A Call For Transparency
What happened, Bill Barr? When did you fall in line with Trump’s brand of mistruth and political reprisal? Sure, you’ve always been in favor of maximizing executive power. But an investigation into your own Justice Department? Really?
For months, Attorney General William Barr has stewarded an administrative review of the Justice Department’s investigation into the FBI’s handling of Russian collusion. Last Thursday, that review became a criminal investigation. At its head are Barr and veteran prosecutor John H. Durham—a duo who, despite their deep roots in American government, have somehow abandoned their values to serve at the whim of the whiner-in-chief.
The desire to protect the chief executive is unsurprising for Barr. After all, he did write a few years ago that “[the President] alone is the executive branch.” Nevertheless, to open a criminal investigation sets a dangerous precedent—that any action to check the power of the President may elicit reprisal by the very body meant to protect the law of the land.
Evidently, Barr’s criminal investigation comes at a convenient time. As House Democrats investigate the President for abuse of power, the Justice Department will attempt to run a counternarrative, one that paints all allegations against the President as part of a “deep state” conspiracy. Congressional Republicans will have a field day as they vilify civil servants who made legitimate attempts to better this democracy by investigating what they believed to be illegitimate activity. All the while, the President’s own illicit actions will receive less airtime.
Yet, the problem runs deeper than public perception. In opening this investigation, Barr will likely create a culture of even more fear within the Justice Department and various intelligence agencies. Those who do crucial work to defend this nation, who take risks to do so, will be constantly wary of potential retaliation from higher powers. Barr’s actions show that the force of the Justice Department, supposedly a neutral body, may be wielded for blatantly political purposes, at the expense of legitimate investigative work.
This investigation also undermines public trust in government institutions. In his interviews, Durham has supposedly asked about anti-Trump bias within the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Central Intelligence Agency. These questions suggest that this country's intelligence officers are unable to separate their personal opinions from their professional lives. The insinuation should insult us all. The civil servants that work tirelessly for this nation deserve better.
A core contention of the investigation, that agents misled an intelligence court judge into providing a wiretap warrant on Trump advisor Carter Page, is also concerning. Much of the information used to gain the wiretap remains confidential. Hence, the investigation’s invocation of this warrant application runs the risk of tarnishing the intelligence community’s reputation over information that is not readily available to the public.
Now, Barr’s work has also given legitimacy to various conspiracy theories, many of which are regularly toted by President Trump himself. These unfounded allegations include rumored cooperation between intelligence agencies and foreign agents to “set up” individuals like Page. In fact, Barr traveled to Italy to ask the Italian government whether they, as President Trump alleges, had a role in the instigation of the Russia investigation. Government officials in Australia and the United Kingdom have also had discussions with Barr. Barr’s reliance on some ridiculous assertions sets the precedent that the Justice Department may launch investigations on spurious claims made for political gain.
Barr’s involvement of foreign governments in these matters may also diminish the United States’ standing internationally. The accusations levied against certain allies may sow animosity. They may also lead allies to question whether the United States will sacrifice long-standing relationships for shifting political necessities. Frankly, these concerns are some of the most worrying of all. The United States does rely on its stature and relationships to maintain its supremacy.
The opening of a criminal investigation into the origins of the Russia probe are just the tip of the iceberg in Barr’s questionable activity of late. After all, he was named in the whistleblower’s report on Trump’s quid pro quo with Ukraine, in exchange for an investigation into Joe and Hunter Biden. Nonetheless, this wasn’t always the case. After his first stint as Attorney General, Barr had this to say about Boyden Gray, who served with him as White House counsel: “He appreciated the independence of Justice. He never called up about a criminal matter or did anything inappropriate.”
What happened, Bill Barr? Why did you become just one of Trump’s many cronies? And, if he fails to deflect his crimes, who will be left to protect you? Will you survive his fall?