Harris urges DOJ watchdog to probe whether Trump asked Barr to investigate ‘enemies’
Sen. Kamala Harris called on the Justice Department inspector general to look into whether Attorney General William Barr had received or complied with any requests from the White House to investigate President Donald Trump’s “perceived enemies.”
In a letter sent Friday to Inspector General Michael Horowitz, the California Democrat, who is also running for president, wrote she had “grave concern about the independence of the Department of Justice under the leadership of Attorney General William Barr.”
Harris cited her exchange with the attorney general at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing earlier this week, in which Barr did not explicitly answer her question about whether Trump or anyone in he White House asked to or suggested the DOJ investigate someone.
“I’m trying to grapple with the word ‘suggest,’” Barr said at the hearing. “I mean there have been discussions of, of matters out there that uh ... they have not asked me to open an investigation.”
When Harris asked whether the White House had hinted at an investigation, Barr responded: “I don’t know.”
In her letter, Harris described Barr’s response as “alarming” and noted that “such inappropriate requests by the President have been well documented.”
Harris’ letter is the second this week from Senate Democrats asking the Inspector General to investigate Barr. Sen. Mazie Hirono, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter Tuesday to the inspector general, asking that he investigate Barr’s handling of the Mueller report.