An emergency for the nation’s rule of law recently came into sharp focus, as Donald Trump and Attorney General Bill Barr politicized federal law enforcement in ways without modern precedent. The story that helped light the match was the president’s intervention in Roger Stone’s prosecution — a move that led four federal prosecutors to resign in protest — but it was far from the only incident.
Not surprisingly, Senate Democrats demanded scrutiny of the controversy. Also not surprisingly, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he didn’t much care.
But what about the other chamber, where there’s a Democratic majority? This morning, the House Judiciary Committee issued a press statement of interest.
In advance of the Judiciary Committee’s March 31st hearing with Attorney General William Barr, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) sent a letter requesting that the Department of Justice provide the Committee with information and access to 15 individuals who are currently or formerly employed by the Department and who have knowledge concerning improper intervention in the Roger Stone prosecution and other cases of personal interest to President Trump.
“The Judiciary Committee needs to examine a range of recent actions that smack of political interference, including the Department’s withdrawal of the Roger Stone sentencing recommendation; intervening in the handling of the Michael Flynn prosecution; overruling the decision to relocate Paul Manafort to Rikers Island; opening investigations into career officials involved in the Russia investigation; and a series of controversial interventions into sensitive antitrust matters,” Nadler said.
The committee chairman added, “Our democracy is founded on the notion that no one is above the law, and strict adherence to the rule of law has separated us from all other nations. Attorneys General have supported this principle on a bipartisan basis throughout our history, but that principle is now under assault. There is also a long history of Attorneys General cooperating in oversight inquiries led by both Democrats as well as Republicans, and given the stakes for our nation, we expect Attorney General Barr’s full cooperation here.”
Nadler’s full, four-page letter to the attorney general is online here (pdf).









