his role in the Ukraine investigation
First, consider the exchange that Williams and Barr have to exonerate the Attorney General in involvement in Rudy Giulianis Ukraine conspiracy.
Williams: Were you ever asked by the White House to talk to anybody in Ukraine about an investigation of Joe Biden? (18:40)
Barr: No.
Williams: Are you concerned that Ukraine has a missing server from the Hillary Clinton emails?
Barr [searching look]: Fortunately I havent gotten into the Ukraine thing. I dont know. Im not even sure about the nature of these allegations.
Williams: What about the allegation that it was the Ukrainians who meddled in the election, not the Russians. Are you satisfied thats not the case?
Barr: I am confident the Russians attempted to interfere in the election. I dont know about the Ukrainians. I havent even looked into it, frankly.
Williams: What was your involvement in the Departments decision not to investigate the Presidents phone call to Ukraine?
Barr: We put out a statement that explained the process, which was the Criminal Division made that decision and in the process consulted with the senior most career employees who are the experts on campaign finance laws and that process was supervised by the Deputy but Im not going to go beyond what weve already said about that process.
Williams: Well, were you satisfied that everything that was done
Barr: Absolutely.
I wouldnt be surprised if Williams were using a script DOJ gave him, because Williams asks none of the questions that remain unanswered about DOJs role in the Ukraine investigation, such as why they didnt do the bare minimum of connecting the dots implemented after 9/11, why the didnt refer the complaint to the FEC, why they didnt abide by the whistleblower protection act, why (on demand, apparently) they issued a statement exonerating the President, or who the three Ukrainians that DOJ admitted have been fed into John Durhams investigation are.
Instead, Williams lets Barr ignore his question about his role in reviewing the whistleblower complaint and claim as the person who knew of the Lev Parnas investigation that also knew of the whistleblower complaint he has no role in the Ukraine thing. This exchange raises more questions about Barrs involvement, but Williams instead allows him to claim a clean bill of health.
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stopbush
(24,397 posts)dajoki
(10,678 posts)Nature Man
(869 posts)aren't reporters, they are entertainers. Paid actors. Editorialists.
Walter Cronkite was a reporter. Peter Jennings was a reporter.
You get the drift.