when did bill barr begin as attorney general

by Rebecca Daniel IV 7 min read

Barr was approved unanimously by the Senate Judiciary Committee, was confirmed by voice vote by the full Senate, and was sworn in as attorney general on November 26, 1991.

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Who served as US attorney general twice?

William Pelham BarrWilliam Pelham Barr was sworn in as the 85th Attorney General of the United States on February 14, 2019. He is only the second person in history to serve as U.S. Attorney General twice. Barr previously served as Attorney General from 1991 to 1993 during the administration of George H. W.

Who was the first attorney general under Trump?

Sessions was an early supporter of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign; he was nominated by Trump for the post of U.S. attorney general. He was confirmed and sworn in as attorney general in February 2017.

Who was the acting attorney general before Barr?

Matthew WhitakerPresidentDonald TrumpDeputyRod RosensteinPreceded byJeff SessionsSucceeded byWilliam Barr22 more rows

Who was Attorney General after Barr?

Jeffrey A. RosenPreceded byWilliam BarrSucceeded byMonty Wilkinson (acting)38th United States Deputy Attorney GeneralIn office May 22, 2019 – December 23, 202027 more rows

How much does the Attorney General of the United States make?

Attorney General is a Level I position in the Executive Schedule, thus earning a salary of US$221,400, as of January 2021.

Who was the first Attorney General?

Edmund Jennings RandolphThe Judiciary Act of 1789 established the Office of the Attorney General. On September 26, 1789, Edmund Jennings Randolph was appointed the first Attorney General of the United States by President George Washington.

Can the Attorney General be impeached?

Attorneys General. While impeachment proceedings against cabinet secretaries are an exceedingly rare event, no office has provoked the ire of the House of Representatives more than that of Attorney General. During the first quarter of the 21st century, four Attorneys General have been subjected to the process.

What is the difference between Attorney General and Chief Justice?

In layman terms, Chief Justice is a Judge and Attorney General is a Lawyer, both have distinct roles to play. The Attorney General of India is the highest law officer of the country and he/she is the chief legal advisor to the GoI. He is responsible to assist the government in all its legal matters.

Who was the first Attorney General?

Edmund Jennings RandolphThe Judiciary Act of 1789 established the Office of the Attorney General. On September 26, 1789, Edmund Jennings Randolph was appointed the first Attorney General of the United States by President George Washington.

Who was the previous Attorney General?

California Former Attorneys GeneralMatthew Rodriguez2021 – 2021Kamala D. Harris2010 – 2017Edmund G. Brown, Jr.2007 – 2011Bill Lockyer1999 – 2007Daniel E. Lungren1991 – 199929 more rows

How many US attorneys did Trump fire?

On March 10, 2017, Jeff Sessions, who was appointed United States attorney general by President Donald Trump, requested the resignations of 46 United States attorneys.

What was the name of Trump's attorneys?

Michael Cohen (lawyer)Michael CohenCohen in 2019BornMichael Dean Cohen August 25, 1966 Lawrence, New York, U.S.EducationAmerican University (BA) Cooley Law School (JD)Political partyDemocratic (before 2002, 2004–2017, 2018–present) Republican (2002–2004, 2017–2018)10 more rows

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".

Who asked the Justice Department to investigate Barr?

In December 2019, Democratic Senators Ron Wyden and Patrick J. Leahy asked the Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility to investigate Barr for approving an illegal surveillance program without legal analysis.

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."

Why did Barr say Hollywood censors its own movies?

In July 2020, Barr condemned large American tech companies, such as Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Apple, and Hollywood studios, accusing them of "kowtowing" to the Chinese Communist Party for the sake of profits. He said that "Hollywood now regularly censors its own movies to appease the Chinese Communist Party, the world's most powerful violator of human rights."

How much did Barr donate to the Republican Party?

Barr donated $55,000 to a political action committee that backed Jeb Bush during the 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries and $2,700 to Donald Trump during the general election campaign.

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."

Why did Barr advocate for Guantanamo Bay?

He also advocated the use of Guantanamo Bay to prevent Haitian refugees and HIV infected individuals from claiming asylum in the United States. According to Vox in December 2018, Barr supported an aggressive "law and order" agenda on immigration as Attorney General in the Bush Administration.

Who sworn in Barr?

Barr was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts on Thursday. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)

Why did Blumenthal vote against Barr?

Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., on Thursday said he would vote against Barr's nomination because he has "not committed to making special counsel findings public and not committed to public testimony from Mueller."

Who was the FBI Deputy Director who was fired by the President?

Barr’s confirmation came the same day former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who was fired by the president last year, detailed the central role he played in the bureau's Russia probe and the eventual appointment of a special counsel -- while describing Justice Department meetings where officials discussed ousting the president.

Did Barr discuss Mueller's investigation with Pence?

After his confirmation hearing last month, Barr disclosed that he had discussed Mueller’s investigation with Vice President Pence, but insisted that he neither provided legal advice to the White House nor received any confidential information from Pence. Barr also defended a memo he sent to the Justice Department last year that was critical of the Russia probe, explaining that it was narrow in scope and based on potentially incomplete information.

Who is Barr backed by?

Barr, who previously served as attorney general under the first President Bush, has embraced positions on immigration and crime that were also backed by Sessions, a former federal prosecutor and U.S. senator from Alabama. But the two men are not identical in their views, said John Malcolm, vice president of the Institute for Constitutional ...

Who was the attorney general under Bush?

William Barr, who served as attorney general under the first President Bush, was sworn in for a second tenure on Thursday. Andrew Harnik / AP file

What was the first step act?

A few weeks later, Congress passed — and Trump signed into law — the First Step Act, a criminal justice reform measure that eased harsh mandatory minimum sentences. At Barr's January confirmation hearing, senators questioned his commitment to upholding that law. Barr said that he still saw those earlier policies as effective, but he also indicated he was open to different approaches.

What did Barr do to help Haitians?

He sent immigration officers to foreign airports to screen people before they boarded planes to America. And he blocked Haitians fleeing a 1991 coup, arranging for them to be detained at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and screened for HIV and AIDS before they could claim asylum at the U.S. border.

Will Barr go after marijuana companies?

While no such prosecutions have happened, they remain a possibility, so Barr's views will be key. In January, he told the Senate Judiciary Committee that he wouldn't go after marijuana companies in states that have legalized it.

Did Barr hold onto his views?

Even as those views grew less popular, Barr held onto them.

Does Barr support mandatory minimum sentences?

Barr has historically supported mandatory minimum sentences and other tough-on-crime policies. But he may soften.

When was Barr nominated for Attorney General?

Barr’s long career in public life led some justice department veterans to welcome his nomination as attorney general in late 2018, given concerns about who else Trump might pick.

Who is William Barr?

William Barr, 69 and a veteran of 40 years in Washington, was confirmed one year ago as attorney general, a position with broad influence over the administration of justice and broad sway over public faith placed in it.

What was the reaction to Barr's interview?

The interview was met with outrage and eye-rolls among critics who saw a wide divergence between what Barr said and everything else he has been doing.

Why did Barr travel to London?

In July, Barr traveled to London to ask intelligence officials there for help with the investigation. He made a similar trip to Italy in September. Recently, Barr announced the creation of an “intake process” for information gathered by Rudy Giuliani about investigations tied to Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton.

What happened to Barr and Stone?

Those developments included Barr’s intervention in a case involving Trump’s friend Roger Stone, prompting the withdrawal of four career prosecutors; the resignation from government of a prominent former US attorney previously sidelined by Barr; and the issuance of a rare public warning by a federal judge about the independence of the courts.

Why is Barr afraid of vice?

The fear is that Barr’s competence has flipped from virtue to vice owing to a quality that he appears to lack or have lost: judgment in the face of an untethered president.

What was Barr's intervention in the Roger Stone case?

Barr’s intervention in the Roger Stone case was described as a ‘break-the-glass’ moment by one former US attorney. Photograph: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Who appointed Barr to the Justice Department?

In 1989, he was appointed by President Bush to head the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel.

Who is William Barr?

The 68-year-old Republican lawyer has an impressive political resume, spanning the CIA, White House and Department of Justice.

How old is Barr?

The 68-year-old Republican lawyer has an impressive political resume, spanning the CIA, White House and Department of Justice. Mr Barr holds degrees in government and Chinese studies from Columbia University. While studying law at George Washington University, he worked at the CIA from 1973-1977.

Who painted Barr's portrait?

Mr Barr's official attorney general portrait by artist William Alan Shirley. After passing his senate confirmation hearing unanimously, he served as the 77th US attorney general from 1991-1993. As the top US law official at that time, he oversaw Robert Mueller, who was then leading the department's criminal division.

Who replaced Jeff Sessions?

When he selected Mr Whitaker to replace Jeff Sessions, who had recused himself from the inquiry, Democrats feared Mr Whitaker would bring an end to the special counsel's work. Democrats say they will definitely press Mr Barr on his views regarding protecting Mr Mueller and his work, during his confirmation hearings.

Who was the lawyer that pushed back on Barr's remarks?

Giuliani and another Trump campaign lawyer, Jenna Ellis, had pushed back on Barr’s remarks after they were made public.

When will Barr leave office?

Attorney General William Barr, the head of the Department of Justice, will leave office before Christmas, President Donald Trump said Monday. The widely anticipated announcement of Barr’s departure came just moments after President-elect Joe Biden ’s victory over Trump was formalized by the Electoral College.

Why did Trump say Barr should be fired?

On Saturday, Trump retweeted a post that said Barr “should be fired by the end of business today” if the attorney general had worked to keep a criminal investigation of Hunter Biden secret during the election, as The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

What is the end of Barr's tenure?

The end of Barr’s tenure is the final step in the deterioration of Trump’s relationship with his attorney general, an alliance that was once considered to be among the strongest Trump had with any member of his Cabinet.

What was the impact of Barr's ouster?

Barr’s ouster deepens an ongoing leadership crisis at the Justice Department. The attorney general had faced intense criticism, including from current and former DOJ officials, that he had politicized the department.

When is Barr's appointment?

William Barr takes a seat after a break in his Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on his nomination to be attorney general of the United States on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., January 15, 2019. Yuri Gripas | Reuters.

Did Barr conceal Hunter Biden's business dealings?

The Wall Street Journal reported that Barr had worked to conceal the probes involving Hunter Biden’s business dealings and finances during the election season, despite pressure from Trump and Republicans seeking information on the Democratic nominee’s son.

What is Barr's original sin?

Barr's resignation letter, in fact, reminds us of his original sin: covering up the Trump campaign’s cooperation (if not collusion) with Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 election, which Barr referred to as “the effort to cripple, if not oust your administration with frenzied and baseless accusations” in his letter.

What did Barr do to boost Trump?

Most notably, he ordered the top federal prosecutor in Pittsburgh to investigate the conspiracy theories about Joe and Hunter Biden brought to the FBI by Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor turned Trump personal attorney. While in marked contrast to the disastrous decision by then-FBI Director James Comey (who was fired by Trump in 2017) to ignore departmental norms and inform Congress about the briefly reopened investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email server in 2016, Barr did not make these investigations public during the campaign. But giving a personal Trump employee special access to the FBI is a highly corrupt act, and “handled FBI investigations of a presidential candidate better than James Comey” is the lowest bar imaginable.

Was Barr a bad attorney general?

Bill Barr was a historically bad attorney general. His resignation shouldn't rehabilitate him. Bill Barr was a historically bad attorney general. His resignation shouldn't rehabilitate him. Trump wanted an attorney general who would act like his personal attorney rather than serve the interests of the American people. In Barr, he got that.

Did Barr make the Clinton emails public?

While in marked contrast to the disastrous decision by then-FBI Director James Comey (who was fired by Trump in 2017) to ignore departmental norms and inform Congress about the briefly reopened investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email server in 2016, Barr did not make these investigations public during the campaign.

Did Brandon Bernard get executed?

And what’s worse, both of the most recent executions are legally shaky. As observed in the dissenting opinions of the indefatigable Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Brandon Bernard was executed despite the fact that the prosecution made patently false claims about his involvement in a gang, and those claims were critical to his capital sentence for a murder that he did not personally commit. In the other case, Alfred Bourgeois was executed although he had a strong claim for being mentally handicapped, which would make his execution illegal both under federal statute and controlling Supreme Court precedent. But Barr was determined to make sure all of these prisoners died on his watch.

Did Barr order executions?

And it’s also worth noting that Barr has ordered and will oversee an unprecedented number of executions on his way out the door — deaths the president has reportedly told confidants that he is “excited” about and hopes to have as many of as possible.

Who is the attorney general who resigned?

Attorney General William Barr announced his resignation on Monday, effective next week, shortly after the Electoral College formally confirmed that Joe Biden would be the next president.

How long did Barr serve as Attorney General?

Barr served as attorney general from 1991 to 1993 during the George H. W. Bush administration. Trump called Barr a "terrific man" and said that he was "my first choice since day one.".

What did Barr do to the President?

Barr has also supported increasing the president's ability to act independently of Congress. In 1989 he wrote a memo detailing ways the executive branch should push back against what he viewed as “interference" with presidential authority by Congress.

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Overview

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.

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…

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.

Bibliography

• — (2022). One Damn Thing After Another: Memoirs of an Attorney General. New York: William Morrow. ISBN 978-0-06-315860-3.

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)