Legal experts warn Bill Barr is doing ‘the most dangerous things a prosecutor can do’

Washington Post columnist and Never Trump conservative Jennifer Rubin has been a frequent critic of Attorney General William Barr, often describing him as someone who is more interested in serving the interests of President Donald Trump than promoting the rule of law. And Rubin, in a Thursday column, outlines how critical some legal experts are of the way Barr has handled his recent probe of the investigation of the 2016 Trump campaign’s interaction with Russians.

Barr picked U.S. Attorney John Durham to head his probe. And Rubin notes, “The Post’s reporting indicates that Barr is preparing to disagree with (Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz’) findings, which purportedly include a finding that senior intelligence agency figures were not biased against Trump. He might not be pleased that Durham and Horowitz are about to blow up several key right-wing conspiracy theories, but it would be stunning for Barr to appoint an investigator and then reject his work when it disproves his boss’ delusional accusations.”

Rubin goes on to note what some legal experts have to say on the matter. One of them is former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti, who told her, “After spending our tax dollars on an investigation that looked like it was politically motivated, Barr will remove all doubt that its purpose was to push a political agenda if he ignores its findings and pushes his agenda anyway.”

The Washington Post columnist notes that according to a tweet by Susan Hennessey —executive editor of Benjamin Wittes’ Lawfare blog — “It is difficult to overstate what an incredibly corrosive and bad actor Barr has turned out to be. He will leave the Department of Justice damaged and warped in ways that will take years and years to repair.”

Rubin also quotes former federal prosecutor Mimi Rocah — who is often featured as a legal expert/analyst on MSNBC — as saying, “Barr is doing one of the most dangerous things a prosecutor can do: he has a political narrative and is trying to investigate to get facts to fit that narrative. Prosecutors should investigate and follow facts and be open to conclusions being different than what they thought or want. It’s a total failure of his oath of office.”