Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono ripped into Attorney General William Barr with a nonstop line of questioning about his actions related to the FBI's Russia investigation on Wednesday. Barr appeared to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee about his oversight of the investigation and the special counsel Robert Mueller. "You lied to Congress," Hirono said to Barr, pointing specifically to testimony he gave to the House Appropriations Committee last month that appears to contradict recent revelations of a rift between him and Mueller. "Please, Mr. Attorney General, give us some credit for knowing what the hell is going on around here with you," Hirono later said before being cut off by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. In a tense exchange on Wednesday, Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono laid into Attorney General William Barr and accused him of lying to Congress when he testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about his oversight of the special counsel Robert Mueller and the Russia investigation. "You lied to Congress," Hirono said to Barr on Wednesday. The Hawaii senator pointed specifically to Barr's testimony before the House Appropriations Committee in April. At the April hearing, Rep. Charlie Crist asked Barr whether Mueller supported his conclusion in the obstruction case. "I don't know whether Bob Mueller supported my conclusion," Barr replied. Crist also asked Barr about reports at the time that members of Mueller's team were frustrated "at some level with the limited information included in your March 24 letter — that it does not adequately or accurately, necessarily, portray the report's findings." "Do you know what they're referencing with that?" Crist asked. "No, I don't," Barr said. But on Tuesday, it surfaced that Mueller sent Barr a letter expressing frustration at the way the attorney general characterized the special counsel's findings in the investigation. Read more: Barr went to incredible lengths to argue why a key interaction between Trump and Don McGahn was not obstruction On March 24, Barr sent a letter to Congress laying out his "principal conclusions" about Mueller's findings, which were contained in a final report the special counsel submitted to Barr two days earlier. Barr said Mueller's team did not find sufficient evidence to charge President Donald Trump or anyone associated with his campaign for conspiring with the Russian government. Barr also said prosecutors did not make a "traditional prosecutorial judgment" on whether Trump obstructed justice but that he determined there was not enough evidence to charge Trump with obstruction. The next day, Mueller sent Barr a letter expressing concern with the way Barr had interpreted his findings. Two days later, on March 27, Mueller sent Barr a second letter saying the attorney general "did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance of this Office's work and conclusions" in his March 24 letter. Shortly after, The New York Times and The Washington Post reported that members of Mueller's team were frustrated with the way Barr had portrayed their findings, especially in the obstruction case, in which they reportedly believed the evidence was "alarming" and "significant." Hirono told Barr that although he claimed he didn't know whether Mueller supported his conclusions, "you knew, you lied, and now, we know." Read more: Here's Mueller's full letter to Barr objecting to the attorney general's description of the special counsel's findings in the Russia probe Hirono went on to criticize Barr's sweeping view of executive power and the presidential-pardon power, pointing to a 19-page memo he wrote last year arguing that the president cannot be guilty of obstruction. "From the beginning, you were addressing an audience of one," Hirono said as Barr listened silently. "Now, we know more about your deep involvement in trying to cover up for Donald Trump. America deserves better. You should resign." Hirono went on to ask Barr whether he felt Trump's actions outlined in the obstruction probe were appropriate, even if they were not criminal. When Barr tried to answer her questions or asked her to clarify what she was asking, she repeatedly interrupted him. "I think you know what I'm talking about," Hirono said. "Please, Mr. Attorney General, give us some credit for knowing what the hell is going on around here with you." Hirono was then interrupted by South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, the Republican chairman of the committee. "Listen, you've slandered this man," Graham began to say. "I do not think that I'm slandering anyone," Hirono replied. "You've slandered this man from top to bottom," Graham said. "So if you want more of this, you're not going to get it. If you want to ask him questions, you can." Hirono replied: "You certainly have your opinion, and I have mine."<doc-sep>Ever since we figured out the whole electricity thing, lamps have been relatively simple. Just pull the chain or push the button, and your light bulb illuminates and bathes your room in its soft glow. But every once in a while, a maverick will come along and turn the entire idea of a simple desk… READ THE REST<doc-sep>After hours of listening to Attorney General William Barr answer questions from lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee about his handling of the special counsel’s Russia report, Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) had apparently heard enough of what he had to say. So when it came time for her to question Barr, she chose instead to deliver a scorching monologue castigating his handling of the Russia investigation and the decisions he made before releasing the full Mueller report to the public. “Mr. Barr, now the American people know you are no different from Rudy Giuliani or Kellyanne Conway or any of the other people who sacrificed their once-decent reputations for the liar and grifter who sits in the Oval Office,” she told the attorney general. Hirono accused Barr of having consistently taken President Trump’s side over the interests of the American people, starting with his decision to send a 19-page unsolicited memo to the Justice Department criticizing the Mueller investigation in June 2018 — well before he ever became attorney general. She also slammed him for waiting weeks to release the full report on Mueller’s findings, and for doing so only after he’d held a press conference in which he personally cleared the president of obstruction of justice and declared there had been “no collusion.” “When you finally did decide to release the report, over a congressional recess and on the eve of two major religious holidays, you called a press conference to once again try to clear Donald Trump before anyone had a chance to read the special counsel report and come to their own conclusions,” Hirono said. WOW -- @maziehirono *goes in* on Barr, says "the American people know you are no different from Rudy Giuliani or Kellyanne Conway, or any of the other people who sacrificed their once decent reputations for the liar and grifter who sits in the Oval Office." pic.twitter.com/nmENNZjyQL — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 1, 2019 The senator continued: But when we read the report, we knew Robert Mueller’s concerns were valid and that your version of events was false. You used every advantage of your office to create the impression that the president was cleared of misconduct. You selectively quoted fragments from the special counsel report, taking some of the most important statements out of context and ignoring the rest. You put the power and authority of the office of the attorney general and the Department of Justice behind a public relations effort to help Donald Trump protect himself. Hirono capped off her monologue by calling on Barr to resign: “Being attorney general of the United States is a sacred trust. You have betrayed that trust. America deserves better. You should resign.” The hearing had been tense and adversarial at times, but Hirono’s political grandstanding was a startling departure from the tone of the testimony up to that point Hirono did actually attempt to ask Barr questions after her speech, including whether he thought Trump’s behavior — when he fired FBI Director James Comey, for instance, or when he asked White House counsel Don McGahn to lie for him — was “appropriate,” even if it didn’t rise to the level of a crime. But Barr, understandably, wasn’t exactly inclined to engage with Hirono’s questions after all that. Instead, he simply referred her back to the report and stated he was only “willing to talk about what is criminal.” Hirono continued to press Barr until Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Lindsey Graham (R-SC) interceded and accused Hirono of “slandering” Barr. After Hirono calls on Barr to resign, @LindseyGrahamSC interrupts her and angrily accuses her of "slandering" Barr pic.twitter.com/TE76l2hrd3 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 1, 2019 “I do not think that I’m slandering anyone,” Hirono replied, and ended her questions. Hirono’s speech and the tense exchange that followed didn’t solicit much new information from Barr — the ostensible point of holding such a hearing in the first place. But it did illuminate Democrats’ frustrations with Barr and the still-unanswered questions about his role in the conclusion of the investigation — something that many senators believe only Mueller himself will be able to answer. Hirono’s full comments to Barr are transcribed below:<doc-sep>Radio host Rush Limbaugh ripped Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii Wednesday over her treatment of Attorney General William Barr during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the Mueller report, calling her “ignorant” and “a liar.”' Limbaugh said Hirono mischaracterized Barr's work and -- like Sen. Lindsey Graham-- accused the senator of "slandering" his integrity. "He didn’t change anything in the Mueller report,” Limbaugh said on his radio show. BARR: MUELLER REPORT IS DONE. WE NEED TO STOP USING DOJ AS 'POLITICAL WEAPON' Barr's testimony Wednesday was wide-ranging. It covered his decision not to pursue an obstruction case against President Trump and the delay in the release of the redacted version of the report. Hirono accused Barr of lying to Congress and said he should resign. "Mr. Barr, now the American people know that you are no different from Rudy Giuliani or Kellyanne Conway or any of other people who sacrifice their once-decent reputation for the grifter and liar who sits in the Oval Office," Hirono said to Barr during a long build-up to a question. Committee chairman, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., cut Hirono off. "You slandered this man from top to bottom," Graham said to the Hawaii senator. Limbaugh argued that Hirono never intended to ask any meaningful questions to Barr but really intended to hurt his “integrity.” CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “It was the kill session. Her mission during these hearings has been to kill Barr professionally, and his integrity,” Limbaugh said. The radio host blamed Hirono’s “poisonous hatred” for President Trump for her treatment of Barr. “I think it is her essential consuming, poisonous hatred for Donald Trump, and Barr is the way she can get to Trump today, so Barr becomes her target,” Limbaugh said.<doc-sep>
Sen. Mazie Hirono Mazie Keiko HironoBiden signs anti-Asian hate crimes bill into law House sends anti-Asian hate bill to Biden's desk More than 75 Asian, LGBTQ groups oppose anti-Asian crime bill MORE (D-Hawaii) on Wednesday excoriated Attorney General William Barr Bill BarrWatchdog group suing for Trump obstruction memo blasts DOJ for trying to block release Biden DOJ to appeal court order to release Trump obstruction memo CNN reporter's phone and email records secretly obtained by Trump administration: report MORE during a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, accusing the country's top law enforcement official of sacrificing his reputation in service to President Trump Donald TrumpTrump lashes out after grand jury seated for New York criminal probe Schumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission MORE. Hirono accused Barr of lying to lawmakers, compared him to Trump's closest allies and told the attorney general: "You should resign." "Mr. Barr, now the American people know that you are no different from Rudy Giuliani Rudy GiulianiContent of Biden's agenda trumps Republican complaints about process Trump claims 'absolute immunity' from Swalwell lawsuit over Jan. 6 riot Michael Cohen predicts Trump will turn on family after revelation of criminal probe MORE or Kellyanne Conway Kellyanne Elizabeth ConwayKaren Pence confirms move back to Indiana: 'No place like home' Pence urges 'positive' agenda to counter Biden in first speech since leaving office Kellyanne Conway joins Ohio Senate candidate's campaign MORE or any of other people who sacrifice their once decent reputation for the grifter and liar who sits in the Oval Office," Hirono said. Sen. Mazie Hirono to Attorney General William Barr: "Now we know more about your deep involvement in trying to cover up for Donald Trump ... America deserves better. You should resign" https://t.co/UyviQ1DWt6 pic.twitter.com/jOqsQv5uXT — ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) May 1, 2019 She spent the bulk of her time for questioning delivering a searing monologue in which she blasted Barr over his handling of the Russia investigation, including a memo he sent to the special counsel about the investigation prior to serving as attorney general, and his four-page summary of special counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerSenate Democrats urge Garland not to fight court order to release Trump obstruction memo Why a special counsel is guaranteed if Biden chooses Yates, Cuomo or Jones as AG Barr taps attorney investigating Russia probe origins as special counsel MORE's report. ADVERTISEMENT Barr's testimony comes amid scrutiny from Democrats of his handling of Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. On Tuesday, a Justice Department spokeswoman said that Mueller had expressed “frustration” to Barr in March over Barr's four-page memo describing the investigation’s findings. Hirono accused Barr of lying to lawmakers when he said he was unaware of Mueller's concerns with the attorney general's four-page summary of the investigation. "You used every advantage of your office to create the impression that the president was cleared of misconduct," Hirono said. "You put the power and authority of the office of the attorney general and the Department of Justice behind a public relations effort to help Donald Trump protect himself." She added that she "wasn't surprised" by what she described as Barr's efforts to protect the president, and said that was the reason she joined other Democrats in voting against his confirmation. “Now we know more about your deep involvement in trying to cover up for Donald Trump,” Hirono said Wednesday. “Being attorney general … is a sacred trust. You have betrayed that trust, America deserves better. You should resign.” Hirono went on to press Barr on whether he believes it’s “OK” for the president to act as he did in episodes detailed in the Mueller report. The report listed 10 "episodes" that Mueller's team examined for possible obstruction of justice. As Hirono continued tearing into Barr, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamSenators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission Police reform fight hinges on qualified immunity On The Money: White House counters with .7 trillion infrastructure proposal, GOP unimpressed | USDA to start loan forgiveness for thousands of minority farmers MORE (R-S.C.) stepped in to cut off the senator's questioning. "You’ve slandered this man," Graham said. "I do not think I am slandering anyone," Hirono replied.