Two Justice Department prosecutors will testify next week before the House Judiciary Committee about how Attorney General William Barr has politicized the DOJ for the purpose of doing the bidding of President Donald Trump.
According to Politico, the chairman of the committee, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) announced Tuesday that Aaron Zelinsky and John Elias, who Nadler called “whistleblowers,” are prepared to explain how the DOJ has repeatedly acquiesced to the wishes of the White House on matters of who to charge with crimes and who to drop charges against. In a statement, Nadler said:
“Again and again, Attorney General Barr has demonstrated that he will cater to President Trump’s private political interests, at the expense of the American people and the rule of law. He has abruptly reversed course on prosecutions against the President’s allies and friends. He has pursued pretextual investigations against the President’s perceived political enemies. He has failed to defend the Affordable Care Act, and he has helped to roll back important civil rights protections.”
The two men have information regarding specific instances of the Justice Department being used in way that are in keeping with Trump’s wishes.
Zelinsky will speak to the sentencing of longtime Trump protege Roger Stone. Elias is expected testify about improprieties committed by the Antitrust Division of the DOJ, which has allegedly been used to punish “enemies” of the administration while refusing to initiate prosecutions against those who are friends or allies of Trump.
Even though the two agreed to voluntarily testify, Nadler issued formal subpoenas to protect them from possible obstruction from the White House, which might have otherwise tried to claim executive privilege.
William Barr is without question the most corrupt person to ever serve as Attorney General of the United States. From his actions in hiding the full report from Special Counsel Robert Mueller to his insistence that charges against former national security adviser Michael Flynn be dropped, the current AG is little more than a lapdog for a president bent on absolute power without any oversight.
The Department of Justice is meant to be independent and fair. Under Barr, it’s nothing but a rubber stamp for a corrupt president.