Clever for Barr’s confirmation team to try to bury this right before the holidays, but it raises major questions about whether he should be allowed to oversee the Mueller probe. wsj.com/articles/trump…
It is true, as “people familiar with the matter” say, that former officials sometimes provide unsolicited thoughts to DOJ. But 20-page memos that are also sent to counsel for the subject of an investigation? That is not common, and it doesn’t happen by accident.
Barr’s views on executive power have long been at the extreme end of the spectrum. But for him to have argued the merits of this specific case - on Trump’s behalf, to Rosenstein, with Trump’s counsel (and presumably Trump) knowing he did it - means he needs to pledge to recuse.
