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William Barr’s response to President Trump’s false allegations of election fraud became the focal point of hearings preceding his resignation as attorney general. In recorded testimony, Barr asserted that Trump’s false allegations caused great damage to our nation and were therefore responsible for prompting him to leave early from office.
Barr is currently an “of counsel” lawyer at Kirkland & Ellis in Washington DC and speaks regularly to audiences about pivotal moments during transformative presidential administrations and today’s most pressing business and political challenges.
William Barr was a conservative attorney before becoming attorney general, working on issues including gang violence and immigration while serving under George HW Bush administration. Among other duties, Barr defended presidential pardons in Iran-Contra affair as well as giving speeches at universities like Notre Dame on how the American experiment depends on “advancing Judeo-Christian moral standards that are under attack from militant secularists.”
But his role as Trump’s attorney general brought him into public view. He is accused of altering the summary of the Mueller report to make it more favorable to Trump, while using his position to shield allies like Michael Flynn and Roger Stone from prosecution or harsh punishments.
After the uproar surrounding Attorney General William Barr’s refusal to publicly share all findings from Robert Mueller’s investigation and his reported efforts at pressuring Justice Department officials into deferring an indictment against former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, many critics suggested he no longer possessed the necessary expertise to serve as nation’s top law enforcement official. But according to a person familiar with his plans, Barr isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Barr, who plans to return to private practice following his resignation, has recently advised one client on private equity matters and put out feelers for future work opportunities, according to one person familiar with his situation. Furthermore, he is writing a book detailing his time leading the Justice Department.
Not yet clear whether he will continue taking cases, the person said he may initially focus on regulatory and constitutional litigation representing companies under attack from overreaching politicians or parties. They may also target executive orders and policies from Trump’s administration including its new rule that requires asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their cases are processed before court proceedings begin.
Barr was already the star witness in two prime-time hearings this past Monday and Tuesday, where he successfully disproved Trump’s claims of fraud under oath without showing any sign of fear that he might become known as an enabler for an unlawful president. These hearings may serve as a preview for what will come later this month when the House Judiciary Committee examines how Justice Department handled Russian probe and where Mueller report came from.
Barr’s resignation was precipitated by both personal differences with President Trump and inability to effectively run the Justice Department. Many view his tenure as having politicized it, specifically through handling of Mueller probe and other issues. His exit dealt a blow to its independence as well as potentially harming its standing among lawmakers and the general public.
Barr and Trump had difficulty working together even prior to the release of the Mueller report. He resisted pressure to fully embrace Trump’s conspiracy theories about voter fraud, warning later that Trump was “losing the plot.” He also warned there was no basis for federal efforts to seize voting machines or interfere in elections.
Last week, Barr issued his strongest condemnation yet of President Donald Trump’s baseless allegations about a stolen election. At a congressional hearing Monday, video excerpts played showed Trump embracing “conspiratorial, evidence-free nonsense” from inebriated aides and that Barr would not act upon Trump’s calls for either an independent special counsel investigation of this election nor Justice officials pursuing unproven claims of widespread fraud which have already been rejected in court cases.
But his public dressing down of President Trump did not alter their relationship, which had become increasingly strained over Barr’s attempts to keep investigations involving Trump associates secret, his influence in Roger Stone and Michael Flynn convictions and sentences, and his failure to pursue charges against his son, among other issues.
Privately, both President Trump and Barr acknowledged their relationship had soured but did not expect it to collapse completely. Sources close to both men believe their separation stemmed from different priorities and perspectives that led them down different paths.
As long as there is no permanent attorney general at the Justice Department, Barr will continue his goal of creating a national law firm specializing in complex regulatory and constitutional litigation. To help him in this endeavor, the Center for Legal Action which was set up at his former Washington residence will advise him on which litigators are the most qualified for hire as well as providing strategic direction on important cases.
Before becoming attorney general, Barr was a private corporate law practitioner specializing in GTE Corporation until its merger with Bell Atlantic to form Verizon Communications. He quickly established a reputation for his savvy corporate law skills that were capable of successfully navigating political and legal obstacles commonly found elsewhere.
Trump appointed William Barr to replace Jeff Sessions after Sessions became the target of Trump’s anger over Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. Barr’s private memo excoriating this investigation garnered national headlines as it was rare for an official in his role at Justice to express such opinions as an individual citizen; furthermore, Barr has an expansive view of executive power and advocates that administrations be given ample legal leeway to fight congressional subpoenas – this appealed greatly to Republicans who made him allies of Trump himself.
Barr’s first year as attorney general saw him come under intense criticism for casting the findings of Mueller report in a manner some believed was too favorable to Donald Trump and ordering internal Justice Department reviews of politically sensitive matters such as Russia investigation. Furthermore, his involvement in Roger Stone conviction and sentencing drew severe backlash from critics such as former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.
Barr is widely seen as the most capable member of Trump’s Cabinet for running the Justice Department, having proven his legal skills over many years in practice and wielding power effectively – an ability which makes him a formidable opponent against Trump’s attacks against it.
Barr is generally seen as unlikely to leave his position willingly and may even serve out his full term, despite recent statements by President Donald Trump that suggest he might sue prosecutors involved in the Mueller probe, and believe his friend Roger Stone deserves a new trial.
While Barr’s resignation will undoubtedly shock the nation, it won’t significantly change his esteemed legal acumen. He will continue serving as an advisor and will play an essential role in advising the Center for Legal Action regarding hiring the best litigators to handle constitutional and regulatory cases.
Barr, who earned multimillion-dollar fortune while working for GTE and Verizon Communications as a corporate attorney, will also advise the organization’s overall legal strategy and advise on litigation strategy. His specialty lies in representing companies facing regulatory issues while helping secure federal contracts.
As attorney general, Barr was met with harsh criticism by Democrats due to his summary of the Mueller report and decision not to prosecute President Trump for obstruction of justice. Barr deemed there insufficient evidence of obstruction when it comes to firing Robert Mueller, interfering in prosecutions of former Trump associates Roger Stone and Michael Flynn and calling for Geoffrey Berman’s removal due to his refusal to defend Trump administration attempts at adding citizenship questions into 2020 census forms.
But Barr is still popular among conservatives who fear the Justice Department’s political influence, particularly those concerned by its election interference practices. Trump took to Truth Social on Monday to criticize Barr for not fighting hard enough for election integrity – specifically calling out her refusal to back Trump’s false claims of widespread electoral fraud as evidence that she doesn’t share his ideals.
Rudy Giuliani, President Trump’s personal lawyer and campaign chairman, immediately responded to Barr’s post with criticism for not being more forceful in opposing Giuliani’s claims of massive voter fraud, saying Barr did not have “courage or stamina to pursue the fraud allegations”. Giuliani wasn’t alone in criticizing Barr for not taking him more seriously: in previous cases senior members of the Justice Department have resigned after strongly disagreeing with Trump’s theories surrounding voter fraud conspiracy theories.