what was william barr's noted for as attorney general under hw bush

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Who is Attorney General William Barr?

Mar 02, 2019 · William Barr, then Bush’s assistant attorney general in charge of the Office of Legal Counsel, led the research effort. “I had my monks in …

What did William Barr do under George HW Bush?

Apr 19, 2019 · As attorney general for just over a year in the early 1990s, Barr was known as an immigration hardliner. According to a 1992 CBS News report that called him “a tough guy who’s not afraid to ruffle...

Who is George HW Bush’s Attorney General?

Mar 12, 2022 · William Barr with Donald Trump in the Rose Garden at the White House in 2019. ... Barr was attorney general for the first time under George HW Bush. ... now dead, of torpedoing Bush’s campaign ...

What is Bill Barr known for?

Feb 14, 2019 · During his tenure as attorney general under George HW Bush, Barr oversaw an effort to strictly enforce immigration restrictions. If confirmed, Barr could become an important ally for Trump at a...

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Dec 07, 2018 · Trump’s AG Pick Advised George H.W. Bush to Pardon Multiple Iran-Contra Affair Crimes. President Donald Trump ‘s nominee for United States Attorney General, William Barr, has been around the block before. He served in the same role during the administration of the late George H.W. Bush. Barr’s stint lasted from 1991-1993, during which time Bush granted a series …

What is William Barr known for?

An influential advocate for tougher criminal justice policies, Barr as attorney general in 1992 authored the report The Case for More Incarceration, where he argued for an increase in the United States incarceration rate. Under Barr's advice, President George H. W.

Who was Attorney General under George W Bush?

Alberto GonzalesOfficial portrait, 200580th United States Attorney GeneralIn office February 3, 2005 – September 17, 2007PresidentGeorge W. Bush31 more rows

Who was the last US Attorney General?

List of U.S. attorneys generalAttorney GeneralYears of serviceMerrick Garland2021-PresentLoretta Lynch2015-2017Eric Holder2009-2015Michael B. Mukasey2007-200982 more rows

Who was the attorney general on 9 11?

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Delivers Remarks Honoring the 20th Anniversary of the September 11 Attacks | OPA | Department of Justice.Sep 10, 2021

Who was the 1980s attorney general?

California Former Attorneys GeneralMatthew Rodriguez2021 – 2021John K. Van de Kamp1983 – 1991George Deukemejian1979 – 1983Evelle J. Younger1971 – 1979Thomas C. Lynch1964 – 197129 more rows

Who was the first female attorney general of the United States?

Janet Wood Reno (July 21, 1938 – November 7, 2016) was an American lawyer who served as the 78th United States attorney general under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 2001, the second-longest serving in that position, after William Wirt. A member of the Democratic Party, Reno was the first woman to hold the post.

How many attorney generals are there in the US?

In the order of creation, the position of attorney general was the fourth cabinet level position created by Congress, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Attorneys general may be impeached and removed from office by Congress. As of 2013 the office of U.S. Attorney General has been held by eighty two people.

Who was the first attorney general of the United States?

Edmund Jennings RandolphOn September 26, 1789, Edmund Jennings Randolph was appointed the first Attorney General of the United States by President George Washington.

When was Barr appointed as Attorney General?

In May 1990 , Barr was appointed Deputy Attorney General, the official responsible for day-to-day management of the Department. According to media reports, Barr was generally praised for his professional management of the Department.

Who appointed William Barr?

Upon leaving the DOJ in 1993, Barr was appointed by Virginia Governor George Allen to co-chair a commission to implement tougher criminal justice policies and abolish parole in the state. Barr has been described as a "leader of the parole-abolition campaign" in Virginia.

Why does Barr support the death penalty?

Barr supports the death penalty, arguing that it reduces crime. He advocated a Bush-backed bill that would have expanded the types of crime that could be punished by execution. In a 1991 op-ed in The New York Times, Barr argued that death row inmates' ability to challenge their sentences should be limited to avoid cases dragging on for years: "This lack of finality devastates the criminal justice system. It diminishes the deterrent effect of state criminal laws, saps state prosecutorial resources and continually reopens the wounds of victims and survivors."

What was Barr's first tenure?

During his first tenure as AG, media characterized Barr as "a staunch conservative who rarely hesitates to put his hardline views into action". He was described as affable with a dry, self-deprecating wit. The New York Times described the "central theme" of his tenure to be "his contention that violent crime can be reduced only by expanding Federal and state prisons to jail habitual violent offenders". In an effort to prioritize violent crime, Barr reassigned three hundred FBI agents from counterintelligence work to investigations of gang violence. The New York Times called this move "the largest single manpower shift in the bureau's history".

How much money did Barr give to the NRSC?

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) financially assists Republicans in their Senate election contests; in the seven years from 2009 to 2016, Barr gave six donations to the NRSC totaling $85,400. In a five-month period from October 2018 to February 2019, Barr donated five times (around $10,000 every month) for a total of $51,000. When Barr started donating more frequently to the NRSC, it was uncertain whether then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions would remain in his job. Barr continued donating even after Sessions resigned, and after Trump nominated Barr for Attorney General. The donations stopped after Barr was confirmed by the Senate as Attorney General. NRSC refunded Barr $30,000 before his confirmation. Previously in 2017, Barr had said he felt "prosecutors who make political contributions are identifying fairly strongly with a political party."

Where was Donald Barr born?

Early life and education. Barr was born in New York City in 1950. His father, Donald Barr, taught English literature at Columbia University before becoming headmaster of the Dalton School in Manhattan and later the Hackley School in Tarrytown, New York, both members of the Ivy Preparatory School League.

Who was the special counsel in the Inslaw case?

In October 1991, Barr appointed then-retired Democratic Chicago judge Nicholas Bua as special counsel in the Inslaw scandal. Bua's 1993 report found the Department of Justice guilty of no wrongdoing in the matter.

2. William Barr Served as Attorney General Under George H.W. Bush

Barr, 68, served for two years as the attorney general under George H. W. Bush before Bush lost his re-election bid to Bill Clinton.

5. William Barr is a Critic of Clintons, Bob Mueller, James Comey

Comey’s firing is not a constructional crisis: Fmr. Bush AG Barr Bill Barr, U.S. Attorney General under Bush ’41, on the building firestorm surrounding President Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey. 2017-05-11T18:07:23.000Z

Racism in criminal justice

During a Senate hearing on Tuesday, Democratic Senator Corey Booker questioned Barr about his past claims that there is “no statistical evidence” of racial disparity in the US criminal justice system.

Freedom of the press

Since coming to office, Trump has launched repeated attacks on the press at large and many journalists, describing media as “the enemy of the people”.

Immigration

Barr’s hardline record on immigration differs little from the Trump administration’s anti-immigration agenda.

Mueller probe

If confirmed, Barr would be in charge of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and any possible collusion between Moscow and Trump’s campaign.

Presidential powers

Barr’s views of presidential power could be important as prosecutors and Democrats in the House of Representatives, where they hold the majority, intensify investigations of Trump’s personal business practices and his presidency.

Under George H.W. Bush, he made strikingly similar defenses of executive power against Congress

Attorney General William Barr testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. Douglas Christian/ZUMA

Pema Levy

Attorney General William Barr testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. Douglas Christian/ZUMA

Overview

William Pelham Barr (born May 23, 1950) is an American attorney who served as the 77th and 85th United States attorney general in the administrations of Presidents George H. W. Bush and Donald Trump.
From 1973 to 1977, Barr was employed by the Central Intelligence Agency. He then served as a law clerk to judge Malcolm Richard Wilkey of the United States …

Early life and education

Barr was born in New York City in 1950. His father, Donald Barr, taught English literature at Columbia University before becoming headmaster of the Dalton School in Manhattan and later the Hackley School in Tarrytown, New York, both members of the Ivy Preparatory School League. Barr's mother, Mary Margaret (née Ahern), also taught at Columbia. Barr's father was Jewish and raised in Judaism but later converted to Christianity and joined the Catholic Church. His mother is of Iri…

Career

Barr worked for the CIA from 1971 to 1977 while attending graduate school and law school. He was first hired as a summer intern for two years. During his law school years he was an analyst in the Intelligence Directorate division from 1973 to 1975, and then transitioning to an assistant in the Office of Legislative Counsel and an agency liaison to Congress from 1975 to 1977.

Political positions

A lifelong Republican, Barr takes an expansive view of executive powers and supports "law and order" policies. Considered an establishment Republican at the time of his confirmation, Barr gained a reputation as someone loyal to Trump and his policies during his second tenure as Attorney General. His efforts to support the sitting president politically during his DOJ office tenure have be…

Personal life

Barr has been married to Christine Moynihan Barr since 1973. She holds a master's degree in library science, and together they have three daughters: Mary Barr Daly, Patricia Barr Straughn, and Margaret (Meg) Barr. Their eldest daughter, Mary, born 1977/1978, was a senior Justice Department official who oversaw the department's anti-opioid and addiction efforts; Patricia, born 1981/1982, was counsel for the House Agriculture Committee; and Meg, born 1984/1985, is a fo…

Honors

In 1992, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D) by George Washington University.

See also

• Russian interference in the 2020 United States elections
• Timeline of investigations into Donald Trump and Russia (January–June 2018)
• Timeline of investigations into Donald Trump and Russia (2019)