Reporter calls out AG Bill Barr to his face: 'You are acting more as an attorney for the president'
Attorney General William Barr on Thursday revealed that special counsel Robert Mueller did not ask him to exonerate President Donald Trump on obstruction of justice accusations.
While putting his spin on the Russia report at a press conference, Barr was asked if Mueller had directed him to write a letter to Congress explicitly exonerating the president on allegations that he tried to obstruct the investigation.
"Did the special counsel indicate that he wanted you to make the decision or that it should be left for Congress?" a reporter asked Barr. "And also how do you respond to criticism you are receiving from congressional Democrats who think you are acting more as an attorney for the president rather than as the chief law enforcement officer?"
"Special counsel Mueller did not indicate that his purpose was to leave the decision to Congress," Barr admitted. "I hope that was not his view since we don't convene grand juries and conduct criminal investigations for that purpose."
"I didn't talk to him directly about the fact that we were making the decision but I am told that his reaction to that was that it was my prerogative as attorney general to make that decision," he added.
Barr, however, did not respond to the assertion that he was behaving has Trump's personal attorney.