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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 22 december 2020
Barr undercuts Trump on election and Hunter Biden inquiries

By MICHAEL BALSAMO As- cluded that "we haven't
sociated Press seen anything to substanti-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Un- ate that."
dercutting President Don- Trump has consulted on
ald Trump on multiple special counsels with White
fronts, Attorney General House chief of staff Mark
William Barr said Monday Meadows, White House
he saw no reason to ap- counsel Pat Cipollone and
point a special counsel to outside allies, according to
look into the president's several Trump administra-
claims about the 2020 elec- tion officials and Repub-
tion or to name one for the licans close to the White
tax investigation of Presi- House who spoke to The As-
dent-elect Joe Biden's son. sociated Press on condition
Barr, in his final public ap- of anonymity because they
pearance as a member of weren't authorized discuss
Trump's Cabinet, also rein- the matter publicly.
forced the belief of federal Trump was interested both
officials that Russia was be- in a counsel to investigate
hind a massive hack of U.S. the younger Biden's tax
government agencies, not dealings and a second to
China as the president has look into election fraud.
suggested. He even floated the idea
Barr is leaving the Justice Attorney General William Barr speaks during a news conference, Monday, Dec. 21, 2020 at the of naming attorney Sidney
Department this week, hav- Justice Department in Washington. Powell as the counsel —
ing morphed from one of Associated Press though Powell was booted
Trump's most loyal allies to from Trump's legal team af-
one of the few members of a press conference to an- refuses to accept his loss. would accomplish. ter she made a series of in-
the Cabinet willing to con- nounce additional criminal Among those allies is Rudy For his part, Barr said he saw creasingly wild conspirato-
tradict the president open- charges in the bombing of Giuliani, who during a no reason to seize them. rial claims about the elec-
ly. That's been particularly Pan Am Flight 103, which meeting Friday pushed Earlier this month, Barr also tion.
true since the election, with killed 190 Americans, an is- Trump to seize voting ma- told AP that the Justice De- Federal law requires that
Barr declaring in an inter- sue he had worked on in his chines in his hunt for evi- partment and Homeland an attorney general ap-
view with The AP that he previous stint as attorney dence of fraud. The Home- Security had looked into point any special counsels.
had seen no evidence of general in the early 1990s. land Security Department the claims "that machines Barr also said Monday the
widespread voting fraud, He'll step down on Wednes- made clear, however, that were programmed essen- hack of U.S. government
even as Trump continued day and be replaced by it had no authority to do so. tially to skew the election agencies "certainly ap-
to make false claims about acting Attorney General It is also unclear what that results" and ultimately con- pears to be the Russians."q
the integrity of the contest. Jeffrey Rosen.
The president has also Barr's statements on the
grown particularly angry special counsel may make
that Barr didn't announce it easier for Rosen to resist
the existence of a two- pressure from the White
year-old investigation of House to open any special
Hunter Biden before the counsel investigation.
election. On Monday, Barr In his 2019 confirmation
said that investigation was hearing for deputy attor-
"being handled responsibly ney general, Rosen said he
and professionally." was willing to rebuff politi-
"I have not seen a reason cal pressure from the White
to appoint a special coun- House if necessary. He
sel and I have no plan to told legislators that crimi-
do so before I leave," he nal investigations should
said, adding that there was "proceed on the facts and
also no need for a special the law" and prosecutions
counsel to investigate the should be "free of improper
election. political influences."
A special counsel would "If the appropriate answer
make it more difficult for is to say no to somebody,
Biden and his yet-to-be- then I will say no," he said at
named attorney general to the time.
close investigations begun Trump and his allies have
under Trump. Such an ap- filed roughly 50 lawsuits
pointment could also add a challenging election results
false legitimacy to baseless and nearly all have been
claims, particularly to the dismissed or dropped. He's
throngs of Trump supporters also lost twice at the U.S.
who believe the election Supreme Court.
was stolen because Trump With no further tenable le-
keeps wrongly claiming it gal recourse, Trump has
was. been fuming and pepper-
Barr's comments came at ing allies for options as he