Barr doesn't accept key inspector general finding about FBI's Russia investigation
Source: Washington Post
Attorney General William P. Barr has told associates he disagrees with the Justice Departments inspector general on one of the key findings in an upcoming report that the FBI had enough information in July 2016 to justify launching an investigation into members of the Trump campaign, according to people familiar with the matter.
The Justice Departments inspector general, Michael Horowitz, is due to release his long-awaited findings in a week, but behind the scenes at the Justice Department, disagreement has surfaced about one of Horowitzs central conclusions on the origins of the Russia investigation. The discord could be the prelude to a major fissure within federal law enforcement on the controversial question of investigating a presidential campaign.
Barr has not been swayed by Horowitzs rationale for concluding the FBI had sufficient basis to open an investigation on July 31, 2016, these people said. Barrs public defenses of President Trump, including his assertion that intelligence agents spied on the Trump campaign, have led Democrats to accuse him of acting like the presidents personal attorney and eroding the independence of the Justice Department. But Trump and his Republican allies have cheered Barrs skepticism of the Russia investigation. Its not yet clear how Barr plans to make his objection to Horowitzs conclusion known.
The inspector general report, currently in draft form, is being finalized after input from various witnesses and offices that were scrutinized by the inspector general. Barr or a senior Justice Department official could submit a formal letter as part of that process, which would then be included in the final report. It is standard practice for every inspector general report to include a written response from the department. Barr could forgo a written rebuttal on that specific point and just publicly state his concerns. Spokespeople for the Justice Department, the inspector general and the FBI all declined to comment.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/barr-doesnt-accept-key-inspector-general-finding-about-fbis-russia-investigation/2019/12/02/4464f018-154d-11ea-a659-7d69641c6ff7_story.html
No surprise.
Xipe Totec
(43,872 posts)cstanleytech
(26,080 posts)Pepsidog
(6,252 posts)Iliyah
(25,111 posts)falsify the report AGAIN.
SergeStorms
(18,898 posts)enough talking points to satisfy Trump and his cult following. How far he's willing to lie and obfuscate in order to provide enough wiggle room for Trump to tweet about his complete innocence remains to be seen, but if the past is any indication he'll roll right over and allow Trump to rub his belly, being a very good boy and all.
NutmegYankee
(16,177 posts)Barr is an authoritarian putz who will do anything for Tяump.
olddad65
(599 posts)Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(107,104 posts)The Wielding Truth
(11,411 posts)He has no legitimate credibility.
Evolve Dammit
(16,632 posts)How about the un-redacted Mueller report? Oh. Too incriminating. Yeah that's it. Keep up the charade that you are.
bucolic_frolic
(42,676 posts)He doesn't get to decide everything. Period.
DENVERPOPS
(8,679 posts)The whole damn group and NRC are going for broke. Anything short of complete success and they all are destroyed and they damn well know it.......
They will do anything and everything that they can to install their Fascist Tyranny. Period
That should be crystal clear to anyone after witnessing the last three years with Trump as their front man.
Actually, especially since the 2000 election. Or if you really think about it 1980.....
To a certain extent, on a lot of things, anything we can do at this point is like pissing in the ocean and expecting it to change color....LOL
This has been planned, organized and well orchestrated by the Republicans for a long long time.
Trump wouldn't have made it two days if it weren't for the Republican Senators.
THAT is where the Dems should be targeting all their attacks.........
A government that merges Corporations and Politics if defined as: FASCISM
democratisphere
(17,235 posts)The AG of the USA is a criminal. Just think about that for a minute!
yaesu
(8,020 posts)Va Lefty
(6,252 posts)paleotn
(17,781 posts)I don't accept the idea that you're human. Giant slime mold, maybe, but definitely not human.
Pepsidog
(6,252 posts)on WWII and when it came to Chamberlains policy of German appeasement I couldnt help but think of Muellers appeasement of Trump and DOJ. Maybe an unfair comparison, but this entire BS that the president cannot be indicted is faulty reasoning and I would have thought that with the brain power on Muellers team they would have presented a more direct challenge to the DOJ and Trump.
mazzarro
(3,450 posts)dflprincess
(28,057 posts)has been full of Trumpsters telling the rest of us to "just wait for the Horowitz report". We can guess what they'll be saying after this.
ancianita
(35,813 posts)Midnight Writer
(21,548 posts)You would think that the hate radio fans would notice how their stars were praising Horowitz as an honest man of integrity two weeks ago, but are now calling him unpatriotic. But they won't. We saw the same thing with James Comey.
PuffedMica
(1,061 posts)Horowitz has been on the job since 2012, which is a long time for an IG. When the report does not say what Trump wants it to say, he will just fire Horowitz out of hand. The media news will report that Horowitz is retiring with honors after a long dedicated career.
warmfeet
(3,321 posts)his fat ass getting thrown out of office.
Asswipe.
RainCaster
(10,683 posts)And I'm lovin it.
DallasNE
(7,392 posts)The WP could not be more wrong when they unequivocally frame this as being "the controversial question of investigating a presidential campaign". The FBI was not investigating a presidential campaign. They were investigating Russian meddling into the 2016 election where that investigation snared Carter Page when he was in contact with the Russians that were already being wiretapped. That is a very critical difference making it a false, damning and shameful claim.
ms liberty
(8,479 posts)duforsure
(11,882 posts)And regret what he's done, and is doing now. After the upcoming election, he will see what justice looks like firsthand, and be exposed as the most corrupt AG in our history, and sent to prison for all of it. Justice will prevail, and all the corrupt will be fully held accountable, especially those corrupt republicans in Congress, and this administration.