william barr

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AG Barr Suggests That ‘Spying Did Occur’ On Trump’s Presidential Campaign

During a Wednesday Senate budget hearing, Attorney General William Barr’s testimony was riddled with inquires into the investigation regarding collusion between Russia and the 2016 campaign of President Donald Trump and the release of White House Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s nearly 400-page report. Though, one of the main takeaways from Barr’s responses was that he believes “spying did occur” on Trump’s presidential campaign, also suggesting the origins of the Russia investigation may have been mishandled.

Barr, however, did not specify what “spying” in particular had occurred, but may have implied about a situation regarding a surveillance warrant the FBI obtained on an associate of Trump’s campaign.

This news comes after Washington has been reacting to Barr’s four-page letter he sent to Congress detailing the findings of the Mueller report. After much contention with the news of the report through the attorney general, lawmakers demanded a release of the full report.

A redacted version of the special counsel’s investigation findings was said by Barr to be coming forth within one week.

Nevertheless, the attorney general is set to review the origins of the 675-day investigation, which stated Trump’s presidential campaign did not collude with the Russian government, and explained the evidence revealed in the investigation was “not sufficient to establish that the President committed an obstruction-of-justice offense.”

Regardless, the tides may begin to shift in the president’s favor as the focus will now be on who spied on his 2016 campaign.

Barr told senators on Wednesday he believed the Trump campaign had been spied on, but “the question is whether it was adequately predicated,” AP reports. He says he believes that “spying on a political campaign is a big deal.”

The Justice Department’s inspector general has already been investigating the early days of the FBI’s Russia probe, but Barr said he is looking to pull together the different reviews underway within the DOJ and see if there are remaining questions that need to be addressed.

Featured News

Trump Veto’s Congress’ Rebuke Of National Emergency Declaration

Bucking back at the Republican-controlled Senate that voted to reject the national emergency declaration to secure funding to construct hundreds of miles of wall at the southern border, President Donald Trump issued his first-ever veto on Friday. Flanked by Attorney General William Barr and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, the commander in chief added that Congress’ rebuke “would put countless Americans in danger.”

The U.S. Senate blocked the president’s emergency declaration in a 59-41 vote on Thursday afternoon, with 12 Republicans joining the minority Democratic bloc.

“The Democrat-sponsored resolution would terminate vital border security operations by revoking the national emergency issued last month,” the president said in his remarks. “It is definitely a national emergency. Rarely have we had such a national emergency.”

Trump said he vetoed the “reckless resolution” because Congress’ action was a “vote to deny the crisis on the southern border” and was a “vote against reality.”

“It’s against reality. It is a tremendous national emergency. It is a tremendous crisis,” the president added.

Although lawmakers, including some Republicans, have criticized President Trump’s use of his national emergency powers to gather nearly $8 billion in funding from pockets of federal money dedicated to other projects, the Department of Justice led by recently-confirmed Attorney General Barr, set forth a robust defense of the president’s authority to do so in a letter sent to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) earlier this month, CNN reports.

“The President acted well within his discretion in declaring a national emergency concerning the southern border,” wrote Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd, laying forth a legal basis for the proclamation under the National Emergencies Act and additional statutory authorities.

“The President’s emergency Proclamation reasonably described the current situation as an ongoing ‘border security and humanitarian crisis,'” he added. “The crisis at the border…may qualify as an emergency even though it, too, is not entirely new.”

The resolution will now be sent back to the U.S. House of Representatives, but House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23), a staunch Trump ally, has reiterated that Congress’ lower chamber will not muster the two-thirds vote necessary to overturn the president’s veto.

Featured News

William Barr, Trump’s Pick For Attorney General, Testifies In Senate Confirmation Hearing

The Senate confirmation hearing for William Barr, President Donald Trump’s new pick for attorney general, began Tuesday morning, seemingly less contentious than the hearings that dominated autumn 2018 with Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Barr served as the 77th Attorney General under the late former President George H. W. Bush from 1991 to 1993.

The Reagan-era policy staffer was known as a strong defender of presidential power and aggressive actions on terrorism and drug-trafficking. Regardless, during his 1991 confirmation hearing he received a good reception from both Republicans and Democrats.

One of the biggest issues surrounding the confirmation of Barr is how he will handle White House Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian collusion into the 2016 presidential election. Many on the Senate Judiciary Committee prompted Barr to reveal if he would act to protect the president if the eventual release of the report would incriminate the commander in chief.

With talk of the upcoming departure of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who has been at odds with President Trump in the recent past, Barr explained that he has nothing to do with the decision. Although Barr would be allowed to choose his deputy for the Department of Justice (DOJ), he reiterated that he has asked Rosenstein to stay on for “a period” if he is confirmed.

Barr also answered questions on whether he would allow Trump to direct him in the Russia investigation, after ousted Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself in the weeks after the president’s inauguration – an issue that began the tumultuous relationship between the two.

“I will not be bullied into doing anything I think is wrong,” Barr said.

Recently, however, Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), a widely-speculated 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, believes Barr should recuse himself from overseeing Mueller’s investigation.

On Tuesday, senators Richard Blumenthal (D-MA) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) charged that Barr that he must act as a fully independent attorney general, regardless of the wishes of the president, who has said that he does not want a DOJ head that will recuse himself. Furthermore, Feinstein prodded Barr to commit to not interfering in the Russia probe.

“The special counsel’s investigation is set by his charter and by the regulations, and I will ensure those are maintained,” Barr said, adding that he will not terminate the investigation “without good cause.” He also said the special counsel “is not involved” in a witch hunt.

Although Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said the process to confirm and the subsequent responsibilities of Trump’s pick for attorney general “will be challenging,” he expressed confidence in Barr during the questioning insofar as Mueller’s investigation is concerned. Barr said Mueller will be allowed to continue the investigation, making the results public, consistent with federal regulations.

“I believe it is in the best interest of everyone…Bob will be allowed to finish his work,” he said, who also has a friendly relationship with the special counsel.

As the confirmation hearings continue, Barr will also be grilled on presidential powers, immigration enforcement, abortion and the validity of Roe v. Wade (1973), the handling of enemy combatants and the constitutionality of torture, protections for journalists, and his past actions in previous administrations.

If Barr becomes the 85th attorney general, he will be the first to repeat the position since its inception in 1789. He will replace acting-Attorney General Matt Whitaker who was thrust into the position following his tenure as chief of staff to former Attorney General Sessions after a two-year, mostly bad-tempered relationship with President Trump.