Barr would put rights of Americans at risk

William Barr is the wrong person to take the helm of the Department of Justice at this critical moment for civil rights and the rule of law.

The department’s civil rights mission is already severely tarnished by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions. His DOJ manifested hostility to the rights of persons of color, women, LGBTQ Americans, persons with disabilities and immigrants.

Barr’s record suggests that he’d continue this legacy: He co-signed a recent op-ed fulsomely praising Sessions’ tenure at the Justice Department. He has disparaged LGBTQ people, repeatedly called for overturning Roe v. Wade, and wouldn’t commit to upholding Roe at his confirmation hearing.

Barr’s previous tenure as attorney general featured the so-called War on Drugs, which decimated communities of color. He once wrote a report titled “The Case for More Incarceration” and also played a key role in George H.W. Bush’s Iran-Contra pardons.

These concerns alone would give us pause. But there is more. Barr’s nomi- nation comes as special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe is nearing conclusion. Barr has been adamant that he believes presidents enjoy expansive powers, and he is deeply skeptical of special prosecutors. Last June, Barr sent — without being asked — a lengthy memo to DOJ and the White House claiming that Mueller has no case for obstruction of justice by the president, signaling his willingness to shield the president from legal jeopardy.

At the hearing, Barr refused to commit to fully releasing Mueller’s report or recusing himself from matters relating to the probe, should he become attorney general. His seeming desire to pander to President Donald Trump to get this job is troubling — and more than a little mystifying.

An independent Justice Department that upholds the rights of all Americans should be a cornerstone of our democracy, but recent years have jeopardized that ideal. Under Barr, we believe, the rights of millions of Americans would be at risk.