WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General William Barr will not recuse himself from overseeing the special counsel's Russia probe after consulting with senior ethics officials, the Justice Department said Monday.

The officials advised Barr against recusal from Robert Mueller's investigation into possible coordination between Russia and Donald Trump's presidential campaign, Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said.

"Consistent with that advice, General Barr has decided not to recuse," Kupec said in a statement.

During his confirmation hearing in January, Barr sought to assuage concerns that he might disrupt or upend Mueller's investigation as it reaches its final stages.

Some Democrats had raised those concerns, citing a memo Barr had sent to Justice Department and White House lawyers in which he criticized Mueller's investigation for the way it was presumably looking into whether Trump had obstructed justice.

Barr downplayed the memo during his confirmation hearing, saying it was narrowly focused and shouldn't be read that he has prejudged the investigation. Barr vowed during the hearing to consult with ethics officials about whether he should recuse himself, but told senators the decision would ultimately be his to make under Justice Department guidelines.

Barr also stated without hesitation that it was in the public interest for Mueller to finish his investigation and that he wanted to release as much information as he can about Mueller's investigation to Congress and the public.

Under Justice Department guidelines, Mueller will provide a confidential report to Barr that explains his decisions to pursue or decline prosecutions. Barr will then prepare his own report that would be released to Congress. He has said he intends to share some information with the public, though it's unclear whether Mueller's actual report will ever be made public.

Former FBI Director James Comey, whose firing is among the things being investigated by the special counsel's office, said in an op-ed in The Washington Post on Monday that "providing detailed information about a completed investigation of intense public interest has long been a part of Justice Department practice."

"Every American should want a Justice Department guided first and always by the public interest," Comey wrote. "Sometimes transparency is not a hard call."

The president had assailed and ultimately pushed out his first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, for recusing himself from Mueller's investigation because of Sessions' work with the Trump campaign.

The president named Matthew Whitaker, who was Sessions' chief of staff, as acting attorney general in November. But Whitaker came under fire after he declined to recuse himself from the Mueller investigation even though a top Justice Department ethics official advised him to step aside out of an "abundance of caution."

Before joining the Justice Department, Whitaker had made critical comments about Mueller's investigation, including once opining about a scenario in which Trump could fire Sessions and then appoint an acting attorney general who could stifle the funding of Mueller's probe.</s>WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General William Barr will not recuse himself from overseeing the special counsel's Russia probe after consulting with senior ethics officials, the Justice Department said Monday.

The officials advised Barr against recusal from Robert Mueller's investigation into possible coordination between Russia and Donald Trump's presidential campaign, Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said.

"Consistent with that advice, General Barr has decided not to recuse," Kupec said in a statement.

During his confirmation hearing in January, Barr sought to assuage concerns that he might disrupt or upend Mueller's investigation as it reaches its final stages.

Some Democrats had raised those concerns, citing a memo Barr had sent to Justice Department and White House lawyers in which he criticized Mueller's investigation for the way it was presumably looking into whether Trump had obstructed justice.

Barr downplayed the memo during his confirmation hearing, saying it was narrowly focused and shouldn't be read that he has prejudged the investigation. Barr vowed during the hearing to consult with ethics officials about whether he should recuse himself, but told senators the decision would ultimately be his to make under Justice Department guidelines.

Barr also stated without hesitation that it was in the public interest for Mueller to finish his investigation and that he wanted to release as much information as he can about Mueller's investigation to Congress and the public.

Under Justice Department guidelines, Mueller will provide a confidential report to Barr that explains his decisions to pursue or decline prosecutions. Barr will then prepare his own report that would be released to Congress. He has said he intends to share some information with the public, though it's unclear whether Mueller's actual report will ever be made public.

Former FBI Director James Comey, whose firing is among the things being investigated by the special counsel's office, said in an op-ed in The Washington Post on Monday that "providing detailed information about a completed investigation of intense public interest has long been a part of Justice Department practice."

"Every American should want a Justice Department guided first and always by the public interest," Comey wrote. "Sometimes transparency is not a hard call."

The president had assailed and ultimately pushed out his first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, for recusing himself from Mueller's investigation because of Sessions' work with the Trump campaign.

The president named Matthew Whitaker, who was Sessions' chief of staff, as acting attorney general in November. But Whitaker came under fire after he declined to recuse himself from the Mueller investigation even though a top Justice Department ethics official advised him to step aside out of an "abundance of caution."

Before joining the Justice Department, Whitaker had made critical comments about Mueller's investigation, including once opining about a scenario in which Trump could fire Sessions and then appoint an acting attorney general who could stifle the funding of Mueller's probe.</s>WASHINGTON: US Attorney General William Barr will not recuse himself from overseeing Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible links between US President Donald Trump's campaign and Moscow, Bloomberg reported on Monday (Mar 4), citing a Justice Department spokeswoman.

Before his nomination for the attorney general post, Barr wrote a 19-page memo in which he argued that part of Mueller's investigation into whether Trump had obstructed justice was "fatally flawed". He shared the memo with Trump's legal team and the Justice Department.

Later, in Senate confirmation hearings, Barr said he would allow Mueller to finish his inquiry and would make as many of its findings public as he can.

Mueller is widely expected to finish his investigation in the coming weeks.

Former attorney general Jeff Sessions, who Barr had been brought on to replace, had recused himself from overseeing the probe after he failed to disclose at his own confirmation hearing meetings he had held with the Russian ambassador.

Trump constantly publicly ridiculed and berated Sessions over his recusal.</s>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Newly installed U.S. Attorney General William Barr must walk a political and legal tightrope in deciding how much of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Russia’s role in the 2016 election to disclose, balancing competing demands from President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats, legal experts said.

The decision presents Barr, a veteran Washington insider, with his first major test since becoming the top U.S. law enforcement official last month, a position fraught with peril. Trump fired Barr’s predecessor Jeff Sessions in November after complaining for months over the decision by Sessions to recuse himself from overseeing the Russia investigation.

“I think Barr is in a terrible position from the standpoint of having two masters to please, each of which has a very different desire,” said Michael Zeldin, a former federal prosecutor. “He has a political nightmare on his hands.”

Mueller, who has headed the investigation since May 2017, is due to submit to Barr his confidential report on whether Trump’s campaign conspired with Russia and whether the Republican president has unlawfully sought to obstruct the probe.

Democrats, who have expressed concern Barr will try to shield Trump and bury parts of the report, already have threatened to subpoena it and go to court if necessary to force its release. Trump may pressure Barr to conceal damaging parts of Mueller’s report and release any findings that may exonerate him.

The Democrats took control of the House of Representatives in January and now wield subpoena power, with multiple committees investigating Trump’s actions. Republicans control the Senate. Mueller’s findings could be instrumental in any move in Congress to try to impeach Trump and remove him from office.

If the report includes “evidence of misconduct by the sitting president of the United States,” then “I think you have to believe the public interest is so extreme that there will be a mechanism for release, and I think Barr’s easy way out is to say, ‘It’s up to Congress,’” said Matthew Jacobs, a former federal prosecutor now with the law firm Vinson & Elkins.

Barr, 68, served as attorney general once before, from 1991 to 1993 under Republican President George H.W. Bush. He has embraced an expansive view of presidential powers. Last year, while Sessions was still attorney general, Barr sent an unsolicited memo to the Justice Department disputing Mueller’s authority to investigate Trump for obstruction of justice.

From a legal standpoint, Barr has a road map in the form of the Justice Department’s regulations on the appointment of special counsels. Those rules require him to notify the top Democrats and Republicans on the House and Senate judiciary committees after Mueller completes his probe.

The rules do not require release of the entire report, but they do not explicitly prevent Barr from giving it to Congress. The rules also give Barr latitude to disclose parts of the report if it is in the public interest.

In deciding what to release, Barr may face thorny legal issues involving secrecy of grand jury testimony, protecting classified information, communications with the White House possibly subject to the principle of executive privilege shielding certain information from disclosure, and safeguarding confidential reasons for why some individuals were not charged.

Several Trump campaign figures already have pleaded guilty or been convicted in Mueller’s investigation, while others have not been charged. If the report provides evidence that Trump committed obstruction of justice or other crimes, Barr must decide how much should be revealed.

The Justice Department has a decades-old policy that a sitting president cannot face criminal charges, though some lawyers take issue with that conclusion. As a matter of policy, the Justice Department also does not give a public explanation for why any individual has not been charged.

“I don’t know that the department has ever encountered this situation where the reason a person isn’t being charged with a crime is that the person is immune by virtue of his office and is subject to impeachment as a result,” said Robert Litt, a former general counsel for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence who is now with the firm Morrison & Foerster.

“The more damaging the report is to the president, the greater the pressure is on Barr to release it, and paradoxically of course, if the report completely exonerates the president, then the president should want it released,” Litt added.

Barr appears to have support among rank-and-file Justice Department employees relieved to have an attorney general who understands the institution, after serving under former senator Sessions and then an acting attorney general, Matthew Whitaker, who was a Trump political loyalist. At a recent reception for employees, Barr bought the food and drinks and was greeted by people who told him they were happy he was there.

Barr “is an experienced lawyer and manager, and he has served in the position of attorney general, so he has great respect for that office,” said Mark Tuohey, a lawyer with the firm Baker & Hostetler who once served as deputy to former independent counsel Ken Starr on the Whitewater investigation involving Democratic President Bill Clinton’s business dealings.

“I don’t see this as a loyalty litmus test,” Tuohey added.</s>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Newly installed U.S. Attorney General William Barr must walk a political and legal tightrope in deciding how much of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Russia’s role in the 2016 election to disclose, balancing competing demands from President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats, legal experts said.

The decision presents Barr, a veteran Washington insider, with his first major test since becoming the top U.S. law enforcement official last month, a position fraught with peril. Trump fired Barr’s predecessor Jeff Sessions in November after complaining for months over the decision by Sessions to recuse himself from overseeing the Russia investigation.

“I think Barr is in a terrible position from the standpoint of having two masters to please, each of which has a very different desire,” said Michael Zeldin, a former federal prosecutor. “He has a political nightmare on his hands.”

Mueller, who has headed the investigation since May 2017, is due to submit to Barr his confidential report on whether Trump’s campaign conspired with Russia and whether the Republican president has unlawfully sought to obstruct the probe.

Democrats, who have expressed concern Barr will try to shield Trump and bury parts of the report, already have threatened to subpoena it and go to court if necessary to force its release. Trump may pressure Barr to conceal damaging parts of Mueller’s report and release any findings that may exonerate him.

The Democrats took control of the House of Representatives in January and now wield subpoena power, with multiple committees investigating Trump’s actions. Republicans control the Senate. Mueller’s findings could be instrumental in any move in Congress to try to impeach Trump and remove him from office.

If the report includes “evidence of misconduct by the sitting president of the United States,” then “I think you have to believe the public interest is so extreme that there will be a mechanism for release, and I think Barr’s easy way out is to say, ‘It’s up to Congress,’” said Matthew Jacobs, a former federal prosecutor now with the law firm Vinson & Elkins.

Barr, 68, served as attorney general once before, from 1991 to 1993 under Republican President George H.W. Bush. He has embraced an expansive view of presidential powers. Last year, while Sessions was still attorney general, Barr sent an unsolicited memo to the Justice Department disputing Mueller’s authority to investigate Trump for obstruction of justice.

From a legal standpoint, Barr has a road map in the form of the Justice Department’s regulations on the appointment of special counsels. Those rules require him to notify the top Democrats and Republicans on the House and Senate judiciary committees after Mueller completes his probe.

The rules do not require release of the entire report, but they do not explicitly prevent Barr from giving it to Congress. The rules also give Barr latitude to disclose parts of the report if it is in the public interest.

In deciding what to release, Barr may face thorny legal issues involving secrecy of grand jury testimony, protecting classified information, communications with the White House possibly subject to the principle of executive privilege shielding certain information from disclosure, and safeguarding confidential reasons for why some individuals were not charged.

Several Trump campaign figures already have pleaded guilty or been convicted in Mueller’s investigation, while others have not been charged. If the report provides evidence that Trump committed obstruction of justice or other crimes, Barr must decide how much should be revealed.

The Justice Department has a decades-old policy that a sitting president cannot face criminal charges, though some lawyers take issue with that conclusion. As a matter of policy, the Justice Department also does not give a public explanation for why any individual has not been charged.

“I don’t know that the department has ever encountered this situation where the reason a person isn’t being charged with a crime is that the person is immune by virtue of his office and is subject to impeachment as a result,” said Robert Litt, a former general counsel for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence who is now with the firm Morrison & Foerster.

“The more damaging the report is to the president, the greater the pressure is on Barr to release it, and paradoxically of course, if the report completely exonerates the president, then the president should want it released,” Litt added.

Barr appears to have support among rank-and-file Justice Department employees relieved to have an attorney general who understands the institution, after serving under former senator Sessions and then an acting attorney general, Matthew Whitaker, who was a Trump political loyalist. At a recent reception for employees, Barr bought the food and drinks and was greeted by people who told him they were happy he was there.

Barr “is an experienced lawyer and manager, and he has served in the position of attorney general, so he has great respect for that office,” said Mark Tuohey, a lawyer with the firm Baker & Hostetler who once served as deputy to former independent counsel Ken Starr on the Whitewater investigation involving Democratic President Bill Clinton’s business dealings.

“I don’t see this as a loyalty litmus test,” Tuohey added.</s>WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General William Barr will not recuse himself from overseeing the special counsel's Russia probe after consulting with senior ethics officials, the Justice Department said Monday.

The officials advised Barr against recusal from Robert Mueller's investigation into possible coordination between Russia and Donald Trump's presidential campaign, Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said.

"Consistent with that advice, General Barr has decided not to recuse," Kupec said in a statement.

During his confirmation hearing in January, Barr sought to assuage concerns that he might disrupt or upend Mueller's investigation as it reaches its final stages.

Some Democrats had raised those concerns, citing a memo Barr had sent to Justice Department and White House lawyers in which he criticized Mueller's investigation for the way it was presumably looking into whether Trump had obstructed justice.

Barr downplayed the memo during his confirmation hearing, saying it was narrowly focused and shouldn't be read that he has prejudged the investigation. Barr vowed during the hearing to consult with ethics officials about whether he should recuse himself, but told senators the decision would ultimately be his to make under Justice Department guidelines.

Barr also stated without hesitation that it was in the public interest for Mueller to finish his investigation and that he wanted to release as much information as he can about Mueller's investigation to Congress and the public.

Under Justice Department guidelines, Mueller will provide a confidential report to Barr that explains his decisions to pursue or decline prosecutions. Barr will then prepare his own report that would be released to Congress. He has said he intends to share some information with the public, though it's unclear whether Mueller's actual report will ever be made public.

Former FBI Director James Comey, whose firing is among the things being investigated by the special counsel's office, said in an op-ed in The Washington Post on Monday that "providing detailed information about a completed investigation of intense public interest has long been a part of Justice Department practice."

"Every American should want a Justice Department guided first and always by the public interest," Comey wrote. "Sometimes transparency is not a hard call."

The president had assailed and ultimately pushed out his first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, for recusing himself from Mueller's investigation because of Sessions' work with the Trump campaign.

The president named Matthew Whitaker, who was Sessions' chief of staff, as acting attorney general in November. But Whitaker came under fire after he declined to recuse himself from the Mueller investigation even though a top Justice Department ethics official advised him to step aside out of an "abundance of caution."

Before joining the Justice Department, Whitaker had made critical comments about Mueller's investigation, including once opining about a scenario in which Trump could fire Sessions and then appoint an acting attorney general who could stifle the funding of Mueller's probe.</s>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General William Barr will not recuse himself from overseeing Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible links between U.S. President Donald Trump’s campaign and Moscow, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing a Justice Department spokeswoman.

Before his nomination for the attorney general post, Barr wrote a 19-page memo in which he argued that part of Mueller’s investigation into whether Trump had obstructed justice was “fatally flawed.” He shared the memo with Trump’s legal team and the Justice Department.

Later, in Senate confirmation hearings, Barr said he would allow Mueller to finish his inquiry and would make as many of its findings public as he can.. Mueller is widely expected to finish his investigation in the coming weeks.

Former attorney general Jeff Sessions, who Barr had been brought on to replace, had recused himself from overseeing the probe after he failed to disclose at his own confirmation hearing meetings he had held with the Russian ambassador.

Trump constantly publicly ridiculed and berated Sessions over his recusal.</s>Attorney General William Barr will not recuse himself from overseeing special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into allegations of collusion between President Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and the Russian government, a Justice Department spokeswoman said Monday.

Barr’s confirmation for a second stint as the nation’s top law enforcement officer came under scrutiny given his previous statements about the special counsel’s investigation. Barr reportedly sent an “unsolicited memo” to the Justice Department last year, in which he expressed skepticism about parts of Mueller’s investigation. He said that Mueller’s inquiry into potential obstruction of justice by Trump was based on a “fatally misconceived” theory that would threaten the presidency and the executive branch.

During his Senate confirmation hearings last month, Barr refused to say whether he would recuse himself from any role in Mueller’s probe but noted he would allow Mueller to complete his investigation and make as many of its findings public as possible. Barr was confirmed by a vote of 54 to 45 in the Senate. Mueller is widely expected to wrap up his investigation in the comings weeks.

Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said Monday that Barr would not step aside from overseeing Mueller’s inquiry and that the department’s ethics team concurred, CNN reported. Barr previously told lawmakers he would seek counsel from ethics officials on the recusal issue.

“Following General Barr’s confirmation, senior career ethics officials advised that General Barr should not recuse himself from the Special Counsel’s investigation,” Kupec said. “Consistent with that advice, General Barr has decided not to recuse.”

Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who appointed Mueller to oversee the Russia probe in 2017 after former Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the inquiry, is expected to leave the department later this month. Sessions was ousted by Trump from the Justice Department one day after November’s midterm elections, putting an end to a tumultuous partnership between the commander-and-chief and senior cabinet member that was marked by repeated public humiliations ever since Sessions announced he would recuse himself from any investigation into the 2016 campaign. Until he steps down from the Justice Department, Rosenstein plans to oversee Mueller’s investigative and prosecutorial work. Trump has announced plans to nominate Department Transportation Secretary Jeffrey Rosen to replace Rosenstein as the No. 2 official at the Justice Department, but another official could be named to the post on an acting basis. The former head of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics under President Barack Obama, Walter Shaub, criticized Barr’s decision. “The most important reason for Barr to recuse is not the ethics rules but the illegitimacy of his predecessor’s firing for refusing to stop an investigation of POTUS,” Shaub wrote on Twitter. “Do not misread the ethics officials as having weighed in on that issue. They did not.”</s>WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General William Barr will not recuse himself from overseeing the special counsel's Russia probe after consulting with senior ethics officials, the Justice Department said Monday.

The officials advised Barr against recusal from Robert Mueller's investigation into possible coordination between Russia and Donald Trump's presidential campaign, Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said.

"Consistent with that advice, General Barr has decided not to recuse," Kupec said in a statement.

During his confirmation hearing in January, Barr sought to assuage concerns that he might disrupt or upend Mueller's investigation as it reaches its final stages.

Some Democrats had raised those concerns, citing a memo Barr had sent to Justice Department and White House lawyers in which he criticized Mueller's investigation for the way it was presumably looking into whether Trump had obstructed justice.

Barr downplayed the memo during his confirmation hearing, saying it was narrowly focused and shouldn't be read that he has prejudged the investigation. Barr vowed during the hearing to consult with ethics officials about whether he should recuse himself, but told senators the decision would ultimately be his to make under Justice Department guidelines.

Barr also stated without hesitation that it was in the public interest for Mueller to finish his investigation and that he wanted to release as much information as he can about Mueller's investigation to Congress and the public.

Under Justice Department guidelines, Mueller will provide a confidential report to Barr that explains his decisions to pursue or decline prosecutions. Barr will then prepare his own report that would be released to Congress. He has said he intends to share some information with the public, though it's unclear whether Mueller's actual report will ever be made public.

Former FBI Director James Comey, whose firing is among the things being investigated by the special counsel's office, said in an op-ed in The Washington Post on Monday that "providing detailed information about a completed investigation of intense public interest has long been a part of Justice Department practice."

"Every American should want a Justice Department guided first and always by the public interest," Comey wrote. "Sometimes transparency is not a hard call."

The president had assailed and ultimately pushed out his first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, for recusing himself from Mueller's investigation because of Sessions' work with the Trump campaign.

The president named Matthew Whitaker, who was Sessions' chief of staff, as acting attorney general in November. But Whitaker came under fire after he declined to recuse himself from the Mueller investigation even though a top Justice Department ethics official advised him to step aside out of an "abundance of caution."

Before joining the Justice Department, Whitaker had made critical comments about Mueller's investigation, including once opining about a scenario in which Trump could fire Sessions and then appoint an acting attorney general who could stifle the funding of Mueller's probe.</s>WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General William Barr will not recuse himself from overseeing the special counsel's Russia probe after consulting with senior ethics officials, the Justice Department said Monday.

The officials advised Barr against recusal from Robert Mueller's investigation into possible coordination between Russia and Donald Trump's presidential campaign, Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said.

"Consistent with that advice, General Barr has decided not to recuse," Kupec said in a statement.

During his confirmation hearing in January, Barr sought to assuage concerns that he might disrupt or upend Mueller's investigation as it reaches its final stages.

Some Democrats had raised those concerns, citing a memo Barr had sent to Justice Department and White House lawyers in which he criticized Mueller's investigation for the way it was presumably looking into whether Trump had obstructed justice.

Barr downplayed the memo during his confirmation hearing, saying it was narrowly focused and shouldn't be read that he has prejudged the investigation. Barr vowed during the hearing to consult with ethics officials about whether he should recuse himself, but told senators the decision would ultimately be his to make under Justice Department guidelines.

Barr also stated without hesitation that it was in the public interest for Mueller to finish his investigation and that he wanted to release as much information as he can about Mueller's investigation to Congress and the public.

Under Justice Department guidelines, Mueller will provide a confidential report to Barr that explains his decisions to pursue or decline prosecutions. Barr will then prepare his own report that would be released to Congress. He has said he intends to share some information with the public, though it's unclear whether Mueller's actual report will ever be made public.

Former FBI Director James Comey, whose firing is among the things being investigated by the special counsel's office, said in an op-ed in The Washington Post on Monday that "providing detailed information about a completed investigation of intense public interest has long been a part of Justice Department practice."

"Every American should want a Justice Department guided first and always by the public interest," Comey wrote. "Sometimes transparency is not a hard call."

The president had assailed and ultimately pushed out his first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, for recusing himself from Mueller's investigation because of Sessions' work with the Trump campaign.

The president named Matthew Whitaker, who was Sessions' chief of staff, as acting attorney general in November. But Whitaker came under fire after he declined to recuse himself from the Mueller investigation even though a top Justice Department ethics official advised him to step aside out of an "abundance of caution."

Before joining the Justice Department, Whitaker had made critical comments about Mueller's investigation, including once opining about a scenario in which Trump could fire Sessions and then appoint an acting attorney general who could stifle the funding of Mueller's probe.
Newly confirmed Attorney General William Barr announces he will not recuse himself from the special counsel's investigation, per the advice of the Justice Department's ethics officials.