House Democrats call on DOJ watchdog to open 'emergency investigation' into Durham inquiry
Top House Democrats called for Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz to investigate Attorney General William Barr and U.S. Attorney John Durham for their investigation of the Trump-Russia investigators one day after Senate Democrats made the same request. “We write to ask that you open an emergency investigation into whether” Barr, Durham, and other Justice Department political appointees “are following DOJ’s longstanding policy to avoid taking official actions or other steps that could improperly influence the upcoming presidential election,” the Friday letter from the Democratic leaders said. “We also request that you evaluate the authority and scope under which” Durham “is operating” because Barr “has only provided vague and shifting statements about the purpose and scope of the investigation.” Barr recently denied that he is being pressured by President Trump in his handling of Durham’s inquiry and claimed that any actions taken won't affect the 2020 election. Barr has stressed that the Durham review will abide by Justice Department guidelines and has repeatedly said that despite urging from Trump, former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden, who is now the 2020 Democratic presidential nominee, are not under criminal investigation.
The six-page Friday letter, signed by Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler of New York, Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff of California, Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, and House Administration Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren, followed a Thursday letter led by Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris along with nine other Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee urging Horowitz to audit the investigation by Barr and Durham into the origins of the Trump-Russia inquiry and the conduct of law enforcement and intelligence officials during that investigation. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner's request for comment. The DOJ watchdog's office declined to comment. "House Democrats are absolutely terrified," the Twitter account for Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee tweeted in response to the letter. "They know Barr and Durham are cleaning up … what the Obama/Biden DOJ left behind. And the results won’t be pretty for them." House Democrats wrote that “we are concerned by indications” that Barr “might depart from longstanding DOJ principles to take public action” related to Durham’s investigation “that could impact the presidential election.” They also claimed that “Barr has signaled repeatedly that he is likely to allow DOJ to take prosecutorial actions, make public disclosures, and even issue reports before the presidential election in November” and that “such actions clearly appear intended to benefit President Trump politically.”
Three prior attorneys general — George W. Bush’s attorney general, Michael Mukasey, and Obama’s attorneys general Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch — released similar memos on conducting investigations related to political candidates close to an election. “Simply put, politics must play no role in the decisions of federal investigators or prosecutors regarding any investigations or criminal charges,” the Mukasey, Holder, and Lynch memos all stated. “Law enforcement officers and prosecutors may never select the timing of investigative steps or criminal charges for the purpose of affecting any election, or for the purpose of giving an advantage or disadvantage to any candidate or political party.” In February, Barr released his own memo.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/house-democrats-call-on-doj-watchdog-to-open-emergency-investigation-into-durham-inquiry
Nadler Letter to Michael Horowitz
https://judiciary.house.gov/uploadedfiles/2020-09-18_ltr_to_doj_ig.pdf
Bill Barr Memo
https://docs.house.gov/meetings/JU/JU00/20200624/110836/HHRG-116-JU00-20200624-SD009-U19.pdf