This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/10/us/politics/william-barr-jeffrey-rosen-hearings.html

The article has changed 10 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
William Barr Testifies to Congress for a Second Day: Live Updates William Barr Testimony: Plans to ‘Accommodate’ Requests for More From the Mueller Report
(32 minutes later)
Right Now: The attorney general is appearing before a Senate subcommittee, while the nominee for deputy attorney general is before the Senate Judiciary Committee.Right Now: The attorney general is appearing before a Senate subcommittee, while the nominee for deputy attorney general is before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
• Attorney General William P. Barr is appearing before Congress for a second straight day on Wednesday, giving lawmakers another shot to grill him about his handling of the special counsel’s report. • Attorney General William P. Barr, appearing before Congress for a second straight day on Wednesday, signaled he was open sharing more information with lawmakers than is released to the public.
• Mr. Barr said on Tuesday that he would release a redacted version of the report “within a week” as he continued to work on blacking out delicate information. • Senators are pushing Mr. Barr for more on the Mueller report. He said on Tuesday that he would release a redacted version of it “within a week.”
• Meanwhile, the Senate Judiciary Committee is taking up the confirmation hearing of Jeffrey A. Rosen, President Trump’s nominee to succeed Rod J. Rosenstein, who appointed and oversaw the special counsel, as deputy attorney general.• Meanwhile, the Senate Judiciary Committee is taking up the confirmation hearing of Jeffrey A. Rosen, President Trump’s nominee to succeed Rod J. Rosenstein, who appointed and oversaw the special counsel, as deputy attorney general.
In his testimony on Tuesday before the House Appropriations Committee, Mr. Barr divulged several new details about the report from the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III. Democrats in the House have slammed Mr. Barr for what they view as his refusal to share the investigation’s underlying evidence and material he may redact from the report. But Mr. Barr told senators on Wednesday he would be willing to re-evaluate that decision to try to accommodate lawmakers’ concerns.
He said, for example, that he was still on track to give Congress and the public a partly blacked-out version of Mr. Mueller’s report “within a week.” Where he does censor lines, he said he would identify which of several categories of information he has said cannot be divulged to Congress — like information that is subject to grand-jury secrecy rules or identifies a “peripheral” person. And he said that Mr. Mueller had not helped draft or reviewed his letters to Congress summarizing the conclusions of Mr. Mueller’s report. “I intend to take up with the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, the chairmen and ranking members of each, what other areas they feel they have a need to have access to the information and see if I can work to accommodate that,” he said.
But beyond those tidbits, Mr. Barr refused to engage House members who were pressing him to say more, declaring that he had said all he intended to say. Democratic lawmakers argue that they need such material so they can fully understand the implications of Mr. Mueller’s findings and judge whether or not Mr. Barr had fairly represented what was found. In the House, they have already approved a subpoena to issue to try to compel the release of this kind of information.
House Democrats occasionally succeeded on Tuesday in getting Mr. Barr to reveal or hint at something more about the coming report from the special counsel. Democratic senators and a few Republicans wanted more.House Democrats occasionally succeeded on Tuesday in getting Mr. Barr to reveal or hint at something more about the coming report from the special counsel. Democratic senators and a few Republicans wanted more.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Democrat of New Hampshire, signaled she would ask about a report from The New York Times revealing that some of Mr. Mueller’s investigators have complained that Mr. Barr failed to fully represent their findings and that they were more damaging for the president than the attorney general indicated.Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Democrat of New Hampshire, signaled she would ask about a report from The New York Times revealing that some of Mr. Mueller’s investigators have complained that Mr. Barr failed to fully represent their findings and that they were more damaging for the president than the attorney general indicated.
“I am concerned by recent media reports that those working on the special counsel team glossed over the severity of the actions of those in the White House, including the president,” she said, pushing Mr. Barr to make the full report public.“I am concerned by recent media reports that those working on the special counsel team glossed over the severity of the actions of those in the White House, including the president,” she said, pushing Mr. Barr to make the full report public.
Senator Jerry Moran, Republican of Kansas and the leader of the Appropriations subcommittee that funds the Justice Department, asked Mr. Barr to clarify whether the report released would be the document Mr. Mueller delivered to him or the attorney general’s own recasting of it.Senator Jerry Moran, Republican of Kansas and the leader of the Appropriations subcommittee that funds the Justice Department, asked Mr. Barr to clarify whether the report released would be the document Mr. Mueller delivered to him or the attorney general’s own recasting of it.
Mr. Barr clarified would release a redacted version of Mr. Mueller’s report itself. Mr. Barr clarified would release a redacted version of Mr. Mueller’s report itself; on Tuesday he had said it would arrive “within a week.”
Whether the senators would be able to break new ground was not clear.Whether the senators would be able to break new ground was not clear.
Mr. Barr divulged several new details about the report on Tuesday. For example, even though Justice Department officials had previously said the White House had not been shown the Mueller report, Mr. Barr was unwilling to confirm that — raising the possibility that since then, the Justice Department may have briefed Mr. Trump’s inner circle about its contents. He also indicated that he was not willing to petition a judge for a court order permitting him to show grand jury information to the House Judiciary Committee.Mr. Barr divulged several new details about the report on Tuesday. For example, even though Justice Department officials had previously said the White House had not been shown the Mueller report, Mr. Barr was unwilling to confirm that — raising the possibility that since then, the Justice Department may have briefed Mr. Trump’s inner circle about its contents. He also indicated that he was not willing to petition a judge for a court order permitting him to show grand jury information to the House Judiciary Committee.
Interest in the report remains intense among congressional lawmakers. President Trump, not so much.Interest in the report remains intense among congressional lawmakers. President Trump, not so much.
Speaking to reporters as he left the White House on Wednesday, the president slammed the investigation as an illegal “attempted coup.” But he said he had “won” and could care less about the report itself.Speaking to reporters as he left the White House on Wednesday, the president slammed the investigation as an illegal “attempted coup.” But he said he had “won” and could care less about the report itself.
“I have not seen the Mueller report,” Mr. Trump told reporters. “I have not read the Mueller report. I won. No collusion, no obstruction. I won. Everybody knows I won.”“I have not seen the Mueller report,” Mr. Trump told reporters. “I have not read the Mueller report. I won. No collusion, no obstruction. I won. Everybody knows I won.”
He continued: “As far as I’m concerned I don’t care about the Mueller report. I’ve been totally exonerated.”He continued: “As far as I’m concerned I don’t care about the Mueller report. I’ve been totally exonerated.”
The report, which runs nearly 400 pages, is likely to be less black and white. Mr. Barr has said Mr. Mueller did not find the Trump campaign conspired with Russia to undermine the 2016 election, but he has said that the special counsel’s team did not reach a prosecutorial decision about whether Mr. Trump criminally obstructed the investigation. Mr. Barr, assessing the evidence for himself, concluded the evidence did not meet that bar.The report, which runs nearly 400 pages, is likely to be less black and white. Mr. Barr has said Mr. Mueller did not find the Trump campaign conspired with Russia to undermine the 2016 election, but he has said that the special counsel’s team did not reach a prosecutorial decision about whether Mr. Trump criminally obstructed the investigation. Mr. Barr, assessing the evidence for himself, concluded the evidence did not meet that bar.
The position of deputy attorney general has received outsize attention during the Trump era because former Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from overseeing matters arising from the 2016 presidential election, citing his role as a key Trump campaign supporter. That left the departing No. 2 at the department, Mr. Rosenstein, to serve as the acting attorney general for what became the Mueller investigation.The position of deputy attorney general has received outsize attention during the Trump era because former Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from overseeing matters arising from the 2016 presidential election, citing his role as a key Trump campaign supporter. That left the departing No. 2 at the department, Mr. Rosenstein, to serve as the acting attorney general for what became the Mueller investigation.
Because Mr. Barr has not recused himself, Mr. Rosen is unlikely to be as powerful and scrutinized as Mr. Rosenstein has been. Still, Mr. Rosen’s confirmation hearing is notable in part because of Mr. Rosenstein’s demonstration of how the position can suddenly be thrust into the spotlight.Because Mr. Barr has not recused himself, Mr. Rosen is unlikely to be as powerful and scrutinized as Mr. Rosenstein has been. Still, Mr. Rosen’s confirmation hearing is notable in part because of Mr. Rosenstein’s demonstration of how the position can suddenly be thrust into the spotlight.
Mr. Rosen spent most of his career as a lawyer in private practice, though he is currently the deputy secretary of transportation and previously served as the top lawyer at the White House Office of Management and Budget in the final years of the George W. Bush administration. He has never been a prosecutor, but in a planned opening statement the administration released Tuesday, he vowed to uphold the rule of law.Mr. Rosen spent most of his career as a lawyer in private practice, though he is currently the deputy secretary of transportation and previously served as the top lawyer at the White House Office of Management and Budget in the final years of the George W. Bush administration. He has never been a prosecutor, but in a planned opening statement the administration released Tuesday, he vowed to uphold the rule of law.
“I believe I can make a meaningful contribution to an institution that I regard as a cornerstone of our American system of government and consider it both a duty and an honor to serve our country,” the statement said.“I believe I can make a meaningful contribution to an institution that I regard as a cornerstone of our American system of government and consider it both a duty and an honor to serve our country,” the statement said.