Attorney General William P. Barr appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing on Jan. 15. By David Kris and Michael Morell Michael Morell Contributing columnist covering intelligence and national security. Bio Follow April 16 at 10:00 AM David Kris, former assistant attorney general for national security from 2009 to 2011, is co-founder of the consulting firm Culper Partners.
First, Barr’s statements supported a narrative that the FBI and intelligence community were acting improperly and illegally when they investigated links between the Trump campaign and Russian election interference. This is not principally because “spying” is a pejorative word ; both of us have used it to refer to wholly legitimate government surveillance in other contexts.
Third, although Barr focused on prior FBI leadership, rather than the bureau’s rank and file, Barr’s statements also resonated with prior presidential attacks on the agency and the intelligence community as a whole. A better approach would have been to use more neutral language, to have acknowledged the importance of proper investigation as well as the risk of improper investigation, or to have simply referenced the forthcoming inspector general’s report and left it at that.
Is there any justification for Barr’s reference to “spying"? Perhaps he is thinking several moves ahead, trying to placate — rather than pander to — Trump in an effort to avoid a potentially worse outcome, such as direct presidential interference. If Barr anticipates that the forthcoming IG report will not show any major wrongdoing, for example, perhaps he is trying to establish his bona fides in advance of delivering that news.
Loretta Lynch, Mr. Comey, and Fusion GPS damaged the credibilty of the DOJ.
𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬
Trx1000 It seems to me that much of the intelligence behind is classified but Barr just opened the door into declassifying and making parts public by offering as evidence. Now must have info public to prove.
Um it’s public knowledge that there was spying...
In the end, no cost to truth.
You wonder if they are working for the Russians as they are destroying our respect for Law Enforcement. He does not listen to Intelligence agencies either. They fired Comey and screwed Strock out of his pension. He installs a Butt Boy as AG? The country suffers every day.
A 2 year investigation into 'Russian Collusion' with perpetual hourly headlines all over the media insinuating Trump's guilt, resulted in a finding of 'no collusion'. Maybe a journalist spending a couple hours investigating the spying allegation would be warranted.
L O L Trump 2020!
Obese and out-of-control.
What is Barr hiding? If he read the Mueller report then he shouldn't left things dangling for speculation 🤔
I do think he is the one that has done the damage! He may the one that can repair it!
Hopefully the outcome is a cleaned up FBI & DOJ.
It means your paper is toast
A legal FISA warrant is not spying. Trumps people (16 of them)shouldnt have been involed with known Russian spies. Anybody who is upset with this is not an American patriot. You have contact with known Russian spies our FBI better look into it.
damage was done by their very own action and inaction. the media's action and inaction in covering this debacle is damaging its constitutionally enshrined credibility too
Trump and his far right nutjobs had this whole conspiracy nonsense ready back in November 2016 for when they lost the election to delegitimize the winner....then he won instead and now he’s deploying it anyways...totally demented and diseased thinking
...even though it's true. (?)
Truth hurts only those demmohippocrits and media involved in the COUP attempt
Sully= Barr
The high cost of the media staying in denial about a democratic regime investigating a republican candidate using fbi cia and nsa resources. Including Secretly taping and setting up fake spy meetings with campaign staffers in a sting operation
What if it actually happened?
Oh please. Allegations Twisted. Slanted. Propaganda. Much...
The cost of spying on political opponents is a million times higher
You mean like all the trees wasted printing your lies about Russian spies?
Treason comes at a high cost. Those associated with this terrible conspiracy to overthrow the Government should face consequences. Start with Obama and Clinton work down.
Dishonest journalism
WIlliam Barr is a really low bar of an AG. He has tarnished his legacy for good.
Whether you say surveilled or spied, the fact is the FBI 'investigated' a presidential campaign based at least in part on information gathered and paid for an opposing campaign. That's a serious allegation and should be investigated. Reverse the Rs and Ds and you'd be apoplectic.
There are some delusional leftist replying to this tweet. 😂😂 oh btw wapo ridiculousbullshit is what this article is!!!
What's wrong with this man?You heard nothing but praise from all sides on what a stand up guy he was - well respected - sharp legal mind, etc., etc., What happened? Feels like realDonaldTrump got to him and broke him of any integrity and he has surely lost his self respect,SAD
It’s gonna cost Obama’s cabinet their freedom
We had two years of bullshit about RUSSIA RUSSIA RUSSIA! I think a two year investigation into the swamp is warranted
Who thinks Barr is credible?
The credibility was not damaged by William Barr.
What about the 'high cost' of the *ACTUAL SPYING*
No, they already did that to themselves!
Cost be dann.if spying occurred, prison for treason.
Allegations? Wiretapping is spying 🙄
You’d have to be completely and utterly deluded to believe they weren’t spied on. It’s truly Orwellian MSM is still willingly being useful idiots for the Dem party and those who may have abused our intel apparatus.
Organized crime must MUST be investing huge sums of money in this government! Now they can go to court and F the system any way they want! Plus Barr ruined his rep 4ever! WHY? So a pipi loving orange fat old guy can insult people on TV!!!
Versus the low cost of a soft coup?
Russian SPIE.. BARR?
Yeah, idiot trump base believe it. It is bullshit allegation meant to distract from the crimes and abuses committed by Trump. Barr was put in place to distract and protect the criminal.
Cost? No, NOBODY is above the law. Accountability is coming
What about the cost of the Mueller Investigation. I think that would Justify a Real Investigation.
This is shameless, WaPo. It's indisputable that spying occurred. The question--as Barr said--is whether it was legal or illegal. Looking into the matter is hardly a scandal.
这家伙真的懂美国法律吗？ 作为司法部长，他遵守美国宪法吗？
On the upside, Shrek looks good in glasses.
Fred flintstone is running interference for trump and his minions waiting for Barney rubble to be named his deputy
Jim_Jordan DevinNunes The high cost will be the convictions of agency heads who passed on a fake “Steele Dossier” intentionally to the FISA court, to spy on a political opponent through the use of government agency heads, and the media, to alter two elections 2016 and 2018.
Barr's is just another shitshow designed to divert attention away from what is *really* going on.
Is the cost higher than the fake Russian collusion?
Doing a great job. Everything by the book. No 'Dossier's' needed, only Laws on the book! Truth will prevail again!
But they did spy. Isn't that an accepted fact?
If the awesome/fearsome power of the FISA court has been abused for political gain - it is AGBarr 's duty to make that known.
Apples and Oranges. 😉
The cost will be jail time for the culprits. Let's hope it is a high cost so it never happens again.
Nice deflection piece
Actually, WP, nice try, but wrong headline & story. You SHOULD report on “High Cost of Obama Administration Spying Activities”, but not to worry—that one will be coming in the not too distant future.
Analysis: WaPo takes FBI meetings, unmaskings, FISA Warrants and informants and places them in the 'to shred pile'. I am glad we cleared that up is now the consensus.
Dems andrepublicans should be alarmed by campaign spying
But but but maybe Barr has to take care of number one!
Barr is a dinosaur from a throwback era of the 'good ol' boy' politics of the 80's. His is a 'fixer', brought in specifically to clean up the Trump mess in an effort by the GOP to eventually distance itself from Trump he inevitably falls. Loaded language is strategy.
It is the bitter heads of those DC based organizations who have damaged their own credibility. Those men should all be investigated and imprisoned if they are found guilty of using their huge secret powers to influence a Presidential election.
For criminal Dems. CapitalCrimes
We all know WP and the main stream media pushed a false narrative about our President Trump. Coulght in a lie. Time to eat crow.
Make no mistake William Barr was picked by Trump to be his AG to do his bidding at the Justice Dept. Barr is the AG of Trump, not US. For him to come up with a spying charge with no evidence to present is very much Trump like.
One of the more irresponsible things I've seen in politics. He thought about the question from Sen. Shaheen and you could see the instant that he thought, 'I guess I do' so it tumbled out of his mouth. It's bad territory when the head of DOJ casually ponders conspiracy.
Barr is a disgrace to the legal profession
The high cost of treason... eventually.
Republicans don't care about that.
He's a walking wrecking ball to DOJ.
Not as high as the actual spying done by the Obama gang...
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