WASHINGTON – Reacting to the release of the redacted version of Special Counsel Bob Mueller’s report, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) slammed Attorney General Bill Barr.
“I think he’s done a deep disservice to the country and frankly he should have never been confirmed without committing to recusing himself from this entire investigation,” Schiff said during a press conference on Thursday.
“As we all know, he applied for the job by writing a 19-page legal memo setting out why he thought an obstruction case against the president would not lie, that it was a bogus theory and he made good on that job application in what he did today and what he has done thus far. So I think it was a grave error for the Senate to confirm him without requiring his recusal,” he added.
Schiff also said the American people were “deprived of important information” because the special counsel did not interview Trump in person.
“I thought it was a mistake not to subpoena the president,” he said.
Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself from the Russia investigation – a decision Trump opposed as “extremely unfair.” In November of 2018, Sessions resigned “at the request” of Trump, who went on to repeatedly criticize Sessions for the recusal. On March 21, PJM asked Sessions if he regretted recusing himself after looking back on the situation at this point in time.
“I’m not going to talk about that – that’s all well-established,” Sessions replied.
In a March 2 campaign rally, Trump mocked Sessions for the recusal.
Sessions hasn’t commented on his decision to recuse himself since resigning from his position.
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