who is bill barr attorney general

What political party does William Barr belong to?

William BarrSucceeded byJ. Michael LuttigPersonal detailsBornWilliam Pelham Barr May 23, 1950 New York City, U.S.Political partyRepublican30 more rows

What does William Barr Do?

LawyerWilliam Barr / ProfessionA lawyer or attorney is a person who practices law, as an advocate, attorney at law, barrister, barrister-at-law, bar-at-law, canonist, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solicitor, ... Wikipedia

Who is the attorney general under Trump?

Jeff SessionsPresidentDonald TrumpDeputyDana Boente (acting) Rod RosensteinPreceded byLoretta LynchSucceeded byWilliam Barr33 more rows

Who was the acting attorney general after Barr?

Matthew WhitakerPreceded byJeff SessionsSucceeded byWilliam BarrChief of Staff to the United States Attorney GeneralIn office September 22, 2017 – November 7, 201822 more rows

Is Bill Barr married?

Christine BarrWilliam Barr / Spouse (m. 1973)

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.

How powerful is the Attorney General?

The Attorney General of the United States – appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate – heads the DOJ with its more than 100,000 attorneys, special agents, and other staff. It represents the United States in federal criminal and civil litigation, and provides legal advice to the President and Cabinet.

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.

Who is the current US Attorney General?

Merrick GarlandUnited States / Attorney generalMerrick Brian Garland is an American lawyer and jurist serving as the 86th United States attorney general beginning in March 2021. He served as a circuit judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1997 to 2021. Wikipedia

Who appoints the Attorney General?

the PresidentAttorney General is appointed by the President on the advice of the government. There are the following qualifications: He should be an Indian Citizen. He must have either completed 5 years in High Court of any Indian state as a judge or 10 years in High Court as an advocate.

Who was the last Attorney General?

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

Who is the head of the Department of Justice 2022?

The current attorney general is Merrick Garland, who was sworn in on March 11, 2021....United States Department of Justice.Agency overviewTypeExecutive departmentJurisdictionU.S. federal government10 more rows

When was Barr confirmed as Attorney General?

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. Barely a month into his term, Barr would be thrust into the spotlight when, on March 22, Mueller concluded his nearly two-year-long investigation and submitted his confidential report to the attorney general. Two days later Barr released a four-page summary, which stated that the “investigation did not find that the Trump campaign or anyone associated with it conspired or coordinated with Russia” and also stated that “the evidence developed during the Special Counsel’s investigation is not sufficient to establish that the President committed an obstruction-of-justice offense.”

Who is William Barr?

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.

What did Barr argue about the firing of 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.

What did Barr say about Mueller?

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.

Why did Barr resign?

A visible rift between Barr and Trump began to appear in the wake of the November 2020 presidential election. Trump claimed, without providing evidence, that Joe Biden ’s victory was invalid due to widespread fraud. Barr, in an unusual break with the president, publicly stated that the Justice Department had found no evidence to support those allegations. On December 14 Barr announced that he would resign as attorney general, effective December 23.

Why did Barr refuse 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.” In July 2019 the House voted to hold Barr in criminal contempt for refusing to provide documents related to the Trump administration’s unsuccessful efforts to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. As Barr was head of the Justice Department, the legal body that would be tasked with prosecuting such an offense, the move was almost entirely symbolic.

How did Barr help Trump?

Throughout his term as attorney general Barr would use his position to insulate the White House and Trump’s allies from congressional oversight and federal prosecution. Most notably, the Justice Department directly intervened in the cases of former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn and Trump adviser Roger Stone. Flynn, who had twice pleaded guilty to lying to FBI investigators, saw the charges against him dismissed, only to have that dismissal reversed by a U.S. appellate court. In the Stone case, the Justice Department’s own sentencing recommendation was countermanded by a Barr-appointed official after Trump tweeted that he felt that it was too harsh. In both cases, the federal attorneys overseeing the prosecutions resigned in protest. Trump eventually pardoned Flynn and commuted Stone’s sentence.

When was Barr appointed Attorney General?

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.

Who administered the oath of office?

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.

What did Barr do at the Justice Department?

At the Justice Department, Barr’s work ranged from combatting violent crime to investigating the Pan Am 103 bombing. He also coordinated counter-terror activities during the first Gulf War and spearheaded the response to the S&L crisis, according to his biography.

What did Barr say at his confirmation hearing?

But Barr told senators at his confirmation hearing that "it is vitally important" for Mueller's investigation to be completed, according to a transcript of his prepared remarks.

Did William Barr work for the CIA?

William Barr worked for the CIA while going to law school at night. (Kirkland & Ellis)

Who said Barr should be complimented?

His answer reportedly surprised then-Sen. Joe Biden, who said Barr should be “complimented” for his “candid answer,” even though the eventual U.S. vice president did not agree.

Did Barr agree with Roe v Wade?

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.

What did Barr say at his confirmation hearing?

At his confirmation hearing, Barr said "I understand that things have changed since 1992," but also said he believes law enforcement must "keep up the pressure on chronic, violent criminals.

Is Barr still with Mueller?

Bush from 1991 to 1993, during which time he was Mueller's boss, when Mueller was in charge of the Criminal Division at DOJ. Barr and Mueller are said to be friends, and Mueller attended the weddings of Barr's children.

Will Barr release Mueller's report?

Regarding releasing Mueller's report, Barr said during his confirmation hearing that his goal "will be to provide as much transparency as I can consistent with the law," but he stopped short of promising to release it in full.

What law firm does Barr work for?

In 2017, Barr signed on to work with the law firm Kirkland & Ellis, which has an unusual connection to the Trump administration. The firm pays an estimated $8.4 million in annual rent to lease part of a San Francisco skyscraper in which President Trump owns a 30% stake.

When did Barr retire?

The biggest benefit, however, came upon retirement. Barr stepped down from the company at the end of 2008, receiving a $17.1 million distribution from Verizon’s income deferral plan, according to an SEC filing. On top of that, company documents also detail an additional $10.4 million separation payment for Barr.

How much did Barr disclose about the merger?

That deal was lucrative for Barr—he disclosed $1.7 million of income related to it on his financial disclosure report. But the merger was troubling to Trump, whose Justice Department tried to block it. During his confirmation hearing, Barr promised to recuse himself from the case as attorney general.

How much did Barr make in his career?

W. Bush and Donald J. Trump. But he made his fortune out of office, collecting more than $50 million in compensation as an executive and director for some of America’s largest companies.

How much did Barr get paid after leaving Verizon?

From 2009 to 2018, Dominion paid Barr $1.2 million in cash and granted him another $1.1 million in stock awards, according to SEC filings.

What did Barr do during his tenure as Attorney General?

During his first tenure as attorney general, he championed a concordance of failed criminal justice policies: mass incarceration, aggressive use of pretrial detention, mandatory minimum sentences, prison labor, asset forfeiture, charging juvenile defendants as adults, and expanding prosecutorial authority to use wiretaps. An entire body of scholarship has been devoted to documenting the racist impulses and moral vacancy of these measures—not to mention how they contribute to, rather than combat, cycles of crime.

How long was Barr in office?

When William Barr appears before the House Judiciary Committee later this month—only his second appearance before Congress during his 16-month ten ure as attorney general—he’ll have to answer to that vision. Barr’s critics have fixated on the argument that his corruption disqualifies him from office.

How does Barr approach truth?

This dysphoria is Barr's hallmark. Truth is not established by facts; it is determined by power. Barr adopts his position on the truth—which never wavers from that of the president—then brings to bear the authority of his office to achieve it. When you’re powerful, obstacles can be navigated or simply blown through. If you don’t like the conclusions of an independent counsel, front-run the report. Then delay its release. If a line prosecutor won’t cut one of the president’s friends a break, bring in an attorney from Main Justice who will. And if the president faces a huge political risk in pardoning a former advisor who admitted breaking the law, spare him the hassle and drop the case. Then launder the transaction with a perfunctory order signed by an appellate judge appointed by that same president.

What did Barr say during his confirmation hearing?

During his confirmation hearing, Barr paused and stammered after Senator Kamala Harris asked, “has the President or anyone at the White House ever asked or suggested that you open an investigation of anyone, yes or no?”

How many times did Barr meet with the prosecutor?

In Barr’s first six months on the job he personally met or spoke with United States Attorney John Durham, the prosecutor charged with investigating the official conduct surrounding the investigation into the Trump campaign, seven times.

Why did the FBI fire William Sessions?

His parting shot during his first stint as attorney general was to publicly reprimand FBI Director William Sessions for perceived ethical lapses , a career-ending hit job at a moment when the director was working to diversify the nation’s premier law enforcement agency.

What is Barr's political sideshow?

Barr’s political sideshows serve another purpose. They run interference for what is actually happening at the Department of Justice. A record decline in white-collar prosecutions. Environmental crimes and hate crimes go without prosecution. Immigration cases dominate the federal docket, but those detained are rarely serious criminals. And criminal prosecutions—the core function of the Department’s primary division—have dropped by more than a third .