To the Editor,
Robert Mueller will testify before Congress on July 17th. American’s have demanded to hear directly from
the Special Counsel so they can understand what his team examined, uncovered, and determined about
Russia’s attack on our democracy. NPR reported, “The investigation identified numerous links between
individuals with ties to the Russian government and individuals associated with the Trump Campaign. The
GRU Russian officers targeted individuals and entities involved in the Trump administration for the
elections.”
The position of Attorney General was created by the Judiciary Act of 1789. The principal duties of the
Attorney General are to: Represent the United States in legal matters and to supervise and direct the
administration and operation of the offices, boards, divisions, and bureaus that comprise the Department.
As head of the Department of Justice and chief legal counsel to the president, the duties of the attorney
general are obviously important and wide reaching. The attorney general prosecutes cases that involve the
government and gives advice to the president and heads of the executive departments when needed. The
AG is not the president’s personal attorney, it’s the countries. That means that the attorney general does
not defend the president but, instead, represents the country in legal matters.
William Barr sent Trump a 20-page memo June 2018, critiquing special counsel Robert Mueller’s
investigation into Russian election interference, and raised other serious concerns. Barr went on to say,
Mueller should not be permitted to demand answers from the president about possible obstruction of
justice.
Trump said, “I have no recollection of being told during the campaign that any foreign government or
foreign leader had provided, wished to provide, or offered to provide tangible support to my campaign.”
There is evidence that at least one purpose of the President’s conduct toward Jeff Sessions was to have
Sessions assume control over the Russia investigation and supervise it in a way that could restrict its
scope. A reasonable inference from those statements and the President’s action is that an unrecused
Attorney General would play a protective role and could shield the President from the ongoing Russia
investigation.
William Barr, a Washington fixer whom conservative columnist William Safire referred to as the “CoverupGeneral” when Barr previously served as the nation’s top lawman. “Barr issued deliberate
mischaracterization of a report from special counsel Robert Mueller that examined concerns about proTrump interference with the 2016 election and pointed to evidence of wrongdoing by the president’s aides
and allies and obstruction of justice by the president himself.” Reported John Nichols, The Nation
Some Republican lawmakers made obscure comments during Mueller’s investigation, “looking into”
potentially “improper surveillance” of the Trump campaign, there is no indication so far that Barr plans to
open such an investigation. But it seems that Republicans will grow only more vocal in their demands for it,
at least in part, because they think it will help the president politically. Trump himself tweeted that it was
“finally time to turn the tables and bring justice to some very sick and dangerous people who have
committed very serious crimes, perhaps even Spying or Treason.” There were, according to the Moscow
Project, “101 contacts between Trump’s team and Russia linked operatives,” and “the Trump team tried to
cover up every single one of them.”
“Trump’s lack of knowledge and expertise makes him sort of a blank canvas. It’s just a lot easier for them
to influence him than with previous Presidents. He’s kind of an easy target for foreign influence operations,”
Ben Freeman, the director of the Center for International Policy’s Foreign Influence Transparency Initiative,
tells The Progressive. The time for denials by Republicans and cover-ups is over. The legislators can no
longer rely on unsubstantiated ‘national security’ grounds and claims of state secrecy to hide the truth.
Collusion with a Foreign Government is a crime. American intelligence chiefs warned the Senate
Intelligence Committee that Russia appears to be preparing to repeat. Our national security agency’s listen
to ALL calls that come in from questionable countries, they are recorded messages. If a legislator or his/her
staff impedes or hides physical evidence they are liable for conspiracy to obstruct justice by a cover-up
which is a foundation for criminal liability.
Norman Halls
