Rep. Jerry Nadler at a New York City press conference on June 2. Photo: Scott Heins/Getty Images
House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) announced on Tuesday that Justice Department whistleblowers and former agency officials are expected to testify on what he deemed "the unprecedented politicization" of the DOJ under Attorney General Bill Barr and President Trump.
Driving the news: Nadler listed Barr walking with Trump and other administration officials to Washington, D.C.'s historic St. John’s Episcopal Church on Monday as an example of Barr's "unacceptable" behavior. The photo op was made possible by military police and park rangers using tear gas and physical force on peaceful protestors to clear the area.
- Nadler said that he would introduce legislation to slash the DOJ's budget by $50 million.
- Nadler attributed the proposed funding cuts and oversight to the DOJ's decision to drop its prosecution of former national security adviser Michael Flynn and Barr's refusal to testify due to the coronavirus pandemic.
What they're saying: “I am not going to spend months litigating a subpoena with an Attorney General who has already spent years resisting the courts and legitimate congressional oversight—but neither will we stand by and allow Mr. Barr to continue to corrupt the Department," Nadler said in a press release on Tuesday. "We do not take these actions lightly or with any sense of joy. We have both a duty and a moral obligation to protect the rule of law in our country, and we intend to do just that."
- In response to Monday's protests in D.C., Barr said in a statement on Tuesday: "There will be even greater law enforcement resources and support in the region tonight. The most basic function of government is to provide security for people to live their lives and exercise their rights, and we will meet that responsibility here in the nation’s capital.” Barr said Monday's protests were "a more peaceful night in the District of Columbia."
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