Slate "It's Time for a Special Counsel to Investigate William Barr for Perjury"
There’s already more than enough evidence to warrant a probe.
By RYAN GOODMAN and ELIZABETH HOLTZMAN
JULY 22, 2019
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/07/special-counsel-investiate-attorney-general-william-barr-perjury.html
With special counsel Robert Mueller’s upcoming public testimony, not only is the president’s job and potential criminal liability on the line. Mueller’s testimony about Attorney General William Barr’s handling of the special counsel report could also place the attorney general in further professional and legal jeopardy.
Based on the available public record about the Russia investigation, it’s clear that the attorney general has repeatedly deceived Congress in a manner that appears to have crossed the line established by federal criminal law. It’s a federal offence if anyone intentionally “falsifies, conceals, or covers up by any trick, scheme, or device a material fact” or makes a “materially false” statement before Congress. The cautious Speaker of the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, accused Barr of committing a crime when questions first arose two months ago about the truthfulness of his testimony concerning the Mueller report. Even more evidence of Barr’s misconduct has emerged since then.
After Mueller testifies, the House should consider transmitting Barr’s multiple testimonies to the Justice Department, and since Barr cannot investigate himself, call for a special counsel to do so.
A criminal investigation of Barr would be unusual but not unprecedented. The House of Representatives has twice held an attorney general in criminal contempt and referred the matter to the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia to pursue (a resolution against Eric Holder in 2012 for his refusal to provide information subpoenaed by Congress concerning the Fast and Furious gun-trafficking program; and the recent resolution against Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross for their refusal to provide information subpoenaed by Congress about efforts to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census). Members of Congress also referred Jeff Sessions for potentially lying to Congress about contacts with Russians, and the FBI approved that investigation of the attorney general.
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Barr’s misleading and contradictory testimony is too serious to ignore. A special counsel must look into the matter just as the special counsel looked into whether then–Attorney General Sessions lied to Congress about Russia contacts. Congress must make it clear that it will not tolerate deceptions by any witness, including the attorney general himself.
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