The Legacy of AG William Barr

Jim Coogan Joins The Ben Joravsky Show to Discuss the Attorney General

Over the course of the Trump Presidency, there have been two AG’s confirmed by the Senate. The first was (former Senator) Jefferson B. Sessions. The last was William P. Barr. After the November Election, AG Barr announced that he had tendered his resignation to the White House. Our Jim Coogan joined The Ben Joravsky Show for a lively discussion of some of the acts that AG Barr undertook in service of politics and the Presidency. Tune in here.

A Turbulent Period at the Dept. of Justice Comes to a Close

The United States Department of Justice is a powerful entity. The Department oversees criminal prosecutions in United States Federal Courts. This includes FBI investigations. It also handles defense of the government in Civil claims. The DOJ is led by the Attorney General, a position filled by the President of the United States.

This meant that he would be leaving the position after two years running the Department. During that time, he initiated investigations to aid the political ambitions of the President. He also took unprecedented positions in matters that affected President Trump’s White House. Then, following the Election, AG Barr made took a series of public positions that contradicted those of the President. He disputed the claim that there was ample evidence of “widespread voter fraud” in key states in the Election. He denied that there was evidence to support the appointment of a special counsel to investigate the son of President-Elect Joseph Biden, but revealed that there had been an investigation into Hunter Biden only after the election.

All this takes place twenty-eight years after AG Barr last held the position. In 1992, he closed a 2-year tenure as AG under President George H.W. Bush. Now, the question is: what is his legacy? How will he be seen in the context of the Trump Presidency? His recent public break from the President suggests that he is aware of his reputation and concerned over how it will be seen through the lens of history. Some commentators have a dim view. Former U.S. Attorney Harry Litman recently offered his opinion in the South Florida Sun Sentinel.