January 15, 2019
DISQUALIFYING ON ITS FACE:
Barr sent or discussed controversial memo with Trump lawyers (Ariane de Vogue, January 15, 2019, CNN)
Attorney General nominee William Barr shared a controversial memo last year with nearly all of President Donald Trump's lawyers concluding that an aspect of special counsel Robert Mueller's case could be "fatally misconceived," Barr acknowledged Monday.Barr's 19-page memo -- which concluded that Trump's publicly reported interactions with ex-FBI Director James Comey could not constitute obstruction of justice -- was addressed to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and Assistant Attorney General Steve Engel and released as a part of Barr's Senate questionnaire last month. But it was previously unclear who else had seen it.In a letter to Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham Monday night, Barr said that he had sent it to White House special counsel Emmet Flood, Solicitor General Noel Francisco, and his former Justice Department colleague Pat Cipollone who is now White House counsel. He also discussed the issues raised in the memo with Trump lawyers Marty and Jane Raskin and Jay Sekulow. In addition he sent a copy, or had a conversation about the contents of the memo with Abbe Lowell, an attorney for Jared Kushner.
While it's obviously pertinent that his memo misreads the law, it was one thing when he'd just shared his thoughts with the DOJ, but acting as virtual counsel for the suspect in the biggest case before the Department he wishes to head has to be disqualifying.
Posted by Orrin Judd at January 15, 2019 4:04 AM