By Jenni Fink
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The New York City Bar Association implored congressional leaders to launch a formal inquiry into Attorney General William Barr's conduct, claiming it threatened the public's confidence in the "fair and impartial administration of justice."
"Mr. Barr's recent actions and statements position the Attorney General and, by extension, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) as political partisans willing to use the levers of government to empower certain groups over others," the letter to the congressional leaders stated.
On Wednesday, Roger Juan Maldonado, president of the association, and chairman Stephen Kass sent the letter on behalf of the association. to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. The letter argued that Barr's actions violated the "bedrock" obligation government lawyers had to avoid "even the appearance of partiality."
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This isn't the first time the NYC Bar Association has criticized Barr's involvement in matters of justice. In October, they urged Barr to recuse himself from his department's review of a whistleblower's complaint about Trump's July phone call with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee also supported Barr recusing himself.
In illustrating the need for a formal inquiry into Barr, Wednesday's letter highlighted four public statements the attorney general made that the association found troubling, including:
- October 11, University of Notre Dame: Vowing to place the Department of Justice "at the forefront" of the effort to resist the "forces of secularization to drive religious viewpoints from the public square and to impinge upon the free exercise of our faith."
- November 15, Federalist Society's National Lawyer's Convention: Saying "the left" is engaged in the "systematic shredding of norms and the undermining of the rule of law."
- December 3, Attorney General's Award for Distinguished Service in Policing: Saying people who don't show the proper respect and support to law enforcement could find themselves "without the police protection they need."
- December 10, statement and television interview: Rejecting the Inspector General's finding that there was no improper political motivation in the FBI's investigation into President Donald Trump's campaign.
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Barr's comments, the letter said, "reinforce a broader pattern of conduct" that created an appearance of partiality in how he understands and carries out his role.
"In a troubling number of instances, Mr. Barr has spoken and acted in a manner communicating an impression that he views himself as serving as the Attorney General not for the entire nation, but more narrowly for certain segments of society," the letter said.
Newsweek reached out to the Department of Justice but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Maldonado and Kass didn't render a verdict on whether Barr violated any Rules of Professional Conduct, they claimed Barr's comments ran contrary to his own beliefs about the role of an attorney general. During his Senate confirmation hearing in 2019, Barr said the Department of Justice must be a place that can't be swayed by politics and where everyone is treated fairly based on the facts and an "even-handed application of the law."
"For the reasons stated above, we have significant concerns about the propriety of Mr. Barr's recent actions and statements," the letter said. "We urge Congress to exercise its constitutional obligations by expeditiously commencing formal inquiries into Mr. Barr's conduct."
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