Alex Christoforou
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss triggered Democrat calls to arrest US Attorney General William Barr for contempt, after Barr refused to show up for a House hearing.
Democrat Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Jerry Nadler cried out that “Barr’s defiance of the committee isn’t happening in a vacuum: It’s part of a sweeping effort by President Trump’s administration to defy nearly all oversight by Congress.”
Nadler wants two rounds of questions directed towards AG Barr, one for members and a second in which each counsel for the Democratic Party and Republican Party would have the opportunity to ask questions.
Nadler also demands a closed session to discuss redacted sections in Mueller’s report. Barr objects to the added sessions and the closed session.
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Triggered Democrats Call For AG Barr To Be Handcuffed And Arrested by The Duran
The Duran Quick Take: Episode 161. The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss triggered Democrat calls to arrest US Attorney General William Barr for contempt, after Barr refused to show up for a House hearing.
Via Common Dreams…
Democrats faced calls to immediately hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress—and, if necessary, throw him in jail—as Barr refused to testify before the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday.
“William Barr is in contempt,” Joel Mathis wrote at The Week. “Congress should send him to jail.”
“That’s a radical suggestion, but this is a radical moment,” added Mathis. “Barr’s defiance of the committee isn’t happening in a vacuum: It’s part of a sweeping effort by President [Donald] Trump’s administration to defy nearly all oversight by Congress.”
At a press conference following Barr’s no-show, Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee took turns lambasting the attorney general for flouting congressional demands by refusing to testify and failing to comply with a subpoena for the unredacted Mueller report.
“If the executive branch can willfully violate lawfully-issued subpoenas, they will have successfully eliminated congressional oversight,” said Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.).
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.)—chairman of the House Judiciary Committee—told reporters he plans to make “one more good faith attempt to negotiate” with Barr.
At a separate press conference Thursday morning, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) expressed agreement with Nadler’s opening statement at Thursday’s hearing, where he said the “moment of accountability will come soon enough” for Barr.
Asked directly by a reporter if Barr committed a crime, Pelosi responded, “He lied to Congress.”
“And if anybody else did that it would be considered a crime. Nobody is above the law. Not the president of the United States and not the Attorney General. Being the attorney general does not give you a bath to go say whatever you want.”
On the question of whether Barr should be arrested, Pelosi stammered slightly, but then said, “There’s a process involved here.”
NBC News on Twitter: “.@Kasie: Did AG Barr commit a crime?Speaker Pelosi: “He lied to Congress. If anybody else did that, it would be considered a crime.”@Kasie: Should he go to jail?Pelosi: “There’s a process involved here … The committee will act upon how we will proceed.” pic.twitter.com/kQnfEdL1iD / Twitter”
@Kasie: Did AG Barr commit a crime?Speaker Pelosi: “He lied to Congress. If anybody else did that, it would be considered a crime.”@Kasie: Should he go to jail?Pelosi: “There’s a process involved here … The committee will act upon how we will proceed.” pic.twitter.com/kQnfEdL1iD
Critics argue that the time for negotiating with Barr and Trump is over.
In a column, former Labor Secretary Robert Reich urged Democrats to move beyond issuing subpoenas and get “ready to arrest” the attorney general—a call that garnered support on social media.
“What could the committee do? Hold Barr in contempt of Congress—under Congress’s inherent power to get the information it needs to carry out its constitutional duties,” Reich wrote. “Congress cannot function without this power.”
“Under this inherent power,” added Reich, “the House can order its own sergeant-at-arms to arrest the offender, subject him to a trial before the full House, and, if judged to be in contempt, jail that person until he appears before the House and brings whatever documentation the House has subpoenaed.”
Robert Reich on Twitter: “If Barr won’t appear before the House Judiciary Committee:1. The House should cite him for contempt of Congress. 2. If he still doesn’t respond, the sergeant-at-arms of the House should arrest him until he does. 3. The House should begin impeachment proceedings against him. / Twitter”
If Barr won’t appear before the House Judiciary Committee:1. The House should cite him for contempt of Congress. 2. If he still doesn’t respond, the sergeant-at-arms of the House should arrest him until he does. 3. The House should begin impeachment proceedings against him.
Mathis echoed Reich’s call for firm action in his column for The Week, writing that “there’s no point in using incremental half-measures to get [Trump] and his administration to do the right, lawful thing.”
“If Barr continues to refuse to testify, Pelosi will be faced with two choices: She can let it go, and accept that Trump will be impervious to any kind of accountability for the remainder of his presidency. Or the House she leads can impose consequences,” Mathis wrote. “Sending Barr to jail for contempt would be a big consequence.”
Pressure on Democrats to immediately hold Barr accountable comes as a growing number of Democrats—including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.)—are calling on the attorney general to resign over his handling of the Mueller report.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter: “Barr needs to resign. https://t.co/XOV1or0HAQ / Twitter”
Barr needs to resign. https://t.co/XOV1or0HAQ
“Barr is a disgrace, and his alarming efforts to suppress the Mueller report show that he’s not a credible head of federal law enforcement,” Warren, a 2020 presidential contender, tweeted on Wednesday. “He should resign—and based on the actual facts in the Mueller report, Congress should begin impeachment proceedings against the president.”
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
How can such a contemptible Congress hold anyone in contempt? It’d be like a school of fish issuing themselves a hall pass.
No partisan here but congress can subpoena his tax returns and he is a public figure.
I do agree with your contempt for congress.
The USA has lost all right and reason to exist since the most accomplished psyhopaths on the planet the NeoCon NeoBolsheviks have seized power there utterly, at last.
Quarantine the USA.
THEY ARE PLAYING WITH FIRE, GOT TO GO GET MORE POPCORN
WHEN DO WE SEE GITMO EXECUTE KILLERY ? ASK NYPD ABOUT THE ORIGINAL WEINER LAPTOP WHICH ONES THREW UP AND HAD TO HAVE THERAPY OVER IT. HOW CAN KILLERY AND ABEDIN RAPE A 10 YR OLD GIRL AND PEEL HER FACE OFF WHILE SHE WAS ALIVE? YOU CAN BET ALL OF CONGRESS KNEW ABOUT THIS AND NOT ONE OF THOSE BASTARDS DID ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I AM ANXIOUS TO SEE THE TRIBUNALS TO GET THE 80% OF THE DEM CONGRESS AND SOME REPS, JUDGES, LAWYERS, MOVIE STARS, COMMIES, SOCIALISTS, MUD SLIMES, SOROS AND THE REST. COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS TO HAVE… Read more »
Hitlery is above the law too.And apparently Trump is above paying taxes
Trump payed his taxes. In all likelihood more than he had to. It is not illegal to deduct losses from taxable income and he appears to have suffered losses in a number of his projects. In addition he was audited many years, which means if the taxes weren’t correct, it would now be the fault of the IRS. But rest assured that he hired tax lawyers and they don’t do anything illegal because their livelihood and freedom would be at stake. Bezos and many other large corporations don’t pay any taxes. That is how US tax law works and always… Read more »
This is nothing but postering by the Democrats: Barr delivered a redacted copy of the report for the public and a less redacted copy for Congress to read in a secure space so sensitive content remains protected. He refused to lift redactions where they are needed to protect ongoing procedures and grand jury testimony that cannot be unsealed. He explained all that. If the Dems don’t want to accept the rules that govern the DoJ, that is their own shortcoming. It is also clear that Barr will not testify on any conclusions he drew from the report that would constitute… Read more »
Have the House sergeant-at arms arrest William Barr? When and where? Do you think anybody in the Executive branch would let that happen? I would love to see that Mexican stand-off. It would be like the scene from “Enemy of the State”, where the Mafia guys and the government criminals all had their guns drawn on each other, waiting for the spark to set it all off. Do the Democrats not realize there are at least a couple of problems with this? Number one, they can’t compel the AG to break Federal law to reveal secret Grand Jury testimony. Number… Read more »