That the criticism came from a federal judge — who is demanding a full review of one of Barr’s most important acts — shows just how far the Attorney General has undermined his office
Photo: MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images Almost a year after Robert Mueller turned over his report on Russian interference in the 2016 election to the Department of Justice last March, a federal judge condemned William Barr’s initial summary of the investigation’s findings, stating that it didn’t match what the special counsel actually determined.
Judge Reggie B. Walton, a senior judge appointed by George W. Bush to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, determined that Barr’s summary was a “distorted” and “misleading” account of Mueller’s findings, adding that Barr’s “lack of candor” on the matter called into question his “credibility.” Judge Walton issued the statement as part of a ruling in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by BuzzFeed News seeking access to an unredacted version of the report.
“The court cannot reconcile certain public representations made by Attorney General Barr with the findings in the Mueller Report.
Judge Walton’s questioning of Barr’s independence and credibility in his role gives credence to Democrats’ and critics’ long-held and near-identical assertions over his treatment of the report. That the criticism came from a federal judge appointed by a Republican president in a formal ruling that required a full accounting of DOJ redactions shows just how far the Attorney General has undermined his office.
Judging from past volleys of criticism, it’s unlikely that Judge Walton’s condemnation of Barr’s handling of the Mueller report will alter the Attorney General’s behavior moving forward. After Barr faced major scrutiny for misleading the public on the Mueller report’s findings, Barr was asked if he was concerned about his legacy. He responded with a brutal and honest nihilism: “Everyone dies.
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