Fact Checker: Did Attorney General Barr mislead Congress?
By Salvador Rizzo Salvador Rizzo Reporter for The Fact Checker Email Bio Follow May 3 at 3:00 AM Rep. Charlie Crist : “Reports have emerged recently, general, that members of the special counsel’s team are frustrated at some level with the limited information included in your March 24th letter, that it does not adequately or accurately, necessarily, portray the report’s findings.
Barr’s answer to Crist was misleading at best. His response to Van Hollen was arguably misleading, but not for the reason the senator claimed.This chain of events shows that Mueller repeatedly tried to get the introductions and executive summaries out to the public, both before Barr’s letter from March 24 and after its release — all of it weeks before Barr’s testimony on April 9 and 10.
The attorney general couched this statement as a hunch. But Mueller by that point had manifested clear concerns to Barr about the limited information released by the Justice Department. Why was Barr resorting to suspicions? He could have pointed to Mueller’s specific claims in response to Crist. Crist’s question was broader than that. He asked about the Mueller team’s frustrations with the “limited information” in Barr’s letter. Crist not only asked about the accuracy but also the adequacy of Barr’s letter. As we read it, Mueller’s letter raised concerns about the limited information and adequacy of Barr’s letter.
In response to a question from Sen. John Neely Kennedy , Barr said Mueller “wanted to put out the full executive summaries that are incorporated in the report.” Mueller wrote in terms of “we” and “this office,” referring to himself and his team. Mueller also referenced previous communications between his team and the attorney general. Barr told the Senate Judiciary Committee, “The letter’s a bit snitty, and I think it was probably written by one of his staff people.”
Mueller’s letter does not prove that Barr misled Van Hollen. It says Barr “did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance of this Office’s work and conclusions.” In the end, Mueller said other considerations prevented him from reaching a decision on obstruction charges. These included: We have a big gulf between Mueller’s conclusions on obstruction and Barr’s conclusions . It’s natural to infer that Mueller does not support Barr’s conclusions. But it’s also worth noting that this remains an inference for now and that Mueller has not opined directly on Barr’s ultimate decision, as far as the public record shows, anyway. The letter is stinging, but its text challenges Barr’s disclosure decisions prior to the report’s release, not his conclusion on obstruction.
The Pinocchio Test Crist raised concerns about the “limited information” in Barr’s letter and asked about its accuracy and adequacy.
México Últimas Noticias, México Titulares
Similar News:También puedes leer noticias similares a ésta que hemos recopilado de otras fuentes de noticias.
Defying Congress, Attorney General Barr to skip Mueller hearingDefying the U.S. Congress, Attorney General William Barr will not attend a U.S. ...
Leer más »
Attorney General William Barr grilled over his differences with special counsel Robert MuellerWatch as Attorney General William Barr gives his opening statement during his hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee this morning.
Leer más »
Attorney General William Barr may not attend Mueller report hearing over disagreement with DemocratsAttorney General William Barr may not attend his Thursday hearing due to a disagreement with Democrats over the hearing's format, CNN reported.
Leer más »
Democrats blast Attorney General William Barr, calling him Trump’s ‘paid federal public defender’In scheduled back-to-back congressional hearings this week, Democrats will have their first chance to grill Barr since he stood at the Justice Department podium and repeatedly declared that Mueller had found no “collusion” between Trump and Russia.
Leer más »
Attorney General Barr threatens to skip House hearingThe Trump administration is ramping up its refusal to cooperate with Congress as Attorney General Bill Barr threatens not to testify before the House Judiciary Committee. Stephanie Ruhle is joined by University of Alabama Law Professor Joyce Vance, MSNBC Justice and Security Analyst Matt Miller, and the New York Times’ Ken Vogel, to discuss why Barr is objecting to lawyers asking questions.
Leer más »
Attorney General Bill Barr and House Dems spar over House hearingThe Attorney General of the United States says he’ll talk to the House Judiciary Committee about the Mueller report – but he has conditions. Former federal prosecutor Berit Berger joins Ali Velshi and Stephanie Ruhle to discuss how Barr’s conditions could lead to a fight that pits the top of the Justice Department against the justice system.
Leer más »
Democrats blast Attorney General William Barr, calling him Trump’s ‘paid federal public defender’In scheduled back-to-back congressional hearings this week, Democrats will have their first chance to grill Barr since he spoke at the Justice Department on April 18.
Leer más »
Attorney General William Barr criticizes special counsel Robert Mueller for not saying whether Trump obstructed justiceBarr's testimony Wednesday intensified Democrats' calls for Mueller himself to testify and led some of them to accuse Barr of giving misleading answers.
Leer más »
Attorney General Barr to face tough hearing on Mueller reportAttorney General Barr set to face questions on his handling of Mueller’s report when he testifies before Congress
Leer más »