Bill Barr confirmed as US Attorney-General
WASHINGTON: The US Senate confirmed Bill Barr as the nation’s next attorney-general, placing him in control of the long-running investigation into President Donald Trump’s possible Russia connections.
Lawmakers in the Republican controlled Senate voted largely along party lines, 54-45, to confirm Barr to the post, which he had previously held under George H W Bush’s administration.
Trump has attacked Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation as a ‘witch hunt.’ But Barr said during congressional testimony that he does not agree with that description, and that he would allow Mueller to complete his investigation unimpeded.
The White House said Barr’s confirmation marks “a major victory for justice and the rule of law in America.”
Barr, 68, will be sworn in at 4.45 pm in the Oval Office, according to the Justice Department.
The longtime communications industry lawyer takes the job amid a tug of war between the president, who wants greater control of the Justice Department, and Mueller.
Barr was confirmed despite his refusal to commit to making Mueller’s report public, something which has bothered many Democrats. He has pledged to be as transparent as possible, but that assurance has not sat well with critics.
Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer warned that Barr would be entering a ‘maelstrom’ upon taking the job. — AFP