To avoid talking about the issues at hand, issues of clear corruption in the Roger Stone and Michael Flynn cases and the use of federal police forces against American protesters, Republicans in the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday asked Attorney General Bill Barr questions about Bruce Ohr, spying by the Obama/Biden administration, and the “bogus” Russia investigation that ended in 2018.
AG Barr rails against "bogus" Russia investigation and "violent rioters" in testimony before Congress.
More from @KevinWilliamB and @amanda_m_macias: https://t.co/HFBNlUBUoC
— CNBC Politics (@CNBCPolitics) July 28, 2020
Barr’s feet were pressed to the fire by Democratic lawmakers on the committee, who told Barr that his use of force in Lafayette Square, an incident for which National Guardsman and Iraq vet Adam DeMarco will testify was an unlawful use of force used to allow President Trump the chance for a photo op, was questionable. Despite a very long video that was included as part of Rep. Jim Jordan’s (R-OH) opening statement with cherry-picked images of riots and violence, the protest in Lafayette was peaceful and no orders to disperse had been reasonably given to demonstrators.
Rep. Jerry Nadler to Attorney General Bill Barr: "Again and again, you personally have interfered with ongoing criminal investigations to protect the president and his allies from the consequences of their actions." https://t.co/TtCZXxSTLG pic.twitter.com/qcvZuNvBBR
— ABC News (@ABC) July 28, 2020
Barr was also grilled by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) about systemic racism in the police force, racism that results in a wildly disproportionate number of stops, arrests, and the use of violence against black suspects over white ones. Although she laid the shocking numbers out in full detail, Barr insisted that there is no systemic racism in the police force or in the United States in general. The Trump administration will surely reward him for that in the days leading up to the 2020 elections.
William Barr: "I do not agree that there is systemic racism in the police departments, or generally in this country" https://t.co/QNv3edq3dI pic.twitter.com/y2QKP2B18Q
— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 28, 2020
Barr was also pressured to discuss whether he had had any conversations with President Trump about his 2020 campaign, perhaps conversations about moves that Barr could make in his capacity as attorney general, but Barr refused to answer. While he did say that it was entirely possible that discussions about the campaign had occurred, he refused to answer the questions in any more detail.
Attorney General William Barr refuses to answer whether he and President Trump have discussed Trump's reelection campaign in connection with the current or future deployment of federal law enforcement https://t.co/tUvpyCcsBR pic.twitter.com/H39zF2LPIh
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) July 28, 2020
Featured image screenshot via Twitter video
