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By Dayo Benson Editor Politics,Law/Human Rights
In a rare display of official defiance, United States Attorney General William Barr, Thursday evening, took a pot shot at President Donald Trump, saying that his tweets on Department of Justice,DOJ, are making it impossible for him to do his job.
In a swift reaction, White House stated that the President was not bothered about Barr’s comments, saying that he was free to express his views, adding that Trump had great confidence in him.
Barr’s criticism of his boss came on the heels of President Trump’s tweets on Roger Stone’s case. Barr spoke in an interview with ABC News.
The Attorney General has come under scathing comments for interfering in prosecution’s recommended sentence of Stone, Trump’s long standing associate. Barr’s meddling in sentencing guidelines c came 12 hours after Trump, in a tweet, expressed his displeasure over the recommended sentence on Stone.
However, in what appeared like a face saying move, Barr, in the ABC interview, said Trump
“has never asked me to do anything in a criminal case” , but complained that his tweets on D OJ “make it impossible for me to do my job.”
Barr who is perceived in some quarters as Trump’s legal hatchet man in the justice department, however reasserted his authority, saying
“I think it’s time to stop the tweeting about Department of Justice criminal cases.”
He explained that it was his duty to run the DOJ and take decisions on “what I think is the right thing to do.”
“I’m not going to be bullied or influenced by anybody … whether it’s Congress, a newspaper editorial board, or the president,” Barr said. “I’m gonna do what I think is right. And you know … I cannot do my job here at the department with a constant background commentary that undercuts me.”
President Trump had lashed out at the recommended nine years sentencing guidelines on Stone in a tweet. Barr’s reduced recommendation after the tweet forced the four prosecutors in charge to resign from the case Tuesday. One of them resigned from the DOJ in protest.
In the tweet, Trump said “This is a horrible and very unfair situation. The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them. Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice!”
Stone was convicted in a Federal Court of lying to Congress during Mueller Probe, obstruction of justice and witness tampering. He is due to be sentenced February 20. Barr is also due to testify before Congress on the case.