Schiff and Nadler seek probe of Barr for comments on Trump move to fire intel watchdog

Source: Politico | April 20, 2020 | Kyle Cheney

The Democrats say the AG’s comments may have violated DOJ’s code of professional conduct.

Two top House Democrats are asking internal Justice Department watchdogs to investigate Attorney General William Barr for recent comments they say misrepresented the facts about President Donald Trump’s decision to fire Michael Atkinson, the inspector general of the intelligence community.

Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff of California and Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler of New York say Barr’s comments, in an April 9 interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, may have violated DOJ’s code of professional conduct, which requires officials to operate with “candor.”

The lawmakers asked Justice Department inspector general Michael Horowitz to investigate whether Barr violated professional responsibilities in his comments about Atkinson and whether he improperly interfered in Atkinson’s efforts to alert Congress to alleged misconduct by Trump last fall.

“The role of Attorney General Barr and other senior DOJ officials, in coordination with the White House, in attempting to prevent the whistleblower complaint from reaching Congress — as required by law — warrants your attention,” they wrote, referring to the complaint that sparked Trump’s impeachment trial.

Trump abruptly fired Atkinson earlier this month, citing Atkinson’s decision last fall to inform Congress about the existence of a whistleblower complaint alleging that Trump sought to pressure the Ukrainian government to investigate his Democratic adversaries. Atkinson deemed the complaint “urgent” and credible, triggering a legal requirement to inform Congress. The White House and Justice Department intervened, overruling Atkinson’s determination and blocking him from sharing it with Congress.

Ultimately, Atkinson did not share the complaint with Congress, but the public pressure surrounding the incident prompted the administration to share the details with lawmakers in September.

Yet Barr, in his Fox interview, suggested Atkinson deserved to be fired because he violated Justice Department protocols, a characterization that Nadler and Schiff say falsely impugns the former inspector general’s actions.

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