House Dems Demand an Investigation Into Barr Over Election Influence

Top House Democrats are calling on Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz to determine whether Attorney General William Barr and other political appointees are following policies to avoid interfering with the upcoming November election.

In a letter penned by Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), House Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), and House Administration Committee Chair Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), they expressed concern over Barr’s involvement with ongoing investigations.

“We are concerned by indications that Attorney General Barr might depart from longstanding DOJ principles to take public action related to U.S. Attorney Durham’s investigation that could impact the presidential election,” they wrote.

They noted Barr and Durham had made comments on his probe into the origins of the FBI’s Russia investigation that could violate the department’s policies and guidelines.

“Attorney General Barr has signaled repeatedly that he is likely to allow DOJ to take prosecutorial actions, make public disclosures, and even issue reports before the presidential election in November,” they wrote.

The Democrats claimed the actions “appear intended to benefit President Trump politically.”