Attorney General Whitaker and Nominee, Barr Weigh in on Russia Probe

Two Attorney Generals have been shoved into the spotlight after President Donald Trump’s top pick for Attorney General, William P. Barr, authored a memo criticizing special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russian probe.

Current acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker has also been featured in headlines across the country given the Department of Justice’s Ethics Committee advised Whitaker he does not need to recuse himself from overseeing Mueller’s ongoing investigation.

Barr, who has been nominated by President Trump to serve as the next Attorney General, wrote a memo earlier this year to DOJ officials claiming the special counsel has fashioned a “fatally misconceived” legal theory accusing President Donald Trump of obstruction of Justice, the Washington Post reported.

The memo, written in June, was addressed to the current Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein. Throughout the document, Barr wrote that Mueller’s theory of obstruction “is premised on a novel and legally insupportable reading of the law. Moreover, in my view, if credited by the department, it would have grave consequences far beyond the immediate confines of this case and would do lasting damage to the presidency and to the administration of law within the executive branch.”

The memo was first made public by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday night.

Barr, who may be serving atop the Justice Department next year, if approved by Congress, has been infamously critical of the Mueller investigation, The Hill reported. The memo’s publication has emphasized said fact, and may raise alarms amongst Democratic lawmakers inclined to protect Mueller’s Russian investigation. Democratic opposition may lead to a partisan divide in Barr’s confirmation vote.

Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein, however, has announced he is confident Barr will be confirmed to serve as Attorney General next year despite Barr’s opinionated memo. Rosenstein defended Barr, telling Politico reporters he will be “an excellent attorney general when he is confirmed next year.”

Earlier this year, current acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker was also under pressure to recuse himself from Mueller’s Russian investigation due to democratic officials who acclaimed there were existing conflicts of interest. Whitaker had been critical of Mueller’s investigation as well; even publishing an article on CNN titled, “Mueller’s investigation of Trump is going too far.”

However, ethics officials from the Justice Department have advised Whitaker against recusing himself from the probe, given no conflicts of interest surfaced throughout the officials’ review, Fox News reported. Regardless, one senior DOJ official acknowledged the decision had been “a close call.”

Whitaker’s current role as acting Attorney General includes overseeing the special counsel’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential elections. Whitaker will continue to serve as acting Attorney General until Barr’s confirmation in the senate when Congress reconvenes next year.

On Thursday, at a press conference, current Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein assured that the Russian investigation will be “handled appropriately,” regardless of who takes the wheel.

“It’s being handled appropriately, whether its Bob Mueller or Rod Rosenstein or Matt Whitaker or Bill Barr, that investigation