“They have to start showing, more than they do, the respect and support that law enforcement deserves. If communities don’t… they might find themselves without the police protection they need.”
—William Barr, on demonstrations against police brutality.
Attorney General of the United States
Feb. 14, 2019 –
Like so many Trump appointees before him, William Barr all but auditioned for his role as Trumps attorney general. Through frequent appearances on Fox News shows (shows he knew Trump was a dedicated viewer of) Barr would shamelessly defend the president from any allegations, from obstruction of justice to Trump’s threat to investigate political rivals.
Not just a professional protector of the powerful though, Barr doubles as a practiced punisher of the poor as well. As attorney general for the George H. W. Bush administration in 1992, Barr authored a report titled The Case for More Incarceration, and as attorney general for the Trump administration, Barr proudly reintroduced the federal death penalty – the only Western country to continue the the practice.
Estimated net worth (2019): $40,000,000
Notables
- In response to Trump illegally suggesting his supporters in North Carolina try to vote twice for him in the 2020 election, Barr feigned ignorance and claimed he didn’t know the legality of such a situation in ‘the particular state’.
Here’s What the Law in That Particular State Says | Law & Crime (9.3.20)
- Under Barr’s command, Justice Department prosecutions of white-collar crimes are at record lows.
Corporate and White-Collar Prosecutions At All-Time Lows | TRAC Reports (3.23.20)
- Trump directly referenced Barr in the DoJ’s intervention to recommend a lighter sentence for Trump’s associate and longtime ally, Roger Stone; four prosecutors resigned from the case in protest with one resigning from the Justice Department entirely.
Trump Praises Barr for Rejecting Punishment Recommended for Stone | New York Times (2.12.20)
- Ordered that any investigations into expanding in Ukraine must seek approval first, in an apparent attempt to shield Rudy Giuliani; also admitted to opening a back-channel ‘intake process’ for Ukrainian information from Giuliani
DOJ, wrestling with how to handle Giuliani, tightens rules for Ukraine-related probes | Washington Post (2.18.20)
- Reinstated the death penalty for federal crimes.
Federal Government to Resume Capital Punishment After Nearly Two Decade Lapse | USDOJ (6.25.19)
- When asked, under oath, if the White House had ever asked him to investigate anyone as Attorney General, Barr waffled and dodged the question for over a minute:
It’s not a difficult question: did the White House ever ask Attorney General Barr to investigate anyone?
It seems like something he should be able to answer. pic.twitter.com/UlwZx2VJqV
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) May 1, 2019
Barr Refuses to Testify After Lying About Mueller: A Closer Look | Late Night with Seth Meyers (5.2.19)
Image credit: Shane T. McCoy (U.S. Marshals)