Barr Should Not Be Confirmed
WASHINGTON, D.C., December 20, 2018 – Alliance for Justice today released a fact sheet on President Trump’s choice for attorney general, William Barr, outlining initial areas of concern in Barr’s record. AFJ President Nan Aron released the following statement:
“William Barr’s extreme ideology makes him a very poor choice to head the Justice Department, an institution whose core mission is to protect the rights of all Americans. Barr has already served as attorney general, during which time the Justice Department signed off on controversial pardons in the Iran-Contra scandal, disproportionately imprisoned communities of color, and blocked HIV-positive individuals from entering the U.S. His record since then has been no better, as he has staked out positions that show he poses a serious threat not just to civil rights but to the Mueller investigation and the rule of law itself.”
The AFJ paper finds that the concerns about Barr’s record fall into three main categories:
- Barr will not be independent of President Trump or restrain Trump’s attacks on the rule of law. Barr is already on record minimizing the seriousness of allegations about Trump and Russia, and in recent months submitted a lengthy memo to DOJ attacking part of the Mueller investigation.
- Barr will roll back civil rights. Barr has expressed very troubling views on immigration, reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights and criminal justice.
- Barr supports the wealthy and powerful over all Americans. Barr has attacked consumer protections and the Affordable Care Act.
The full fact sheet can be found here.