Since he sent his public love letter/job application to Trump, Barr has shown his true nature. A guy with a so-called good reputation who begs to get into bed with the most corrupt US president ever. Why would he do that to his “good reputation “? Power hungry? Missed the cameras? From the day he was confirmed as AG, he’s done everything he can to keep Trump happy. He’s his high paid personal lawyer. His admirer. His protector. The more despicable Trump becomes, the more Barr has his back. This Barr has been set really low.
27
Kudos, but why did this take so long? We knew Barr was lying from the moment he opened his mouth. He should resign.
21
Trump will try and intimidate him as a 'Democrat' judge...
10
“Mr. Barr’s “lack of candor” called into question his “credibility and, in turn, the department’s” assurances to the court, Judge Walton said.”
What I find interesting is that the judge is just saying what everyone is thinking.
I might point out that this is a Republican appointed judge, so no political bias there.
26
I have no oar in the water about what Mr. Barr did or did not do. Or what Judge Walton thinks is right or wrong. But as a retired intelligence officer, I am aware that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court generally never turns down the US Government. There is no real due process there for the subjects of investigations. Since Judge Walton presided over the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, he should recuse himself. That Court is one of the bureaucracies at the center of of all this and I doubt anyone knows what all this is, really. And we don't know if Judge Walton is worried about his own actions at that Court. I suggest he is conflicted and it would be better to get a Judge who never served on that Court to preside over this case. Then let the chips fall where they may. It is really getting difficult to trust the actions of any senior officials, regardless of their branch of government.
10
Have you no shame Barr? I already know the answer to that.
22
The Attorney General of the United States commits treason against the Constitution, against the citizens of the United States, against the rule of law.
Who will bring him to Justice? Congress? I imagine the Trump will pardon him. But, then, with a crooked Justice Department and a crooked President — where are our checks and balances? Will Republicans in Congress honor the Constitution and the rule of law for the common man ... or only as far as befits themselves!
In this war for the soul of America, we can and must vote them out...VOTE FOR AMERICA, PLEASE.
30
There is something very strange about Barr's conduct that can’t be explained solely by his weird theory of presidential power. Why has he gone to extreme lengths to protect this overtly corrupt president. His actions border on obstruction. There has to be some perverse motive that is being missed. Whatever it is he in a danger to the nation while he remains in office.
26
Bill Barr is a member of the District of Columbia Bar. Rule 8.4 (c) of the D.C. Rules of Professional Conduct says that it is "professional misconduct" for a lawyer to "(c) Engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation."
If Judge Walton finds that Barr misrepresented the Mueller report, will the D.C. Bar move to impose sanctions, including perhaps disbarment?
35
No more banana republic, no more lies, no more manipulations, no more conflicts of interest, no more quid pro quo, no more Trump & Co. Send them home or better still send them where they belong: in prison. On November 3rd, 2020, save the date (and the country) !
23
Barr is a partisan hack and cover up artist going back to his actions regarding Iran Contra. Judge Walton's comments just serve to underscore that we no longer have a functioning federal government.
It's hard to see the path back from the multiple instances of Constitutional crisis foisted upon the country by Mitch McConnell, the Republican senate and the Trump administration
19
Looks like indictments from Durham are on the way. Nothing like trying to run interference.
6
when are we going to have an attorney general who is on the side of the American People? It is absolutely wrong that the justice department works only for the president. How can the justice department pretend to work for justice when it represents only the president and not the American people?
18
Judge Walton is good and fair judge and man. While it is clear that he was just stating the obvious, good for him for putting the weight of the federal bench behind it.
18
The article's claim that is is striking for "a Republican-appointed federal judge" to issue this ruling reveals the extent of the assumption--although I hope not the acceptance--of a partisan judiciary.
11
@flwovr21
Yes, and that phrase reveals the extent of the assumption -- although I hope not the acceptance -- that being "fair and balanced" at this newspaper requires a reporter to treat lies and truths as if they are both "partisan" and have equal weight.
When a newspaper gives lies equal weight with the truth, it is siding with those who lie. And THAT is a partisanship that destroys democracy.
Being biased toward the TRUTH is not "partisanship" and it is long past time for this newspaper's reporters to understand that instead of accept the Fox News version that it is "partisan" to report the truth if Republicans offer a lie.
Sadly it takes a conservative Republican judge to show how much the media is partisan in favor of Republicans and gives their lies equal weight with the truth.
6
The White House will issue a summary report that says Judge Walton found no conspiracy or coordination with Trump and his team in an effort to influence interpretation of the Mueller report.
11
The judge will never get a copy of the unredacted report. He hasn’t even seen the report himself at this point so how can he know there are distortions?
2
@Edward
Because there were even distortions in the unredacted portions of the report. Trump and Barr distort what is evident right before your eyes, knowing that the cult will buy anything.
16
@Edward
The distortions were what William Barr presented as the "truth" to the American people during the time he refused to allow them to even read the redacted version of the report.
It was only many weeks later that Americans learned that the report did not exonerate Mueller at all, and Barr's lies that Mueller said there wasn't any evidence to indict Trump were corrected by Mueller himself who made it clear that his decision was based entirely on Barr's decree that a sitting president could not be indicted no matter what crimes he committed.
14
A judicial appointee of the previously worst President ever shows there’s some integrity left in the legal system. No doubt his spine was stiffened having the support of the judges and attorneys who signed the letter of protest about Trump’s manipulation of the Justice Dept.
November 3rd.
14
This is not exactly news, but each time Barr's corrupt support of Trump and the Trump empire is exposed, I can hope one or two people pay attention.
Reality is not a team sport.
Lies are not truth.
The planet bats last, and it bats 1000.
17
@Susan Anderson Of course this Judge weighing in is "news" but the reality has not changed.
4
The only branch of government that is truly resisting the lawlessness of the Trump administration with any success is the judicial. This is a stunning rebuke of a sitting Attorney General. Doesn't get us much in the short term, but an important ruling nonetheless.
I recall when Barr was up for confirmation for AG, many seeming intelligent law professionals were confident in his ability to perform his job without deference to the president.
Based solely on the fact that he was appointed by Trump I knew this would not be the case.
16
In related news, Chief Justice Roberts rebukes Senator Schumer which seem peculiar if not unfair.
Justice Roberts words would be taken more seriously, and might carry more weight, if he had called out Trump for his many egregious attacks on the judiciary, instead of Schumer's one.
19
Barr deserves to be impeached for stuff like this.
Sadly Republicans care about their party more than what's best for America.
13
I certainly agree with what the Judge opined. He is only stating what anyone with two brain cells to rub together already concluded.
But the reality is that I wake up every morning knowing that the person sitting in the Oval Office is still there. Of course there will be the "whataboutisms" from the trump supporters but it really isn't about Obama, Clinton, or actually anyone else. Even the GOP Senate in their unpatriotic way isn't what this is about. It is about one man who has a very very shady past sitting in a place we should be able to respect.
Alas, Americans have a very short memory. The Mueller report is all but forgotten. Oh look! Something new to take our minds off the criminality of a sitting pResident. COVID-19. How convenient.
If this were a brave nation we claim to be then prove it. Remove this man from office. Put him on trial because he broke the law. The Mueller report all but said he is guilty but couldn't say he is guilty because the bought and paid for Justice (sic) department said Mueller wasn't allowed to.
I can only hope that once he is voted out of office, there will be an official from the SDNY to meet him as he leaves the White House and serve him with a warrant. Only then will I have any faith in our Republic. What we have now is nothing like a democracy. The only ones that disagree are trump supporters. In fact I have heard many say they wouldn't mind a dictatorship if trump were the Dictator.
18
It took decades to get Al Capone, Gotti etc. The facts were always there, but the burden of proof was missing - until it wasn't.
12
If Mr Barr has a shred of honor and decency, he should resign immediately. A Federal Judge, appointed by a Republican President, has called him a liar in court.
And the Judge did so based on FACTS - real facts, not alternative ones favored in the White House.
15
Barr is tainted goods and should resign immediately. And because that would be the honorable thing to do, it won't happen.
10
William Barr is now like watching a car wreck. He once was a respected member of the judiciary. Not anymore.
11
This is criminal behavior. Even with the advent of the virus, this story should be front page news.
12
Baar's summary was simply a trumpian interpretation of the facts. Distorted to the extent of lies and misrepresentation. DUMP TRUMP
13
And Why was this not Front Page news, all caps, bold, underscored?? (Or did I miss it?) because unfortunately we’ve gotten used to the endless destructive actions of this administration. Kudos to Judge Walton.
13
I am disappointed that Mueller did not Mueller was too careful with his words, and too weak in any commentary about Barrs whitewashing the report in a 4 page summary.
Mueller could have said this: We have evidence of Trump ties to Russia and coordination of his staff with Putin linked oligarchs. We have multiple instances of Trump and his administration obstructing the congressional investigation. If the Justice department did not have a policy of not indicting the sitting president, then he could be prosecuted for those crimes. Bill Barr worded his summary in a very calculated manner enough just to placate everyone. Mueller should have fought back on that. In the end, what did he stand to lose by speaking up...forcefully?
11
I am confused by people’s calls for Barr’s resignation. The man should be sacked... or the complicated US equivalent of sacking someone in his position.
21
@Concerned
The only one who can "sack" Barr is Trump, and we all know that will never happen.
An impeachment is another possibility but with McConnell at the top of the Senate, we all know that will never happen.
We are just going to have to wait till November and vote them all out.
Then Biden can show Barr the door.
7
Barr mislead the public about what Mueller's report concluded. His message conformed with Trump's, that the investigation found no wrong doing nor collusion with the Russian government by nor attempts to obstruct the investigation and and exonerated President Trump and his campaign. That was not true. The report found numerous efforts by Trump's campaign and Russians acting for the Russian government to share information damaging to the other candidate but no evidence supporting criminal acts. There was ample evidence to pursue obstruction of justice by Trump but since he's President the DOJ would not prosecute. That was what Barr and Trump obscured by misleading public declarations but which the redacted report later submitted contradicted. Clearly a deliberate effort to circulate untruths which would become thought true popularly.
One might consider Barr a dishonest individual for misleading the public in this manner. But one must understand that Barr is a fixer for Republican Presidents who saves them from accountability out of affiliation with that group which is far greater than any oath of office to Barr. This is the case because in his heart, Barr believes that any government is only just when it conforms with God's law and that man's laws are shams when they deviate from God's law. Trump is helping fill the courts with judges that religious people like Barr hope will effectively end secular government in this country. Trump in office assures this will continue.
17
If true what the judge has judged, Barr would be guilty of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, perjury, and treason. Have I missed anything? =
20
A quick way eliminate future partisan hacks such as Barr in the Justice Department is to require 2/3 approval of any such Presidential appointment in the Senate. We would have never had either Barr or Sessions, both of whom are en embarrassment to the position.
11
What is this judge whining about? Pretty much the entire report has been made public and declassified. The FBI 302's are being disclosed. Mountains of evidence provided and guess what - no collusion. The press and Democrats just can't accept the truth.
2
The Muller report has always been a ticking time-bomb for Trump and co. Barr sandbagging it was never going to work. Tick tock!
16
Another example of how stunningly unprepared our political system is when faced with a lying, corrupt, in-your-face jerk who couldn't care less about democracy, rule of law, or justice. It's astounding that both Trump and Barr remain in positions of extreme power after displaying how venal, dishonest, and anti-democratic they really are.
19
If you don't believe that Trump is God-sent to rapture away all skeptics and atheists, you won't last long in his company. There are good judges and bad ones with life term appointments, and it is the luck of the draw which you get if you come before a court.
7
Will somebody please leak the entire unredacted report!
16
Easy remedy to fix this problem. The Bar Association should immediately disbar Barr. He is a liar. One only wonders what Trump has on him that he would become so perverse and dishonest. It must be something pretty bad.
16
Leftist judge continues Democrat and ‘progressive’ disinformation campaign / takedown of Mr Barr.
Count me surprised...
2
Did it ever occur to you that this is not partisanship, this is justice?
Why do you excuse the lies with lies of your own that this matter is solely partisanship.
I don’t care who you are or what party you belong to, if you lie or obstruct, you must be held accountable.
Remember that word “accountable” that the Republicans liked to throw around when there was a Democrat in the White House? It’s still a good word, and a good idea. Let’s hold them all accountable.
13
Facts are stubborn things.
11
This was obvious to anyone with half a brain. We did not need a judge to tell us. But Barr and the entire administration just ignore anything coming from the judiciary, so what does it matter? The entire administration should be in jail.
9
"Still, it was striking to see a Republican-appointed federal judge scathingly dissect Mr. Barr’s conduct in a formal judicial ruling and declare that the sitting attorney general had so deceived the American people that he could not trust assertions made by a Justice Department under Mr. Barr’s control."
THIS is exactly what is wrong with how even the so-called "liberal" media has been co-opted into the fascist agenda.
It is NOT striking that a judge spoke the obvious facts. What IS striking is that this newspaper has continued to present the facts as a "Barr says this, Trump-haters say this, and both sides have equally valid points."
The correct practice of journalism is to tell readers FACTS. It is not to dutifully quote Republicans basically lying about reality and then quoting someone identified as a "partisan democrat" or "Trump opponent" to offer "a different view that is equally true".
This judge simply did what reporters have failed to do for the last 4 years and actually stated reality. The fact that doing so SHOCKS this newspaper reveals how problematic your reporting has been.
9
Why am I not surprised!!!
4
We have five Supreme Court justices and an Attorney General, all of whom belong to the conservative and secretive Catholic right wing group Opus Dei. It is time for news outlets to investigate and put a spotlight on this highly influential and dangerous group.
7
Time has arrived for AG William Barr did he lie falsified Mueller report. William Barr should've been disbarred from practicing law.
If you remember he was a serving it George Bush Junior on the war of mass destruction pushed by Dick Cheney a numbskull for the Republican Party should've been impeached both of them for lies sending our troop into death for their own ambition the writings on the wall. William Barr would do anything for his cause Republican Party even lie and lose his law credentials.
Even with his dossier last year about impeaching a president was so far off the mark he was reading between the lines mistakenly he needed glasses or he was senility.
He should be prosecuted I'm glad this judge finally see what we see and false information. AG William Barr should step down before he's arrested under the Democratic leadership November 3, 2020.
Thank you, Judge Walton, for seeing of things with you see a misguided person possibly pay off for his lies on the Mueller report. He should not be unchecked he should suffer banishment from American people.
William Barr has a lot of people with his false accusation Lotta people go to prison for falsifying evidence of the truth and the light.
3
OMG are you kidding me?!
Barr slanted and distorted the Muller report to benefit Trump!
Tell us something we did not already know.
6
@Mark
This newspaper did not tell readers at the time that Barr slanted and distorted the Mueller report to benefit Trump.
Instead, this newspaper told us only that "PARTISAN Trump-haters" said Barr did this, while presenting William Barr as an honest and upright man whose words are never once challenged by any journalist at this newspaper. Instead, the writers of every new story simply present Barr's statements uncritically, while including a disclaimer that "partisan Trump-haters disagree", leaving readers to believe there is no truth, just like the Republicans want.
5
The nyt coverage at the time was a disgrace. Maybe there will be some introspection and change.
6
Finally someone who understands the damage Trump and Barr are doing to this country and its rule of law. It will be interesting to see how Trump and Barr and Trump Nation/Fox News tries to smear this judge as a RINO, a 'liberal' Democrat out to get Trump, etc. Meanwhile the guy is like the definition of judges the GOP claims to push, a law and order guy, tough on criminals, no nonsense, you name it. I liked the quote about him that he broke up a street fight outside his courtroom, hopefully that means when the drooling idiot right starts piling it on him he will fight back.
It says how far we have come when we are surprised that a judge stands up for rule of law and for a department of justice all about justice, not protecting the king.
8
Vote people. Forgawdsakes vote this time. -C
9
Why isn't this front page headline news?
Oh well have a Corona.
POTUS is wondering, aloud, why the flu vaccine shouldn't be sufficient to save us from the Covid-19 pandemic.
And yes, it's a pandemic, and the economy and perhaps much more will take a huge hit.
Trump already blamed Obama for the shortage of testing kits, why not blame Mueller working in connection with Hunter Biden and Killary?
Nothing will come of this, a virus invisible without a million dollar electron microscope will hopefully prove more powerful in taking down Trump than mere mortal patriotic human beings.
6
Take his law license and diploma away.
6
Barr is corrupt and criminal in his behaviors.
8
The executive branch appoints judges and the head of DOJ, it makes you wonder where it the check and balance against the corruption. The system of democracy can not solely depend on people's conscientiousness which could not stop Nazi, Pinochet, Stalin, Putin or Xi.
4
I wish like minded judges like Walton had got together during the Mueller episodes to oppose Barr. That way Mueller would have had the strength to whitsle blow Barr. That would have given the public some faith in the judiciary system.
1
Finally!
1
Barr has been a corrupt, lying, self-serving man since his earlier government service. No reason why he would change.
People like Barr, and his partner in crime Kavanaugh, are why there should be religious laws on the books - if you plan to bring your faith into work, as both of these men have stated throughout their lives, and influence policy based on such (a bastardized version of "faith" at that), you are not fit for a position in a government that welcomes all faiths as well as none, and uses no faith to conduct business. It's time to root out this cabal of people with a faith based agenda that they are determined to impose on all of us.
I also look forward to Barr having to produce the unredacted version, and the subsequent revelations of how he has skewed the law to help another lying criminal.
7
“inconsistencies“, you know things your mom called lies.
6
If only Barr’s nose could grow like Pinocchio’s we’d have a yardstick by which we could measure his dalliances with the truth.
5
A honorable person sitting in the chair that Mr. Barr is sitting on right now will feel so shameful that he or she will have to resign that position.
So it is a good thing that under Putin's shameless trump so many of his minions don't have a sense of shame, let alone guilt.
Good job, Mr. Barr. Indeed, Putin's Donny will say: Barr you did a heck of a job covering my behind, I finally got my Roy Cohn.
4
It's refreshing to find those who are honest & unafraid.
5
Uhh, DUH!!! Breaking news - Old stooge lies to protect vengeful boss!
3
.
1
You people are insane. Glad trump NAGA 2028
1
The Democratic presidential candidates should tell us their plans, if elected, for repairing the damage Trump has done to the rule of law, to fact-based execution of the law, to our national security, to our foreign policy and alliances, and to other aspects of our health, safety and general welfare. I would like to see detailed, agency by agency proposals for immediate action to eliminate corruption, to restore lost funding, to reinstate beneficial regulations lost to Trump executive orders, and to repopulate the government with qualified, apolitical experts who can carry out their assigned statutory functions instead of working to undermine them. If they can’t give us details, they should at least reassure us that they will prioritize measures to negate the disastrous effects of Trump’s presidency. The sooner we wash him out of our hair the better.
8
Very much on point Mr. Mike!! Unfortunately for the US, regular people do not have the luxury to prioritize their presidential candidates based on that. That is way no Democrat ever mentioned this.
2
I understood that Barr had a good reputation following his first stint as AG. I don't understand what Trump has to offer that would be worth his good name. That goes for a lot of people in the Trump camp.
4
@Pam B The seeds must always have been there, Trump watered them. People don't roll overnight or so easily unless they already have the gene.
3
Does anyone remember Barr’s testimony before congress? When asked about a call he received from Mueller, on a speakerphone with witnesses present? If not for being the president, would there be enough evidence to indict Trump? Mueller answered “no”. In America, the Justice Department does not explain details on investigations that conclude there is not enough evidence to prove laws were broken, Comey was criticized for his scathing of Hillary Clinton, because she was not indicted. The conclusion Comey broke established Department guidelines was stated by Rosenstein, as a reason for his termination in his report to Trump. Barr was not required by law to even release the report. Any disclosure to the public of failed investigations will permit the sliming of every citizen prosecutors are unable to establish a case. Innocent until proven guilty is being replaced by innocent, but probably did some bad things will become the norm. No prosecutor should be allowed to impute the reputation of anyone they choose not to prosecute. A judge has no authority to release any details either.
4
I do not remember that particular part of Barr’s testimony, but I can agree with the sentiment of your arguing. Nevertheless, there is an argument to be made about the fact that Barr repeatedly and purposefully obfuscated the American public, and the world at that, in regard to the findings of the Mueller report. As the judge ruled, there is a pattern there suggesting malfeasance. Furthermore, I personally believe the matter of foreign interference in the election to be of national interest and as such, deserving the scrutiny.
2
Bravo, Judge Walton, for speaking truth to power!
9
Thank you Judge Reggie B. Walton for calling out AG Barr for his misleading and distorted Mueller report. You restored my faith in our justice system to some extend. Furthermore, "Thank God" we still have honorable and impartial judges in this country.
Unfortunately right now they are a rare breed in this country.
I am certainly disappointed in Supreme Court Justice Roberts. He was quiet as a mouse with regards to administering the oath of the Republican Senators at the impeachment hearing, for the vast majority were not impartial. The same goes for Roberts being silent when Trump insisted that Supreme Court Judges Ginsburg and Sotomayor should recuse themselves when Trump's cases came in front of the SCOTUS. It seems to me Roberts is not genuinely impartial and Trump tries to influence the Republican appointed Supreme Court Justices.
6
This administration is distorted and misleading personified, when it is not outright lying. What's the betting that this is merely the surface of the deep and wide toxic swamp. I can imagine they are terrified of not winning, there is not time enough to clean their foul stench or bury the source from a new administration.
But it is heartening to know that there are more people than we have seen (during the impeachment and in other cases) who deserve their positions and serve with integrity and honor. It may well be a species on the edge of extinction, but it is good to know it is extant—just!
3
It is about time someone called Mr. Barr out for playing fast and loose with the truth; and for aiding and abetting criminality under the the direction of Mr. Trump.
5
The time when Mr. Barr should have resigned was when he received the request and before he decided to misrepresent the Muller report. An ethical lawyer would have done so. Elliot Richardson did so. Bill Ruckleshaus did so. "All" it requires is honor, but that is in very short supply in this administration.
4
It's about time somebody called out this administration's mob-like behavior. Even Jeff Sessions understood that the Attorney General works for the people, not as the president's consigliere.
George W. Bush, for all his many faults, did stick to the tradition of choosing judges for their integrity and independence when he picked Judge Walton—another reminder why the American people need to fire Donald Trump in November. He fears an independent judiciary, so he's trying to stuff the courts with unqualified hacks.
5
Finally! We need more voices like Judge Walton’s!
4
It's just a matter of time before Trump and/or Barr cite the pardon of Mr. Libby for the reason this judge "has it out" for the president.
3
I was already envisioning the Twitter tirade as I read Libby’s name. I am sure that the Fox propaganda machine is already hard at work.
3
Like many in this comment section, I am heartened to see there are honest men yet. Trump has able to bully almost the entire GOP. Under another more honest president, would Barr been selected to be AG? If not, then here is a probable answer.
To pick on Mueller's report is to besmirch a sterling record. Shame on boot licking Barr!
Now that Barr has finally commented on Trump's Twitters, he will soon meet others in the political graveyard.
4
Thanks Judge, but no thanks to the media ... including you know who. It's just "duh". Anyone who paid even a little attention to the news knew what Barr did, but then again everyone who was paying attention knew what Trump did in his impeachment trial. Maybe more people need to pay attention, and then needs to be something factual and honest that they can pay attention to; and a forum like this where honest, well-meaning Americans can talk to each other ... without trolls from anywhere trying to ruin it.
2
Mueller Report: "Guilty, guilty, guilty."
Barr Summary: "Nothing to see here, move along."
5
Thank the Force for projecting truth & honesty forward. More & more this year we are seeing Judges, Medical Experts & even some aides to republican senators & representatives setting the record straight when trump lies. Hope they continue to turn on him as it draws closer to the election time. Go Forth Truth!! The Force be With Us.
1
I think that if Meuller feels that Barr has distorted his report he should just say so, again.
2
@Zippo He did and no one listened.
2
But I thought the memory free media had absolved Hack Barr of his many acts of Trump sycophancy. ‘Member?
1
I am soon to be a 75 year old white guy. I hope I live long enough to read a credible historical account of this whole Trump era when America lost its mind and elected Trump. Maybe Charlie will write one.
2
"You don't need a weather man to know which way the wind blow." Bob Dylan
2
The judge's opinion called Barr a liar because that is what Barr is. He manipulated Muellers' findings by creating a 4 page report that said the report didn't find any evidence of collusion or criminal wrong doing on Drumpf's part which the world knows is a lie.
The judge must release that report totally unredacted for the world to see and read that Barr is a lair and did it to protect Drumpf and condemn the investigation
2
William Barr should be jailed for ignoring a congressional subpoena.
Our Department of Justice is so corrupt that a felon and pejuror is the Attorney General.
4
Perhaps it's time for the American Bar Association to consider disbarring Barr for any number of disgraceful actions, not the least this one. Whew!
2
Judge Walton best get a haircut and a shave.
His head will be on a pike by Sunday.
I am shocked, just shocked that Billy Barr lied, prevaricated, and dissembled right out of his ample bottom for his lord and savior, The Donald. The sharper question would be what incriminating pictures of Barr exist in the National Enquirers vaunted vault.
1
I salute Judge Walton. Under the shameless sycophant and toady Bill Barr, the chief mission of the "Justice Department" has been protecting a criminal President from justice.
1
Finally, some accountability for this lawless attorney general, let the un-redacted report speak. Barr abused his oath to the country, and should resign. Although, I expect Drumpf would not accept it, as he will never find another minion like Barr to provide cover for corruption.
1
Could say the same thing for this whole disgusting administration...
1
One can only hope that Walton's assessment will be enough to raise serious questions about the impartiality of the investigation Barr asked Dunphy to conduct about the Mueller report. Does anyone expect that upcoming report to find Mueller's methods and conclusions about Russian interference to help Trump and potential obstruction of justice legitimate? Barr will spin that report to Trump's benefit, just as he did the Mueller report and the Inspector General's report on the FBI.
1
Proving that not even the Attorney General is above the law. I wish that the House would impeach Barr. This would force the Senate to either 1) agree that ignorance of the law is no excuse when it comes to crimes committed by the attorney general (since he cannot plead ignorance of the law, the way that Trump could) or 2) go on record with a public declaration that the law does not apply to their fellow Republicans--and see what the voters think of that.
15
"Judge Walton cited: Mr. Barr’s obfuscation about the scope of the links that investigators found between the Trump campaign and Russia "
I found the photo used for this story extremely interesting - Barr standing at a podium with the Department of Justice seal in front and a huge, glowing red circle in the background. The circle is almost 20 times larger than Barr's head.
6
All of this reminds me of how concerned I became when Obama chose not pursue Bush regarding our invasion of Iraq. There are reasons I can come up with for invading Iraq that might seem reasonable to many, but openly lying about why we did it (and it was not a mistake by intelligence), I feel, is unconscionable.
We need to remember, Trump is not the cause of our troubles, but merely a symptom of the military-industrial-monetary-lobbying complex to which our government is beholden.
6
I remember when he 'released' the Mueller report; after 'examining' it for a few days he mentioned briefly that he was going to start an investigation into the report.
I thought; really? If an AG is 'planning' to start a report, he doesn't announce it in this public manner. He assigns people to it and eventually announces the results. But this was pure partisan display. My wife reminded me of his 30 page 'application' letter to Trump and it all made sense.
Barr needs to resign. Like all of Trump's 'people' he is doing the nation a major disservice. He seems blinded to this reality by the cheap blaring lights of Trump's self absorption, just like KellyAnne, Jared and the rest of them.
Unlike the other lackeys, the seriousness of his responsibility and the position he holds are unique. He is a traitor to the American people and deserves legal punishment.
18
William P. Barr is US Attorney General in name only. In practice he's a shill, lawyering for Donald Trump and drawing on the credibility, gravitas and power of the DoJ to do so.
While there is no sign of civil disobedience in protest against Barr in his lop-sided running of the Department - the four prosecutors who quit after Barr's interference in the Roger Stone sentencing speaks, I think, to the insult and anger felt across the agency in this overt attempt by Trump and Barr to whitewash Stones' illegal activities undertaken on behalf of the President.
14
Release of the unredacted sections is critical for two reasons of existential importance to both America and Israel - it is known that the Mueller report contains the UN2334 Flynn-Kislak call discussing vetoing UN2334 to undo the sitting American President. It is further open source that Mueller has the originally encrypted Netanyahu-Kushner transcripts describing this collusion.
Furthermore the Mueller report delineates netanyahu's orders to Joel Zamel/PsyGroup to throw the election for Hillary, which they were paid $2000000 after successfully doing. Don Trump jr. was in on the meetings with Zamel, it's all in the Mueller report
2
Maybe there still are some few Republicans with integrity left. Let's hope we see more in the near future.
8
@jas2200
McCain (at times)
Flake (at times, but more vehemently than McCain)
Romney (once or twice a leap year).
It is not in the authoritarian GOP gene to challenge authority, anywhere, ever.
1
@jas2200 There are many, just not in this admin or this Congress, they are all Trumpists. Big difference.
A growing crack in Barr's shield of phony self-righteousness? We can only watch and hope, then we'll vote in November.
7
America is a officially a banana republic with Trump steering us into the iceberg. (Let's hope the iceberg melts in the nick of time and as the earth heats up, it's possible.)
4
"A department spokeswoman had no immediate comment."
What could she possibly say without harming her own professional reputation?
8
Trump's Republican enablers in Congress must go.
Please vote Nov 3!
9
The judge says the emperor has "no clothes" even though Barr has been swearing otherwise. Thanks, for wearing your glasses your Honor.
10
It’s fascinating to see, in relief, the constant distinctions between the corrupt, treasonous and immoral representations by this administration and the facts of reality.
It is laughable, not surprising, that this is reported in the front page of the Times when it should be presented the the Arts and Entertainment section under: Comedy: How to Satirize the Constitution
Outlets continue to report thus “News” of the corruption in the administration. There’s nothing new about it.
2
Thank you, Judge Walton, for doing your job and not being a coward and lackey. The fact that you are a conservative makes it difficult for Trump to accuse you of partisanship.
11
As Mr. Trump has demonstrated literally thousands of times, the truth has no place in his administration. He will say anything he pleases so long as it is to his own aggrandizement and benefit.
1
It was, it is, and this Trump Toadie should be on the Defendant's side of the court instead of prejudicing our Justice system. I'm pretty sure the 9th Circuit (and most others) agrees wholeheartedly. If the SCOTUS were indeed impartial, they too would weigh in.
Barr must be disBarred - he has lied and defrauded the people he is supposed to protect and the justice he is sworn to defend.
While we're at it, prosecute his boss as a co-conspiratot and get rid of him too. Lies and criminal behavior are unacceptable in OUR government, especially to this unimaginable degree!
8
Judge Walton appears to be an old school Republican. One with character, morals and a spine.
11
It's obvious that Barr should be disbarred for minimizing the Mueller report. Very, Very , Dishonest.
8
Why oh why, now is the time, past presidents all alive need to step up and say the truth. Dont listen to DT, he lies.
4
I doubt Trump ever heard of Barr until he was notified Barr was easily corrupted. Anyone that thinks Trump would appoint someone of high morals is really naive
4
Kudos to the judge, but the sad fact is that with a broken system, due to the solidly partisan senate, there won't be any action in the wake of the federal judge's criticisms.
7
For perspective: It is not unreasonable, I think, to believe that the Mueller probe originated in a desire to organize an investigative fishing expedition, and old Washington strategy (remember Whitewater?), in the hope of finding something to damage an opponent. It seems to me, on the record, that political and Intelligence Community factions were involved. There is much more to the story I believe, and it may have involved what was the overthrow of a democratically elected President in Kiev, 2014 (read The Guardian online). Additionally, while Mr. Mueller is obviously a person of integrity, he does come from the Intelligence Community. And, what kind of situation are we in when we talk of obstruction of justice in a probe that had no basis to begin with?
1
@John Corr Categorically false. The FBI investigation was opened up after an Australian ambassador indicated that Russians had offered up damaging information on Hillary Clinton to Trump political operatives. Involving a foreign government in tampering in a U.S. election is criminal (and, I would argue, treasonous).
No 'fishing' whatsoever. A simple, in-alterable fact.
3
@dmckj
And the ambassador Alexander Downer was once leader of the opposition conservative party in Australia. In America he would be a Republican. Since we are close allies of the USA, he thought he would do the right thing and tell the FBI about it. The conservatives in Australia strongly support the alliance. He would never have dreamed that Barr wold be sent on a fishing expedition to Australia to see if he could get anything on Downer himself.
NB the conservatives here are called the Liberal Party so don't be confused by that. I believe Trump saw the word "Liberal" and started fantasising a conspiracy.
2
For perspective: It is not unreasonable, I think, to believe that the Mueller probe originated in a desire to organize an investigative fishing expedition, and old Washington strategy (remember Whitewater?), in the hope of finding something to damage an opponent. It seems to me, on the record, that political and Intelligence Community factions were involved. There is much more to the story I believe, and it may have involved what was the overthrow of a democratically elected President in Kiev, 2014 (read The Guardian online). Additionally, while Mr. Mueller is obviously a person of integrity, he does come from the Intelligence Community. And, what kind of situation are we in when we talk of obstruction of justice in a probe that had no basis to begin with?
1
@John Corr: It is interesting that while you believe that our intelligence agencies (all 17 of them) cannot be trusted, you do not dispute any of the facts set forth in the redacted version of the Mueller report. Perhaps releasing the unredacted report will resolve your confusion.
11
Now is the time to impeach under the Mueller Report for collusion (charge need not be a violation of law) and obstruction of justice. Mueller Report already did all the work. It was a bad mistake never to have taken that excellent report seriously.
7
@David Gribble “Dave In Haymarket”
Not sure whether the report was "excellent". It's clear Mr. Mueller was not going to be the one pointing finger at Trump - he's a Republican after all.
I wish that he'd responded to Barr's misrepresentation of his report as exoneration of Trump. But again, a Republican thru and thru.
1
Yes but there were more than one error that came from the report.
The most heinous of which was Muller decision to not be overt about the evidence or forthcoming when questioned. It was a small step to state in essence: “Through the course if our rigorous, thoughtful, in depth and fair research we find numerous instances of behavior which are in fact illegal or point to the likely occurrence of numerous crimes, indiscretions and probably impeachable offenses so that Congress should act immediately to firm a committee to fully investigate and receive additional data, testimony and witnesses to prove or disprove what appears to be violations from as high as the Oval office that imperil the safety and security of our country, the rule of law and the US Constitution including but not limited yo in person face yo face testimony from the President”
As well he should have been equally blunt in his being questioned. Not evasive. Muller failed to do his duty and stained his own reputation.
1
To inform those who have not read the Mueller report, the report details ten attempts of obstruction of justice committed by Mr Trump; most involved his attempts to shut down the special prosecutor’s investigation.
Attempting to commit a crime is a crime. Obstruction of Justice is a felony.
About 1,000 ex-Federal prosecutors signed a letter stating the report gave sufficient grounds for charging. Mr Mueller declined to charge, citing a DOJ policy against indicting a sitting President.
Mr Barr’s prejudice was publicly displayed by the falsified summary he issued before the report was published. His summary was apparently a politically motivated damage control effort that did not accurately represent Mr Mueller’s findings.
Carry on, Judge Warner.
8
I wonder if a grievance committee may want to undertake an ethics inquiry regarding the compatibility of Mr. Barr's conduct with the Canons of Professional Responsibility. Barr apparently likes to take chances and walk on the wild side - something I would never have done in my eleven years of practice.
5
Is an investigation obstructed to the degree Mueller’s was complete? Same goes for the impeachment charges for obstruction of congress.
3
The Mueller Report wasn’t complete as he testified because requested materials from the White House and others and interviews were not provided. So the basis of your comment is incorrect.
2
It's good to see this, not that we didn't already notice Barr's charade. Having it on the record from a Federal Judge can only help, though, since what the rest of us see and recognize as obvious apparently doesn't matter.
5
I am glad this is being revisited given that most GOP congressmen and senators admitted that they did not visit the report in the first place. Even a superficial reading instantly reveals copious instances of outrageous wrong doing. Here is just one paragraph of the report that Barr swept aside:
"Our investigation found multiple acts by the President that were capable of exerting undue influence over law enforcement investigations, including the Russian-interference and obstruction investigations. The incidents were often carried out through one-on-one meetings in which the President sought to use his official power outside of usual channels. These actions ranged from efforts to remove the Special Counsel and to reverse the effect of the Attorney General's recusal; to the attempted use of official power to limit the scope of the investigation; to direct and indirect contacts with witnesses with the potential to influence their testimony."
Mueller Report
7
@Bob Guthrie The only 'bias' in the Mueller Report was in not recommending articles of impeachment against the President based on his repeated and ongoing obstruction of justice.
@dmckj
Yes and the fact that it was written in a way that although factual, cushioned the devastating evidence in a way that seemed almost intentionally to soften it with convoluted preambles at the start of each statement and ending with a caveat. It was very badly in terms of getting the information across. Here is an example:
"The IRA later used social media accounts and interest groups to sow discord in the U.S. political system through what it termed "information warfare." The campaign evolved from a generalized program designed in 2014 and 2015 to undermine the U.S. electoral system, to a targeted operation that by early 2016 favored candidate Trump and disparaged candidate Clinton. The IRA' s operation also included the purchase of political advertisements on social media in the names of U.S. persons and entities, as well as the staging of political rallies inside the United States. To organize those rallies, IRA employees posed as U.S. grassroots entities and persons and made contact with Trump supporters and Trump Campaign officials in the United States. The investigation did not identify evidence that any U.S. persons conspired or coordinated with the IRA."
Caveat:
"The investigation did not identify evidence that any U.S. persons conspired or coordinated with the IRA."
But damning circumstantial evidence eg
IRA "made contact with Trump supporters and Trump Campaign officials in the United States."
Elsewhere Manafort is identified sharing data with Kilimnik.
The US Constitution is deeply flawed if it allows the President to appoint a highly biased Attorney General who then corruptly adapts enforcement of the law to meet the needs of his boss. The US Constitution is deeply flawed if it allows the Majority Leader of the Senate an unlimited delay to action on Supreme Court nominees. This country is breaking down, many voters don't seem to understand the above points, and the rich are stealing everything, with the support of the rich President and the bought Congress. Campaign finance reform NOW!
10
"Judge Calls Barr’s Handling of Mueller Report ‘Distorted’ and ‘Misleading’. "
Yes. Judge Walton, who was nominated by a Republican president, is correct. How close are the odds to 100 that the redactions themselves also were made in order to distort the findings in favor of he who shall not be named?
8
@Robert
Sorry, all. Times site gave me an error so I resubmitted.
"Judge Calls Barr’s Handling of Mueller Report ‘Distorted’ and ‘Misleading’. "
Yes. Judge Walton, who was nominated by a Republican president, is correct. How close are the odds to 100 that the redactions themselves also were made in order to distort the findings in favor of he who shall not be named?
1
While Judge Walton is a Republican, appointed to successive positions by Reagan, both Bushes, and CJ Roberts, what make him special (which he shouldn't be) is that Judge Walton is a JURIST, not a tribalist (like the tribalist judge who wants to depose Hillary Clinton yet again on the emails, and has a history of his decisions being reversed).
6
"Judge Calls Barr’s Handling of Mueller Report ‘Distorted’ and ‘Misleading’. "
Yes. Judge Walton, who was nominated by a Republican president, is correct. How close are the odds to 100 that the redactions themselves also were made in order to distort the findings in favor of he who shall not be named?
When the truths of the Trump administration are finally told (and eventually they will be) we will be aghast at the degree of corruption that went on.
8
Rather than drain the swamp, Trump has created an alternate swamp with himself as crocodile in chief. To name a few of the subordinate crocs, and in no particular order, are every 'acting' top position, a myriad of advisors with little or no experience, some have come in, revolved out, and were replaced with even less qualified sub-crocs or senior piranhas, Barr, Pompeo, Mulvaney, we can't leave out Giuliani, etc. This is not the wonderful land of OZ, and he is no wizard.
A sworn unbiased Federal Judge makes the case that our Attorney General has misplaced loyalties! He is NOT the chief of our Justice Department but simply a hired political hack posing as such. Time to revive our impeachment process again.
3
Barr will simply ignore Judge's orders. Instead of submitting the unredacted report, the DOJ will file some crazy motions, and the whole thing will be thrown under the rug. It will take another year for the Judge to wake up and deliver another rebuke. We have seen this blue print umpteen times over the last three years.
If the judge had delivered this verdict 6 months ago, it would have some merits, and Congress would have acted on it. Timely justice is important, otherwise, this is toothless and de minimis judgement.
2
No wonder McConnell is so desperate to restaff the federal judiciary. We won't see this kind of decision any more when he is done.
My respect and admiration for Judge Walton.
HOWEVER, he should have called Barr's behavior for what it is. Criminal and a complete betrayal to the our country.
5
Judge Reggie B. Walton's actions are clearly a profile in courage.
It's good to feel something positive and encouraging after a shaking and lousy winter.
Judge Walton has given me more hope than I've felt in quite awhile.
5
It is great to have the Judicial weigh in on this corrupt administration. Barr has disgraced himself as all who show fealty to trump have done. If you are willing to break the law you are a trump person. Thank you Judge Walton for being a real check and balance on the Executive branch as the republicans in the Senate cannot seem do their jobs and will pay a price for it.
3
Mueller has integrity and is a consummate professional. If Mueller had acted in any way like the partisan political hack that Ken Starr is, he would have condemned Trump outright, and charged him. Of course the Senate Republicans would not convict Trump no matter what he did. They would literally let him get away with murder.
1
Barr should not hold a law license. His conduct has been highly unethical even for a criminal defense lawyer. For an AG it’s cause for removal from office or worse.
3
Kudos to Judge Walton (an honest, legitimate lawmaker) for calling out Barr (a dishonest, illegitimate lawmaker).
This is a classic example of the ceaseless victory of Right over Wrong.
1
This is the same judge who incorrectly threw out the lawsuit against the IRS for their bias in targeting conservative groups. I think it's time we all admit that even judges have biases; in this case against Barr.
1
Thank you, profoundly, Judge Walton. These are terrible times for America’s commitment to the rule of law. May the truth prevail.
2
The Mueller report’s key findings are not redacted. The Muller investigation “established that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election,” but “the investigation did not establish that the Trump Campaign coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.” As for obstruction of justice allegations, the report states: “While this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him that President Trump.” Barr accurately summarized the Mueller repot’s key findings.
About seven percent of the Mueller report is redacted, but the most redacted sections are on Russia’s hacking and election interference. Only about two percent of the section that deals with the factual results of the investigation into possible obstruction is redacted.
Barr provided an even less redacted version of the Mueller report to senior congressional leaders.
Only https://www.vox.com/2019/4/19/18485535/mueller-report-redactions-data-chart
1
That saddest thing about this situation may not be that we have an AG who appears to have buried the truth (if not outright lied) to protect his White House boss, but that millions of Americans couldn't care less. As long as "The People" permit their representatives to behave in a corrupt manner, those representatives will continue to do so with impunity.
I applaud this judge for his judicious and ethical approach to this case. But even if the entire report was released in unredacted form, I doubt it would make any difference to Trump's followers and his GOP bootlickers in the House and Senate.
3
Barr: "The Mueller report completely exonerates trump."
Mueller Report: "This report does not exonerate trump."
4
So what do we have here? One more person who states what we already knew. Nothing is apparently going to stick to the wall of shame for the executive. Others are jailed but he walks.
And the licensing body that issued William Barr's law license is still not investigating his character and fitness to hold such license. Absolutely shocking. No wonder many people in America have a cynical view about our legal system.
35
The Congress is that body and impeachment is the cure.
1
That "Barr made a calculated attempt to influence public discourse about the Mueller report in favor of President Trump", according to Judge Walton, is of course not new and was perhaps self-evident from the day of Barr's preliminary report on Mueller. Now that we have the judicial weight of
a ruling on such corruption, I wonder (again) if we, the public, now have the evidence to impeach Billy Barr, a juvenile AG whose playground antics deserve nothing less.
Obviously Republicans will scream "it's not bipartisan" and obstruct such efforts, but then they abdicated bipartisanship vis impeachment of "the Great Divider" Trump. Bipartisanship is impossible if one party is morally and intellectually corrupt.
But doesn't the same logic about impeachment that House Dems applied to Trump apply (by now) to Billy Barr--that if there's no case for impeachment now, there never will be? Hasn't he, by pattern, proven that he will obstruct justice at every turn when the perceived best interest of his (mafia-like) boss, our disgrace of a president, skews his judgment?
19
Judge Walton thank you for standing up to this bully. After the long awaited report the public was denied full access, that is what they do in banana republics.
24
From the The American Bar Association website
Center for Professional Responsibility
Created in 1978, the Center for Professional Responsibility advances the public interest by promoting and encouraging high ethical conduct and professionalism by lawyers and judges. The Center provides leadership and guidance to the legal profession and the judiciary by developing, interpreting and promoting the implementation of policies and standards that govern the conduct and regulation of lawyers and judges, including examining the challenges and opportunities of today’s global legal environment, and by producing scholarly and other resources. These efforts seek to assure that lawyers and judges perform their duties in a manner that advances respect for the rule of law, the legal process, the legal profession and the judiciary.
When will the ABA censure Mr. Barr? I had always believed that professional ethics had meaning but this does not appear to be the case for some in the legal profession; it is an injustice to all the honest members of the legal profession to be soiled by Mr. Barr while he is director of the Department of Justice. It is hurtful to see the DOJ reputation so degraded.
20
Looks kinda' like the lines are beginning to be drawn for real.
6
Thank goodness a judge said it. But Barr’s spin worked. They won that news cycle and suppressed the report long enough for people to stop paying attention. Now the Trump campaign has doubled down by filing libel suits against The New York Times and Washington Post. They know those will be dismissed, but appear to be banking on the notion that the courts won’t act before the election and their allegations in the complaints will keep their disinformation scheme alive.
Does anyone remember when during the transition period Kushner was trying to set up a super secret back channel of communications through the Russian embassy in Washington. I found that chilling at the time. I sure hope our intelligence services are keeping a close eye on that.
Meanwhile, with Biden’s surge on Tuesday I’m waiting for a fresh surge of “breaking news” stories about Burisma.
Step up, Hunter. Tell the truth. Your father needs you. Your country needs you. Step up Hunter.
14
And when the judge is done reading the redactions and considers the issues that were still classified, or still elements of active investigations, he will be honor-bound to release another statement that retracts his libelous remarks.
If he doesn't Barr may well file a lawsuit against him.
Because Barr is a straight-shooter and had ample reason for stating things the way he - and, Rosenstein - did.
4
@Objectivist
Nope, he likely will allow publication of the full report, when he figures out that like 95% of all classified material, it was classified for political reasons. The judge basically stated the obvious, the Barr in his claim that Trump was "exonerrated" lied, that basically Mueller said he couldn't prosecute Trump because he was in office (and I am just waiting when Trump is out of office and the DOJ forces him to trial for collaborating with a foreign power, obstruction of justice and you name it, something the GOP and Trump nation cannot stop.
@Objectivist
...and contrary to what them lib'ruls say, water AIN'T wet!
Barr and Trump have to go. How can any Republican in the Senate look in the mirror.
10
@Dan
Easy, they look in the mirror and they see Trump nation standing their with pitchforks and knives while saluting a statue of Trump. The GOP created a rigged election system that favors the votes of drawling, stupid people, created what seems to be an oxymoron, a mob of the minority, and it has backfired on them, they have created this minority mob rule, lived by it for a long time, and now as the old saying goes, are dying by it. The more McConnel simpers to Trump, the more the GOP says party uber alles, the more they are going to lose in places outside white people rule nation.
@Dan The painting is in the attic!
One thing that is clear as day is that Barr is a bootlicking lackey to the trump crime family and believes in dictatorial powers for the Executive-- or at least for trumpolini. Indeed, he wrote an opinion memo to that effect, and was magically appointed to the position of AG. The rest is very sordid history.
12
Gosh, more charges of corruption of the Trump regime. I'm not even surprised. Imagine that. Barr is a disgrace not only to his office, the Justice Department, this government, and the rule of law. Shame, shame, shame.
Trump pledged to "drain the swamp", but all he has done is import more alligators and add his own personal slime.
Can anyone my age (68) remember a time when collusion with the Russians wasn't treason? Remember Daniel Greenglass? Klaus Fuchs? Julius and Ethel Rosenberg?
Add Trump and his cronies to that list.
Trump is a disgrace. That has now become an oxymoron.
13
Like there was any doubt.
10
Walton dissed Barr mightily.
Now it's time to disbar Barr!
13
It’s about time!
8
Of course he didn't mislead. He outright lies. Barr can't be trusted. About anything.
11
I think we can all assume that Humpty Trumpty is, as we speak, scheming to get rid of Judge Walton.
13
It seems to me taht these "citizen servants" sworn to keep America safe and legally protected against those that would pervert the system....perverted the system. That is a massive National breach of trust. Fire them immediately . No one that was working in the public sector would be allowed to do what they did and have their career survive. That these Republicans are so far gone as to think they can get away with constant lies, and self-serving in OUR government: they need to be gone to prisons today. This judge should be putting Bill Barr in jail, debarred and fined heavily. Any attempt to have him pardoned should be ignored. This president is illegitimate
7
And the character assassination of Judge Walton will begin in 5,4,3,2....
11
An orange jumpsuit would match Trump’s hair very nicely.
11
Still with the Russia thing?
Please.
It is pathetic to watch as your fake Trump Russia collusion nonsense fairy tale has completely and totally imploded and the only ones still hanging on are hopeless demagogues.
I suppose you see what Barr has planned for the corrupt Democrats and feel you must attempt to take him out.
The problem is, like the boy who cried wolf, nobody even pays any attention to you anymore. Your credibility is completely shot.
4
@Ken Your president has lied more than anyone on the face of the earth. He had the unmitigated gall to say John McCain was a hero because he was captured and he liked people who were captured. McCain volunteered, was shot out of the sky and was tortured for years. Trump hid from service with a hoax medical excuse while the real men did the fighting. Now he's Vladimir Putin's muse. Everyone who has read the Mueller report knows there was collusion despite Fred Flintsone's efforts to paper over the facts.
1
@Ken:
Wow.
Ah well -- it's abundantly clear that you've drank deeply of the Trump Kool-Aid. Perhaps those Vermont winters have added to the incurable affliction by freezing the majority of your synapses?
The latter condition may be temporary, but, unlike the Corona virus, there is no cure in sight for the former, self-imposed destruction of synapses.
As the Cretin-in-chief likes to say:
"Sad. Bigly sad."
Indeed.
@Ken
Really? Hopeless Demagogues? When you support a president who rants and raves and has been caught lying so many times the lie detector burns out? More importantly, you mean a conservative, law and order judge is a demagogue, compared to porky pig, our supposed Attorney General. If the bar association weren't the lawyer protection society, Barr would be dis-Barred for his actions, he daily violates professional ethics and conduct in his bending over for Trump.
1
Mueller just got his wish.
5
Thank you, Judge Walton!
5
I am automatically less depressed about the world when I see behavior on the order of Judge Walton's. So many cowards in positions of power; and for once here we have a righteous dude.
550
@K Yates
But it is depressing that the reporters at this newspaper have been so brainwashed into embracing their role being to give equal weight to the lies of the Trump administration and the truths of everyone else that the idea that a judge would simply tell the truth is "stunning" to them.
What the judge did is what reporters should have been doing for 4 years. It's called stating the truth because you have taken the time to read up and learn. And simply offering a self-serving statement from a Republican source is not journalism.
29
@K Yates I disagree but not because of the judge's ruling but because after all these months the Mueller team has remained silent. They knew Barr lied and watched Trump lie and yet they stood silent.Give a chance in Congress to correct Barr's lies and refused to answer anything other than yes or no. With this judge's courageous ruling the Mueller team should rethink their strategy and speak up honestly and release the unredacted copies of the report.
43
@K Yates Americans and their leader picking systems are not trained or designed to pick the best leader. The electorate is not even approached in that fashion. The thrust is to find someone the voter identifies with.
The Democrats gave them a black man, a pushy cold unpleasant woman and might even give them a Jewish socialist with a Bronx accent who nobody gets along with. These are not types white Christian America identifies with. They apparently feel much closer to a orange hustler liar. Policies and performance have nothing to do with it.
On the other hand, Biden won't make the changes necessary for the country to survive long term either. At best, he is a stop-gap who will stop the profuse bleeding.
3
I have practiced law for more than twenty-five years. To date, never has any judge either spoken aloud or reduced to writing the words, "Mr. Kenny's lack of candor calls into question Mr. Kenny's credibility", because I have never given any judge cause to do so.
Ours is a profession in which "candor towards the tribunal" must have meaning for anything we do and say as attorneys to have meaning.
16
@Adam Kenny
Not a lawyer, but I know something of the history of jurisprudence, and one of the things it relies on is respect for the word of law, even if you disagree with it. That framework is very, very frail, it requires a certain sense of the common good and how fragile civilization is. Barr is but an extension of the whole Trump fiasco, the Steve Bannon/nihilist Republicans revel in destroying any sense of this respect, any understanding of faith in institutions, the same party that talks big about the need for self restraint and for accountability. Trumps cult members love this, the GOP loves this because it makes their constituents happy, what of course they can't/won't comprehend is how it is all going to come down on them, how once that respect for the rule of law fails, it leads to anarchy and chaos that won't turn the US into White America once again, won't destroy the "Evil Government" and bring back 'their' rights, it will lead to something they will be horrified out, they will find out what retribution and the like look like when 'the other side' figures they can do the same thing. The GOP Nihilists like Barr and Trump figure the 'liberals', the "opposition" will keep playing by the rules, knowing they respect the rule of law, and going to be in for a mighty shock when that eventually no longer is true.
1
@music observer Eloquently stated.
Judge Walton's legal request that Barr share the un-redacted Mueller Report is courageous and a breath of judicial fresh air.
Congressional democrats should follow Judge Walton's lead by requiring Barr to justify each of his redactions in closed sessions, then release all illegitimately classified redactions to the public.
21
Finally, slowly, the layers of protective gobbledygook over the investigative findings about Donald Trump and his associates are being pulled back. A year ago Mr. Mueller brought himself to say in public that Mr. Barr's description "did not fully capture" various aspects of his work, but he and his team have maintained a seemingly-strangulated silence ever since. It is high time for the country to learn what they found.
12
I would be happy if Judge Walton would address some of the law enforcement issues in Vermont!
2
Stop. Barr lied. I heard AG Barr's press conference giving his summary of the report AND I read the entire Mueller Report. There is not now and never has been uncertainty.
What Barr said and what was in the actual report were not consistent. Barr lied. Full stop.
24
Trump will attack the Federal Judge as he has in the past. Unlike Schumer, who did apologize for the wrong choice of words and accepted the admonishment, Trump and his ilk will not do a thing.
13
@C.
Justice Roberts admonishes Schumer, but when it comes to Trump's attacks on judges? {{crickets}}
Roberts' shameful double standard was on clear display for the world to see.
3
A judge with integrity and honesty. A doj official with deceit andcoverup.the pod people have infiltrated our institutions.congress. supreme Court and media. This may be our republic last stand for justice..time to draw the line. Senator Harris and others must act.
We've all been duped and manipulated by big money.big corporations.foreign influence and it's found its way into our elections by buying the best canidstes on both sides and assuring those who are the most threat are undermined by petty announcements or egos.
This is the most important news that people should be waking up to..not fear of each other.not anger over people's comments.
This should have been a top story..not a bottom of pagestory
8
Is anyone else seeing that large red circle in the background? Every time I read a reference to Barr or a see a photograph I recall the cartoon I saw of The Gutter Rat being assisted by Barr and the constitution in an intimate and highly personal issue that my grandson just conquered with help from his parents.
5
Can McCabe sue Barr and Trump for defamation and emotional damage ? I wish he would.
11
This is old useless news. The Trump administration and Justice Department are working hand in hand so what's the point of bringing this up now. It's not like they will release more documents and if they did what will you do with that information. Most people but not the Senate agrees this is unacceptable. The only thing left to do is to vote all these people corrupting the system out.
5
@Will Goubert
The answer goes beyond Trump, it goes down to preserving some sense of the rule of law in this country. First of all,hopefully if the document is released to the judge and he decides it should be released, it will become obvious that despite what Fox News claims, the redacted portion does not exonerate Trump, far from it. The only fly in the ointment is this will likely end up with SCOTUS, and does anyone think that the best judges the GOP could buy would agree to the FOIA?
1
And? Nothing will happen.
8
It will be interesting to see what Trump's response is. Does this judge have a Mexican, Venezuelan or Iranian background (perhaps a great-great-great grandfather)? North Korean or Russian ancestry would be OK with POTUS.
8
Get rid of Barr ASAP! In fact, charge him with criminal conspiracy.
It is so obvious that the "oath of office" has zero meaning to these zeroes.
11
Just read the good Judge Walton's memorandum opinion, and it's a refreshingly textbook exercise in applying an unambiguous rule of law fairly and equitably to the facts presented--vindicating thereby the proposition that, in our America, no would-be autocrat and his craven henchman are above the law.
Wow, our court system works as the founder's intended! Hack that, if you can, Vladyman!!
13
Thank you Judge Walton. You've written Exhibit A in Barr's impeachment proceeding. Get this criminal disgrace out now.
13
I'm wagering that, once again, nothing will come of this and our criminal in the White House will once again brag about the "witch hunt." This story is getting old. Someone needs to actually follow through and get this travesty removed from the White House, along with all of his enablers.
10
This on top of Barr's past actions not only as the Attorney General of the US, but as a licensed attorney. I am hoping that W Barr is disbarred from practicing law. It's obvious he's doing Trump's bidding, while putting the best interest of our nation on the back burner. Trump and his administration are criminals and should be treated as such.
Also, did you read where Eric Trump had stated that they only charge $50 a night for rooms when the President and his security stay at Mar-La-Go? Come to find out, it's actually $397.16 a night. Liars breed liars. This is how the Trump family rolls.
I'm sincerely hoping once Trump is voted out of office that his tax records are seized and that he is held accountable for tax fraud (why else would he refuse to release his taxes). And that he and his worthless family and administration are taken for task for their crimes.
America is owed justice for the lies, deceit and corruption currently known as the "Trump Presidency".
13
In other words, the judge said that Barr had lied! Well, I think that most Americans had thought he had from the beginning of this case. Barr is untrustworthy and can be extremely rude. It does seem that he fits well as a member of this administration.
8
Since the United States no longer has a meaningful Constitution, it appears that there will be absolutely no consequences for William Barr's actions.
16
If Biden or Sanders wins the election, will the question of Russian interference be revisited? Or will all of this be put into the past as just another hyper partisan political move to sway voters?
The answer would indicate how serious the election interference actually was.
3
If they encourage Russian interference openly like Trump did on national television or if it’s what you say we love it” then yes they should be called into question. But I’m guessing you would be ok with Biden or Sanders behaving the way Trump did/does, Republicans seem to have established that it’s ok now.
6
@Hypoteneus Either way, the decision should be made by career prosecutors, not political appointees, regardless of whether the political appointees are Democrats and Republicans. We certainly don't want Biden's or Sanders' AG to be the mirror image of Barr.
7
Every Republican in Congress and the "administration" is distorted and misleading. They lied when they swore their oaths of office and their actions are motivated solely by ill-informed, short-term self interest.
20
I've told this to friends and family after I read the Mueller Report myself, and then heard Barr's mischaracterization...
Imagine you asked somebody to watch any single episode of Gilligan's Island, and then give you a summary of the show.
And that person came back to you and said, "The Minnow sank, and everybody died."
That never happened. On any episode. But that's how distorted Barr's representation of the Mueller Report was.
17
Thank you Judge for exposing Barr's nefarious behavior re
Mueller report. Shedding some sunshine and transparency
on Barr's behavior no doubt will reveal just how , when and why he manipulated
Mueller's report. Let's get a clean report opened to the public and if the info proves (what probably is damaging to Trump/
Barr) then the appropriate steps must be taken to disbar Barr
from practicing law in the US.
15
I think Barr is playing to an audience of one person. It's possible there'll be much more to come down-the-road. I'm not a lawyer or someone who has ever worked in government or been near government. But, the fact that Barr so blatantly panders to the president makes me think there is more to this story that is still playing out before us and, perhaps, behind the scenes.
13
At least the rule of law hasn't been completely trampled, in this case, but the arc of justice has been pretty long.
11
What a concept. Principles before Party. I admire Judge Walton's integrity and am disgusted by William Barr's dishonesty and partiality.
15
I am puzzled since I am not a lawyer but an engineer. I believe that Mr. Barr has a law license or something. I do not understand how the legal society of our country that has granted him such a license does not see fit to disbar him given his unacceptable behavior up to now, officially reconfirmed by a federal judge. I would appreciate any answer to my question.
24
As egregious as his behavior has bewn, he’s been walking a pretty fine line.
2
As an engineer you use math, science and logic every day of your job. Unfortunately in politics you are looking for logic where none exists.
2
@George Katopis All someone needs to do is file an ethics complaint with the state bar association where he's admitted to practice.
It would best, to be sure, if members of his local bar filed something appropriate to the facts presented, because, well, heck, he's diminishing their reputations too. And, even if he's dis-Barred, no pun intended, censure or some form of reprimand would be worth the effort to send him and any other wayward practitioners a message.
But George, even you, I would think, as a matter of defending the public interest, could file a bar complaint against Mr. Barr.
Come to think of it, Mr. Barr is likely admitted to practice to appear before the Supreme Court of this United States of America, and, perhaps, that's another avenue to seek relief--as they have the power to disbar too.
These are thoughts off the top of my head, and there are plenty of good folk who might reasonably disagree with me, but I'm just sayin' . . . especially since both Nixon and Clinton were disbarred from from law practice--and it's not an easy thing to accomplish--but, if you take this on, I suspect you will find many good people to sign on and help you with the process.
Good luck and THX for raising such an awesome question and idea!!
2
You have to admire a judge with scruples and objectivity, though one would think those should be automatic in a judge.
6
The bigger question is why isn't he being disbarred?
16
Depending on what is found in the documents, it may be that Barr merely failed to do his job.
Given the wholesale obstruction of justice and what we already know about Trump playing footsie with Putin, Barr's culpability could include facilitating treason. For a guy who seems devoted to a self-serving, creative, and, yes, not at all originalist interpretations of its requirements, he should be happy that it requires a high "bar" for evidence in such a proceeding against him.
Many already rightfully consider him guilty of at least incompetence.
6
@Mike If only Barr were guilty of incompetence. No, Barr's behavior is nefarious, contrived, intentional, Un-American, and unethical. Trump appointed Barr because Barr wrote to him begging for the job and expressed his allegiance to Trump.
What I read is that an insidious wave of manipulation is taking place at the highest levels of our government based on a shared religious belief or doctrine intent upon control of our country, and Trump is revered as the chosen one, the autocratic leader of the cabal. The movement extends to departments of the government, Congress and the Courts, and our Democracy is in grave danger.
2
When I got to the Sixth paragraph of this article about Judge Barr requiring the Justice Department to show him the whole unredacted Mueller Report I exhaled a long exasperated sigh of disappointment at the House Intelligence Committee, Judiciary Committee, Oversight Committee and Speaker Pelosi.
The sixth paragraph explains that Judge Walton is reviewing a claim of Barr's malfeasance brought by the Electronic Privacy Information Center and a single BuzzFeed reporter.
What ever happened to the authority of the House oversight managers? Congressional authority appears to be moribund, or languishing in a stew of presidential denial and delay tactics designed to deflect the pursuit of justice.
How odd it must be for Chair Schiff, who I presume has read the full Mueller Report under authority vested to House Intelligence Committee (did he really get a chance to review the whole report??), for Schiff would know what the Judge suspects, that the reason to withhold Mueller Report information with redactions was designed to obfuscate the truth, and effectively obstruct Congress from oversight duties.
So, where are the House managers? What is Douglass Letter, the House attorney, doing on this matter of getting to the bottom of the malfeasance underlying Bob Mueller's findings?
Godspeed to Judge Walton.
15
Remember, Schiff is not allowed to disclose that material and would put the Dems in a very precarious position. We had just gotten past the Kavenaugh hearings which seemed to embolden Trumps base. This is why they invited Muller to testify as an independent third party... which didn't work out so well. I'll bet that there were likely a few Republicans hoping for more damaging evidence so that they would have no choice but to vote to impeach.
2
why did it take an entire year for this outrage to be called out? only with the full report can anyone judge where "the Trump campaign did nothing wrong" as we keep hearing from the drumbeaters of the propoganda machine. They don't want the full report because the full report reaches no such conclusion
9
If Trump is re-elected, one of the first things he will try to eliminate is the Freedom of Information Act.
10
Thank goodness it was a Republican-appointed judge. The silence now from DOJ reflects their calculation that this is all water under the bridge, as far as public opinion goes. But none of this is news to anybody who was paying attention when Barr first carried out these outrageous actions. "Banana republic" indeed.
10
Well, yeah. New memo to Trump in the schoolyard bully language he understands: "Even your own guy says so." Now, what can we do about it?
Vote Democratic in November and every election. A Democratic president will be toothless without a Democratic Senate.
10
Look, the clear fact is that Barr lied and he continues to ly, and he was brought in specifically for the purpose of lying to protect Donald Trump. Now what he, personally, might have that causes him to throw away what appears to have been at least a decent reputation, who knows? But there are billions and billions of dollars shloshing around among Trump's dictator friends--Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, dollars which desperately need to be washed.
7
Lord Trump will start to attack the judge with his usual rhetoric and his flock will (as usual) will put blinders on and continue with there contempt for government. his loyalist simply do not trust politicians (and rightfully so to be fair) which is how we got here in the first place under the guise of "let's try something different"
4
A clear majority of the American public has been, for some time, well aware that it cannot believe the pronouncements that emerge from Trump’s White House of lies. Now, that public similarly cannot assume that the statements which are put out by Barr’s Justice Department are themselves truthful representations regarding multiple issues. Although present circumstances rule out Congress taking at this time more forceful actions against this completely unacceptable and unconstitutional behavior, there is little doubt however that the duplicitous, corrupted Barr is richly deserving of himself being impeached and removed as Attorney General. He has thoroughly become the unprincipled, dark clone of his amoral boss.
4
To put it simply: A judge calls corruption what it is...
4
With the election of a Democratic president and Senate, I can't wait for the court trials of Barr, McConnell, and Trump. They all deserve years in prison for corruption.
11
We've all seen the Mueller report. We've all heard from Mueller himself. The story is over. Dead. This story doesn't make sense.
1
We've all seen the unredacted Mueller report? That's news to me.
4
In his complete distortion of the Mueller report, Barr displayed how the right wing's liar is always portrayed by their media.
Will conservatives succeed in blotting out the truth?
In right wing America, there will be No witnesses, No documents. Only lies. And those lies will be televised and broadcast perpetually in the America we once knew.
6
"The ruling came in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit seeking a full-text version of the report."
So when will the "full-text version of the report" be available for ALL Americans to read?
14
Good for Judge Walton for saying enough. He has recognized what so many in the press and Democratic Party still have not: that the conservatives and Republicans partisanship has become so extreme as to be seditious. He sees that they threw out respecting the countries long held political and governmental norms when they embraced Trump and his corruption. Now they are throwing out respecting the law as well. He sees that they are just as dishonest, unethical, immoral and corrupt as their new deity is. They don't care any more about being corrupt then Trump does.
The rest of America needs to, like Judge Walton, wake up to those realities before it is too late.
7
I see little to be excited about here.
What Trump has done is given his arrogant and fearful enablers permission to lie, dodge, scam.
Trump has spent a lifetime doing this and draining his opponents in court. There are no real consequences with the wealthy protected class.
So yes, good to get a ruling like this, but the autocrats are not exactly cowering over threats of a "review".
5
Now what? Nothing, sadly. Life goes on and Attorney General Barr continues to be unchecked, unrepentant, and corrupt.
6
Barr does not serve the people. He’s only there to protect the corruption of Trump. He should not be the Attorney General.
7
The sleaziness with which Donald Trump has lived his life is obvious to anyone capable of rational thinking. His election is the warning siren that should alert Americans with any pride in these "United States of America" to assess the damage and be ever vigilant in restoring the Republic to its' rightful owners. Sociopathic narcissists lacking any leadership/organizational skills should not be afforded the privilege of being President of the U.S. in a sound democratic society.
6
Sooner or later the truth is spoken.
And believed.
Not a lesson Barr or Trump will ever learn.
4
It's no surprise that federal judges would disapprove of Barr given how often they inject themselves in the Executive Office's business.
2
This is shocking. A Federal judge has just ruled that the DOJ under Barr are untrustworthy in court. The judge singles out Attorney General Barr’s personal conduct as particularly relevant.
Why has Barr not resigned? His very presence compromises the DOJ and its critical judicial work.
744
@Action Zeno
What is shocking is that there will be no consequences for Barr, just as there were no consequences for Trump from the Muellar Investigation. Barr's duplicity has been plain to see all along, for anyone whose head is not where the sun don't shine.
86
@Action Zeno
While I agree with your outrage what I would find truly shocking is if barr was indeed disbarred for his "distorted and misleading" account of the Mueller findings.
42
Source is just as important as information provided.
Bar isn’t invested in the comments of someone who is of no concern to him.
This isn’t breaking news, Americans have know his opinions are slanted since he first spoke.
25
So Trump is really a lying phony?
Who would have thought.
41
Well, I’m waiting for Trump to start attacking this “so-called judge” as a Never Trumper.
34
@LT and for roberts to ignore Trumps endless, vocal, partisan crowd-mongering, mendacious rants against judges, while he waits for one whisper of criticism from any democrat who dares to call the shots..The fact that Robert is serving WITH Kavanaugh, whose outrageous partisan claims during his hearing are totally ignored, is a huge bruise on the side of Roberts..He's not stupid..But he remains dumb if any republican outs themselves and their non-judicial partisan self-righteousness..None of these men belong on any judicial bench..
Barr should be impeached or removed - period. He is a total hack for tRUMP.
44
I suspect this news is not not to feature anywhere on foxnews.com today.
30
@ABaron
LOL. FoxNews has probably been covering this story for months. But with a different spin. You do realize there is spinning on right and left I hope.
2
I was sure you were wrong, so I checked all the way down the site and sure enough, no mention whatsoever. I guess this shouldn’t surprise me. Big coverage to a 15 year old girl being robbed of her sneakers by the always terrifying people of color.
3
AG Barr and his hapless, reckless ‘origins investigation‘ is going to fall flat on his face, and the nation will finally be done with him. Ultimately trump will be fully exposed for what he is ... the most corrupt US president in history.
39
Barr lacks credibility period. He is quite obviously foully corrupt and unsuitable to hold the office of Attorney General.
26
Dear Judge Walton:
You are my sunshine, my [nearly] only sunshine.
You've made me happy, when skies are [falling]
You'll never know, Your Honor
How happy you've made me
Until the SCOTUS 5 takes this moment away.
……..
'With' Apologies to Willie Nelson
s/ Retiring attorney, as embarrassed by barr as by his liege lord
21
that song was written by the Governor of Louisiana, by the way.
Like this is a huge surprise!!!
8
"Distorted" and "misleading"... These are words we expect from a federal judge abiding by a long tradition of maintaining high civility and decorum within our system of jurisprudence.
Judge Walton as a citizen outside the rules of that sphere would say quite simply Barr lied- the one word that defines the hallmark of Trump's administration and all his executive stooges. They're all a bunch of liars.
26
Think of Thomas Paine . “Common Sense”
Most of Trumps appointees and supporters are Sunshine Patriots.
“These are the times that try men's souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman
2
Trump and Barr will investigate this judge for this ruling have will have him removed!
8
@TL Removal of a judge would require exactly what is required for removal of a president: a majority of the House and a supermajority of the Senate. Not very likely.
... and in other news... "Scientific Study declares Water is wet but President Claims it is a Hoax"
18
“Distorted” and “misleading”? In simple terms, Barr lied. He knew he was falsely portraying the facts.
20
Why shouldn’t the Congress move to impeach this Attorney General. He has no credibility!
21
Once again, the administration of the emperor who had no clothes with toady Barr always being one of those shouting the loudest about our dotard's fine suit of clothing, with extra long ties.
7
A day late and dollar short
8
Barr’s ultimate goal is to secure for himself a
seat on the Supreme Court.
He’ll lie, steal and cheat in order to achieve his goal.
He thinks he’s doing God’s work.
He’s stark raving mad.
22
@New World
Unlikely. He's too old.
So what happens next? Wait, let me fill in the Trump Mad-Lib government ditty. When cornered by those pesky, liberal, reporters who actually attempt to hold feet to the fire, Barr will adjust the horn rims and then dispense with some vague, legal soundbite and move on. He performed his job perfectly in yet another treasonous assault on the US brought to you by Trump.
14
We needed a judge to tell us this? No wonder our democracy is hanging by a thread.
9
You should be happy for having a judge like this. This is when a system is working and check and balances happen.
American democracy is dependent on some norms being upheld. Like truth, integrity and the willingness of courageous citizens to speak out when these norms are brazenly flouted.
Overtime, we have in the past righted wrongs. Though in several cases it was way late. Nonetheless, the willingness to examine and rectify mistakes reasserted our faith in these norms.
We should all salute Col Vindeman, Amb Taylor and the whistle-blower who risked their careers to expose Trump and Guiliani as traitors and bullies.
16
Too little, too late.
1
There was no collusion. End of story. As much as the Liberal Press tries to re-heat this story, and serve it back up, the underlying conclusion was "no collusion". How do we know???...simple-- there been even a hint of collusion, the House would have moved to impeach.
This judge is yet another in a long line of partisan hacks, masquerading in a robe as a legitimate jurist--attempting to lend an air of legitimacy to his personal bias against the Trump Administration.
1
@Jesse. There was not enough evidence to conclusively proof there was collusion because the Trump administration stonewalled the investigation, held evidence back. The Mueller report sites at least 10 instances of obstruction but Mueller refused to indict because of a memo. That, my friend is the real truth.
3
News Flash: The House did “move to impeach “!
Update: And they did.
1
What about obstruction of justice? That was clearly laid out but Mueller chose not to prosecute a sitting president. Clearly you chose to ignore this fact - maybe an inconvenient truth?
trump is a disgrace to this great country and waking up everyday, still seeing this orange cancer eating against America’s norms, traditions and integrity is energizing the giant silent majority.
This so called president needs to be hauled off to jail in handcuffs and shackles.
Only 8 more months left of this putrid nightmare.
1
Why was the NYTimes so quick to accept Barr’s statement that day, and agree with it, based on the headline that day.
I think the pundits at the Times and other media outlets owe Rachel Maddow an apology after they chastised her for being wrong, when she was actually closer to the truth.
16
A sign of the times that who appointed the judge is important. Things did not used to be that way.
5
To quote Albert Einstein: "The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it."
You are doing something about the evil that pervades the White House, Judge Walton. Thank you!
17
@James Osborne
I suspect this post may be grabbed by the monitors but will post anyway.
IMO:
The evil part is called the "sin of omission" In Catholic teaching, an omission is a failure to do something one can and ought to do. If an omission happens deliberately and freely, it is considered a sin.
In Catholicism, the eighth commandment is "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor." This includes lies of omission which are also known as exclusionary detailing or continuing a misrepresentation. In common parlance, a lie of omission may colloquially be referred to as "playing dumb."
Barr claims to be a practicing Catholic, however, he is seemingly fabulous at playing dumb.
During this Lenten time, as we are asked to reflect, I wonder if Barr will perform this examination?
2
One can only hope that Judge Walton's having the courage of his convictions will contribute to the convictions of Barr & Trump.
12
Judge Calls Barr’s Handling of Mueller Report ‘Distorted’ and ‘Misleading’
Can you say "duh"?
Sure you can!
But kudo's to this principled GOP-appointed judge for calling out this particular trump enabler.
10
Shocked I tell you, shocked! Actually nothing about this is shocking or even news. Our POTUS and our AG are the most corrupt, least trustworthy people to ever lead either the Executive or the Judicial. The only solace I hold is that over time, the news and facts will emerge and will solidify the legacy of these men as traitors. Nothing they say or do will change that fact. They will forever be known among the worst Americans.
11
The un-redacted report should be used to impeach Trump again, just as he is nominated for re-election at the Republican convention.
14
I find it hard to fathom how anyone can NOT viscerally hate William Barr.
14
Barr should be disbarred and jailed, sounds good to me. He should have been jailed along with many others after Iran Contra, now we had to suffer through him again.
12
This was obvious months ago when Barr first opened his mouth.
8
@Gordon Years ago
The "appearance" of being a banana republic?
We crossed that bridge a while back.
The trump bridge.
13
Maybe this will encourage Romney to vote no to stop the Burisma/Biden replay
13
As a Canadian, I can not for the life of me see why Barr would give up his personal and professional reputation to appease the buffoon. Seriously, what is his motivation here?! Can someone help me understand this?
14
Money...?
Huge amounts of money in an off shore account...?
4
@Let Him Eat Cake Appointment to the Supreme Court
2
Barr must have hoped that all the news surrounding the stock market, the coronavirus, and Trump's mishandling of all of it might provide cover for this story. Thank goodness the NY Times is sticking with it.
My biggest fear now is that all of Barr's investigations within the "Justice" Department are meant to uncover and destroy any (and all) criminal cases against Trump before he is voted out of office.
15
The most dangerous and corrupt administration ever.
14
Hmm, a former FISA Judge wants to throw some shade on a Atty General Barr. Could this be because the Atty General is closing in on completing the investigations of FISA court abuses?
1
All of Trump's stooges lack credibility, otherwise they would have jobs with integrity and the right to speak without being fired. Vote them out!
3
too little too late. So much damage has already been done. Trump should have been impeached by a crybaby, spineless Senate and Barr should have been disbarred and fired for his grandiose cover ups.
Now, all we can do is try to clean up the mess , starting in November. VOTE!
5
@SW
The Senate does not do the impeachment. They do the succeeding trial to convict and remove.
Yes, all the republican senators are spineless and should be voted out of office.
Every Senator with a D behind their name voted to impeach!
Oh thank God! Finally another definitive word from another judge.
3
Anyone who needs a judge to say Barr distorted and misled the public wasn't paying attention in th first place.
5
The only remedy to this runaway lawlessness is to uproot this administration and Mitch McConnell’s Majority by the short hairs and throw them in the dustbin of history come November ...hopefully their incompetence doesn’t kill us all before we get there..,
9
Great article, Mr. Savage. Go, Judge Walton! Finally! And Trump pardoned Chaney's guy? What else don't I know. Don't answer that. The answer is PLENTY. And that is what keeps me up at night.
Barr really let our country down and for what? I don't get it.
The sooner we are rid of Trump, the sooner we are rid of the swampy swamp.
Taking back our country is not a "revolution" (according to one Democratic candidate); it is a necessity. It is a necessity that our kids and grandkids have a president who is a decent, law-abiding human. One who tells the truth most of the time instead of hardly ever.
Mueller's summaries are damning to the president and they should have been the first thing out of the AG concerning the Mueller report.
I remember Barr's lamentation after Mueller sent the formal complaint letter stating the AG misrepresented Mueller's investigation findings. "Bob could have just picked up the phone and discussed it with me, " said Barr. Right!!!
This is why people are waiting in lines for hours to cast their vote in the primary Democratic race. Our vote is our voice and it is the only way (apparently) this corrupt government can be checked. That is unless Trump shuts down the polls on election day or the Russians have a magic Twinkie up their sleeves to sweeten things for their buddy-Trump.
Isn't it obvious to everyone that Trump is a crook and a cheat?
13
Barr seems to be a fixer for Republicans who screw up. He avoids any personal sense of moral incongruity by a deep mistrust of liberal philosophy with a deeply religious conviction that only rulers with the grace of God have authority to rule at all.
10
Sadly, even if the judge authorizes the release of redacted information it won't move the needle of public opinion. Political damage avoided, the damage to our rule of law caused by Barr's coverup and obfuscation has been done. The public generally, and even Democrats have moved on. Just as the AG and president intended.
At this stage in his career Barr cares little about his reputation as the AG and more about his legacy for furthering the conservative Libertarian cause.
7
It has become clear, William Barr's fealty is not to the Constitution he is meant to serve but to a power-hungry president. We should not be surprised Barr provided us with only a fraction of the facts regarding Mr. Trump's malfeasance in the Mueller Report. Let's be frank, this is what he was hand picked to do.
12
This may be just the beginning. Barr has acted as Trump's personal lawyer and was hired to exclusively serve Trump. So any pretense of neutrality or unbiased interpretation of the law pertaining to Trump is secondary.
Look for more of these judges to wake from their torpor and level criticism at Barr.
The only thing left is to wonder what took so long ?
8
The Mueller investigation was headed for the same end that Judge Walton envisioned in his finding. And if you think back on the timing, Barr was sworn in, activity changed to focusing on those investigating and empowering the Mueller team, and presto-chango, Mueller throws in the towel and submits his report to Barr.
The report was either a disappointment to those who felt Trump and his minions were poison for America, and a relief for those who felt they are the saviors of America. I think the difference is that the second group read none of it, and have almost no action Trump would take that they would turn on him (see Impeachment Trial).
We can only hope that the entire report, as well as the judge calling witnesses from the Mueller team for additional testimony, will come from this. We need it before the election.
9
While judge Walton’s findings mirror what much of the American public believed to be true at the time, unfortunately they are too late and will be dismissed as being politically motivated. I only wish his voice had been heard as Barr’s misdeeds unfolded.
6
Surely, we all knew already how disingenuous Barre was when he gave that so-called summary of the findings. Mueller even told us, in writing, it was not only lacking in context, but misrepresented the substance of his report's findings.
7
It's high time this is happening. For quite some time it has been very clear to me that Barr has made the Dept of Justice just Trump's personal tool and fixer.
I sure hope this stops Barr from further expanding Guiliani's outlandish moves to frame Joe Biden before the election. Never thought I'd see this happening in the United States. Barr makes his decisions right from the presidential back pocker. I do hope he is disbarred. My tax dollars should not be paying for this guy to be Trump's personal attorney and fixer and misleading the public.
10
Nothing is going to stop Barr from protecting and promoting Trump. He is willing to do anything to protect this president’s plans to destroy our democracy and move us all toward a religious revival or Armageddon.
2
@Demkey
Unless he's disbarred.
2
Fact is, the Mueller Report in its entirety will soon be revealed and we will all be privy to what this administration so badly wanted hidden. It's interesting to consider what Barr himself thinks he's doing. It's one thing to support a president you favor, but quite another to attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of the nation by deliberately misrepresenting facts. Mr. Barr reveals himself as just one more of Mr. Trump's stooges high on power.
10
Thank God for our independent judiciary--or rather those parts of the judiciary that truly are independent and not in thrall to an emperor-god, the way many of our agencies seem to be.
7
Barr will certainly appeal the decision - and appeal and appeal again - until he finally hits pay dirt and gets the judges McConnell has put in place to do Trump's bidding.
With any final decision to release the unredacted transcript delayed until after the election, of course.
9
Impeachment is over for at least now, but I hope that investigations will somehow continue into the how involved TrumpCo is/was with the Russian oligarchy and government. Folks, this is more than bots on Facebook, there are credible reasons to believe that Trump owes the Russians something, likes their autocratic philosophy or wants something from them. If so, there is a real risk he would undermine national economic or security concerns to get there.
9
Barr may have redacted parts of the report to obscure wrongful acts but I think it’s more like a defense lawyer representing his client’s twisted perspective to deceive without committing perjuries or other crimes which can hurt the defense attorney. Barr expressed Trump’s assertions about the report and what it concluded despite the disparities with the redacted report that was released, later. Barr seemed to know that by repeating Trump’s blather first it would become the popular opinion and obscure the truth.
4
This is why the founders gave us an independent judiciary.
And this is why the Trump Administration seeks to undermine that independence.
8
About Barr, judge Walton simply made the open secret official. The court system is so slow, by the time they do any final rulings, the criminals will either retire or die. The loss of confidence in our justice is either it is too slow or biased or partisan or sum of all those.
3
At long last, we are seeing the well-deserved rebuke of AG Barr. That too by a federal judge.
Judge Walton has confirmed what we all suspected when Barr hastily released a four-page summary of the 381-page Mueller report. Mueller himself had dismissed the summary as a distortion of his report's conclusion. He even suggested that he would have indicted Trump, but for the Justice Department’s prohibition against indicting a sitting president. Barr was anxious to please his boss, saying he was exonerated. And as the judge ruled, the full report, as Barr redacted it, led to a “distorted” and “misleading” account of Mueller’s findings.
The Mueller report had also said that if the evidence gathered had cleared Trump, it would have said so. Mueller was leaving room for further investigation. Judge Walton is right: What Barr created was a “one-sided narrative … substantively at odds with the redacted version of the Mueller report.”
Judge Walton's ruling has lent credibility to the obstruction of justice charge against Trump Mueller investigated. The most important question now is: Shouldn’t AG Barr be held to account for obfuscating the evidence of the charge contained in the Mueller report? That's what his reckless redactions hoped to accomplish?
AG Barr wold do well to pay heed to the judge’s rebuke. He should know that he is the AG of the country, not a private attorney of Donald Trump. And Mr. Trump should know that he is not the president of a “banana republic.”
8
As long as Mitch and the Republicans are in charge of the Senate no rebuke or larger action will happen, Barr will not be punished and Trump will not be admonished or feel threatened. I fear we can no longer depend on the SCOTUS to save us either. So, it looks like it is up to the voters with the hope that the popular media will start stepping up with clearer reporting on the dangers.
That's great that the judge called Barr out on this, but I feel like the horse has already left the barn. People already have moved well past the Mueller report, and I doubt bringing it up again is going to change any minds at this point.
2
So are any of us really shocked by the findings or does it just confirm what we’ve known all along? AG Barr is acting on behalf of the President in his action within the DOJ and he either needs to resign or be impeached.
5
Barr obfuscating means he is still breathing. Here is another senior official that in Trump’s orbit lies as well as any of the others before. None of Trump’s coterie of felons to be are trustworthy.
8
I'm eager to see how long it takes Judge Walton to receive an unredacted report.
5
I hope that the judge releases this quickly. The people have a right to know what is happening here.
2
Finally, some good news! Someone actually standing up for the rule of law.
Trump tweeting his fury in 3, 2, 1 . . . .
5
Kudos to Judge Walton for his scathing ruling, but the question is: What Now? Will Barr face anything other than embarrassment (which there is no evidence he feels)
Barr has now been roundly criticized by his entire peer group: the legal profession has made it clear he is seen as complicit in covering up presidential misconduct & criminality because he wants a king, not an elected official subject to the rule of law. But, so what? No one is suing to have his law license yanked. He's still Trump's "Roy Cohn."
Until there are consequences that Barr actually must accept, this is not even a slap on the wrist. A slap might be felt. Barr is clearly smirking his way through his days, more powerful than anyone but his boss - at least in his own mind.
6
I’m looking forward to seeing what Barr chose to redact. Guaranteed it was to protect Trump.
6
Didn't Mueller also say he couldn't indict President Trump, that was up to Congress?
2
@Robert Marvos
That was based on an internal DOJ memo - not the constitution.
Would that the redacted parts of the Mueller report come out before the election this fall! Oh, great powers, and righteous Fathers, let it be.
3
The judge was being kind to Mr. Barr. "Distorted and Misleading" is the political equivalent of "just a little bit pregnant."
3
I am stunned that Congress has not impeached Barr. It is totally irresponsible.
9
This news item can all be boiled down to a simple question: Who do you trust more - Robert Mueller and Judge Walton or Donald Trump and William Barr?
I think the majority of Americans would choose Mueller and Walton. In a heartbeat.
Wishing for an independent Department of Justice, a Democratic majority in the Senate, and a return to a sane presidency.
1015
@furnmtz
Trump and Barr work so hard to do what's best for us and all we do is complain about every little thing. It's a wonder they don't just take our money and go home.
17
@furnmtz Yes, but with Mueller it's a close call. He's a trump loyalist. He intentionally delivered a luke warm investigation that could be manipulated by his personal friend, Barr. If his subject had been a Democrat, the report would have been filled from beginning to end with words such as "indictment," "criminal," "corrupt," and "futher investigation."
When it comes to investigations, the republicans spend millions of dollars and several years pursuing conspiracy theories; they can find and prosecute over invisible DNA on a blue dress if it's from a Democrat, but when it comes to their own corruption, they ask the proverbial, "What tornado?" when they emerge from their shelters.
21
@furnmtz
And you would be wrong there. I don't blame you a lot of effort has been put into teaching people to simplify where complexity exists. You failed to differentiate or were trying to make a tangential point and mistakenly confused it.
There is no connection between Mueller and Walton.
It does not matter whether or not Mueller is telling the truth in his report in this context. I think it is assumed by all that Mueller is trustworthy, since you bring it up.
The subject here is how Mt Barr misled the American Public about what that report says.
I agree with your point about Barr having to resign. I think the ethical cannon calls for it. IDK that to be a fact.
12
The question remains: why didn’t Mueller aggressively push to get his message and conclusions out to the public?
Why doesn’t he give interviews and communicate more effectively or have his deputies do it if he’s not comfortable?
This is about messaging!
A first year public relations student would’ve known how to handle the situation.
8
The Mueller report made it clear - to me - that the Trump campaign did nothing wrong. However, it is also clear that all campaigns are open to outsiders trying to manipulate or harm them. There are thousands of people filtering through campaigns -- some are there to sow trouble. I think the Clinton campaign - with its Steele Dossier involvement -- had some of the same features. No campaign is immune to this kind of stuff. Probably there are Russian agents and pranksters and troublemakers right now waiting for campaign season to get into high gear -- waiting to try to make trouble. I think, in the end, we have to accept a level of intrigue -- but try to stop some of the effects. Like campaign handshakes -- presidential candidates can't avoid germs, but can carry gallons of hand sanitizer...
28
@tbs You mustn't have read the same Mueller Report that I did. Multiple examples of both contacts between the campaign and the Russians and of Trump personally obstructing justice (something he continues to do with impunity). Mueller also concluded that the campaign expected to benefit from the Russian help and wanted that help. The only way in which the campaign did 'nothing wrong' is that Muller could not find sufficient evidence to substantiate criminal charges. And this was largely because of the efforts of central figures like Roger Stone in lying, destroying evidence and intimidating witnesses into silence. The Trump campaign and administration was and is what we in the UK call a cesspit and what you in the US call a septic tank or holding tank.
930
@tbs All your facts notwithstanding, you seem to ignore the simple fact that people in the Trump campaign, indeed the candidate himself, either directly or indirectly, knowingly and willfully invited such intrusions. That is what the judge refers to and Barr ignores. This was no "Obama" judge saying this either.
597
@tbs Just remember, you did not see the Mueller report. You (and I) saw the redacted version. Thus it seems to me that Judge Walton's findings are important.
However, I agree with you that far too many people are focused only on what will harm or help the president, rather than the larger issue of foreign interference in our elections.
175
Those of us who have read the Mueller report end-to-end know that Barr lied repeatedly about its contents. That he was not immediately forced to resign for doing this told Americans that democracy was over in our country. John Roberts' February 5th decision, now famously known as Roberts' Wreck, confirmed that democracy is over for us.
563
@Francis McInerney
Judge Reggie B. Walton, an American hero!
Attorney General Barr along with Justice Roberts continue the charade that Trump did nothing wrong. Roberts presided over impeachment which was a kangaroo court with no witnesses or documents. Barr wrote his own report and lied to the American people.
34
@Francis McInerney Say more about Roberts' Wreck, I missed the Feb. 5th decision but will go back and look.
10
@Francis McInerney Roberts suddenly appears overly sensitive to comments from Democratic Senators (Schumer) that there are consequences to unjust court decisions.
Thus, Roberts own right wing leanings come into sharper focus and more overt as the Court now has two more Catholic, Right wing, Reactionary Justices to take us back to the 19th century as soon as the end of the year.
How ironic that our democracy may depend upon a disease and a falling economy, rather than an equitable Supreme Court.
39
What we do with out Watchdog groups and the Freedom of Information Act. They are the only thing between us knowing what is really going on behind closed doors
And the only two reasons, besides Whistleblowers, we ever hear the truth. Bravo to Judge Walton for not being cowed by the DOJ
31
One would think that this matters. But it doesn't. The damage is done, most people have long moved on from the Mueller debacle. This administration understands and counts on this. Our attention span is short. The courts are packed with extreme right wing judges the result of a diabolically effective effort by the GOP over the last 20 years. The highest court of the land now has a solid majority of hard core, right wing judges. Barr is fully insulated from any consequence including of course the support of the criminal in the White House.
16
DisBarr made a conscious decision to "influence public opinion" before he was even nominated. That's WHY he got nominated! I don't know how much sway this Federal Court has but at least it's a start. Long overdue, bring it on!
12
Thank god the judge was a Republican appointee. Necessary for them to call out their own to restore faith in the judiciary.
15
Hopefully, the U.S. Supreme Court will sit up and take note that there is still a rule of law in America...a real rule of law...and not simply rank partisanship.
8
Let's have the Mueller investigation done again, this time by a judge. Let's see, another two years, at least. Don't these people have jobs? Real jobs?
3
Its about time. I think the country is getting dizzy from the all the corruption but we can not afford to let this stuff slide. Not even when there is an election going on. We must continue to follow every corrupt path this administration takes us down or it will set a really bad precedent.
11
Strangely enough, Barr did the same thing (obscured and evaded in testimony to Congress) as AG during the Bush 41 administration and it took YEARS for this to come out because the source materials were hidden away.
Mr. Barr is unable to speak plainly without tripping over his political biases (and goals).
15
Finally a judge who seeks to expose the truth. But will any of this stick? Two of the three judges for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Don McGahn's and the DOJ's claims that executive privilege bar Congress for obtaining evidence of Trump's conduct. The Supreme Court, as currently constructed, does not look like a favorable venue for control of the executive branch. I concur with the opinion which says that democracy's final bulwark in the US is the November election. In the interim, it will likely be the free press that will get us the information necessary to recover our country.
9
A sincere thank you to Judge Reggie B. Walton for not accepting Barr's findings and for ordering the Justice Department to "show him the portions of the report that were censored in the publicly released version so he could independently verify the justifications for those redactions."
Judge Walton's actions not only confirmed Barr's blatant biased and protection of the president, but he also gave extreme credibility to Robert Mueller and his team for a report that was more truthful and honest than Barr's less than three page summary and opinion.
I was extremely proud to see that a Republican-appointed federal judge had the courage, integrity and moral compass to question and further study and conclude that Barr was not being honest and that he obfuscated "about the scope of the links that investigators found between the Trump campaign and Russia."
Thank you Judge Walton for bringing some hope and light into a very dark chapter in this country's current nightmare.
16
Let’s hope that Judge Walton can establish that Barr committed perjury by making false public statements in a brazen effort to spin the findings in the Mueller Report. It’s the only way to hold the Administration accountable for its maliciously false and misleading statements.
8
@Vernon Rail Sorry, but making false public statements is not perjury. That's one reason it's done so frequently by so many.
I think most people suspected Barr’s appraisal of the Mueller Report to be misleading and deceitful.
This Administration is corrupt, self-serving, and dishonest to the core. The people who serve Trump are likewise dishonest, blind to the truth, and corrupt.
Thank God for the Freedom of Information Act and the brave souls who always unerringly seek the truth.
May the Courts and those brave Jurists who administer justice and fairness to all, continue to investigate this Administration and its myriad misdeeds.
The Truth can never be hidden...for long. It is permanent, unblemished and enduring.
And to those lost souls of this Administration who can no longer see the truth, now would be a good time to ask for God’s forgiveness.
4
Barr is not the first Republican AG to be caught up in a political maelstrom, is he?
What would it take to revisit the way AsG are appointed to make the position more about justice and the law than about politics?
Do we have to wait for Barr to engineer Trump’s final metamorphosis into a king?
4
The Judge should hold a mandatory 'Mueller Report 101' for Barr and the rest of the GOP enablers with Trump sitting at the head of the class and have them recite the report verbatim. Trump,Barr and the GOP have done everything in their power to circumvent our Democracy and laws with impunity…..it’s time they all be held accountable and it’s time the whole lot is voted out of office.
November 2020 can’t come fast enough.
8
Somebody with a brain AND courage. Thank you, Judge Walton.
7
Congratulations, and, thank you, Judge Reggie B. Walton for making us believe in the possibility of justice again.
5
Bust him. If he’s done what so many
Of us suspect, he should be held accountable.
Lock him up.
5
Barr put out completely misleading information and the press spent weeks reporting it. It was obvious at the time that he was completely warping public opinion before the report was actually released. Why the press continues to publish the obvious false propaganda of this administration (of which presidential tweets are the most egregious) is astonishing.
This was a cover-up, and sadly it was successful.
8
Mueller had the power to address this and speak out. He showed himself to be a weak man.
7
This should be the biggest story of the day. Extraordinary situation. Barr MUST go.
5
Trump notorious for evading justice throughout his business dealings, subsequently he became an expert in evading justice. Assigning Barr and others to support any lawlessness was ostensibly elected to coverup and make sure to blindly support him as well as having the loyal GOP or else they will be destroyed. Sad!
2
I have asked the question before, who goes first, Trump or Barr?
1
Haven't we been down this road once before?
When will AG Barr finally be confronted and challenged? I mean REALLY confronted and challenged.
3
It is a pity that our AG, Lapdog Barr, has trashed the office, the Justice Department and his reputation with his devious acts, lies and extraordinary efforts to protect Trump's cohorts who are facing (or doing) jail time. If we had Republicans with any kind of moral code or backbone, Lapdog Barr would have been tossed into old-mediocre-white-man irrelevancy, where he so clearly belongs. Like the rest of the Trump administration, he's simply not up to the job or the title.
4
Has trump criticized judge Walton yet?
Called him a liberal lacky?
Threatened to remove him from the bench?
He will.
Only a matter of time.
6
Judge Walton appears to think that the three-week gap between the Justice Department’s receipt of the Muller Report and its release to the public is somehow significant. The Mueller Report concluded there was insufficient evidence to charge the president with a crime, but the news media had to wait nearly a month to proclaim that the report did not “exonerate” Trump. Since Trump wasn’t charged with a crime, there was never a possibility of exoneration.
About seven percent of the Mueller Report is redacted, but the most redacted sections are on Russia’s hacking and election interference. Only about two percent of the section that deals with the factual results of the investigation into possible obstruction of justice by the president is redacted.
https://www.vox.com/2019/4/19/18485535/mueller-report-redactions-data-chart
2
Thanks for that comment on Bill Barr's malfeasance?
2
Barr should be disbarred by the bar association and Trump should be dis-trumped from the presidency by the people.
7
Kudos to US District Judge Reggie Walton, a federal judge appointed by George W. Bush. His courage is exemplary. He dared to criticise Attorney General William Barr for a lack of truthfulness, and wanted to review the entire report delivered by Robert Mueller a year ago. It must be felt as a slap in the face for the nation’s top law enforcement official.
Walton couldn’t trust that Barr’s Department of Justice had the report redacted properly and in good faith. He believed Barr was seeking to influence public opinion about the report in ways favourable to Trump.
Luckily, the rule of law is still robust. Imagine another four years of Trump! This will allow him a judicial takeover, replacing federal judges with loyalists, just as he’s cleansing the intelligence community of dissent and disloyalty.
We may soon read a disparaging tweet by Trump on Judge Walton soon.
410
Robust in not the word I would use. More like hanging on by it's fingernails.
26
@J. von Hettlingen Here's hoping Trump doesn't try to have the judge disbarred for allegedly being part of the "deep state" against him.
32
@J. von Hettlingen
Trump meets with Ginny Thomas (Clarence's wife and extremist activist) to work on their hit list of executive branch employees to terminate. That is a red flag for an endangered democracy. Rotting from its own corruption.
16
A glimmer of daylight.
Signs that the Judiciary is striving to protect the Constitution from the malevolence and rot of the current administration. Signs that this Judge takes his oath of office seriously and does not follow the hypocritical example of the GOP members of the US Senate.
Unfortunately, in this instance the damage is done. Most of the public will take/ have taken Barr's misleading statements at face value and falsely claim that POTUS 45 was "totally exonerated" when the truth is far from those claims.
It will be interesting to see how the facts of the Mueller Report will unfold once POTUS 45 leaves office, hopefully on Inauguration Day in 2021.
326
You only have to look back to the Nixon era to find a similar example of blind GOP loyalty for a scheming demagogue that turned law-abiding citizens into crooks and liars.
11
@Ed Except that enough Republicans had a conscience, then, to stop excusing bad behavior.
2
Enough. Our voice is in our vote. Send this tyrant and his minions packing. For every true America there must be one thought. Remove Trump. Our thoughts be this or nothing else. Unite or Die. E Pluribus Unum
20
Wait, before folks below condemn AG Barr.
My reading of judge comments are in relation to a Freedom of information.
The bar for it's release is high - in that it grants the government full power to redact.
This judge is not questioning conclusions of Mueller - and folks should remember - Mueller himself said that the AG had the right conclusions.
Under this order, the judge wants to ensure that the government has a right to redact as he does not take government assertion at face value.
Sure, he can criticize AG Barr for releasing a politically charged statement.
But the fact remains that Mueller essentially said there was no conspiracy not collusion between Russia and Trump campaign.
And as the IG has shown it was the DOJ under Obama who was lax with FISA - in initiating this very Russia collusion claim.
And folks should give AG Barr credit that he has issued orders that if a campaign is to be investigated for foreign links - he alone must approve.
And unlike the previous DOJ - to his credit, AG Barr DOJ - briefed Bernie Sanders campaign on Russian intrusion.
13
@Neil Your “fact” reflects Barr’s perspective, not Mueller’s:
“Among the issues Judge Walton flagged: Mr. Barr declared that the special counsel had not found that the Trump campaign had conspired or coordinated with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election, and left it at that.
“But while Mr. Mueller did conclude that he found insufficient evidence to charge any Trump associates with conspiring with the Russians, Mr. Barr omitted that the special counsel had identified multiple contacts between Trump campaign officials and people with ties to the Russian government and that the campaign expected to benefit from Moscow’s interference.
“Judge Walton also wrote that the special counsel “only concluded” that the investigation did not establish that the contacts rose to “coordination” because Mr. Mueller interpreted that term narrowly, requiring, in the report’s words, agreement that is “more than the two parties taking actions that were informed by or responsive to the other’s actions or interests.”
53
@Neil A complete analysis of what the judge stated shows that the judge believes that Barr has proven himself to be untrustworthy. Specifically, the judge cited Barr for Barr's "inconsistencies" and "lack of condor" when Barr preempted the damaging conclusions of the Mueller report with Barr's 4-page public announcement that the president had not conspired with the Russians. Mueller's report specifically outlined the case to be made against Trump for obstruction of justice...but Barr announced Trump was A-OK. Thus, Barr can't be trusted, nor can his redactions in the report be trusted, which is why he judge has ordered that the DOJ show the redactions to the judge.
64
@Neil He alone must approve could be seen as he could keep it under the lid if he chose to. Also if you read this story carefully he says and I remember Barr misleading the public about the obstruction cases of which there are many in the report and why Mueller didn't pursue it. I'll never understand why a "memo" would lead the Justice dept to stop a prosecution but anyway. Your reading of this just papers over what's actually in the story. Maybe read it again?
28
This matter should be turned over to the relevant Bar Association to examine Barr's ethics and determine whether he should continue to have a licence to practice law.
In addition the whole matter of the Census case should be examined. You may remember NYS and others sued the Department of Commerce after Secretary Wilbur Ross announced he was adding a citizenship question to the Census. Ross submitted an affidavit in which he swore the "sole reason" for adding the citizenship question was at the request of the Justice Department because they needed the citizenship information to enforce the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This, notwithstanding the fact that AG Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III had NEVER sought to enforce the Voting Rights Act and all efforts were to disenfranchise as many African Americans a possible.
Subsequent documentary evidence in the form of emails showed it was the Commerce Department who sought to get the Justice Department to make the request for a citizenship question to the Census.
Perjury is a crime. So too, subornation of perjury is a crime.
89
If the President does it, even through his minions, it is not a crime, sayeth Nixon.
1
When I opened my folded newspaper this morning and saw this on the front page, I had to read it several times and looked at the date of the paper more than once. It's about time. Finally we're beginning to break out of the alternate reality we've been stuck in for the last three years.
215
The full redacted report should be given to every member of Congress and they should be forced to read it in it’s entirety, followed by a real hearing. No whitewashing this time. Barr deserves to be impeached and donated with perhaps some time in prison.
120
@Here in Jersey sorry not donated debarred. Phone type issues.
@Here in Jersey Why can't we. the people have a copy of the entire unredacted report? We are dependent on the interpretation of others. Then let them answer our questions or views.
2
@Here in Jersey
I agree with you 100%. However, given the blind loyalty of the GOP, they will ignore Barr’s whitewashing and probably attack the judge. Which is what we may see from Trump.
5
And this is why the Stone case was so huge. Stone was the linch pin between Trump and Wikileaks which all was connected to Russian interference. Mueller could not prove the conspiracy beyond a reasonable doubt because Stone refused to cooperate and obstructed the investigation at every turn. I am betting that the redacted portions of the report shed a whole lot more light on what went down here.
124
This is the judicial equivalent of my seven year old swearing that he didn’t steal any cookies, but me having to check the jar anyway because I see crumbs on his lips and chocolate on his shirt. The difference of course is the William Barr isn’t a seven year old; he just works for one.
The ruling was about whether the judiciary can trust the Attorney General to act in good faith in his redactions or if the court needs to look over his shoulder in an “in camera” review (basically the court reviewing the unredacted version of the report to see if the redactions were made for a legal reason rather than to hide embarrassing information).
It’s humiliating that it has come to this.
120
@JSD It is certainly un fortunate and humiliating in many ways for our government and thus for us all, but also a hopeful signal that the american judicial system may yet still work.
3
@JSD Not humiliating. Thank goodness we have people with integrity who have been willing to stand up and question Authority. It is incredibly reassuring to the many who continue to fight for our republic's voice, our future.
3
Let's just be clear, Bill Barr was lying to his clients, the American people, in his summary of the Mueller report, both in his letter and in his public statements. The Mueller report revealed substantial evidence of coordination between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives and substantial evidence of obstruction of justice. Special Counsel Mueller did not view his brief as including charging decisions. Barr completely distorted Mueller's findings and omitted discussion of compelling findings of unethical and criminal acts such that the only word for Barr's actions is lying. Judge Walton's Memorandum Opinion is an indictment of Attorney General Barr and his disgraceful supplication to the President. The Attorney General is and has been acting as Trump's personal attorney at the cost of the American people. This rebuke should be a national scandal and a headline story.
145
Let’s just be clear. Barr has only one client. The American people are the subjects of that one client. He knows which side is bread is buttered on.
4
Justice delayed is justice denied. And there may never have been a prominent American more skilled at delaying justice than Trump. The key underlying trait that enables his success is shamelessness, which he has in spades. This article focuses on Barr, but, of course, the Attorney General is simply the tool that Trump uses in this particular case. It would be fair to note, however, that all of the people that Trump employs to delay justice (Barr, Graham, McConnell, Nunes, etc.) are virtually shameless in their own right. I am embarrassed that it took me all these years to realize that our system is so fundamentally flawed. It requires that participants adhere to established norms. If you can put together a group that has no shame about violating established norms, the system no longer functions. We will eventually learn all of Trump’s dirty secrets, but not in time to do anything about it.
80
@Lee N Perhaps disclosure of the truth now will not remove actions and harm brought about by the Trump administration since the release of the Mueller report, but it may yet go a long way in stopping such for the future - and perhaps providing basis for some corrective moves by others and spine strengthening.
24
@Lee N
Dear Lee N, Well said... I too have come to realize that our system only works if the participants have some basic level of decency.... and when you bring in a group of morally bankrupt people the system fails.... And the decent among us are harmed....
1
@Lee N Once Trump "Quisling" is out he is fair game for the civil authorities to go after him on tax evasion. That could lead to many more transgressions. That's what got Al Capone. Not that he was a gangster and murderer but he didn't pay his taxes. Just like Trump and many others.
2
Is that the same William P. Barr who whined a few weeks ago that he couldn’t do his job if Trump kept interfering? The same William P. Barr who is still on the job?
57
Upon hearing of this judges decision and remarks about Bill Barr, Trump issued an order to his inner circle: dig up ALL the dirt you can on Judge Walton. Then some ramblings about "executive privilege" with respect to the report.
21
Thank you, Judge Reggie B. Walton, for standing up to Attorney General William P. Barr, who made short shrift of former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's the two year investigation with a four-page "gloss over" written over a weekend to "summarize" the report. Anything Attorney General Barr didn't like that may have cast Trump in a poor light was "redacted" under the guise of "national security." Judge Walton, you like Robert Mueller, are both Republicans and patriots. Attorney General William P. Barr actively solicited the position he is in directly to Donald Trump, and at that point, as the saying goes, "the "fix" was in." And as Special Counsel Robert Mueller stated regarding Trump, "…”if we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.”
53
I somehow missed the news that trump pardoned Libby... I guess it was lost in the deluge of daily trump chaos. What Libby did was so despicable and it was bad enough that Cheney got off scot free. Seems trump can't keep himself from pardoning traitors (or giving them PMoFs).
29
Barr should be disbarred. He has displayed a pattern of behavior that conflicts with the true administration of justice.
56
"Electronic Privacy Information Center and by Jason Leopold, a BuzzFeed News reporter."
Thank you, thank you, good Sirs!
26
So, the bottom line is, now that impeachment is over and Trump has been "cleared" by the Senate despite Republicans such as Romney, Alexander, Collins and even Graham saying the Democrats have proven their case, Trump is going back to where he left off. That is, getting his minions in and out of the Justice Department to "investigate" his leading opponent, who btw, has no ability to block subpoenas and no ability to see the "safely" secured documents in the White House or even behind the redactions of public docs.
I'm glad we're clear on where we are.
But to my friends in the GOP, despite all this, I'd like to give a peace offering. I have some fruit and I'd like to share it with you. Banana? Republicans.
33
"Distorted and misleading.." Let's not sugarcoat it. Barr LIED.
73
At the heart of the way the AG summarized the Mueller Report to is not only his clear misrepresentations of its findings, but also a lack of transparency about the redactions. As the Republicans complained about the FBI's handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails, the rationale of "national security" is too broad and vague to justify withholding information carte blanche. At the very least, the public has the right to know the specific reasons Barr used to black out key details in the report. Also questionable is why Mueller deferred to the DOJ's memorandum barring indictment of a sitting president. A memorandum is not law and surely the president's nakedly hostile stance toward the investigation was alarming enough for him to recommend a reappraisal of that memo, if not its dismissal. There's still too much we don't know about a cover-up that dwarfs Watergate in its seriousness.
360
@Charles Michener
So agree
Barr should be barred from practicing Law. Please ABA
take his license away
28
@Charles Michener But why is it taking a journalist applying Freedom of Information Act to get Judge Walton to look at Barr's malfeasance? All members of the House Intelligence Committee reportedly got to read the whole document and would know Barr misrepresented; why is a journalist more empowered under the Freedom of Info Act to push justice along while the House oversight capacity languishes is denied and delayed demands?
9
@Charles Michener
You are absolutely on point with "There's still too much we don't know about a cover-up...." That statement includes the how much we don't yet see about the levels of on-going corruption that has happened and is happening.
11
"Mr. Barr omitted that the special counsel had identified multiple contacts between Trump campaign officials and people with ties to the Russian government and that the campaign expected to benefit from Moscow’s interference.".....But there was no collusion, and Trump was completely vindicated.
14
@W.A. Spitzer
For the 985th time: "collusion" is not a crime, was not the criteria for the SC's charter, and is a red herring.
Failure to find evidence of an underlying condition when there is evidence of obstruction is not "vindication". Absence of proof is not proof of absence.
New information about Barr's role in this is worth pursuing.
For further clarity, let's try this hypothetical exercise. please replace the specifics of Trump & Co.'s actions with those of a person suspected of a robbery or assault. If it turned out that the per hired the judge and jury, and new information came to light about their influence on the judge and jury, would you be OK just letting everything stand?
GOP trump supporters including most GOP senators dismiss the Mueller investigation as irrelevant. And now they are trumpeting the impeachment acquittal as total vindication. However Mueller said definitively on nation-wide TV that his report did not exonerate trump and that ONCE OUT OF OFFICE he was definitely liable for indictment for crimes most pointedly the deliberate obstruction of justice of which ten instances are extensively detailed in the report! This evidence has been carefully and painstakingly prepared and geared to support this eventuality. The 2020 election itself then is the critical vehicle for bringing this trump criminal travesty to a just end
... and trump knows this only too well.
97
The politicisation of the American judicial system is appalling. The idea of separation of powers is non existent. Worse, this contamination is starting to spread elsewhere e.g the UK. The role of the Courts is to interpret legislation not to determine policy.
26
Judge Walton just said what everyone wished Robert Mueller had said.
"...it would be disingenuous for the Court to conclude that the redactions of the Mueller Report pursuant to the FOIA are not tainted by Attorney General Barr’s actions and representations."
President Trump obstructed justice and AG Barr was an assistant to the obstruction. He should have been disbarred long before now. That Walton is the first person to directly say so is the only thing striking in this case. What took so long?
97
@Andy
"The wheels of justice turn slowly but grind exceedingly fine."
1
@Andy
Actually, Mueller kind of did say that.
1
No surprises here. Most of Trump’s appointees that stick around are largely cut from the same cloth he is. Thanks go out to the Electronic Policy Center, Jason Leopold and the NYT. They are the Patriots here. Keep the lights shining.
71
This is far too little, too late. This judge’s words are honorable and necessary. But, what does it change “on the ground”?
Unfortunately, I don’t think it changes anything. Our public discourse is decayed far beyond what I believe many people are willing to acknowledge. Trump supporters aren’t going to listen to a word of this. To them, it’s just another thread on the deep state conspiracy string. An establishment “Bush” judge in league with the evil Clinton cabal that is working in the shadows to take down Trump, and that’s what they sincerely believe.
I think many moderates don’t understand that this isn’t just rhetoric. Trump supporters believe those things as true. And any evidence which would dispel that belief they also dismiss as another part of the elaborate conspiracy.
This isn’t going to move the needle. At all. Our only hope to save the Republic is ourselves. No one is going to swoop in and save us. It’s up to each and every one of us to do the hard work to get people to the polls, to vote for whoever runs against Trump, up and down the ticket. The only way to end Trumpism is to deliver an electoral defeat so overwhelming that it buries the specter of election interference.
62
@Austin Ouellette the only thing I would criticize in your letter is the word "sincerely." ....... I suppose it is true on a surface level, but many of them -- I would say most -- made a conscious decision to close their minds and look away. Many of them -- I would say most -- are secretly afraid that their "friends" would turn on them if they dared to utter the slightest criticism. They have made a choice to go down a dark road ..... and they are not innocent.
2
@Austin Ouellette Sadly agree. I hope non-Trumpers realize the danger of a second term. If the Democrats sweep the election, they may spend most of the next four years trying all the crooks in this administration. But there is no way to undo a whole new cadre of Trump-McConnell judges that will be making questionable decisions for the next twenty or thirty years. A win for democracy is imperative.
3
@Austin Ouellette I agree. Too little, too late!
Bottom line is it will be too late forever if we do not vote this corrupt, evil, arrogant, self-serving, justice-hating human from the highest office in the land. We are at the brink!
2
@Jackinnj, Yes, the Special Counsels Report didn't have to be released - that is true. Release it or not. Okay. Got it. Now, with that settled, what was IN the report? That is a seperate issue and is the subject of this article. Barr and the Trump legal team had 3 choices: release the report, doctor the report and release that version - and hope it never sees the light of day, and hide it by not releasing it - and hope it never sees the light of day. Well, in a democracy that remains generally machined by good principled workers, the light of day is here. The unpatriotic and party loyalists - even Trump himself who are enslaved by money and a "Christain" plot they don't understand, But Barr, Pence, Pompeo, and others do. Their God is taking to LONG to straighten out the Nation, so they will do it for him and establish a new form of government.
9
Why did AG Barr refuse to release the summary reports that were provided by the Mueller team, despite Mueller’s specific requests to do so? Why does Barr still refuse to release those summary reports?
Presumably, those summary reports were created by the Mueller team for good reasons, say, to help legislators and perhaps even the general public understand the key findings in the rather dense full report, while still protecting sensitive information and identities.
It is certainly within Barr’s legal purview to create his own summary report. But I have yet to hear a good argument about why the summary reports created by the Mueller team, per their legal mandates, should not be released in addition to Barr’s summary. I mean, isn’t the goal here to gain as complete an understanding as possible of the facts and conclusions of a complex case involving the leader of the free world?
30
@Scott Fordin ...And why does Barr continue to interfere with things like the sentencing of Roger Stone. I wonder what else we don't know.
22
The whole point of AG Barr issuing a misleading summary of the Mueller Report and delaying the Report's release was to minimize the impact of the Report when it finally came out. Unfortunately, it worked. Does anyone really think it matters that a federal judge, even a Republican judge, criticizes Barr's summary of the Report nearly a year after it was issued? In the world of Trump and his gullible supporters, truth delayed is truth denied.
31
‘Distorted’ is a good word to describe much of what the Trump regime has been doing since it took power.
18
Curious... why is this judge sharing this opinion nearly a year after Barr handled the Mueller report? Seems to me the time to be critical of Barr was last April? And more importantly, what are Congressional Democrats going to do with this information? It means nothing if Democrats remain complacent. These abuses of power by Trump and his administration must be pursued at every opportunity.
13
My heartfelt thanks to this Republican judge for actually doing his job. The corruption in that party is breathtaking and obvious. Trump needs to go to the dump.
However, we Democrats have work of our own to do on that score. It's pretty sad, but the corporate wing of the Democratic Party is perfectly satisfied with the current plutocracy. They are very vocal in their criticism of that "socialist" Bernie, but can someone please tell me what Joe Biden would do if elected? How would he tilt the playing field back to the point where the middle class actually has some say in things?
I would hold my nose and vote for Biden if he wins. Even though he's Republican-lite, he'd be better than the corruption we now have.
16
So, Barr lied to protect the President. He should immediately resign and if not, he should be impeached. He should also be disbarrred (sorry, no way to say that without sounding punny, but I’m serious). Once again though, the GOP majority will overlook the rule of law to follow their own craven grip of power.
23
Disbarment is all that’s needed. He can no longer practice law, so resignation or impeachment are unnecessary.
10
Breaking one’s oath, the one that Barr, or anyone else for that matter, should be a criminal offense. Congress should, and I won’t hold my breath, create these laws, and give ethics some teeth. For what we pay those in government, we should expect no less. This experiment in governance, is failing for the moment.
15
While we are criticizing Barr, let's take a look at Eric Holder, who stated "I'm the President's wingman" and who Time magazine said "Holder exists to protect the president and his policies." And Holder was held in contempt in a bipartisan vote for stonewalling Congress.
Barr has a way to go before he can reach Holder's level of corruption.
6
@J. Waddell that statement made me LOL!
1
How does anyone trust Wm Barr and his Dept of Justice when it now appears (and has for some time, for those paying close attention) that they themselves are criminals?
And I'm talking about the trump-appointed leadership here, not the "deep state" (trump's term) employees who diligently work day in and day out, doing their best to avoid making decisions based purely on political considerations, but instead on the law and the rule of law.
Barr et al simply cannot be allowed to continue on in his job - and he probably should be disbarred, at the very least.
16
I went to night school, so I really don't do too well during the day, therefore I reread portions of this article in attempt to acquire some clarity. The AG wrote a report of a 381 page report within two days of receiving the report from Mueller? Then Bob M asked that the summary of the report he published be made public? The AG responded with giving a summary but that it (the summary) was redacted in part? I use to play hoops (basketball) with a brother named Reggie Walton outside of Detroit; wondering if this is the same brother. But anyway I'm thinking that the law clerks assigned to do research by Judge Walton simply applied some logic here, and that their political persuasion(s) are and were immaterial. I tend to agree, that Barr is setting a pick (if you play roundball you'd understand) for the predator in chief.
6
@peace on earth Love this analogy - fits perfectly.
1
The worst thing this administration has done is pack the Federal Judiciary with awful Judges.
For decades both Republican and Democrat Presidents have appointed mostly outstanding qualified Judges. Trump's Judges have all been cleared through conservative, partisan think tanks.
This is a disaster that will be in place for at least 2 decades. The failure of the Democratic party to unite behind Hillary Clinton has been an enormous set back for this country. I hope both Biden and Sanders will keep that in mind as they go forward.
Talk about what you will do and stop the attacks on your fellow Democrat. One of you will be the candidate and we must unite quickly.
21
I fear that Biden, if elected, will do nothing to hold this administration accountable. Too many times in my lifetime I've seen a new president (including Obama) come into office after terrible corruption on the part of the previous administration, only to decide "the country needs to heal and move forward." As if holding corrupt officials accountable to the citizens they supposedly worked for is not precisely what is needed if real healing is to happen. Everyone knows that an abscess must be lanced and drained--painful and gross as it is--to rid the body of the infection and promote real healing. Just patching it over allows sepsis to spread to other organs, and death may be the result. Who has the intestinal fortitude to throw out the rugs, rather than sweeping more dirt under them? Certainly not "nothing-will-really-change" Joe. That's not reassuring--that is THE PROBLEM.
15
It is strange how likeability only becomes a subject for female candidates. Did anyone ever ask if Trump is likeable?
12
"... I think there are a lot of people on the outside who perceive that there is undue, inappropriate pressure being brought to bear.”
That's because there is undue, inappropriate pressure being brought to bear. It's plain to see. And Barr, the Congressional Republicans, the gang around Trump, and of course the huckster in chief, no longer even care about whether it's plain or not. That's what is so disheartening. They say, too bad. Get used to it.
Bravo to Judge Walton and to every watchdog group.
Vote, vote, vote.
14
you shouldn't overlook the fact that Mueller,Weismann and Rosenstein were not impartial players. they all participated in the creation of the investigation and wrote a report that is not imparti. the whole investigation was based on faulty information and should never have happened. fruit of the poisonous tree.
3
So the Trump campaign didn't reject any help that Wikileaks and/or the Russia provided by releasing Clinton emails. But the Clinton campaign actively sought help from Russian sources - through Christopher Steele - to get dirt on Trump.
It certainly would help if the full, un-redacted Mueller report was released. I'd also like to see the classified portion of the Horowitz report on FBI malfeasance released too.
And while we are rehashing old investigations, let's take another look at whether Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server violated FOIA, and whether the destruction of all electronic devices used by her or her staff constituted obstruction of justice.
3
You can investigate Hillary all you want but it will not change the fact that Barr lied to the American public about the Russian investigation. This may change the opinion of some GOP supporters but there are some who will refuse to see the truth.
We all owe a debt of gratitude to the journalist Leopold ("enemy of the people") and the Electronic Privacy Information Center. We can assume Humpty Trumpty is throwing a tantrum and demanding that FOI be done away with. How dare anyone ask any questions.
14
Trump's Justice Department: This is what a Banana Republic looks like.
Democratic Sweep of the Presidency and Senate in Nov 2020: This is what a Democracy looks like.
19
This is one of many reasons why it's so important to VOTE! If Barr is proven to have misled the public, he needs to be impeached. That will only happen with a Democratic-led Congress in both houses. Even if you don't like who's running for president, at least get out and vote down the ticket. The future of our nation depends on it!
16
"The Attorney General and the ministry he or she superintends are constantly in the public spotlight, and he or she is surrounded by officials who understand and accept the independence of the Attorney General as a fundamental principle of the rule of law. In my view, it would be extremely difficult for an Attorney General in our system to take direction from the cabinet on a prosecution function without the matter becoming known and leading to some kind of crisis within the government." - Edwards, 'The Law Officers of the Crown', London, 1964. When the AG abandons this principle, public faith in the rule of law is eroded. I think that's what is happening in the US now.
19
AG Barr contends that the FBI was not justified to launch the Mueller investigation. What?? That investigation within 2 years turned up 37 indictments and 199 counts and several in trump’s inner circle charged and in prison with more imminent. AG Barr has absolutely no credibility ... none!
82
@John Townsend talking points. you should understand those 37 indictments before you rely on them
I’m assuming you think Mueller was in charge of his team.......
1
The legal community as a whole needs to vote Barr off their island. He's the stuff that gives the profession a bad reputation.
52
Barr is the second biggest liar in our country’s history. trump still wins that contest. Now only if the GOP propaganda station, Fox, reports this to their viewers. Somehow I doubt it.
36
This might be the political equivalent of the corona virus infecting Trump's administration.
17
Tweet coming anytime now blaming Judge Walton to be an Obama judge. Who cares if the tweets are true or lies anyway.
17
Too little, too late.
9
@SRei
It's NOT too late! Vote in November!
the catch-22 presidency*
DOJ/Mueller saw obstruction but cannot prosecute a sitting president*, only Congress can do that
sitting president* obstructs Congress so it cannot do it's Constitutional duty of oversight
and GOP Senate says, "nothing here to investigate, nope nope, dear leader says it's a hoax and must obey dear leader"
Mr. Franklin: the GOP does not want us to keep our republic.
32
Not to mention Barr is subject to criminal liability for lying to Congress.
35
Nixonian corruption and rot at the highest levels of American government.
Trump will nevertheless vilify this judge's patriotism even though Judge Walton is an appointee of George W. Bush.
William Barr is a King Georgist.
November 3 2020
Dump Trump: Make America A Republic Again
40
I guess your “founders” weren’t so bright. The so called co equal branches - a fiction. The senate is owned by Trump and hired a consigliere to run Justice. A fiction. The US is now essentially a banana republic save the actions of a “few good men”, the judges like Walton who are fighting to preserve the Republic and protect it from the venal Republicans.
34
As a Warren then Sanders supporter, I am not thrilled with Biden as a candidate. But...I will make calls, donate money, and knock on a thousand doors for him to get this dangerous monstrous administration out of the White House.
40
Barr was described as a "lawyer's lawyer" when he was appointed to the post, but he soon proved to the world (except to members of the Trump cult) that he was merely a todie of the President.
21
Oh give it a break for crying out loud. I looked the judge up, no surprise here !
2
@Tom ,Retired Florida Junkman
Right. Everyone has an agenda and bias EXCEPT Trump and his people.
Gotcha.
But will DOJ comply with the judge's request? Unlikely. (What's the worst that could happen by not complying? Impeachment? Hah!). This is a thoroughly lawless Administration.
19
Always shocking in its brazen behavior, Trump's control of Barr adds another act of misuse of power in his bag of tricks. McCabe is finally released from his torture and HOURS LATER Judge Walton unseals a transcript of the closed Spt. hearing. Whew. Trump et al have sure added the necessity of a free press to the list of necessary factors for a working democracy. Can this be shouted?
Thanks.
10
Barr flat out lied.
Forget about inconsistency,
Anything g to protect the mob boss.
And this is what America voted for.
22
All the presidents men are out for their own enrichment.
9
Barr flat out lied.
Forget about inconsistency,
Anything g to protect the mob boss.
And this is what America voted for.
3
@Carla
Actually, more Americans did NOT vote for this. Thanks to the Electoral College, we have a "tyranny of the minority" instead.
7
Judge Walton has verified what we already know. Barr should not be AG and should probably be disbarred.
21
It’s all coming out
Hopefully just in time for trump & co ‘s appeal to swing voters
Nice is how the judge was Bush appointer
8
Outrageous!
When will disciplinary committees wake up and start proceedings for this gross misconduct to disbar Barr?
11
What about Robert Mueller? Is he just another Republican sitting back and saying nothing while a gang of scoundrels wreak havoc on our democracy?
13
It takes a FOIA request to unearth this criminality??
13
Pandora's box of Truth may finally be opened.
9
This is the best story I've read in weeks. Barr is more disgraceful than Trump.
9
There is a wall around Trump that protects him. Judge Reggie B. Walton sounds like the man who can take a sledgehammer to it.
12
re "the attorney general lacked credibility on the matter":
But we knew this all along, didn't we?
This "attorney general," loosely defined, lacks credibility on every matter affecting Donald Trump. For all intents and purposes, he's a consigliere, fixer and cover-up artist for a brazen mob boss who hasn't met a law he wouldn't break.
As has been clear to anyone paying attention for the last year or so, William Barr has been violating his constitutional oath and professional code of ethics with impunity in promoting absolute presidential power. As chief Trump enabler, he distorts -- even obliterates -- the truth and undermines the rule of law.
Mr. Barr deserves to not only be removed from office and disbarred, but eventually imprisoned, consistent with the fate of similarly corrupt Nixon-era Attorney General John Mitchell. He has poisoned the well and ruined morale at DOJ and has shaken the American people's confidence in the legal system.
One way or another, preferably sooner than later, Lady Justice needs to give him his comeuppance. Congress obviously doesn't have the nerve.
20
Perhaps one of the finest example of non-partisan judicial truth to power. And now we see how far this takes us regarding a public evaluation of the true implications of the Mueller Report (which Trump, Barr and the House and Senate GOP tried to bury).
Truth will out.
71
Perhaps it is good that the judge says these things. But really they are nothing more than was already well known, understood and, so far at least, treated as an acceptable cost of having Mr. Trump as president by the American people. Whatever fruit describes the country, it was a choice made by its people.
3
@Jeff Atkinson
Actually, only by SOME OF ITS PEOPLE, Sir.
3
@Jeff Atkinson 3 million voters disagree that it was a choice made by the people.
4
@Jeff Atkinson
Acceptable cost ? Seriously ? Even the trumpers most likely didn’t realize the extent of the criminality that would consume this administration at the time of the last election . But hopefully , they realize it now and will decide it is not an acceptable cost .
4
It has always been a puzzle to me that a DOJ Memorandum stating a sitting President could not be indicted is treated as law. It is not law and there is no reason why it should be relied upon when events of such devastating consequence to the nation and the world are in play.
65
@nl
Yes, yes! This must be addressed. We have a president who flouts the actual law--let alone tradition or decorum--but is allowed to hide behind a memorandum. Where is the logic in that?
10
While encouraging, I wonder if this makes a difference? I shared this news with two very intelligent relatives who are Trump supporters, telling them this is why I felt gaslighted by Barr, having read the Mueller report myself. I asked if they could understand my concern about the obvious discrepancies between the report and Barr’s summary and statement. They disagreed with me. One admitted she has not even read the summary of the Mueller report, calling my concern Trump Derangement Syndrome. The other relative changed the subject. This is immensely troubling when people I otherwise greatly love, admire, and respect refuse to consider evidence which may challenge their worldview.
44
I think that your relatives and his supporters suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome, not the other way around.... so sad....
14
@Mrs Ming what's worse in my opinion is the Trumpite who votes against their own best interest like the ACA; an act that calls for preexisting health condition(s) not a burden when buying health insurance. It (ACA) is often opposed by the Trump supporter(s) merely because it's an attached phrase to President Obama. Not alarmed at the response you received.
4
@Mrs Ming It should give you pause when people refuse to believe the obvious or at least acknowledge it. It may be that your very intelligent relatives actually condone Trump and his cronies behavior.
5
crime has been done and covered by misdeeds of many in high position if the judge is correct in his findings. The question arises how do we undo it now? or, bigger question is can we undo it? if not, we will be in the hole for ever. the congress is afraid to bring another impeachment because the senate will not convict to president. can the GOP senators move to correct it? the constitution should have the power to bring the charges as part of an referendum by the public - a new bill of referendum may be introduced.
9
@amalendu chatterjee
"The question arises how do we undo it now? or, bigger question is can we undo it?"
Yes, we can undo it -- in November. Then we will have either Biden or Bernie, with (only) judiciously unlimited Bloombergian funds to support the winner of those two stalwarts, and the formidable brains and passion of Elizabeth Warren to help forge the way ahead (and either the exile or the jailing of Bone Spurs Drumpf?).
4
I doubt that 10% of the populace read Mueller's report. Had people read/understood the report, it is difficult to believe the impeachment process would not have begun almost immediately.
27
@badman ....They still can't read the redacted portions.
Finally! A legal opinion validating what so many people like myself thought when Barr, who seemed to have read a different version of Muller’s investigative conclusions, issued his report. The best way to address this extremely troubling situation is for ALL who are concerned to vote Democratic in November. Neither Sanders nor Biden could be worse than the Presidential Hoax currently sitting in the White House.
29
When the Supreme Court considers providing Trump’s tax returns to Congress and to New York prosecutors are the Justices including the context of the suits? Will John Roberts and Alito and Gorsuch and Kavanaugh and Thomas read Walters opinion or read the unredacted Mueller report? Why not?
If the Catholic Justices will not recuse themselves in cases pertaining to abortion why would they decline to read Walters’ opinion and read the unredacted Mueller report?
16
Barr is outright laughing at this. Walton's ruling is what made America Great, conscientious citizens and functioning institutions. Barr's story won and that, not keeping America Great, is how he sees it. He could not care less about this, other than that he can claim it as more evidence of anti-Trump conspiracy thinking that will help him argue against holding elections in November.
5
So... is that treason? Actually, I cannot think of many worse ways of betraying a country when looking at all the changes in policy, both domestic and international, it has either enabled or allowed to continue.
14
@Truthseeker Technically, I believe it is not "treason". As I understand, "treason" is more narrowly defined than recent use of the term would lead you to believe.
However, it is certainly an egregious violation of the public trust. An offensive and despicable violation.
1
A waste of ink (or electrons), if nearly fifty Dem Senators couldn’t put the gun to Trumpelstilskin, how can one judge’s opinion and ruling make an iota of a difference? Talk about trying to close the barn door after the cows have escaped!
3
@Robert M. Koretsky
Would you prefer this not be reported?
Looking forward to hearing how this turns out - a fuller report may have an impact on some voters in November! Shed light on Barr not working as an employee of the American people but solely for the President
10
Translating to Trump speak, the Judge actually means "PERFECT".
3
Judge Walton is demanding to see the unredacted version of the report. I don't know how Barr is going to be able to stop him from seeing it. But you can bet he'll cook up some Trumpian excuse.Trump's tweeting about it should be starting up right about now.
13
Regardless of party affiliation we need judges like this to stand up for the law, and against the most corrupt administration and AG (its a close contest between Barr and John Mitchell, Nixon’s AG who went to prison) in our history.
There’s nothing here we don’t already know, but it’s essential that someone with legal authority says it out loud.
Robert Mueller sadly turned out to be a coward. He should have broken “precedent” and indicted trump.
Let’s not also forget justice Roberts’ dereliction of duty during the impeachment trial. He had way more authority than he exercised (which was none) and ended up being McConnell’s lackey. But he speaks out against Schumer’s recent dumb remark, and never against trump’s.
After November, when the Dems take the Oval, retake the Senate and keep the House (fingers crossed), there needs to be a serious “day of reckoning.”
15
@Avatar
"After November, when the Dems take the Oval, retake the Senate and keep the House (fingers crossed), there needs to be a serious “day of reckoning.”
Great! You mean like the one Trump and the Trumpeters delivered? So we move in a circle. When do we as a country get past endless partisanship and move forward to seeing to the needs of people instead of the egos of politicians? Feels like Groundhog Day
With the letter from hundreds of persons in justice departments all over the USA,denouncing Barr as a liar and Judge Walton saying Barr is compromised by withholding the truth re:the Mueller report....isn't it time to impeach the AG??
He has systematically interfered in every investigation into trump and we the citizens have been left wondering why this traitor continues to get away with it...likewise Senate Republicans who have proved themselves to be corrupt beyond all comprehension.Thank you Judge Walton for calling out Barr and I sincerely hope you will demand the Mueller Report be released to the public in it's entirety ASAP.
16
Barr must resign. To have his honesty and integrity so openly questioned by a member of the federal judiciary, and with good reason ... the DOJ cannot continue on with any credibility so long as Barr remains as its leader.
19
Trump has fostered a governmental culture of lies, obfuscation and misinformation, to a degree which would make any despot proud.
15
Thank you Buzzfeed and Judge Walton. The truth must be shown.
13
Thank you Judge Walton!
After we get Trump out of office in January the judge will have enormous help concerning the outrageous, immoral behavior of AG Barr. Barr should be disbarred!
The Donald and his minions are making and leaving an enormous mess which will require a massive clean up across the board.
12
What?? A Trump appointee having no credibility? Say it ain't so!
Good thing Pence is on the job to eliminate COVFEFE-19. I feel better already - better than James Brown.
10
I know Fox viewers for the most part, don't read the NYTimes, but these same people do watch 60 Minutes.
Mueller must go on this show to stress the essence of his report,
which is different than what Barr said.
I do worry the Mueller was seriously threatened along with his family, which is why, perhaps, he allowed Barr to misrepresent his findings.
All this while Trump acts as if the whole thing was just a hoax, with his supporters believing him.
Apparently, treason is ok with the republicans, as well as sending people to work with the coronavirus.
Trump must be removed.
16
And the republicans want to re investigate Hunter Biden. You can see where there dedication lies, not to the truth but to further falsehoods. Shame on the Republicans and this administration
18
I am sure that Senator Collins and her senatorial co-conspirators are deeply troubled by Barr’s apparent lack of candor and will wring their hands accordingly.
15
Imagine that, from a Republican judge no less. Somehow the light of truth will find its way out.
9
All that matters and should matter is just a few things, established facts:
1. The contacts with Russians were purely innocuous and were in no way related to any collusion, which never occurred.
2. The alleged possible obstruction can't be considered without acknowledging the context of someone falsely accused of serious behavior or crimes that never occurred and were never contemplated.
3. The entire investigation was the result of what can only be viewed as a conspiracy by top government law enforcement and spy agencies against a presidential candidate, his campaign and, ultimately, his administration. This involved spying on innocent US citizens, lying to courts to obtain permission to conduct it and leaking selective information and disinformation in pursuit of paralyzing and removing a sitting president from office.
4. The entire media complex, and especially outlets like the NY Times, lied and spun false reports for more than two years without consequences in a direct attack on an administration the media loathed.
The no longer trusted NY Times should spend as much time and resources investigating itself to explain how dozens and dozens of reporters and editors could get every single thing wrong for more than two years, and could ignore every single thing that was flashing red indicating how wrong they were. But when a publication puts out an equally false and unsubstantiated narrative like the 1619 Project there is no hope left.
3
"Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press,"
--Donald Trump, Florida Press Conference, July 2016.
6
Barr can hide content, but his reason for doing so is all too easy to see.
Mueller couldn't convict but couldn't exonerate President Trump, either. Why?
Not because there was no evidence of crimes, but because Mueller believed it is inappropriate to convict a sitting president.
Most importantly, OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE means in this case that so many people refused to cooperate or lied/omitted Truth to help Trump, that the investigation was hindered. Mueller stated there probably was/is enough evidence to convict Trump upon leaving office.
Yes, Judge Walton is right to assert the necessity of seeing Barr's redactions. Barr can hide content, but his reason is all too easy to see.
495
@Rebecca
To be clear, Mueller (rightly) believed it was Congress' job to investigate and indict a sitting president.
For the DOJ to do it, would require the DOJ to have equal weight with the three branches of government, effectively creating a fourth branch.
3
@abj slant
Well taken, and yet many Constitutional scholars believe Mueller could have/should have indicted. That his conclusion was only based on DOJ policy and not on The Constitution at all.
Also, my understanding is that Justice Department and its many arms (Grand Juries, Prosecutors, etc) indict and Congress investigates and impeaches.
3
@Rebecca
That's true. However, the steps followed by the DOJ for a criminal investigation and/or indictment get a little murkier when the subject is the sitting president.
Personally, I am sure Trump would have cried like a baby after just 5 minutes with Mueller. But IMO, Mueller took a more historical approach, and posterity will vindicate Mueller's method.
4
The complete uncensored report should be made available to both congress and the public. The President has always maintained his innocence of collusion and conspiring with the Russian government. If the evidence in the Muller Report, as interpreted, by AG Barr supports that same conclusion, I would think that both the President and AG Barr would welcome having Judge Walton review the redacted portions and also coming to the same conclusion.
497
@Phillip Fraley I suppose they will welcome it with an application for an emergency injunction and stay of the judge's order while they litigate why they should not comply.
26
@Phillip Fraley
All that total innocence would have welcomed testimony from those who could prove that innocence and they would have welcomed tons of evidence as proof of that innocence. However, for some strange reason, the Republicans refused to allow any of that. I wonder, could the president and his henchmen actually be guilty? Their actions practically scream their guilt on all levels!
21
@Phillip Fraley
Barr, himself, should be forced to pay the printing and postage so that the complete Muller Report is mailed out to every single voter!
I realize this will not happen. But if there were any Justice in DOJ, Barr should have to pay to rectify what he refused to show us.
11
Everything about this Administration is distorted and misleading, plain lying pertains as well. Barr is part of it. Good to hear a Judge who is willing to challenge his leadership or favouritism. After he had words for Trump he was lauded and what has come of it? Nothing. But he has sought to weaken any criticism of Trump, his main goal to make the President a Dictator like so many other world leaders. The demise of all those close to Trump cannot come soon enough.
36
Fred Trump's windfall profiteering on government contracts during WW2 resulted in Congress calling for better legislation. Now his son has styled himself America's chief law enforcer and the Republican majority has judged him above the law.
With the GOP's blessing, the Trumps are operating out of the White House. Donald gives 'the buck stops here' a new spin. While his children sell influence wherever they can. At America's expense. Few of us will walk away unscathed by Trump making America his seventh bankruptcy.
We don't have to sit on the sidelines, watching the Republicans steal everything that is not nailed down and destroy the rest. We can put an end to it in November.
48
Is this one of the FISA judges who started the Carter Page craziness in 2013?
Be careful who is trusted on this stuff. Former FISA court judges shouldn't be part of any of these investigations.
2
I don’t know, is it? Are you truly asking in good faith out are you trying to further disinformation? Does it matter one way or another to you? If you have something to say, say it. Don’t hide behind questions and ambiguities.
2
@Mike_F
The Mueller report should be made public without any redactions at all. Judges and government employees should stop commenting on documents the public is not permitted to read. Judges who sat on the FISC shouldn't comment on any of these investigations until Durham is finished.
1
@Mike_F
yes. no ambiguity at all.
Yeah. Anyone paying attention knew this. Unfortunate that the Trump GOP, right wing bloviators, and purported news organizations like Faux and similar ilk have gone a long way to destroying what was once an independent "press" in the USA. No wonder Trump in also now pounding on our independent judiciary, seeking to make it just another wing of the Trump GOP. Sort of like those independent judiciaries in countries such as Venezuela, Russia, Iran - those paragons of democracy Trump seeks to emulate.
24
Judge Walton is stating the obvious. Our country is being taken down. TIME TO RISE UP and defend her from the DOMESTIC ENEMY. Judge is an honorable American. The truth is being squashed and smothered to death. For the first time in my life I'm scared to death to be an American.
19
This judge's ruling confirms what I saw and heard from myself when Barr began his slide into disgraceful sycophancy and failure to do his job as the nation's top law enforcement officer. What I want to know now is what can be done about it? Can Barr be disbarred? Should the Supreme Court step in and fire him? I don't expect much from Republican senators who continue to cower in terrified silence lest their sinecures be ruined by a Trumpian tweet.
28
I can't wait to return to the days when folks of differing political inclinations, like myself and this honorable Bush-appointed judge, can agree on fundamental values like honesty, separation of powers, and the rule of law.
95
@Jeff
Those days are done, gone, and over. We won't see them again in our lifetime. Once 40% of the country takes a stand in favor of lawlessness, corruption and treachery, there is simply no going back.
5
@Joe You may well be right. I hope not. I prefer to believe that trends can get better as well as worse. I think individual character can make a big difference, and so I hold out hope that the next Republican that ends up leading our country will be a principled person. And that will, turn, influence party members to reconnect with their better natures.
The basic ethical obligation of the legal profession is to avoid even the appearance of impropriety.
Unlike any other Cabinet official, the Attorney General of the United States has professional ethical obligations that supercede and transcend nomination by the President of the United States with appointment approval with the advice and consent vote of the U. S. Senate.
Attorney General Bill Barr's client is the American people. In the event of any conflict of interest with the President of the United States preserving, protecting and defending the Constitution of the republic of the American people is his preeminent and sole legal obligation.
The lawyers for Donald Trump as an individual person include Rudy Giuliani and Jay Sekulow. While the lawyers for Donald Trump as President and the Presidency are White House Counsel Pat Cippilone and his staff.
With regard to his handling of the Mueller Report, Barr could and should be the subject of ethical investigation proceedings by any bar where he is a member.
66
@Blackmamba We live in politically fraught times, and Barr and his position as AG are especially political. That being said, when you consider the gravity of the subject at hand and the severity and extent of Barr's bad faith, there is more than sufficient evidence to support a revocation of his license to practice law in any of the United States.
8
In 2001, when Judge Walton was appointed, George W. Bush was President, Trent Lott was Senate Minority Leader, and Tom Daschle was Majority Leader. Neither Mitch McConnell nor The Federalist Society were in a position to work their magic, where nearly anyone with the Federalist stamp is eligible for a judgeship. The article claims that it is "striking" that Judge Walton would criticize a fellow Republican, Striking to whom? Not to anyone who remembers how judges were chosen in 2001--with serious consideration of an appointee's qualifications by the White House and both parties in the Senate, unlike the partisan circus we have now.
44
Attorney General William P. Barr placed himself between President Trump and an honest investigation into Trump’s possible criminal conduct. In doing so it appears that Mr. Barr conspired with Trump to tank a legitimate investigation into the Trump administration.
It has been a conspiracy in plain sight, engineered by Trump and his cadre of lawyers in order to obscure his conduct from the American people and legitimate law enforcement.
If Trump and his crew are investigated as an ongoing criminal enterprise under RICO, and convictions follow, will Trumps irresponsible pardons, including Mr. Libby, be considered illegitimate and revocable?
I believe that it will all go back to Russia, and Putin, when a final accounting takes place.
I fervently hope that Joe Biden, if elected, will hold his gentler instincts in check when the investigations into Trump & Co. take place.
28
Wow. There is a judge out there who is prepared to call strikes and balls.
Anyone who thinks that there wasn't a cabal between Trump, Roger Stone, Wikileaks and Putin is beyond reason. Frankly, we saw Trump attempt to reprise his collusion in this election cycle with Ukraine.
When will this long national nightmare end?
176
@Scott B It will end on January 20, 2021!
5
@mk We hope!
1
@Scott B. You ask: “When will this long nightmare end?”
Answer: November 3, 2020.
To quote James Joyce in Ulysses: “History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake.”
We hope to awaken on November 3, 2020, almost certainly with a very bad hangover.
1
This is what the idea of am independent judiciary means.
144
@Frank Travaline and why Mitch McConnell is intent on insuring we no longer have one.
23
@Frank Travaline
Barr and Trump are probably smirking over this as the Supreme Court will stop this Judge's meddling if it came to that.
4
@Frank Travaline
First Trump said there was no Russian interference. Its "fake news".
Then he said that no one had contact with the Russians. Its "fake news"
Then they admitted there was contact but no collusion by the Trump campaign. Its "fake news"
Then they admitted there was an attempt to collude, but it didn't work because DonJr was stupid and incompetent, so it doesn't matter.
Then they claimed collusion is not a crime.
Uh oh....REAL NEWS:
It matters a lot to patriotic Americans, judges and civil servants who will not abide having a puppet of Putin as an American king.
3
This is but another revelation of official legerdemain. The nation's top law enforcement official is a team player first and a public servant only when it serves the selfish interests of his master.
45
Judge Reggie B. Walton confirmed what so many assumed and thought about the Barr's "interpretation" of the Mueller Report when he stated "Barr put forward a “distorted” and “misleading” account of its findings and lacked credibility on the topic."
What should be called into question is Barr's credibility across the board for he has consistently made decisions which continue to favor the president.
Barr's conduct as attorney general continues to deceive the American public.
The question of what and can be done going forward remains to be seen.
86
AG Barr has been brazenly providing cover for trump by deliberately shirking the responsibilities of his office. He pulled the same stunt with whistle-blower reports as he did with the Mueller report with his contrived "nothing there" charades. Now it turns out there is indeed a lot there! And AG Barr has lots to answer for including:
> why he still has not released to Congress the 'real' Mueller report (ie clean of redactions) now long overdue.
> why he's surreptitiously closing down pending court cases left by the Mueller investigation without explanation or even any formal indication/comment that he is doing so.
62
On "bad faith" ...
Judge Walton used some interesting words, for example "distorted", "misleading", "inconsistencies" and "lack of candor". Not difficult to understand, but let's put them in a context that sums up what he really said, and in a way that is meaningful to a normal lay person.
What Judge Walton really said is that William Barr, the U.S. Attorney General, the head of the Department of JUSTICE, acted in BAD FAITH in order to deceive and mislead the public into believing something that Trump was completely innocent of any wrongdoing when he - Barr, the top law enforcement official in the land - knew that was untrue.
"Bad faith" is rarely if ever used in common discourse. That's too is too bad because everybody understands what it means and recognizes it as a bright line test for whether someone should be trusted, or hold public office, or be allowed to practice in certain fields like law or medicine.
"Bad faith" is at the core of what the Republican party is all about. For example, consider the Republican senators who gave Trump a pass and made a farce of the impeachment trial, all the while expressing in somber tones their admiration for Trump's zealous fight against corruption.
The Republicans and their media minions (i.e. Fox) have already - through their actions - branded themselves with the words "bad faith". It's up to those who really care about the country and what it could and should be to remind others about that fact and what it means.
88
This shouldn’t surprise anyone. The Attorney General’s sole purpose has been focused on using his vast government resources to make Donald Trump’s myriad lies appear to be true. Barr’s misrepresentation of the Mueller report via his bogus, four page “summary”, coupled with delaying its release for several weeks, allowed the president to successfully create an entirely false narrative: “No collusion, no obstruction”. The AG also did his best to depict Trump as a corruption fighter during the impeachment inquiry, pushing the fantasy that the president actually saw corruption as anything beyond a business opportunity.
29
Judge Reggie Walton needs to be preserved in a museum when he dies, encased in a glass case for all to see. He is a sight so rare as to compete with the Dodo bird.
An actual Republican who not only expresses regret about Trump's corruption, but rather, uses the power vested in the public office he holds to demand ethics in our government.
A Republican concerned about ethics?
I thought there were none of his kind left.
52
Nice window dressing. A Bush-appointed judge correctly calling out Barr's whitewash of the Mueller report when nobody cares anymore. The media has long left the issue, and even the left's blogosphere has moved on. The best news here is the comeuppance of Barr, who has to be the worst Attorney General in the nation's history. And he just gets worse every week. Hopefully he will soon be gone either by being driven out, or forced out by the next election's results.
19
Well well. Barr did in fact lie by omission in his summary and report to Congress. That is actually illegal. However, he will argue that it was in his pervue as AG to make the final judgement. He believes to the marrow of his bones that he has not only the correct judgement on everything but also the righteous judgement. He can’t go soon enough.
26
When the top law enforcement officer is corrupt, as Barr clearly is, we become a banana republic. When we have one of the two main political parties completely supporting this kind of lying and misleading of the American public over something as serious as the US President corrupting our democracy and elections, and a US president who believes this is how everyone in the country and government should be behaving, we have an autocracy. I don't think we should fear these coming in a second term. I think they are here now. We are voting in November to undo America's first go-round as a corrupt autocratic banana republic. What's next? Huge posters of Trump's likeness ordered up in every town square?
45
@Virginia . "posters of Trump's likeness", you say.
Yes, it could happen here.
Statues of him, covered in the same fake gold radiator paint that he favors, all over the country.
Only for us to wait years before these monstrosities are knocked down and destroyed.
You'd think the republicans never opened a history book.
Trump is dangerous and must be removed.
4
@Virginia, don't forget that Trump has been modeling his own personality-cult salute for years now: the right fist raised to the level of the ear or the hairpiece.
1
Barr has shown himself to be a man without honor and a toadie to an amoral, unqualified president. Ultimately that is how he should and will be remembered for his time in the federal government.
If there were not things in the Mueller report that incriminate Trump they would not have worked so hard to suppress it and hide the salient facts from the public.
Drain the swamp? The Trump administration has done nothing but expand it. It is the one infrastructure project that the really believe in.
23
Barr’s public statements clearly indicate he is motivated by religious fanaticism which imbues him with a sense of unerring righteousness. Thus he is using the mighty power of his office to promote a theocracy and like many others is using the easily manipulated Trump as a puppet to advance it. His flouting of law and truth in the service of his visions is frightening. Those of us who revere American democracy and its bedrock freedom from religion can take some solace in Judge Walton’s courageous unveiling of Barr’s deceit.
19
This is so very important. Trump uses the findings of the Mueller report as misrepresented by Barr to portray himself as the victim of a witch hunt, a hoax that is so unfair to him, unlike anything that has ever happened to a president before. It’s an inoculation against any other ugly truth that will come out, like the impeachment effort due to his actions regarding Ukraine or what we may learn if and when his tax returns are released.
In The Art of the Deal the phrase “truthful hyperbole” meant a somewhat benign exaggeration of the truth, a con artist’s trick to pull the wool over his mark’s eyes.
Trump is trying (and so far has succeeded) in doing this with the Mueller report aided and abetted by a truly corrupt Attorney General and his republican enablers. We, the American taxpayers, paid for this investigation with our hard earned money and to see them flip the findings into a defense of Trump has been very frustrating to watch.
15
Let's hear what trump's sycophants in the GOP have to say about this, so that it can become part of their re-election bids. Will they continue to blindly side with trump? When (note: when, not if) trump denies the court authority to review the unredacted report, will the GOP continue to support trump's denigration of the Constitution and its assignation of oversight? Finally, what tirade of 'alternative facts' and invective will trump unleash on this judge?
Watching the GOP enable trump as he continues to lie and run afoul of the law is more depressing than trump's acts themselves.
10
@John unfortunately, we all know they will~
Barr's theory is you can't obstruct justice if there is no justice. There is no law if the President is above it.
15
This has the feel of "It's about time".
Mr Trump the world's most victimized person had screamed that the Mueller Report had completely exonerated him and it had not.
I watched and listened to Mr Barr's analysis of the Mueller Report and in the back of my mind I heard screaming "Whitewash whitewash".
I clearly remember in school learning that in this country no one is above the law. Then during the period of the Mueller Investigation we heard "You cannot charge a sitting president".
That's a major contradiction. So in reality which is it? The POTUS is above the law or is the POTUS subject to the law?
Just an old white man's concern and opinion...
11
This story should have been a headline right next to the coronavirus. This is every bit as important. Trump does not care at all for the citizens of this country.
32
We've known that since the day after Mr. Barr pronounced his absolution of the President. It is good to see the judicial branch standing up for truth. But let the tweets begin. Lindsey, Donald, and the Trump children will shout this judge down, just as they have all others. We will not see the end of this abuse until we run the devils out of office.
11
The Mueller report showed that Trump* willingly sought out and accepted help from "Rusher" and obstructed justice to cover it up.
Will Biden's DOJ prosecute Trump of he's elected? I doubt it, unfortunately.
4
@Jason He won't have to. The SDNY is standing by ready to issue about 9 subpoenas to appear. The democrat president will not pardon the grifter.
3
@Armo Given that Barr is now farming out SDNY cases to EDNY and his actions overall, we won't have that ability to issue those subpoenas. https://www.vox.com/2020/2/13/21134569/barr-roger-stone-trump
I just hope that when new administration comes in(if comes in - as Trump may not give up his seat and Mitch will do everything in his power to protect his as well)
- We prosecute all the current cohorts of Trump and bad GOP apples and put them in jail.
- We can put this under the rug and assume that nothing happened.
- Only way for better future is to acknowledge the past, cure it and remove the cancer.
5
Maybe, it’s time for Justice Roberts to publicly rebuke AG Barr for ‘lack of candor’, Senator McConnell for making a mockery of the US Constitution by blocking Merrill Garland, Justice Kavanaugh for attacking ‘liberals’ within in the confines of Congress, and President Trump’s repeated attacks of two female Supreme Court Justices, Federal Judge Amy Bergman Jackson, and other judges.
21
I only wish the Supreme Court had the integrity of judge Walton.
25
@Joanna Stelling not quite half of it does....
The smearing of Barr unsurprisingly coincides with his investigation of the origins of the crossfire hurricane probe. At least three foreign intelligence operatives were used to spy on and set up a presidential candidate Ironically accused of soliciting foreign interference in the election.
Apparently foriegn interference is ok sometimes. Is it ok if China backs Biden? I bet he would go back to the status quo on trade. Maybe Isreal can help Trump. Are both bad or just one?
@Brian: No, Barr began his smearing before he was even appointed as Attorney General of the United States.
What a shocking finding by the judge; AG William Barr can't be trusted! Now multiply that by the number of appointees working for Trump and you'll but begin to recognize the magnitude of the corruption we, as citizens , are being subjected to by the Trump administration. We all know Barr is but the tip of the iceberg, albeit a rather rotund one. It seems like it will take more than a Marvel type character to save the country at this point.
9
It's good to see a republican appointed judge jump down Barr's throat.
Mueller's report was probably the most professional document produced during this administration and all Trump and Barr did was try to make it political.
Trump and all his cronies need to go.
11
Sorry. This ship has sailed. After Barr's politicized distortion of the report, and Mueller's timidity, it was sunk from the start. And Trump's team of private lawyer, the DOJ, will toss this ruling into Trump's basket of Fake news.
7
One would assume that Hon. Walton’s decision will be one of the topics Congress will discuss with Gen. Barr as members of the Committee have read the complete Mueller report.
3
Do you honestly think the the Republican members of Congress have read the Mueller Report? It’s easier for them to lie when they can claim later that they didn’t have the facts because they did not read them. Obstruction, cover up, and denial are the T Party’s tactics.
3
On the one hand, we can celebrate the independence and tough-mindedness of this Republican (!) judge. He was appointed by Dubya! Just let that sink in for a minute....
On the other hand, it is disturbing that such a tough-minded judge can do no more than force the Justice Department to tell the truth, and stop lying and dissembling. He can't force out the bad actors.
If we are to continue to have fixed-term presidents (a terrible policy, crying out for constitutional amendment), with such broad appointment powers, we must remove some of what insulates them (and their henchmen like Barr) from being thrown out of office (and, perhaps, into prison) for conducting themselves the way he and his capo the Gangster-in-Chief have done. Otherwise, how will we corral the next Donald Trump who gets elected?
8
A profile in courage, this judge like Romney and a few other republican congressional elected people.
Barr is dismissing 10 counts of alleged obstruction of justice by Trump by a duly assembled commission led by Mueller.
The toady Barr should have been impeached along with Trump.
13
@Paul Well, he may be arrested along with his boss.
4
@Armo -thank you for your reply. Well like Lincoln said after the civil war re the enemy, with malice towards none, charity towards all, punish only the worst.
In this case I would be satisfied with Trump behind bars.
That's enough.
2
Thank goodness for Judge Walton and his findings that Barr's handling of Mueller's report was a “distorted” and “misleading” account of its findings and lacked credibility on the topic."
From the very first press conference Barr held after "reviewing" Mueller's report in such haste is was pretty obvious that he was merely protecting his boss and whitewashed the entire report.
Other than alerting everyone the barn door was left open long after the horses got out, what can or will be done now?
I wonder how long Judge Walton will last before dirt is thrown on his reputation and is removed from his role.
8
Bud sadly we can't turn back time...and we have Trump...
1
I have read the Mueller report, both sections. It is not easy to read or understand with so many items and details, but when considered it does point to a lot of obstruction from Mr Trump and communication with dubious persons with the only interest in creating chaos in the united states. There needs to be a change in the Department of justice ruling that says a president can not be indicted while in office, sounded good when created, but this was to protect a president with morals normal with most of the previous presidents. Mr Trump lacks morals and integrity of any kind and only thinks of what is good for him and not any other human being. A change can only happen with a November vote to remove Trump,the GOP senate, and keep the House.
68
@ Neil
"But the fact remains that Mueller essentially said there was no conspiracy not collusion between Russia and Trump campaign." Really? Did Mueller not explicitly say that there were no PROOFS
of collusion?
Furthermore: "Mueller himself said that the AG had the right conclusions." Really? Did Mueller not explicitly complain that Mr. Barr had misrepresented the conclusions?
14
@Niels ...We must also consider bias stemming from Mueller’s appointment by the Republican administration being investigated; a clear case of Trump conducting his own investigation. Such an inquiry should have been assigned to a congressional Special Prosecutor as was done with Watergate. Judge Walton’s findings now are a case of ‘too little too late.’ Learn from our corruption.
1
It is reassuring to see some Federal Judges taking their jobs seriously - upholding the rule of law and fighting for truth and transparency and calling out Barr in particular.
My excitement is tempered by the knowledge that Trump's court (AKA the Supreme Ct) may step in to stop this release, thereby denying the American people the full story.
26
Wait, before folks below condemn AG Barr.
My reading of judge comments are in relation to a Freedom of information.
The bar for it's release is high - in that it grants the government full power to redact.
This judge is not questioning conclusions of Mueller - and folks should remember - Mueller himself said that the AG had the right conclusions.
Under this order, the judge wants to ensure that the government has a right to redact as he does not take government assertion at face value.
Sure, he can criticize AG Barr for releasing a politically charged statement.
But the fact remains that Mueller essentially said there was no conspiracy not collusion between Russia and Trump campaign.
And as the IG has shown it was the DOJ under Obama who was lax with FISA - in initiating this very Russia collusion claim.
And folks should give AG Barr credit that he has issued orders that if a campaign is to be investigated for foreign links - he alone must approve.
And unlike the previous DOJ - to his credit, AG Barr DOJ - briefed Bernie Sanders campaign on Russian intrusion.
1
@Neil Uh, not sure what you mean by this: And unlike the previous DOJ - to his credit, AG Barr DOJ - briefed Bernie Sanders campaign on Russian intrusion." Trump's campaign absolutely was briefed on Russian efforts to interfere.
2
Neil, I understand your statements and agree with you on most points. However, I think the part that is overlooked in the Mueller report and in the AG’s comments is the obstruction of justice investigation. The report and the Judge referred to the fact that the president was not absolved of obstructing justice. Mueller adhered to the guidance of not charging a sitting Pres. Given the fact that this admin has been reluctant to comply with almost any congressional oversight, it is imperative that citizens are ensured that the report was not redacted to corroborate the AG’s opinion. If you have not read the full memo, I encourage you to.
3
@Neil Hey, no whitewashing allowed here. What he did was low, conniving, and dishonest.
My sincere hope is, that if the Democrats win the election, the new president will again let the criminal behavior of parties in and during the previous administration go unpunished, for the sake of "reaching across the aisle" and get going with his promised agenda, as Obama did with the financial institutions.
4
The Mueller investigation (as well as the recent impeachment trial) was hampered by the extent of obstruction by the Trump team.
Key players who did make statements to the FBI and Congress have been convicted of lying and have been imprisoned or are heading that way, like Stone and Flynn. Others, like Don Trump, Jr have flatly refused to testify or have feigned memory loss like former AG Jeff Sessions.
But the actions of the Trump Administration after the election tells the story. Relieving sanctions on Russia without justification was the first order of business for Trump, forcing the Congress to block the Administration in a rare vote of 98-0 in the Senate.
And for the last 3 years, Trump has tried to silence our intelligence services and their conclusions about Russian election interference. He wss impeached in part for trying to switch the blame to Ukraine, a project that is on-going.
The subservience of the GOP Senate to Trump has international consequences in degrading trust in US leadership around the world. The UN General Assembly breaking out in laughter at Trump during his address accidentally revealed global opinion that is normally carefully veiled in diplomatic language.
19
More charges of malfeasance by Bill Barr. Duh.
In the 1970s, Bill Barr's father was ousted from his headmaster position at the elite Dalton School in NYC. The board of the school cited his unacceptable "autocratic" style of running the school. The elder Barr argued that the head of the school should be free from any control and oversight by the board.
Now, some fifty years later, It looks a lot like Bill Barr is carrying on the autocratic policy fight of his father. A lot of citizens are hoping for the same outcome.
19
"Distorted and misleading" is being very kind - maybe just diplomatic. Barr has lied about many things. As long as Barr and Trump protect each other, we will not have a truly functioning justice system.
17
Keep in mind that Muller's hands were tied from the outset. His final report could not be released publicly until AFTER the Attorney General reviewed it first. With Barr in that role, it was virtually guaranteed that he would whitewash the report.
Muller was also handcuffed by a DoJ "memorandum" proclaiming that a sitting President could not be indicted for criminal activities while in office. This reflected a theory of executive power enunciated by right wing Constitutional "scholars" including -- spoiler alert -- Barr.
The problem, which no one seemed to anticipate, was that Robert Muller was a by-the-book attorney, honest to a fault and committed to performing his investigation within the constraints laid down by the Republican controlled DoJ. He clearly wanted to prefer charges for both collusion and obstruction, but felt duty bound not to exceed the parameters of his remit.
The federal judge's statement yesterday simply revealed the extent of this done deal between Trump and Barr. It was a scandal then, and remains one for the histories that will be written about the sordid Trump Administration.
27
RE: "Mr. Barr put forward a “distorted” and “misleading” account of its findings"
I think that was recognized at the time. But remember there are a lot people who *want*, and *like* a distorted and misleading account of its findings.
7
After reading part 1 of the Mueller report carefully, I am convinced that Mueller bent over backwards to give the Trump campaign the benefit of the doubt RE collusion. The campaign operatives clearly knew that what they were doing was wrong, as evidenced by communications that contained strategies for concealing their actions. In addition, significant evidence relating to materials provided by Manafort to Sergei Kislyak (proprietary poling data etc.) was not available, and the interpretation that the materials provided were not for the purpose of collusion was based upon incomplete information and seemed improbable at best.
Barr has clearly attempted to hide these facts from the public via redactions. Barr's actions are just another example of the man's disdain for the rule of law and desire to have an autocratic government rather that one ruled by the people in a democracy. As more than 2000 former justice department employees have said in a letter, Barr has no place in our Department of Justice and should resign or be removed.
18
We (and the world) need to be reminded that we are a country of laws. And for that reason, Barr (and Pompeo) should be sent to prison.
It's pretty simple, if you break the law, you are prosecuted. Let's get back to that.
23
I hope that after the release of the full version of the Mueller report, Congress will revisit the impeachment of the President, and, if the new information points to other high crimes and misdemeanors, new articles of impeachment will be voted on.
Then our President can truthfully boast that he has been impeached more than any other President.
13
Judge Walton is a rare official these days who should be saluted for his integrity...and protected from the dangers that his honesty has unleashed. Welcome to trump’s america.
12
It's quite obvious that the only Republican view of the Mueller Report was through Barr's "Reader's Digest" version. For a Bush appointee, or in Trump parlance "a Bush judge," to clearly see the distortion is big news.
13
Everything about Trump and his organization has been "distorted" and "misleading" from Day One. That has been Trump's MO since long before he sought the White House. He doesn't do honesty and integrity and he doesn't want that in any of his people. He just wants loyalty. Barr has given him that.
11
We all already knew this, including the criminally complicit GOP, but I appreciate having a judge appointed by Bush formally and publically state it in a ruling.
13
AG Barr’s priorities are all askew. Here he is traveling the world chasing butterflies at trump’s behest when his focus should be on investigating McConnell (and his wife) for corruption.. At some point McConnell must have his day in court.
15
Yes the Cleanup begins. It must be a massive one, putting right all the misinformation and distortion and harm and removing the persons who produced the misdeeds.
5
Lack of candor is a must have on any resume when working for Trump. Problem solver - check, MS Office skills - check, Lack of Candor - priceless.
5
What a relief there is some accountability for the AG lying to the public about the Mueller report, as if it were a total and complete exoneration if Trump.
Now if we could only hold Fox News responsible for the same lies it tells over and over in the news and opinion division (hint: no difference) 24/7.
6
Did this judge find anything that was not already known? Let’s see if he releases a different version of the report. That might be something.
2
I’ve actually read the Mueller report. Attorney General Barr flat-out lied.
What Mueller said was that because there was no venue for President Trump to respond to any accusations made by him were he to accuse the president of a crime (as DOJ policy does not allow the criminal indictment of a sitting president), it would be unfair of him to do so. But he laid out what he very clearly thought were crimes committed by the president, without actually voicing the accusation.
Barr Lied when he told the American public that Mueller had concluded Trump was “innocent.” That is the simple truth.
19
The logical Republican Congressional response to Judge Walton's findings? Attack the Freedom of Information Act.
12
Trump says he was totally exonerated by the report but actually there is much that has not been proved or dis-proved. The white house blocked witnesses and documents under executive privilege, Why would Trump invoke that privilege unless he is hiding something
13
@Clarkey Oh, because we are supposed to believe he is "protecting privilege for future presidents'. That is laughable. Trump doesn't do anything with the future of anyone but himself in mind.
1
"“I don’t think people like the fact that you got somebody at the top basically trying to dictate whether somebody should be prosecuted,” "
Nice words from Judge Walton about the handling of the McCabe case, but on that, as well as the Mueller redactions, it's really too little too late.
People have moved on from the Mueller report, and this is simply a grim reminder of how much this corrupt adminstration, protected by an unethical AG, has gotten away with.
What good does it to to hear authoritative condemnation of events we already knew were handled badly, and corruptly when they occurred?
All it does is reinforce how much the Trump administration has abused power, and justice.
4
Assuming the Justice Department refuses to hand over the documents, what happens then? I don't see this in the article.
2
@C A panel of judges for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia just this week provided some insight into what they (that panel) think should happen when deciding that McGahn couldn't be compelled to submit to a Congressional subpoena.
According to two of the three judges, disputes between the legislative and executive branches should be resolved politically. In their view, the power that Congress has over appropriations is sufficient to coerce the executive branch to cough up what Congress feels its needs to exercise its oversight responsibilities.
I didn't make that up.
2
And now Congress should do more than question whether Barr deliberately sought to deceive the public. They should question Barr himself, under oath, with the un-redacted materials in hand. In public testimony. Under pain of imprisonment for perjury and Obstruction. Because there really is no question that Barr deliberately covered this up. He is the single most dangerous and malevolent force in the Trump Administration and he needs to be far, far away from anything remotely related to the Government, unless it's in Russia. Putin would probably give him a medal for Barr's service to that country.
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@Brannon Perkison I think he shares the award for "single most dangerous and malevolent force" with McConnell. Now, THERE's a malevolent force!
23
@Brannon Perkison
I would add McConnell to the list of malevolent forces in the Trump administration. He, like Barr, is not for ALL of the US but instead is a Trump enforcer and just as dangerous.
20
@Brannon Perkison :
"Should"? The GOP should protect the Constitution. Name one Republican who has the slightest interest in doing that.
5
"But Mr. Barr 'failed to disclose to the American public,' Judge Walton wrote, that Mr. Mueller had explained that it would be inappropriate to make a judgment while the president was still in office about whether he committed obstruction crimes. The report also said that if the evidence had cleared Mr. Trump, Mr. Mueller would have said so, but he was unable to exonerate him."
Key words "while in office," "The report also said that if the evidence had cleared Mr. Trump, Mr. Mueller would have said so..."
What about when he is not in office? Arrest him the day after he leaves.
218
@David Izzo you just discovered why trump intends to stay in office for life.
6
I’m hoping there’s already a sealed SDNY indictment, and in less than 30 minutes after trump leaves office he’s in cuffs as a flight risk. Please God, just this one request.
5
@Mark, that's why Trump changed his residence last year. He thinks Florida will protect him.
2
It would be nice to actually hear the truth about the Mueller Report.
I haven’t read it, but I’ve learned from various sources on the right/left/center that it was parsed for Trump’s political advantage.
Some fresh air and light would be helpful to understand what Mueller really found. Barr, in effect, wrote the Hollywood version of a movie that says, “Based on Actual Events.”
57
The entire report other than a few sentences is available. Most of it offers no interesting information whatsoever. As we saw with Mueller's testimony there was no there there, never was and never will be.
2
@David G The NYT repeatedly reported the truth about the Mueller Report. If memory served they even listed all obstruction of justice cases and compared them with the law's thresholds.
How much more reporting was needed for people to hear 'the truth'?
4
@David G
Why haven't you read it, or at least the summaries? I am so disappointed so many have ignored it. I read it as soon as I could so I could make up my own mind, not take Barr's or the media's spin. You don't need a law degree to understand how bad Trump and his campaign were/are.
6
I salute the bravery and integrity of Judge Walton. The Mueller Report needed serious consideration if only for the sake of national security. Yet Judge Walton represents the kind of judge that the GOP is desperate to replace with Trump yes men.
424
@Mark , I didn't read the Mueller Report, and thought it was for young people who is speculating a presidential run sometime in the future. I read in the news that Mueller investigation is a criminal investigation -- investigation into a crime. If true, then the Mueller Report is literally the prosecutor's version of an alleged crime. It is not cross-examined by the prosecuted in court. Any sensible person would be weary that a judge relies entirely on a prosecutor's report, without cross-examination, and finds the prosecuted guilty. It is the end of rule of law, and particularly criminal justice that Democrats are concerned with. It is truly foolish to cut the nose just to spite the face. BTW, the U.S. government pushed for the rule of law around the word in the 1980s and 1990s, which paid off internationally. The rule of law is one of our better exports.
Barr was not required to release the report. I don't see how the Judge's surmise has any effect.
5
The effect is that he now decides whether to release an unredacted version.
3
@jackinnj Yeah, who needs freedom of information in a democracy? I trust our Dear Leaders to do the right thing. We are only their servants. Good point!
3
@jackinnj
it makes available the unredacted version, thus ending speculation about what it does or does not say.
2
Barr protecting his master. What a surprise!
227
Its about time that someone with a spine finally stood up for this country.
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@Tony
Agreed, but will it make any difference?
9
@Tony, you mean, notwithstanding the Democrats?
The judge's findings are old news to anyone not a Republican.
19
@Tony
Judge Reggie B. Walton, a Republican-appointed federal judge, just validated and vindicated all of the hard work and many long hours Robert Mueller and his team spent investigating, researching and writing that multi-volume report.
This man not only has a spine but the spirit and heart of a patriotic American.
55
That a self-serving, mendacious would be dictator has made it to the White House is bad enough. Worse, and what I cannot forgive, is the complicity of Congressional Republicans. Is their short term political safety and access to power really worth allowing the erosion of key institutions?
Do they not realize that one day the Dems will have the Presidency and the Congress and they will be at the mercy of the new lowered standards and lack of oversight that they themselves have allowed?
797
Senator McConnell and the rest of GOP enablers have the backing of autocratic and/or theocratic plutocrats, they do not care about the long-term good of the country or nation. As long as their bank accounts and the Supreme Court allow them unlimited campaign spending, a few powerful plutocrats and GOP will construct laws, a legal system, and policies to maintain their wealth and power.
The plutocrats attained their power by taking advantage of our public institutions & funded a silent coup to control smaller private businesses through legalizing monopolies, and seizing control over government through campaign contributions and lobbying.
Until the citizenry wakes up and demands change, the vision of ‘a more perfect union with liberty and justice for all’, will not be realized.
201
Someone, maybe Russians or even Trump, has something on these Republicans. The RNC emails were hacked too.
That's the leverage.
35
Democrats just spent a total of more than $1b on primary elections that aren't over. The two biggest spenders blew through at least $850m, and lost in a big way! But Democrats keep saying elections are bought and sold like eggs and milk.
1