Four former presidents of the D.C. Bar Association have called for the body to investigate Attorney General William Barr. They accuse him of unethical behavior and violating his oath to uphold the Constitution.
In a lengthy complaint published on Wednesday, the signatories point to Barr’s actions on the Special Counsel’s Russia probe, the clearing of protesters from Lafayette Square and other issues.
The letter is signed by a slew of legal personalities and experts, including former government lawyers, as well as four former heads of the D.C. Bar Association.
“Mr. Barr’s client is the United States, and not the president,” they write.
“Yet, Mr. Barr has consistently made decisions and taken action to serve the personal and political self-interests of President Donald Trump, rather than the interest of the United States.”
“Indeed, the notion that the legitimacy of an FBI investigation’s initiation should be judged by its end, if applied broadly, could easily chill the initiation of wholly legitimate inquiries for fear of being second-guessed,” the letter goes on.
The 40-page document is filled with criticisms of Barr supported by examples from his time as President Donald Trump’s attorney general.
“These violations of Mr. Barr’s ethical duties are not haphazard or by chance. They embody a consistent pattern,” it says.
“Where a lawyer in Mr. Barr’s position has violated the basic standards of honesty, trustworthiness, and other guideposts of ethical conduct governing lawyers, the Office of Disciplinary Counsel is in a unique, independent position to investigate his conduct.”
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