BARR TEARS INTO COMEY WHILE DEFENDING DURHAM PROBE
US Attorney General William Barr has lashed out at former head of the FBI, James Comey, while defending the on-going “Durham Probe” into the originations of the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016.
In a recent interview with Fox News, Barr defended the independence and integrity of the politically contentious probe being led by U.S. Attorney John Durham into the handling of the Russia investigation – while taking a swipe at James Comey’s past leadership of the FBI.
YOU MIGHT LIKE
As we reported last week, that the probe into the 2016 origins of the Russia meddling case has escalated from a review to a criminal investigation, a development that spurred Democratic claims that the DOJ was becoming a tool for President Trump’s “political revenge.”
Barr, speaking on Monday October 28 to Fox News on the sidelines of a law enforcement event in Chicago, rejected Democrats’ claims he is acting as Trump’s personal lawyer. “That’s completely wrong and there is no basis for it, and I act on behalf of the United States,” Barr said.
The attorney general said that while he’s assisting in connecting Durham with countries that could have valuable information, insisting that Durham is the one running the show. “He is in charge of the investigation, I’m not doing the investigation,” Barr said, while describing Durham, the U.S. attorney for Connecticut, as “thorough and fair” and saying he’s making progress.
Further, Barr took an implicit swipe at Comey as he maintained how current FBI Director Christopher Wray is cooperating.
“I do want to say that one of the reasons Mr. Durham is able to make the kind of progress he’s making is because Director Wray and his team at the FBI have just been outstanding in support and responsiveness given to Mr. Durham,” Barr said. “As you know, I’ve 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 there’s been a world of change. I think that he is restoring the steady professionalism that’s been a hallmark of the FBI. I really appreciate his leadership there.”
When it was first reported that Durham’s investigation had evolved into a criminal probe, Democrats claimed the DOJ was essentially being weaponized against Trump’s political opponents. “These reports, if true, raise profound new concerns that the Department of Justice under AG Barr has lost its independence and become a vehicle for President Trump’s political revenge,” said a joint statement by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., released last Thursday.
In response to such criticism, Barr said, “It wouldn’t be appropriate at this stage for me to discuss the Durham investigation.” He said he’d “certainly inform the public and Congress” when possible.
As for the direction of the investigation, he said: “We’ll let the chips fall where they may.”
CATEGORIES
ATTACKS FROM THE LEFT
Posts
