United States Attorney General | |
---|---|
Incumbent Merrick Garland since March 11, 2021 | |
United States Department of Justice | |
Style | Mr. Attorney General (informal) The Honorable (formal) |
Member of | Cabinet National Security Council |
William Barr, in full William Pelham Barr, (born May 23, 1950, New York City), American lawyer and government official who served as attorney general of the United States during the administrations of Presidents George H.W. Bush (1991–93) and Donald Trump (2019–20). Barr was the second person in U.S.
Barr vowed that, if confirmed, he would recuse himself from matters related to the merger. On February 14, 2019, Barr was confirmed by the Senate in a vote that fell largely along party lines. He was sworn in hours later, becoming the second person in U.S. history to serve twice as attorney general.
In 1989 Barr left private practice to join the U.S. Justice Department. He was first appointed assistant attorney general, rose to deputy attorney general, and then became attorney general.
In June 2018 Barr, a private citizen with no formal ties to the U.S. government, sent an unsolicited 19-page memo to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. In it Barr disparaged Robert Mueller ’s investigation into possible Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
In June 2018 Barr, a private citizen with no formal ties to the U.S. government, sent an unsolicited 19-page memo to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. In it Barr disparaged Robert Mueller ’s investigation into possible Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. He was particularly focused on the possibility of Mueller pursuing an obstruction of justice case against Pres. Donald Trump over Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey. Barr argued that the firing of Comey was a “facially-lawful” exercise of “ Executive discretion” and that obstruction would not apply unless Trump had already been found guilty of an underlying crime. Such arguments were advanced by many Trump supporters as well as by advocates of increased presidential authority.
While Barr presented Mueller’s conclusions as nothing less than a total exoneration of Trump, the report itself declared, “if we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the President clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state.
Barr responded by refusing to appear before the House Judiciary Committee. In addition, the Justice Department refused to comply with a subpoena for the unredacted Mueller report, an official stating that the Judiciary Committee’s request did not constitute “legitimate oversight.”.
Who is Attorney General William Barr? The attorney general has long held a broad view of the powers of the presidency — and a dim view of special counsel investigations. William Barr testifies at his attorney general confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Jan. 15, 2019. Kevin Lamarque / Reuters file.
Since Barr was confirmed as attorney general on Valentine's Day, he has issued a bare-bones summary of the Mueller report's findings, and has determined that Trump should not be prosecuted on obstruction of justice charges . He also appears to have embraced Trump's theories about the Russia investigation, telling a Senate subcommittee last week ...
Barr married Christine, a librarian, in 1973, and they live outside of Washington in McLean, Virginia. Christine Barr is good friends with Mueller's wife, Ann, and they go to Bible study together, friends said. The Muellers attended the weddings of two of the Barrs' daughters.
Mary Daly, one of the Barrs' three adult daughters , had already been working for the administration — she was running the Justice Department's efforts against opioid addiction. She moved to a job at the Department of the Treasury after her father was nominated to be her boss, CNN reported.
Barr on December 7, 2018, and he was confirmed as the 85th Attorney General of the United States by the U.S. Senate on February 14, 2019.
President Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Mr. Barr on December 7, 2018, and he was confirmed as the 85th Attorney General of the United States by the U.S. Senate on February 14, 2019. U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath of office. Mr.
U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath of office. Mr. Barr joins John Crittenden (1841 and 1850-1853) as one of only two people in U.S. history to serve twice as Attorney General. William Alan Shirley was born in northern California in 1950.
William Barr served as attorney general during the late President George H.W. Bush's administration. (AP Photo)
In a 2017 interview with The Washington Post, Barr had a critique for Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is spearheading the Russia investigation.
During the confirmation hearings when he was first appointed attorney general, Barr said he did not agree with the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision and viewed abortion as an issue best left to the states, the Los Angeles Times reported at the time.
From Verizon Communications to GTE Corporation, Barr spent more than 14 years working in senior corporate positions following his career at the Justice Department, according to his biography.
William Barr worked for the CIA while going to law school at night. (Kirkland & Ellis)
Barr is known for maintaining humor through difficult situations, though. At a reception in the attorney general’s conference room after his swearing-in ceremony in 1991, Barr surprised guests with a turn on the bagpipe – a longtime talent of his.
Barr was appointed to his first role at the Justice Department after helping the 1988 Bush campaign in its vice presidential selection process. As the head of the Office of Legal Counsel, he worked closely with the White House and produced a 10-page memo outlining a broad vision of the executive branch’s power to rebuff Congress’ oversight attempts.
Barr took on lucrative private sector roles after Bush’s 1992 election defeat, serving as the top lawyer of GTE Corporation until the company merged with Bell Atlantic to become Verizon. He was the general counsel and executive vice president of the company until his retirement in 2008.
During the 1980s Barr bounced between government service and a prestigious Washington law firm that would later represent one of the key defendants in the BCCI affair. Barr assured Congress in 1991 that he was long gone from Shaw, Pittman, Potts & Trowbridge by the time it took on its dubious BCCI client. Still, the appearance of compromised interests would dog Barr at Justice, particularly as its own investigation of BCCI stalled.
Barr has long been a critic of the independent counsel law and has argued that Justice officials are professional enough to investigate themselves and their own masters. But a report on the Inslaw affair, released in September by Representative Jack Brooks’s Judiciary Committee, obliterates that claim.
Barr Was Attorney General Under President George H.W. Bush. From William Barr's 1991 Senate confirmation hearing: "Nothing could be more destructive of our system of government, of the rule of law, or Department of Justice as an institution, than any toleration of political interference with the enforcement of the law.".
From William Barr's 1991 Senate confirmation hearing: "Nothing could be more destructive of our system of government, of the rule of law, or Department of Justice as an institution , than any toleration of political interference with the enforcement of the law." pic.twitter.com/9AQDtvMExQ
Barr’s Daughter, Mary Daly, Works at the Justice Department Specializing in the Opioid Crisis. Trump to nominate William Barr as his next AG President Donald Trump says he will nominate William Barr to serve as his next Attorney General.
William Barr has been nominated by Donald Trump to replace Jeff Sessions as the next Attorney General. Barr has direct experience for the role: he was the Attorney General for George H.W. Bush from 1991-93. If Barr gets voted through by the Senate, he will indirectly oversee the work of his daughter, Mary, who works for the Department of Justice.
US Attorney General William Barr is being replaced by Donald Trump after the pair clashed among public tensions. Barr, who authorised the Department of Justice to look into alleged "voting irregularities", is being replaced by Jeff Rosen on December 23. But who is Mr Barr's wife Christine?
Meg's husband Tyler McGaughey left the U.S. Attorney's office in Virginia to join the White House Counsel's office in 2019. Attorney General William Barr and wife Christine attend Trump’s second White House State Dinner. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)