Jonathan Turley: Think twice about why the media attacks William Barr
By Jonathan Turley, opinion contributor — 06/27/20 10:00 AM EDT
Two years ago, I criticized President Trump for his endless attacks on then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Now, Attorney General William Barr is being similarly attacked by Trump critics, and some media coverage shows the same kind of blind rage without reason.
While I have criticized Barr for some of his policies and actions, he is someone I have known personally for years and even represented with other attorneys general in the Clinton impeachment litigation. Piling on Barr has never been more popular — but the basis for this criticism has never been weaker. Three particular news stories seemed to break entirely free from any factual or legal moorings, and no one seemed to care.
The Flynn case
The Michael Flynn case this week has been much in the news, including a congressional hearing exploring Barr’s involvement. Of course, for Barr to be thoroughly immoral, the Flynn case must be portrayed as virtually immaculate. Thus, the coverage has steadfastly ignored disclosures over how the FBI pushed unrelentingly for any criminal charge against Flynn, allegedly withheld exculpatory evidence, and gave misleading statements to the trial court.
Confirming these facts seems immaterial to the criticism. Even my colleagues at George Washington University, from which Barr graduated, signed a letter denouncing him over the Flynn case despite new facts unfolding. The letter is well-written and raises a number of legitimate issues. However, some of us felt it reached conclusions before establishing any facts.
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https://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/504827-think-twice-about-why-the-media-attacks-william-barr
