1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:05,360 Speaker 1: This is Bloomberg Law with June Grassoe from Bloomberg Radio. 2 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:09,400 Speaker 1: The Journey General William Barr is stepping down two weeks 3 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:12,400 Speaker 1: after saying in an interview that there was no evidence 4 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 1: of significant voter fraud in the election. It's the culmination 5 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: of an increasingly sour relationship with President Donald Trump. The 6 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:24,120 Speaker 1: Justice Department has been buffeted in recent years by Trump's 7 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 1: criticism of it and attempts to politicize it. So who 8 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 1: will Joe Biden pick as his attorney general? Joining me 9 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:33,680 Speaker 1: as former federal prosecutor Robert Mints a partner in McCarter 10 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:36,960 Speaker 1: In English? Bob, how much damage has been done to 11 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:41,199 Speaker 1: the Joice Department during the last four years, damage to 12 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:45,159 Speaker 1: its inner workings and the public's perception of its integrity 13 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:49,520 Speaker 1: and credibility. Almost from the outset of the Trump administration, 14 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:52,600 Speaker 1: there have been allegations that the President has attempted to 15 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: exert political influence over decisions made by the Department of 16 00:00:56,600 --> 00:01:00,160 Speaker 1: Justice and its Attorney General. Historically, the depart and of 17 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 1: Justice acts independently of the president. Because the Department of 18 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:10,040 Speaker 1: Justice is often investigating individuals who may have some political 19 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 1: connections to the President or to the president's political party. 20 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:17,120 Speaker 1: So it's important that those decisions are made by individuals 21 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:20,119 Speaker 1: who have no connection directly to the president, and there 22 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 1: must be an appearance that the Department of Justice is 23 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:25,480 Speaker 1: making decisions solely on the basis of the merits of 24 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:30,039 Speaker 1: these cases and not for any other reasons. Many Attorney 25 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:33,800 Speaker 1: general's offices have been accused of being politicized, and it's 26 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:37,040 Speaker 1: certainly an element of politics and all this, but just 27 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 1: how politicized has the Trump Justice Department been. Attorney General 28 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 1: bar has been criticized for being overly political, and in 29 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:49,279 Speaker 1: the past, all Attorney generals are certainly the most recent 30 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 1: ones have all been accused of at times making decisions 31 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 1: that were more political than legal. But in this case, 32 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 1: critics have said that Mr Trump made clear almost from 33 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: the outset he viewed the Department of Justice and the 34 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 1: FBI as organizations that should be acting in his best 35 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:09,360 Speaker 1: interests and not necessarily in the interests of the country. 36 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 1: He repeatedly pressured the Attorney general, for example, to investigate 37 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:18,960 Speaker 1: Mr Biden, to investigate former President Barack Obama, to investigate 38 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:22,799 Speaker 1: former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, only to be frustrated 39 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: when Attorney General Barr didn't comply, but there are instances 40 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 1: that Mr Bard did succumb to the pressure that was 41 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 1: being applied by Mr Trump. For example, Mr Bard did 42 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:37,800 Speaker 1: move to reduce the sentencing recommendation for the President's longtime 43 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 1: friend and advisor, Roser Stone. He assisted the President, at 44 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:45,000 Speaker 1: least according to his critics, in overturning the guilty pleas 45 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 1: of the President's former national security advisor at Michael T. Flynn. 46 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 1: This was done over the objections of career prosecutors, some 47 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:56,520 Speaker 1: of whom even resigned in protest over this decision, and 48 00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:59,639 Speaker 1: then Mr Trump ultimately went even further by commuting the 49 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:03,519 Speaker 1: sense of Mr Stone after he was convicted and sentenced 50 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 1: to jail. More recently, it's interesting that the President has 51 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:11,120 Speaker 1: soured on Attorney General bar and Mr Trump had been 52 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 1: calling the election a fraud and saying that mail in 53 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:17,600 Speaker 1: voting was not reliable, and yet there was nothing but 54 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 1: silence out of the Departmative Justice until recently when Mr 55 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: Barr came out and actually said that he saw no 56 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 1: evidence of voting fraud. What kind of qualities and background 57 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:32,639 Speaker 1: should a new Attorney general have. The decision of who 58 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 1: to appoint as Attorney General is one of the most 59 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:38,520 Speaker 1: consequential that any president makes in his or her cabinet. 60 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 1: It's important because the attorney General has so much power 61 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 1: over so many important decisions that affect the lives of Americans. Typically, 62 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 1: the president will pick somebody who they know, who they trust, 63 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 1: but it's also important that that person acts independently, and 64 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 1: so there's the balancing act. Somebody who the president believes in, 65 00:03:57,280 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 1: who the president believes has a good sound judge and 66 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 1: will act in the best interests of the country. But 67 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:05,640 Speaker 1: also there has to be the perception that the attorney 68 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 1: general is not so close to the president, that the 69 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 1: attorney general is not acting in the best interests of 70 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 1: the country and maybe shading decisions in a way that 71 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 1: might be politically beneficial to the president. One of the 72 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 1: people discussed as a possible candidate for attorney General is 73 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:26,039 Speaker 1: Sally Yates, the former Deputy Attorney General and the Obama administration. 74 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 1: One of the top contenders is Sally Yate, who was 75 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:32,840 Speaker 1: fired by President Trump for refusing to defend his executive 76 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 1: order banning entry to the United States for those from 77 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 1: Muslim majority countries. She is one of the people who 78 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:44,160 Speaker 1: a lot of career prosecutors uh currently in the office 79 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:47,479 Speaker 1: and former federal prosecutors like because she knows the inner 80 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:50,360 Speaker 1: workings of the office, she'll hit the ground running. She's 81 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: well versed in the big national security threats that are 82 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 1: currently facing the country, and she also the strong civil 83 00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 1: rights record, which is something that is clearly going to 84 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:02,520 Speaker 1: be a top priority for the Biden administration. The main 85 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:05,839 Speaker 1: challenge in tackling these civil rights issues is going to 86 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:08,479 Speaker 1: be to find somebody who has credibility both in the 87 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 1: civil rights community but also with police because ultimately, at 88 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:13,920 Speaker 1: the end of the day, in order to achieve any 89 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 1: progress in this area, you have to work with both 90 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 1: civil rights advocates and also police officers who are on 91 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:22,880 Speaker 1: the front line in dealing with crime. So she's somebody 92 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 1: who many people believe has those qualities and would make 93 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:29,400 Speaker 1: a good attorney general. Since civil rights, as you mentioned, 94 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:34,720 Speaker 1: and racial inequality is so much in the forefront these days, 95 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:38,599 Speaker 1: is it important to have somewhat of color perhaps in 96 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:41,719 Speaker 1: the role of attorney general. Well, there are some people 97 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:44,520 Speaker 1: who believe that someone of color should be the attorney general. 98 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:48,720 Speaker 1: Daval Patrick, the former governor of Massachusetts, is in the running, 99 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:51,240 Speaker 1: but doesn't seem to be a top contender at this point. 100 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 1: President Biden seems to be looking to people that he 101 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 1: knows and trust and has has some history with, and 102 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:00,719 Speaker 1: that may be why daval Patrick is not on the 103 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:02,679 Speaker 1: top of the list. At the end of the day, 104 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:05,839 Speaker 1: you want somebody who has the trust of the people 105 00:06:05,880 --> 00:06:08,679 Speaker 1: who are going to be involved in these issues. Someone 106 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:11,719 Speaker 1: of color would certainly be sending a message to the public, 107 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:14,640 Speaker 1: to the country that the department is going to be 108 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:16,719 Speaker 1: run by somebody who is going to be sensitive to 109 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:20,160 Speaker 1: civil rights issues. But it's most important that the person 110 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:23,159 Speaker 1: has the trust of both sets of parties here, both 111 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:25,960 Speaker 1: the civil rights advocates and law enforcement, because that's the 112 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:29,480 Speaker 1: way progress is going to be made. Senator Doug Jones 113 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 1: has been mentioned a great deal as a possibility. How 114 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:38,840 Speaker 1: do you see his chances? Doug Jones, the Senator from Alabama, 115 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:41,680 Speaker 1: is a former U S attorney. He won a special 116 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:45,559 Speaker 1: election in seventeen but was recently defeated for the United 117 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 1: States Senate in Alabama, who is a deeply Republican state. 118 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:50,920 Speaker 1: But he's at the top of the list because he's 119 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:54,000 Speaker 1: known Joe Biden for forty years. He's also someone who 120 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:57,480 Speaker 1: has some credibility within the civil rights community because as 121 00:06:57,480 --> 00:07:00,120 Speaker 1: the U. S. Attorney for the Northern District developed im 122 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:04,400 Speaker 1: he prosecuted to Ku Klux Klans members involved the nineteen 123 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 1: sixty three church bombings in Birmingham. And he also has 124 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:12,760 Speaker 1: the virtue of somebody who is most likely to receive 125 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:16,440 Speaker 1: Senate confirmation, having spent one term in the United States Senate. 126 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 1: He reached across party lines and actually has some significant 127 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:24,280 Speaker 1: report from Republicans. So if President elect Biden is looking 128 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:27,400 Speaker 1: to pick somebody who is most easily going to be confirmed, 129 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:30,800 Speaker 1: Doug Jones maybe at the top of that list. The U. S. 130 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:36,120 Speaker 1: Attorney in Delaware has disclosed that there's an investigation into 131 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 1: Hunter Biden for possible tax crimes. How much does that 132 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:47,200 Speaker 1: complicate Biden's selection of an attorney general. This certainly ratchets 133 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:50,200 Speaker 1: up the pressure on the appearance of somebody who was 134 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:52,360 Speaker 1: going to be impartial, who's going to be independent, and 135 00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:55,119 Speaker 1: is going to have some distance from the White House. 136 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:58,960 Speaker 1: The fact that there is a current investigation into a 137 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:02,120 Speaker 1: member of the president his immediate family is not something 138 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 1: that the country has never faced. For example, Jimmy Carter's brother, 139 00:08:05,840 --> 00:08:09,040 Speaker 1: Billy Carter, was investigated for lobbying for the government of 140 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:13,840 Speaker 1: Libya while he Jimmy Carter was president. George Bush's son 141 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:17,640 Speaker 1: Neil Bush, was faulted by regulators in connection with the 142 00:08:17,680 --> 00:08:20,840 Speaker 1: collapse of a savings and loan and President Bill Clinton 143 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:24,480 Speaker 1: ultimately partnered his own brother, Roger Clinton, for drug charges. 144 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:28,000 Speaker 1: So there is some history here for immediate family members 145 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:32,559 Speaker 1: of presidents being investigated while their family member is president 146 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:35,400 Speaker 1: of the United States. Mr. Trump's children have been caught 147 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:39,040 Speaker 1: up in multiple legal matters during his presidency. For example, 148 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:43,000 Speaker 1: during the investigation of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, there was 149 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 1: an allegation that Donald Trump Jr. Held a meeting with 150 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 1: the Kremlin connected lawyer during the nineteen During the sixteen campaign, 151 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:54,079 Speaker 1: there was also an allegation regarding Jared Kushner, his son 152 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:56,480 Speaker 1: in law and senior advisor, who was stripped of his 153 00:08:56,840 --> 00:09:00,680 Speaker 1: top secret security clearance. So there is this history here. 154 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:03,440 Speaker 1: At the end of the day, what matters most is 155 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:07,040 Speaker 1: that there is a feeling that whoever is the Attorney general, 156 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:10,640 Speaker 1: and ultimately, however this matter is handled by the Attorney 157 00:09:10,679 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 1: General's office, it is done fairly and partially and without 158 00:09:14,920 --> 00:09:18,760 Speaker 1: political influence. So on one level. President elect Biden has 159 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:22,080 Speaker 1: already stated that one of his major missions with the 160 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 1: Department of Justice is to restore integrity, to restore the 161 00:09:25,559 --> 00:09:28,400 Speaker 1: morale of members of the Department of Justice, and to 162 00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:31,760 Speaker 1: restore the public space that the Department of Justice is 163 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:34,400 Speaker 1: acting independently and is not simply an arm of the 164 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:38,160 Speaker 1: White House. But certainly the announcement of this investigation into 165 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:41,599 Speaker 1: his son's will put added pressure on anybody who is 166 00:09:41,679 --> 00:09:45,080 Speaker 1: nominated for this position that during the confirmation process, we 167 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:47,360 Speaker 1: can expect that they will be asked questions about how 168 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:51,719 Speaker 1: they will handle this investigation going forward. Some people are 169 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:56,559 Speaker 1: suggesting that the new Attorney General appoint a special counsel 170 00:09:56,840 --> 00:10:00,520 Speaker 1: to handle the Hunter Biden matter in order to cabin 171 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:05,800 Speaker 1: off this politically sensitive case. Are we appointing too many 172 00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:09,440 Speaker 1: special councils? Should the Justice Department just be able to 173 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:12,599 Speaker 1: handle these kinds of cases. There's been a history of 174 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:15,800 Speaker 1: appointing special counsel in any case in which there is 175 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:19,520 Speaker 1: an allegation that there's a conflict of interests between the 176 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:23,719 Speaker 1: Department of Justice and the investigation, So it happens all 177 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:26,240 Speaker 1: the time. But there has been some concern that there 178 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:29,320 Speaker 1: have been too many special councils appointed, and that the 179 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:32,240 Speaker 1: Department of Justice ought to be able to handle politically 180 00:10:32,280 --> 00:10:36,000 Speaker 1: sensitive investigations on their own through a number of means. 181 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:39,360 Speaker 1: For example, anybody who's involved in the case in some 182 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:42,200 Speaker 1: way re chooses them felt from that case, you can 183 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:45,120 Speaker 1: have career prosecutors who run these cases. There have been 184 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:48,040 Speaker 1: past examples where the U. S. Attorney from the prior 185 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:52,120 Speaker 1: administration is allowed to stay on into the next administration 186 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:55,800 Speaker 1: to complete that investigation. That's exactly what happened. For example, 187 00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:59,400 Speaker 1: during the investigation into John Edwards. Eric Holder, who was 188 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:03,400 Speaker 1: then the Attorney General for Barack Obama, allowed the current U. S. 189 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:06,880 Speaker 1: Attorney in North Carolina who is investigating the John Edwards case, 190 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:09,720 Speaker 1: to stay on even though he was a Republican appointee, 191 00:11:10,040 --> 00:11:13,560 Speaker 1: until he completed that investigation. So many people believe that 192 00:11:13,559 --> 00:11:16,560 Speaker 1: there are many mechanisms in place that will allow the 193 00:11:16,559 --> 00:11:20,319 Speaker 1: Department of Justice to handle any kind of political politically 194 00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:24,520 Speaker 1: sensitive investigation without necessarily going so far as to appoint 195 00:11:24,559 --> 00:11:28,000 Speaker 1: a special counsel. I was looking at the most simplistic terms, 196 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:31,600 Speaker 1: Is it basically Joe Biden just going back in time 197 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:35,959 Speaker 1: four years with the Justice Department, or does he need 198 00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:39,640 Speaker 1: to do more to overcome what's happened in the last 199 00:11:39,640 --> 00:11:42,680 Speaker 1: four years. Yeah, that's a great question. I think the 200 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:45,959 Speaker 1: answer is more has to be done because we're not 201 00:11:46,160 --> 00:11:49,160 Speaker 1: now today where we were four years ago. There has 202 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:53,360 Speaker 1: been so much unprecedented criticism of both the career people 203 00:11:53,400 --> 00:11:57,360 Speaker 1: within the Department of Justice career people at the FBI, 204 00:11:57,440 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 1: that there's been a real erosion of confidence that the 205 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:04,440 Speaker 1: public has in these institutions. And it's really important for 206 00:12:04,520 --> 00:12:07,560 Speaker 1: the Department of Justice to function well, for the FBI 207 00:12:07,679 --> 00:12:10,720 Speaker 1: to function properly, for federal prosecutors to be able to 208 00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:14,920 Speaker 1: take cases to trial, that people believe that they're acting 209 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:17,920 Speaker 1: in good faith. They may not be perfect, and that's 210 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:21,640 Speaker 1: not to say that prosecutors don't occasionally make mistakes. They do, 211 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:24,280 Speaker 1: but there really needs to be the belief that they're 212 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:27,480 Speaker 1: acting in the pursuit of justice and that they're not 213 00:12:27,559 --> 00:12:30,920 Speaker 1: acting for some ulterior political motive. And so in order 214 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:33,760 Speaker 1: to restore that faith, I think the Department of Justice 215 00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:36,600 Speaker 1: and whoever the next Attorney General will will be, will 216 00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:40,160 Speaker 1: have to take extraordinary steps to try to bring people 217 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:43,600 Speaker 1: back to a place where they believe that the Department 218 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:46,600 Speaker 1: of Justice is fair, that those career people in the 219 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:49,240 Speaker 1: office are doing what's right for the country and that 220 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:52,360 Speaker 1: ultimately the goal here is to pursue justice and nothing 221 00:12:52,440 --> 00:12:57,040 Speaker 1: less and nothing more. There are questions about how the 222 00:12:57,080 --> 00:13:03,160 Speaker 1: new Department of Justice should handle investigating President Trump or 223 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:06,920 Speaker 1: his inner circle, and some people have said that Biden 224 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:12,480 Speaker 1: has no appetite for investigating Trump and bringing that into 225 00:13:12,600 --> 00:13:17,000 Speaker 1: his administration, but others say that the Department has to 226 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:21,000 Speaker 1: pursue criminal cases without fear or favor. What's your take 227 00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:24,520 Speaker 1: on that question. One of the most interesting challenges for 228 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:28,200 Speaker 1: the new Department of Justice will be the question of 229 00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:32,720 Speaker 1: whether or not they will pursue any investigations into President 230 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:36,040 Speaker 1: Trump or his immediate family. There are those who say 231 00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:39,240 Speaker 1: that nobody is above the law and that those investigations 232 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:43,360 Speaker 1: need to be impartially pursued. Whether there is anything ultimately 233 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:46,040 Speaker 1: to them or not, we just don't know at this point. 234 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:49,760 Speaker 1: But there are also others, including President LEC. Biden, who 235 00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:52,840 Speaker 1: wants to turn the page on this and move forward. 236 00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:56,560 Speaker 1: I think there are some who understand that any investigation 237 00:13:57,040 --> 00:13:59,840 Speaker 1: into the Trump administration at this point will be so 238 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:03,920 Speaker 1: divisive and will further erode confidence that people have in 239 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 1: the Department of Justice, and so that will be the 240 00:14:06,320 --> 00:14:09,640 Speaker 1: ultimate question as they bounced decisions about whether to pursue 241 00:14:09,679 --> 00:14:13,199 Speaker 1: those cases or whether to simply move on and bring 242 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:16,640 Speaker 1: the Department of Justice into the next phase where it's 243 00:14:16,679 --> 00:14:20,720 Speaker 1: forward looking, trying to restore confidence, that is, pursuing cases 244 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:24,520 Speaker 1: for reasons of justice only. Thanks for being on the 245 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:28,760 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Law Show, Bob. That's former federal prosecutor Robert Mints, 246 00:14:28,840 --> 00:14:33,560 Speaker 1: a partner McCarter and English Attorney General William Barr is 247 00:14:33,600 --> 00:14:36,080 Speaker 1: stepping down with a little more than a month left 248 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:39,960 Speaker 1: and the Trump administration. Bar cross President Trump on two 249 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:43,840 Speaker 1: issues in recent weeks, an investigation into Joe Biden's son 250 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:48,520 Speaker 1: and Trump's unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud in the election. 251 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:52,880 Speaker 1: My guess is Brad mass Apartment Mark Zaide bar was 252 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:57,360 Speaker 1: one of Trump's greatest allies until he wasn't Do we 253 00:14:57,440 --> 00:15:00,360 Speaker 1: know the full story yet of what happened been to 254 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:03,360 Speaker 1: cause him to resign or might we not know for 255 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:06,400 Speaker 1: a while. I certainly think it could be some time 256 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:09,200 Speaker 1: until we get the full details about I think it's 257 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:13,080 Speaker 1: certainly possible that William Barr was frustrated for a while 258 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:17,160 Speaker 1: about the President's public remarks that were sort of disrupting 259 00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:22,200 Speaker 1: and interfering in Justice Department investigations and operations. Saw that 260 00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:24,880 Speaker 1: when the roger Stone matter came out and when the 261 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:28,120 Speaker 1: President was constantly tweeting about it and trying to publicly 262 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:30,760 Speaker 1: pressure the justicepartments to go easy on his former friend 263 00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:33,920 Speaker 1: and ally roger Stone, and Bar went public about that 264 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:37,400 Speaker 1: about the frustrations, and we've seen that again going into 265 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 1: the election and now in the aftermith with all the 266 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:44,000 Speaker 1: voter fraud conspiracies. That while William Barr certainly was an 267 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:46,800 Speaker 1: ideological ally the president, when it came to the power 268 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:49,280 Speaker 1: of the executive branch and it's sort of ability to 269 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:53,120 Speaker 1: inflate itself from outside scrutiny, there were limits to what 270 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:55,600 Speaker 1: even he was willing to do, especially when it came 271 00:15:55,640 --> 00:15:58,040 Speaker 1: to the idea of trying to pursue some voter fraud 272 00:15:58,120 --> 00:16:01,800 Speaker 1: prosecution when the evidence complete isn't there, and that obviously 273 00:16:01,880 --> 00:16:04,480 Speaker 1: is what brought this to an end for him. What 274 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:08,520 Speaker 1: do you make of the toty ing in his resignation letter. 275 00:16:09,160 --> 00:16:11,520 Speaker 1: I think that's certainly, you know, William Barr wanting to 276 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:17,720 Speaker 1: keep things civil and on, you know, a cooperative public 277 00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 1: faiths with the president. I mean, that's very much what 278 00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:22,120 Speaker 1: people in this administration tend to do when they still 279 00:16:22,160 --> 00:16:25,320 Speaker 1: have that is desire is to stay in Donald Trump's 280 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:27,640 Speaker 1: good graces. You you talk him up, you flatter him, 281 00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:29,400 Speaker 1: you talk about how great he is, and how great 282 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:32,640 Speaker 1: everything he did was, and how everyone who went after 283 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:36,760 Speaker 1: him was the evil in facing it all off, you know, lies. 284 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:40,520 Speaker 1: So William Barr still wants to be able to give speeches, 285 00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 1: will write books, or hold any kind of events to 286 00:16:44,520 --> 00:16:46,040 Speaker 1: you know, still have a career, and not that they 287 00:16:46,040 --> 00:16:48,360 Speaker 1: hasn't had already a lustrous one, but to still be 288 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:50,600 Speaker 1: able to make money going forward the next few years. 289 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:52,560 Speaker 1: That he needed to stay in Donald Trump's good graces. 290 00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:55,440 Speaker 1: And that's what that letter did. Besides of our statements 291 00:16:55,520 --> 00:16:59,440 Speaker 1: to a p about the validity of the election, another 292 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:04,680 Speaker 1: thing at angered President Trump is that Barr didn't publicly 293 00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:09,240 Speaker 1: announce the ongoing two year investigation into Hunter Biden before 294 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:14,120 Speaker 1: election day, and right now AP is reporting that Trump 295 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:18,080 Speaker 1: has already consulted on the matter with White House Chief 296 00:17:18,080 --> 00:17:21,880 Speaker 1: of Staff Mark Meadows and White House counsel Pat Cipoloni 297 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:25,400 Speaker 1: to see whether or not he can put a special 298 00:17:25,440 --> 00:17:29,480 Speaker 1: counsel in to investigate Hunter Biden. Yes, so, and again 299 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:32,600 Speaker 1: this was one of those things where William Barr's whole 300 00:17:32,920 --> 00:17:37,000 Speaker 1: thing was about restoring the order and sort of the 301 00:17:37,040 --> 00:17:39,920 Speaker 1: integrity of the Just Department. He felt that politics had 302 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:42,879 Speaker 1: become too imbued in it. The Bureau in particular with 303 00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:45,280 Speaker 1: James Comeey and Andrew McCabe, whether not too or not, 304 00:17:45,760 --> 00:17:48,280 Speaker 1: they felled. The Just Department under Lorella Lynch had gotten 305 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:50,639 Speaker 1: a little too close to the political side, and so 306 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:52,520 Speaker 1: that was sort of his view with how to bring 307 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:56,520 Speaker 1: it back in line. Um, and so when the President 308 00:17:56,600 --> 00:17:59,800 Speaker 1: got was pushing whether it was I'm sure privately as 309 00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:02,640 Speaker 1: well else, but also you know, publicly to have details 310 00:18:02,680 --> 00:18:07,600 Speaker 1: about this Hunter Biden probe disclosed that would run against 311 00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:11,000 Speaker 1: everything William Barr had stood for. Especially this was what 312 00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:14,080 Speaker 1: had led to all the criticism of James Comey, who 313 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:18,160 Speaker 1: actually served as part of the basis for uh, the 314 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:22,159 Speaker 1: former Deputy Attorney General to to read that memo ordering 315 00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:25,840 Speaker 1: Comy fired over having gone public about the details the 316 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:30,080 Speaker 1: Clinton investigation in twenty sixteen, making public overt moves on 317 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:33,760 Speaker 1: that investigation in the final days of the election, which 318 00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:37,080 Speaker 1: a lot of political data analysts said helped to push 319 00:18:37,119 --> 00:18:40,000 Speaker 1: Trump over the top in those final days with independence 320 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:44,520 Speaker 1: and sort of the persuadable moderate Republicans, and so to 321 00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:49,080 Speaker 1: have gone public with the Hunter Biden details, whether it 322 00:18:49,119 --> 00:18:51,560 Speaker 1: was in twenty nineteen, long before the election itself and 323 00:18:51,600 --> 00:18:54,400 Speaker 1: still be to disclose the existence of an investigation, which 324 00:18:54,440 --> 00:18:56,760 Speaker 1: is something d o J doesn't do, or to have 325 00:18:56,800 --> 00:18:59,120 Speaker 1: specifically done it in the final weeks of the election 326 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:02,600 Speaker 1: in hihilation of those very rules that had cost James 327 00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:06,640 Speaker 1: Comey's job, would have just defied everything William Barrs took 328 00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:08,240 Speaker 1: for it, and so I'm sure that was part of 329 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:11,600 Speaker 1: what pushed him again over the edge, saying this is 330 00:19:11,600 --> 00:19:13,840 Speaker 1: what I'm trying to restore. Whether or not there was 331 00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:16,560 Speaker 1: anything to restore or not, it's a separate discussion, but 332 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:18,199 Speaker 1: this is what he was trying to stand for with 333 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:21,920 Speaker 1: the Department, and the president's um public remarks were undermining that. 334 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:26,960 Speaker 1: One also questions why there's been a two year investigation 335 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:32,679 Speaker 1: into Hunter Biden over taxes. That seems pretty political. So 336 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:35,520 Speaker 1: looking at the reporting, and obviously we only know about 337 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:37,800 Speaker 1: what's come out with reporting, it sounds like the original 338 00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:41,080 Speaker 1: scope of the investigation was broader than the taxes. Sounds 339 00:19:41,080 --> 00:19:44,000 Speaker 1: like there was a money laundering aspect of potential foreign lobbying, 340 00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:47,160 Speaker 1: an all manner of issues tied to hunter Biden's somewhat 341 00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:51,560 Speaker 1: questionable private industry activities over the last few years, particularly 342 00:19:51,560 --> 00:19:53,840 Speaker 1: in Ukraine. And of course you know that also came 343 00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:56,040 Speaker 1: up in the context of the impeachment Daga and the 344 00:19:56,080 --> 00:19:58,720 Speaker 1: President trying to extore at the Ukrainian president to launch 345 00:19:58,760 --> 00:20:01,960 Speaker 1: a public investigation. So it's certainly not surprising that the 346 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:05,040 Speaker 1: Just Department would have had an original, rap large, wide 347 00:20:05,119 --> 00:20:07,959 Speaker 1: ranging inquiry into this. But from the sounds of it, 348 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:10,600 Speaker 1: all that's left, all that they think is worthy of 349 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:13,720 Speaker 1: continued investigation is whether or not there is a tax 350 00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:16,960 Speaker 1: matter here, and certainly committing a criminal tax felony is 351 00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:19,440 Speaker 1: a serious issue, and if that is what hunter Biden did, 352 00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:22,800 Speaker 1: then he should face all manner of criminal liability and 353 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:25,879 Speaker 1: scrutiny for that, and he'll have his Dame Court. But 354 00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:29,399 Speaker 1: the original concept and everything that the Trump team was 355 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:31,600 Speaker 1: trying to push out on Hunter Biden, that this was 356 00:20:31,640 --> 00:20:34,600 Speaker 1: all tied to money for Joe Biden, in the end, 357 00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:36,840 Speaker 1: none of that seems to be playing out in this 358 00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:40,800 Speaker 1: do J Probs brad One of the greatest unrestrained powers 359 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:44,159 Speaker 1: that Trump has left now is the pardon power and 360 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:48,479 Speaker 1: their speculation that there's a January surprise being planned and 361 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:51,760 Speaker 1: that that was a reason why bar might have wanted 362 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:56,040 Speaker 1: to get out as well. But after pardoning former National 363 00:20:56,080 --> 00:21:00,399 Speaker 1: Security advisor Michael Flynn and commuting the sand tins of 364 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:04,359 Speaker 1: Roger Stone, aren't we sort of expecting Trump to pardon 365 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:08,440 Speaker 1: anyone associated with the Muller investigation. I think it'll even 366 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:10,480 Speaker 1: go further than that. But yeah, I think we can 367 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:13,760 Speaker 1: expect as we get into the final days of the 368 00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:17,000 Speaker 1: Trump administration, when when you go past January six and 369 00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:20,120 Speaker 1: then he last stand that his allies and Congress will 370 00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:23,600 Speaker 1: make to try to stop um the certification of Joe 371 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:25,720 Speaker 1: Biden as the president elect. When he knows that he's 372 00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:28,560 Speaker 1: on his final days, he'll use anything and everything he 373 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:31,800 Speaker 1: wants from that power to just laugh out at What 374 00:21:31,840 --> 00:21:33,840 Speaker 1: he needs is the deep state and all the people 375 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:35,639 Speaker 1: who oppose them. So not only is it going to 376 00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:39,439 Speaker 1: be you know, the Rudy Giuliani's and its family and 377 00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:42,160 Speaker 1: people like that, kind of preemptive pardons of any number 378 00:21:42,160 --> 00:21:44,640 Speaker 1: of federal probes that could be going on into them, 379 00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:46,760 Speaker 1: but I would look to see a pardon of Edward 380 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:50,560 Speaker 1: Snowden that's been bandied about a lot, potentially Julian Assange, 381 00:21:50,560 --> 00:21:53,520 Speaker 1: who we know was involved in leaking all the kinds 382 00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:57,280 Speaker 1: of emails and documents in the election, and there's an 383 00:21:57,280 --> 00:21:59,720 Speaker 1: ongoing to fight over that. I would look for a 384 00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:03,880 Speaker 1: ray change of highly controversial parts that Donald Trump can 385 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:07,640 Speaker 1: put up as fighting back against the evil deep State 386 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:11,920 Speaker 1: and just having fun trolling everyone who opposed him, because 387 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:14,920 Speaker 1: that's Donald Trump at the end. Well, Bar has been 388 00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:18,679 Speaker 1: here before. He recommended pardons for Iran contra figures at 389 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:21,960 Speaker 1: the end of George H. W. Bush's term that ended 390 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:26,480 Speaker 1: the investigation and so sort of insulated Bush. So I'm 391 00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:32,359 Speaker 1: wondering whether the pardon that would really cause so much 392 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:36,080 Speaker 1: controversy that bar might want to get out from under 393 00:22:36,119 --> 00:22:40,040 Speaker 1: it before it happens, is a self pardon that Trump 394 00:22:40,119 --> 00:22:45,320 Speaker 1: might pardon himself. That's certainly possible that there's paperwork ordy 395 00:22:45,320 --> 00:22:47,680 Speaker 1: been drafted and research, no doubt by the White House 396 00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:50,040 Speaker 1: Council's Office of whether or not a self pardon would 397 00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:52,639 Speaker 1: even work, whether it would hold up in court. I 398 00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:56,119 Speaker 1: would be shocked if the President doesn't do it. Anyways, 399 00:22:56,200 --> 00:22:58,439 Speaker 1: even if it ultimately doesn't hold up. Just to have 400 00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:03,399 Speaker 1: exercised the power anyway, just to try and shields himself 401 00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:05,680 Speaker 1: from it, I'm sure that would, uh to an extent, 402 00:23:05,680 --> 00:23:08,840 Speaker 1: would even upset someone like William Barr. My assumption is 403 00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:11,359 Speaker 1: that that if there were incoming pardons that were truly 404 00:23:11,440 --> 00:23:13,879 Speaker 1: upsetting William Barr, it's more along the lines of a 405 00:23:13,880 --> 00:23:17,520 Speaker 1: potential one for Edward Snowdon and Rudy Giuliani. I think 406 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:23,200 Speaker 1: those would truly have offended William Barr's particular sensibilities. Why 407 00:23:23,320 --> 00:23:28,200 Speaker 1: pardon Edward Snowdon? So the snowdon't matter because it's partially 408 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:31,560 Speaker 1: because it ties into the President's The same for the 409 00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:35,960 Speaker 1: intelligence community, in his view that there's overclassification, which of 410 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:39,720 Speaker 1: course he never actually takes steps to override, which he 411 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:42,320 Speaker 1: alone can do. He always backs down when it gets 412 00:23:42,359 --> 00:23:45,480 Speaker 1: in the court um, and his view that the intelligent 413 00:23:45,560 --> 00:23:49,040 Speaker 1: community was always working against him. In Edward Snowdon, with 414 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:53,080 Speaker 1: his disclosures back in, had kind of taken the intelligent 415 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:56,040 Speaker 1: community up of the woodshed a bit um, exposing some 416 00:23:56,119 --> 00:23:58,040 Speaker 1: of the grand jewels of the n S A s 417 00:23:58,880 --> 00:24:04,240 Speaker 1: UM surveillance operations and capabilities, and so there would be again, 418 00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:07,160 Speaker 1: just the ability to stick it to people he felt 419 00:24:07,280 --> 00:24:11,520 Speaker 1: never really on his side. By pardoning Edwards Snowden, it 420 00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:14,439 Speaker 1: would allow him to just jam one more, you know, 421 00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:18,920 Speaker 1: uh uh, stake into the backs of the intelligence community 422 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:20,600 Speaker 1: on his way out. And I think for him he'd 423 00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:22,840 Speaker 1: view that as great TV because then he could try 424 00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:26,240 Speaker 1: to coordinate with Vladimir Putin as a private citizen and 425 00:24:27,040 --> 00:24:31,520 Speaker 1: helped bring Edwards Snowden back in some you know, arrival 426 00:24:32,119 --> 00:24:36,199 Speaker 1: ceremony live for TV. Bar's top deputy, Jeffrey Rosen, the 427 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:39,720 Speaker 1: Deputy Attorney General, will step into the Justice Department's top 428 00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:43,040 Speaker 1: job in an acting role. Even though Rosen is not 429 00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:46,879 Speaker 1: yet the acting Attorney General, President Trump is already talking 430 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:50,840 Speaker 1: about replacing him right According to the Associated Press, Trump 431 00:24:50,880 --> 00:24:53,959 Speaker 1: is considering whether to replace Rosen if he doesn't appoint 432 00:24:53,960 --> 00:24:57,480 Speaker 1: a special counsel and has even asked his lawyers whether 433 00:24:57,600 --> 00:25:00,600 Speaker 1: he has the power to appoint a special counsel himself. 434 00:25:00,960 --> 00:25:04,320 Speaker 1: But the Hunter Biden investigation apparently involves several U S 435 00:25:04,359 --> 00:25:09,360 Speaker 1: attorneys offices and FBI field offices, so it's not so easy, 436 00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:11,399 Speaker 1: because I mean, there's limits to what he's going to 437 00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:14,320 Speaker 1: be able to implement. At this late stage and with 438 00:25:14,440 --> 00:25:17,280 Speaker 1: so little time left, the president can in theory do 439 00:25:17,359 --> 00:25:20,240 Speaker 1: lots of things. He can order investigations, but he can't 440 00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:22,720 Speaker 1: prosecute criminal cases. If that's what he really wants the 441 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:25,199 Speaker 1: OJ to do, he could pressure d o J to 442 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:28,440 Speaker 1: appoint a special counsel to look in the Hunter Biden, 443 00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:31,560 Speaker 1: but in the end, unless he's going to literally draft 444 00:25:31,640 --> 00:25:34,359 Speaker 1: up the order himself, there's little he can do to 445 00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:36,439 Speaker 1: truly make these individuals do it. A lot of the 446 00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:39,440 Speaker 1: ones who have the ultimate authority right now are political 447 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:42,440 Speaker 1: people who are expecting that they're out the door anyways 448 00:25:42,480 --> 00:25:45,800 Speaker 1: in a few weeks. Uh, And in the end, they 449 00:25:45,960 --> 00:25:48,960 Speaker 1: aren't going to feel much pressure in much at this 450 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:51,399 Speaker 1: point because they're already looking for where they're going to 451 00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:55,320 Speaker 1: be come the beginning of February, and they're less concerned 452 00:25:55,320 --> 00:25:58,560 Speaker 1: about trying to create some controversial order for a special 453 00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:03,000 Speaker 1: council into the Hunter Biden. He finally, Bar has named 454 00:26:03,400 --> 00:26:07,119 Speaker 1: Durham to serve as special counsel in the continuing FBI 455 00:26:07,280 --> 00:26:11,000 Speaker 1: Russia probe. People have cited that as you know, a 456 00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:15,200 Speaker 1: parting gift from Bar to Trump, But hasn't that probe 457 00:26:15,200 --> 00:26:19,760 Speaker 1: really gone as far as it can Is it going anywhere? Yeah? So, 458 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:22,720 Speaker 1: I mean when I saw that, I viewed it strictly 459 00:26:22,840 --> 00:26:27,400 Speaker 1: as a projection. Almost this is this is very much 460 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:29,439 Speaker 1: what Donald Trump and Bill bar do. Some extent they 461 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:32,359 Speaker 1: assume everybody else will act the way they would in 462 00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:36,160 Speaker 1: terms of how they would assert power. Donald Trump assumes 463 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:39,560 Speaker 1: everybody else cheats on their taxes and committee power because 464 00:26:39,600 --> 00:26:41,919 Speaker 1: he knows that's what he does. Um. And so with 465 00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:45,640 Speaker 1: William Barr, there's a concern that Joe Biden would come 466 00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:49,440 Speaker 1: in and just squash the investigation into Hunter Biden. There's 467 00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:51,640 Speaker 1: no proof or evidence a reason to believe Joe Biden 468 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:53,800 Speaker 1: will do any of those things. And I would certainly 469 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:56,040 Speaker 1: oppose it if he did, and I'm sure others would too. 470 00:26:56,600 --> 00:26:59,520 Speaker 1: But by creating the Special Council Provision, he makes it 471 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:02,040 Speaker 1: the Oilian farm made it a little more difficult, a 472 00:27:02,119 --> 00:27:05,879 Speaker 1: little more politically risky, for Joe Bien to try to 473 00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:08,560 Speaker 1: take any steps to do so. And as far as 474 00:27:08,560 --> 00:27:11,560 Speaker 1: it concern, that's fine. If there's a crime there, prosecute 475 00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:14,680 Speaker 1: the crime. You want to write the report, write the report. 476 00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:19,160 Speaker 1: But I don't see this going anywhere. That the President, 477 00:27:19,240 --> 00:27:22,560 Speaker 1: a lot of his allies view this as as you know, 478 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:25,720 Speaker 1: some house and snaring people like Joe Biden. There's just 479 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:29,440 Speaker 1: no there there. Um. It might look bad, it might 480 00:27:29,440 --> 00:27:32,440 Speaker 1: be politically damaging, but I don't see a crime outside 481 00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:34,480 Speaker 1: of whatever Hunter Biden may have done with his taxes. 482 00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:39,080 Speaker 1: Thanks Brad. That's Bradley Moss Apartment Mark Zad and that's 483 00:27:39,119 --> 00:27:41,880 Speaker 1: it for the edition of The Bloomberg Law Show. Remember 484 00:27:41,920 --> 00:27:43,800 Speaker 1: you can always get the latest legal news on our 485 00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:48,360 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Lawn podcast. You can find them on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, 486 00:27:48,600 --> 00:27:53,880 Speaker 1: and at www dot Bloomberg dot com slash podcast Slash Law. 487 00:27:54,600 --> 00:27:57,840 Speaker 1: I'm June Grosso. Thanks so much for listening. Please tune 488 00:27:57,880 --> 00:28:00,600 Speaker 1: into The Bloomberg Law Show every week at ten pm 489 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:02,879 Speaker 1: Eastern right here on Bloomberg Radio.