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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 2 december 2020

Barr appoints special counsel in Russia probe investigation

By MICHAEL BALSAMO and cial counsel Robert Mueller point them under the same
ERIC TUCKER in the original Russia probe. regulation that covered
Associated Press He said Durham’s investi- Bob Mueller, to provide
WASHINGTON (AP) — At- gation has been narrow- Durham and his team some
torney General William Barr ing to focus more on the assurance that they’d be
has given extra protection conduct of FBI agents who able to complete their
to the prosecutor he ap- worked on the Russia inves- work regardless of the out-
pointed to investigate the tigation, known as Crossfire come of the election,” he
origins of the Trump-Russia Hurricane. said Tuesday.
probe, granting him au- Under federal regulations, The current investigation,
thority to complete the a special counsel can be a criminal probe, had be-
work without being easily fired only by the attorney gun very broadly but has
fired. Barr told The Associ- general and for specific since “narrowed consid-
ated Press on Tuesday that reasons such as miscon- erably” and now “really
he had appointed U.S. At- duct, dereliction of duty or is focused on the activi-
torney John Durham as a conflict of interest. An at- ties of the Crossfire Hurri-
special counsel in October torney general must docu- cane investigation within
under the same federal ment such reasons in writ- the FBI,” Barr said. He said
statute that governed spe- ing. The FBI in July 2016 be- he expects Durham would
This 2018 portrait released by the U.S. Department of Justice detail whether any addi-
Georgia elections official shows Connecticut’s U.S. Attorney John Durham. tional prosecutions will be
Associated Press
brought and make public a
urges Trump to rein in gan investigating whether a former Trump campaign report of the investigation’s
the Trump campaign was aide, have long been findings. In an Oct. 19 or-
supporters coordinating with Russia to scrutinized by the presi- der, obtained by The Asso-
sway the outcome of the dent and other critics of ciated Press, Barr says Dur-
presidential election. That the probe who say the FBI ham is authorized “to inves-
By KATE BRUMBACK probe was inherited near- made significant errors. An tigate whether any federal
Associated Press ly a year later by special inspector general report official, employee or any
ATLANTA (AP) — A top counsel Mueller, who ulti- last year backed up that person or entity violated
Georgia elections official mately did not find enough criticism but did not find the law in connection with
on Tuesday lashed out evidence to charge Trump evidence that mistakes in the intelligence, counter-
angrily at the rhetoric sur- or any of his associates with the surveillance applica- intelligence or law enforce-
rounding the election and conspiring with Russia. tions and other problems ment activities” directed at
the threats of violence that But the early months of the with the probe were driven the 2016 presidential cam-
have resulted, specifically investigation, when agents by partisan bias. paigns, anyone associated
calling on President Donald obtained secret surveil- Barr decided “the best with the campaigns or the
Trump to rein in his support- lance warrants targeting thing to do would be to ap- Trump administration. q
ers.
Gabriel Sterling is a Repub-
lican who oversaw the im-
plementation of the state’s
new voting system. During
a routine news conference In this Wednesday, Nov. 11,
at the state Capitol to pro- 2020 photo, Gabriel Sterling
vide an update on the re- a top Georgia elections
count of the presidential official stands during a news
race requested by Trump, conference, in Atlanta.
Sterling admonished the Associated Press
president and Georgia’s sent sexualized threats to
two U.S. senators, who are his wife’s cellphone, said
both locked in tight runoff Sterling. Raffensperger
races against Democrats and Sterling both have po-
and have called on GOP lice stationed outside their
Secretary of State Brad homes, and the Georgia
Raffensperger to resign Bureau of Investigation has
over claims that he mishan- said it’s investigating possi-
dled the election. ble threats against officials
“Mr. President, you have to determine their credibil-
not condemned these ity.
actions or this language. Sterling said his anger boiled
Senators, you have not over when he learned that
condemned this language a contractor with Domin-
or these actions,” Sterling ion Voting Systems helping
said, visibly angry. “This has with the recount effort in
to stop. We need you to suburban Gwinnett County
step up, and if you’re going received death threats af-
to take a position of lead- ter someone shot video of
ership, show some.” him transferring a report to
People have been driving a county computer and
in caravans past Raffens- falsely said the young man
perger’s home, have come was manipulating election
onto his property and have data.q