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Photo: Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Attorney General Bill Barr has agreed to testify before the House Judiciary Committee for a "general oversight hearing" on July 28, according to DOJ spokeswoman Kerri Kupec.

The state of play: The news that Barr has agreed to testify comes after House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) threatened to issue a subpoena — and as the committee is in the midst of a hearing about the alleged politicization of the Justice Department under Barr and President Trump.

The big picture: Nadler's threat to subpoena Barr — which would have called on the attorney general to appear on July 2 — came after the firing of of Geoffrey Berman, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York who had been investigating Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani.

  • Democrats have accused Barr of intervening in the cases of Trump associates Roger Stone and Michael Flynn for political purposes. On Wednesday, a DOJ whistleblower plans to testify before the committee that Stone was "treated differently from any other defendant because of his relationship to the president."
  • Barr has also come under scrutiny for his role in ordering federal law enforcement to physically clear peaceful protesters from Lafayette Square before Trump walked to St. John's Church for a photo op.

Worth noting: Barr had previously agreed to appear before the committee on March 31, but the hearing was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Go deeper: Former Roger Stone prosecutor to testify DOJ intervened in case for political purposes

Go deeper

Oct 1, 2020 - Technology

Congress looks to squeeze Big Tech ahead of election

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Tech companies are bracing for a tough day in three separate Capitol Hill committees Thursday, as lawmakers move to show they're tough on social media platforms in the days leading up to the election.

Why it matters: Big Tech has become a go-to punching bag for both the right and left, and tech policy has become increasingly fertile ground for grievance politics.

2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Biden aims to deflect fights over first Cabinet picks

Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

President-elect Joe Biden has made his choice for secretary of state, three people familiar with the matter tell Axios, moving quickly to assemble a Senate-confirmable Cabinet even as President Trump refuses to concede the election.

The big picture: Biden already has said he's made his choice for Treasury, and both picks may be aimed at defusing confirmation fights with Senate Republicans and internal battles with Democratic progressives.

Michigan GOP leaders after Trump meeting: "We will follow the law"

Photo: Tasos Katopodis via Getty Images

Republican leaders in Michigan said they "have not yet been aware of any information that would change the outcome of the election" in the state after meeting with President Trump at the White House Friday.

Why it matters: The meeting was part of a long-shot effort by Trump and his campaign to prevent Michigan from certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the state, per NYT. But state Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R) and Speaker of the House Lee Chatfield (R) made clear they would not be intimidated into diverging from the normal election process.