Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Clovis Unified Mourns Passing of Former Superintendent Terry Bradley

5 hours ago

Clovis At-Risk Missing Person Found Dead in Fresno Canal

6 hours ago

DOJ Asks California Sheriffs for Names of Inmates Who Aren’t Citizens

7 hours ago

Israel Agrees to Allow Syrian Troops Limited Access to Sweida

7 hours ago

Border Patrol Agents Raid a Home Depot in Northern California

7 hours ago

Man Admits to Killing Missing Bass Lake Resident, Madera County Authorities Say

1 day ago

Trump Diagnosed With Vein Condition Causing Leg Swelling, White House Says

1 day ago

US Seeks One-Day Sentence for Police Officer Convicted in Breonna Taylor Case

1 day ago

Manhattan Prosecutor Who Handled Epstein Cases Is Fired

1 day ago
Barr To Be a No-Show for House Hearing, Stepping Up Tensions
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
May 2, 2019

Share

WASHINGTON — Attorney General William Barr has informed lawmakers on the House Judiciary Committee that he will skip a hearing on special counsel Robert Mueller’s report, escalating an already acrimonious battle between Democrats and the Justice Department.

Barr’s decision — he cites a disagreement over the questioning — came the same day the department missed a committee deadline to provide the panel with a full, unredacted version of Mueller’s Russia report and its underlying evidence. Those moves are likely to prompt a vote on holding Barr in contempt, and possibly the issuance of subpoenas — bringing House Democrats and the Trump administration closer to a prolonged battle in court.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler said he will still convene the hearing, raising the prospect of an empty witness chair.

Chairman Will Still Convene Hearing

Even though Barr informed the panel he isn’t coming Thursday, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler said he will still convene the hearing, raising the prospect of an empty witness chair.

“I hope and expect the attorney general will think overnight and will be there as well,” Nadler said.

As Barr refused to testify, Democrats sought to speak to Mueller himself. Nadler said the panel hoped the special counsel would appear before the committee on May 15 and the panel was “firming up the date.”

The attorney general’s cancellation meant he would avoid another round of sharp questioning after testifying Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Democrats on the panel charged that Barr was protecting President Donald Trump after he assessed Mueller’s report on his own and declared there wasn’t enough evidence that Trump had committed obstruction of justice. Mueller didn’t charge Trump with obstruction, but wrote that he couldn’t exonerate him, either.

Democrats Signal They Won’t Back Down

The standoff with Justice Department is one of several fights House Democrats are waging with the Trump administration. Trump has vowed to fight “all of the subpoenas” as multiple committees have sought to speak with administration officials or obtain documents relevant to his policies and finances. Democrats have signaled they won’t back down and will take the steps necessary — including in court — to get the White House to comply.

Barr had objected to the format of the hearing after Democrats decided to let staff attorneys conduct a round of questioning after lawmakers were done.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said she’s not interested in impeachment, for the moment. But she told The Associated Press on Wednesday that “the threat of impeachment is always there.”

Nadler, D-N.Y., and the Justice Department traded barbs shortly after Barr informed lawmakers of his decision on the hearing, with Nadler saying the attorney general is “trying to blackmail the committee” by setting his own terms. Barr had objected to the format of the hearing after Democrats decided to let staff attorneys conduct a round of questioning after lawmakers were done.

Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said the staff questioning is “unprecedented and unnecessary.”

Contempt of Congress Vote Possible

Also weighing in on the matter of who would ask questions was Trump. “They want to treat him differently than they have anybody else,” the president told Fox Business Network’s Trish Regan on Wednesday night, adding, “You elect people that are supposed to be able to do their own talking.” Trump said he heard that Barr had performed “incredibly well” before the Senate panel.

While a contempt vote would make a strong statement, it is unlikely to force the Justice Department to hand over the Mueller report.

It’s unclear whether Barr will eventually negotiate an appearance with the House panel. Nadler said he would not issue a subpoena for Barr’s appearance on Thursday but would first focus on getting the full Mueller report, likely including a vote holding Barr in contempt of Congress.

While a contempt vote would make a strong statement, it is unlikely to force the Justice Department to hand over the report. A vote of the full House on contempt would send a criminal referral to the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia — a Justice Department official who is likely to defend the administration’s interests. But even if the U.S. attorney declines to prosecute, Democrats could pursue other avenues in court.

In a letter sent to the committee late Wednesday, Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd laid out a list of reasons that the department won’t provide the full Mueller report or all the underlying evidence. Boyd said the special counsel’s investigative files include “millions of pages of classified and unclassified documents, bearing upon more than two dozen criminal cases and investigations, many of which are ongoing.” Boyd also reiterated that the department would not disclose secret grand jury material, another battle that could end up in court if Nadler decides to fight it.

Lawmakers Seeking Full Mueller Report

The Justice Department has already made a less-redacted version of the report available for a small number of lawmakers, including Nadler and Pelosi, but Democrats have so far declined to read it, saying they want the entire report released to a wider audience.

Republicans have objected to Nadler’s demands and say the staff questioning is unnecessary. They argue that Democrats are trying to have impeachment hearings without going through the official process of impeachment.

“Chairman Nadler sabotaged his own hearing,” Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., said after Barr canceled. “That’s sad. Because now Republicans and Democrats are not going to be able to question Bill Barr.”

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Who is the Future US Attorney for Fresno? Two Big Names Say They’re Not Interested

DON'T MISS

Fresno Firefighters Rescue Girl Trapped in Chimney

DON'T MISS

Rubio Says 10 Americans Detained in Venezuela Have Been Released

DON'T MISS

US Firms to Develop Syria Energy Masterplan After Trump Lifts Sanctions

DON'T MISS

More than Severance: Fresno Unified Wants to Give $162K to Nikki Henry to End ‘Dispute’

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Arrest Man Accused of Chasing, Shooting Victim

DON'T MISS

What You Need to Know About Trump, Epstein and the MAGA Controversy

DON'T MISS

How Many Millions of Dollars Will Fresno Get From Airport Car Rentals?

DON'T MISS

DOJ Wants California Jail Data on Noncitizen Inmates. Fresno Sheriff Reviews Request.

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Arrest Three in Drug Raid, Recover Firearms and Narcotics

UP NEXT

Connie Francis, Whose Ballads Dominated ’60s Pop Music, Dies at 87

UP NEXT

FDA Approves Juul’s Tobacco and Menthol E-Cigarettes

UP NEXT

7.3 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Off Alaska Coast. No Danger to California

UP NEXT

Age Is Just a Number: 80-Year-Old Conquers Death Valley to Mt. Whitney Ultramarathon

UP NEXT

Is US Democracy Threatened? Majority of Californians, Including Republicans, Say Yes

UP NEXT

US Senator Seeks Safety Reforms After Fatal Collision Between Army Helicopter, Regional Jet

UP NEXT

PBS and NPR Mount Last-Ditch Fight to Save Federal Funding

UP NEXT

Elmo’s X Account Gets Hacked, Posts Antisemitic and Racist Messages

UP NEXT

Fire at Boston-Area Senior Living Facility Kills at Least Nine

UP NEXT

Arizona Governor Wants Investigation of Federal Handling of Grand Canyon Fire

US Firms to Develop Syria Energy Masterplan After Trump Lifts Sanctions

3 hours ago

More than Severance: Fresno Unified Wants to Give $162K to Nikki Henry to End ‘Dispute’

3 hours ago

Fresno Police Arrest Man Accused of Chasing, Shooting Victim

3 hours ago

What You Need to Know About Trump, Epstein and the MAGA Controversy

3 hours ago

How Many Millions of Dollars Will Fresno Get From Airport Car Rentals?

4 hours ago

DOJ Wants California Jail Data on Noncitizen Inmates. Fresno Sheriff Reviews Request.

4 hours ago

Fresno Police Arrest Three in Drug Raid, Recover Firearms and Narcotics

5 hours ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Lavisha Denise Beard

5 hours ago

Blast at Los Angeles Sheriff’s Facility Leaves Three Dead, Media Reports

5 hours ago

Clovis Unified Mourns Passing of Former Superintendent Terry Bradley

5 hours ago

Who is the Future US Attorney for Fresno? Two Big Names Say They’re Not Interested

The dismissal of the U.S. Attorney in the Fresno area before a full-time nominee was appointed was unusual, a man who previously held the jo...

5 minutes ago

5 minutes ago

Who is the Future US Attorney for Fresno? Two Big Names Say They’re Not Interested

A juvenile girl was rescued early Thursday, July 17, 2025, after becoming trapped inside a chimney at a Fresno home and was hospitalized with minor injuries. (Fresno FD)
25 minutes ago

Fresno Firefighters Rescue Girl Trapped in Chimney

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends a nuclear cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony with Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani (not pictured), at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 16, 2025. (Reuters/Umit Bektas)
2 hours ago

Rubio Says 10 Americans Detained in Venezuela Have Been Released

Men work at a makeshift oil refinery site in Marchmarin town, southern countryside of Idlib, Syria December 16, 2015. (Reuters File)
3 hours ago

US Firms to Develop Syria Energy Masterplan After Trump Lifts Sanctions

3 hours ago

More than Severance: Fresno Unified Wants to Give $162K to Nikki Henry to End ‘Dispute’

Julian Nathaniel Benavidez was arrested in connection with a July 6 shooting in northwest Fresno that left one person injured. (Fresno PD)
3 hours ago

Fresno Police Arrest Man Accused of Chasing, Shooting Victim

President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 8, 2025. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)
3 hours ago

What You Need to Know About Trump, Epstein and the MAGA Controversy

4 hours ago

How Many Millions of Dollars Will Fresno Get From Airport Car Rentals?

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend