This archive report was first published on 24 June 2020.
Published on June 24, 2020, a Justice Department official revealed that Attorney General William Barr acknowledged the investigations into the cannabis industry were motivated by its unpopularity within the department.
Democrats Threaten to Subpoena Barr ¶
House Democrats are intensifying their scrutiny of the Justice Department under Attorney General William Barr, with a hearing scheduled for Wednesday to examine allegations of politicization.
Wednesday's testimony is a key part of a broader effort by House Democrats to scrutinize the Justice Department under Mr. Barr. The relationship between the two sides soured long ago, when Mr. Barr refused to comply with Judiciary Committee requests related to the special counsel's Russia report.
Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Representative Jerrold Nadler, is also seeking testimony from Geoffrey S. Berman, the New York prosecutor fired last week by Mr. Trump and Mr. Barr.
Democrats have said they feel compelled to shine a light on perceived abuses at the department, but with a presidential election looming and the impeachment of Mr. Trump behind them, even they admit there are unlikely to be the kind of severe repercussions lawmakers once contemplated.
“He certainly deserves impeachment,” Mr. Nadler said of Mr. Barr on CNN's “State of the Union.” “But, again, that's a waste of time, because the Republicans in the Senate won't look at that, and we have other ways of getting at this.”
Department in Turmoil ¶
The hearing comes on the heels of a string of public missteps, internal chaos, and leadership changes at the Justice Department.
