Barr invokes John Lewis, noting it is "especially important to remember today that he pursued his cause passionately and successfully with an unwavering commitment to nonviolence."
Barr opposes voting rights efforts. Maybe he should not cite Lewis to attack current protests.
Barr opposes voting rights efforts. Maybe he should not cite Lewis to attack current protests.
Barr: "Every year approximately 7,500 black Americans are victims of homicide, and the vast majority of them –
around 90 percent – are killed by other blacks, mainly by gunfire. Each of those lives matter."
around 90 percent – are killed by other blacks, mainly by gunfire. Each of those lives matter."
In reading his opening statement, Barr skipped his dishonest reference to the "bogus 'Russiagate' scandal." I think I swayed him.
Nadler to Barr: "The president wants footage for his campaign ads, and you appear to be serving it up to him as ordered."
Nadler asked Barr if he ever talked to Trump about dispatching federal agents to US cities in the context of Trump's election campaign. Barr would not answer.
Barr to Nadler: "We are on the defense. We are not out looking for trouble." Hard to square that claim with reports of US Marshals arresting people eight or nine blocks away from the federal courthouse in Portland.
Barr on the Roger Stone case: "Stone was prosecuted under me. I said all along I thought that was a righteous prosecution. I thought he should go to jail."
Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) tried to help Barr argue that feds dispatched Portland and elsewhere are just protecting courthouses. Fyi, the Cook Political Report just moved Chabot's race against public health advocate Kate Schroder to "toss-up." cincinnati.com/story/news/pol…
Gohmert to Barr: "Have you ever seen so many people hurt, injured and killed at peaceful protests in your life?" Armed Gohmert supporters reportedly assaulted the campaign manager of Gohmert's opponent on Sunday. Gohmert has not denounced that attack. lawandcrime.com/2020-election/…
Barr says he learned "some time in the afternoon" of June 1 that Trump "might come out of the White House" later that day. This admission undermines Barr's claim that Park Police's clearing of Lafayette Sq. was unrelated to Trump's photo op outside St. John's Church.
Full Barr quote on when he found out about Trump's photo op plan, responding to Rep. Steve Cohen's question: "I learned some time in the afternoon that the president might come out of the White House. And then later in the afternoon I heard that he might go over to the church."
Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) says that Barr's opening statement sounds "like it was written by Alex Jones or Roger Stone. Do you stand by that statement?"
Barr: Yes.
Barr: Yes.
Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) called antifa "the Left's fascist militia." I suspect Buck knows that antifa is short for anti-fascist, and is just saying that to be troll people who say quasi military feds arresting protesters is fascist. But I'm not sure. Maybe he doesn't know.
Rep. Ted Deutch said that Roger Stone "threatened to kill a witness." Barr responded by saying the "the witness didn't think" it was real threat. The witness, @Credico2016, has said he felt threatened by Stone and that Barr twisted his words. motherjones.com/politics/2020/…
Many people's favorite dark horse VP candidate Karen Bass is briskly asking Barr about police tactics, specifically the use of ketamine to subdue suspects. Barr said he is not familiar with that issue.
Barr admits Antifa is not "nationally organized." That was under questioning by Matt Gaetz, who was trying to get Barr to call it a terrorist group. Barr called Antifa "loosely organized - probably an overstatement but still a notable failure to embrace far right claims.
Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) to Barr: "Actions speak louder than words, and you should really keep the name of the Honorable John Lewis' out of your, the Department of Justice's mouth."
Barr, going full Trumper, claims the disastrous shortage in coronavirus testing in 2020, under a president who has claimed he ordered a slowdown on testing, along with a PPP shortage, was Obama's fault.
Eric Swalwell got Barr to admit that he has not intervened in any other criminal case as he did with the Stone case.
Barr says he is not familiar with Trump's tweets praising Roger Stone for refusing to cooperate with law enforcement, but then dismisses the idea he investigate Trump for obstructing justice by commuting Stone's sentence as lacking predicate. How's he know?
Trump, in tweets and interviews, singled out Stone for praise for refusing to cooperate with investigators. Stone suggested in an interview that he'd refused to share damaging information on Trump with prosecutors. Then Trump commuted his sentence. motherjones.com/politics/2020/…
After Lesko mispronounced @RepJayapal's name, Barr used Lesko's question to make a wildly partisan statement, decrying the alleged failure by Democratic Party leaders to condemn "mob violence and the attack on federal courts...Can we hear something like that."
Democrats pretty much uniformly against attacks on federal courts and violence. But they are focusing on the federal action that pretends to respond such violence but seems to be causing more of it. Barr is trying to suggest otherwise.
Cicilline is too tan.
Barr on state stay at home orders for COVID: "Someone has to keep an eye on that and make sure there was no overreach." Isn't that someone the elected legislators in those states? Or voters? Why is that Justice Department's job?
@RepJayapal cited the testimony of Adam DeMarco, who said the Park Police used excessive force protesters in Lafayette Sq. Barr: "I don’t remember DeMarco as being involved in any of the decision making." motherjones.com/politics/2020/…
Barr: "I don't remember Captain DeMarco, who was the same Democratic candidate who ran as a Democrat for Congress in Maryland, even being close to decision making." Interesting that Barr, who claims not to have heard about many things, has a talking point queued up on DeMarco.
Demings: Do you stand by your claim that Trump has not pressured you on any criminal case? Barr: "Yes. No." (He did then clarify.)
