Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13) recently joined several of her Democratic colleagues in calling for the immediate resignations of U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr and U.S. Attorney John Durham.
A December 19 letter sent to Barr and signed by Tlaib accuses the top officials of using their positions to “mislead the American public in defense of President Donald Trump.”
Durham was appointed to investigate the origins of the Russia collusion investigation and recently set his sights on former CIA director John Brennan. A source told The New York Times that Durham has “requested Brennan’s emails, call logs, and other documents from the CIA” related to Brennan’s role in the Russia investigation.
Several “experts” told The Washington Post in a recent article that they fear Durham is risking “his reputation” in the way he is conducing the investigation. For instance, after Inspector General Michael Horowitz released a report on his own investigation into the origins of the Russia investigation, Durham said that his team does “not agree with some of the report’s conclusions as to predication and how the FBI case was opened.”
As a result, a group of 11 Democratic lawmakers, including Tlaib, called on both Durham and Barr to immediately resign.
“Attorney General Barr, you and your hand-selected prosecutor Durham have consistently and publicly questioned the legitimacy of the Justice Department, acting as mouth pieces for Donald Trump rather than public servants bound to the rule of law,” states the letter. “You have established a pattern of ignoring DOJ precedent with the goal of influencing legitimate investigations on behalf of the President.”
The letter calls Barr’s claim that spying on the Trump campaign “did occur” during the 2016 election an “unfounded assertion” and a “completely inaccurate statement.”
“Your uncorroborated and inappropriate statements on the OIG report legitimize fringe conspiracy theories and erode public trust in the Justice Department’s credibility,” the letter continues.
The Democratic legislators go on to accuse Durham of consistently attempting to “undermine the legitimacy of the OIG report and the top law enforcement agencies in our country in the defense of Donald Trump.”
“At your direction—in a highly unusual step—Mr. Durham opened his own sham investigation into the legitimate work of the FBI,” the letter says of Durham’s investigation.
The letter concludes by accusing both men of giving their “allegiance” to “Donald Trump over the Department of Justice and American people that you serve.”
“You are unfit to hold the position of Attorney General and your dedication to eroding public trust in our legal systems represents the antithesis of what a Justice Department official should be. Mr. Durham is equally as complicit in this mission and together your actions demonstrate that neither of you possess the integrity necessary to serve in the Department of Justice,” the letter reads. “For these reasons, we demand your immediate resignation as Attorney General and that of U.S. Attorney Durham.”
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of Battleground State News, The Ohio Star, and The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
