On Wednesday, Attorney General William Barr told a House panel that he would not testify over the Mueller report. Barr has come under fire from Democrats for allegedly trying to shield President Trump and for spinning the content of the Mueller report. His refusal to cooperate with Congress could potentially lead to a contempt citation.
Democrats allege that Barr has repeatedly misrepresented the Mueller report and that he may have even lied while giving testimony to Congress. Democrats have also accused Barr of lying to the public. Some are even calling for Barr to resign.
Barr has also been dragging his feet in handing over a non-redacted version of the Mueller report. He was ordered to hand over the full report earlier this week but has so far declined to do so. Barr claims that he was not even legally required to hand over a redacted version of the report but did so anyways in order to be cooperative.
Democrats have argued that Barr is acting more like President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer rather than an appointed official. Republicans in Congress have blasted Democrats for making unreasonable demands. Barr, for his part, has argued that Democrats are not engaging in “legitimate oversight.”
If Barr is eventually found to be in contempt of Congress, it won’t mark the first time for an attorney general. Barack Obama’s attorney general Eric Holder was also found to be in contempt for refusing to hand over paperwork related to the “fast and furious” gun scandal. However, a federal judge later refused to uphold the charge.
