Senate confirms William Barr to be next attorney general. William Barr takes over a Justice Department conducting multiple investigations of a president who has been sharply critical of its past leaders. Lawmakers voted largely along party lines to confirm him as Trump's third attorney general on Thursday. Ref. USAToday
Image by The United States Department of Justice - Source 9c, Public Domain, Source 7w
William Pelham Barr (Hover)
Mueller expressed misgivings to Barr about 4-page letter
Special counsel Robert Mueller expressed concerns in a letter to Attorney General William Barr that Barr's four-page letter to Congress summarizing the "Principal conclusions" of Mueller's findings didn't fully capture his 448-page report, according to a source with knowledge of Mueller's letter.
Later, Barr and Mueller spoke by phone and while Mueller didn't think Barr's letter was inaccurate, the special counsel believed his report was more nuanced on the obstruction of justice issue, according to Justice Department officials. Mueller was frustrated by media coverage, and wanted more of the report to come out, those officials told CNN.
Barr's position was he wasn't going to do so in a piecemeal way, so he was pushing the special counsel's office to finish the redactions of the full report as soon as possible. Ref. CNN.
Attorney General William Barr is leaving the Trump administration; Jeff Rosen will become acting AG. Barr, who has served as President Donald Trump's most effective shield and advocate for broad presidential authority, will leave the administration on Dec. 23. Trump announced the departure in a tweet, "Our relationship has been a very good one, he has done an outstanding job!" Ref. USAToday.
Days before he's set to leave office, AG Barr says there's no reason to appoint special counsels to investigate Hunter Biden, election fraud. Rejecting President Trump's calls, Barr said the tax inquiry involving Hunter Biden was being handled "Responsibly and professionally." He also said there was "No basis" for seizing voting machines to investigate unsubstantiated allegations of fraud. Source 3o.