President Trump announced Friday he intends to nominate William Barr, who led the Justice Department during former President George H.W. Bush’s administration, to serve as attorney general.
Before departing the White House for Missouri, Trump confirmed to reporters he had picked Barr to replace former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who was forced out of the post last month.
“He was my first choice since day one,” Trump said of Barr, “respected by Republicans and respected by Democrats.”
Barr was attorney general from 1991 to 1993.
Since Sessions resigned as attorney general at Trump’s request, Matt Whitaker, Sessions’ chief of staff, has been serving as the acting attorney general.
Many Senate Democrats, however, were critical of Whitaker, raising objections to his previous comments on special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Whitaker’s appointment has also been challenged in a number of lawsuits.
Several lawmakers, though, signaled approval of Barr to serve as the nation’s top law enforcement official.
Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, told reporters that he believed Barr is the “kind of person that could get confirmed,” and Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., also said he believes Barr could garner bipartisan support.
The president praised Barr’s credentials before departing for an event in Kansas City, Mo., calling him “one of the most respected jurists in the country.”
“A terrific man,” Trump said. “A terrific person. A Brilliant man.”
If confirmed by the Senate, and depending on the length of his confirmation process, Barr could oversee Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 elections. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein had oversight of the probe after Sessions recused himself last year.
Sessions’ recusal was a major source of consternation for Trump, who publicly condemned his attorney general for the decision on multiple occasions.
Barr has worked with Mueller before, as he served as attorney general while Mueller led the Justice Department’s criminal division.
Prior comments from Barr on the Russia probe are likely to be a subject of inquiry for Senate Democrats during his confirmation.
Last year, Barr told the Washington Post regarding the political contributions made by members of the special counsel’s team that “prosecutors who make political contributions are identifying fairly strongly with a political party.”
“I would have like to see [Mueller] have more balance on this group,” he continued.
Barr also defended in the Washington Post the president’s decision to fire former FBI Director James Comey, saying he “crossed a line” when he announced the outcome of the bureau’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server.
In announcing the results of the probe, Barr said Comey “arrogated the attorney general’s authority to himself.”
After leaving his post as attorney general in 1993, Barr served in a number of senior corporate roles, including as general counsel and executive vice president of Verizon Communications.
He currently works at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Washington.
