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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 15 February 2019
William Barr sworn in for 2nd stint as U.S. attorney general

By MARY CLARE JALONICK ber, and he has also pub-
Associated Press licly criticized Mueller and
WASHINGTON (AP) — Wil- his staff, calling the probe
liam Barr was sworn in Thurs- a "witch hunt" and suggest-
day for his second stint as ing they are out to get him
the nation's attorney gen- for political reasons. The
eral, taking the helm of the criticism extended to Dep-
Justice Department as spe- uty Attorney General Rod
cial counsel Robert Mueller Rosenstein, who appointed
investigates Russian inter- Mueller as special coun-
ference in the 2016 presi- sel. Rosenstein is expected
dential election. to leave the department
Earlier Thursday, the Sen- shortly after Barr takes of-
ate voted 54-45 to confirm fice.
the veteran government Trump has directed some
official, mostly along party of his strongest vitriol at de-
lines. Barr, who also served partment officials who were
as attorney general from part of the decisions to
1991 to 1993 during Presi- start investigating his cam-
dent George H.W. Bush's paign's Russia ties in 2016
administration, succeeds and to clear Democrat Hill-
Jeff Sessions. President Don- ary Clinton in an unrelated
ald Trump pushed Sessions email probe that same
out of office last year after In this Jan. 15, 2019 photo, Attorney General nominee William Barr testifies during a Senate Ju- year. Trump has repeatedly
diciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. In this Jan. 15, 2019 photo, Attorney
railing against his decision General nominee William Barr testifies during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol suggested that the agents
to recuse himself from the Hill in Washington. and officials, many of
Russia investigation. Associated Press whom have since left, were
As the country's chief law conspiring against him. In
enforcement officer, Barr clusion. He'll also take over about his noncommittal Barr's opponents also point- an interview aired Thurs-
will oversee the remaining a department that Trump stance on making Mueller's ed to a memo he wrote to day, fired former FBI Deputy
work in Mueller's investiga- has publicly assailed, often report public. Barr prom- Justice officials before his Director Andrew McCabe
tion into potential coordi- questioning the integrity ised to be as transparent as nomination that criticized told CBS' "60 Minutes" that
nation between the Krem- and loyalty of those who possible but said he takes Mueller's investigation for Justice Department of-
lin and the Trump cam- work there. seriously the Justice Depart- the way it was presumably ficials discussed bringing
paign and decide how Democrats, who largely ment regulations that dic- looking into whether Trump the Cabinet together to
much Congress and the voted against Barr, said tate Mueller's report should had obstructed justice. Barr consider using the Constitu-
public know about its con- they were concerned be treated as confidential. wrote that Trump could not tion's 25th Amendment to
have obstructed justice by remove Trump from office
firing former FBI Director after Comey's firing.
James Comey since it was Trump responded to the
an action the president McCabe interview with a
was constitutionally enti- tweet: "Disgraced FBI Act-
tled to take. ing Director Andrew Mc-
That view has alarmed Cabe pretends to be a
Democrats, especially 'poor little Angel' when in
since the obstruction in- fact he was a big part of
quiry has been central to the Crooked Hillary Scan-
Mueller's investigation. dal & the Russia Hoax - a
"Mr. Barr's views about the puppet for Leakin' James
power of the president are Comey. I.G. report on Mc-
especially troubling in light Cabe was devastating."
of his refusal to commit to In his hearing last month,
making the special coun- Barr vowed that he would
sel's findings and the report not "be bullied," said Muel-
publicly available," said ler's investigation is not a
California Sen. Dianne Fein- witch hunt and agreed that
stein, the top Democrat on Sessions was right to recuse
the Judiciary panel. Fein- himself from the probe.
stein said the attorney gen- Barr said he was a friend of
eral should be "objective" Mueller's and repeatedly
and "clearly committed to sought to assuage con-
protecting the interest of cerns that he might disturb
the people, the country or upend the investigation
and the Constitution." as it reaches its final stages.
Barr will be tasked with re- When Trump nominated
storing some stability after Barr, he called him "a ter-
almost two years of open rific man" and "one of the
tension between Trump most respected jurists in the
and Justice officials. Trump country."
lashed out at Sessions re- "I think he will serve with
peatedly before he finally great distinction," Trump
pushed him out in Novem- said.q