WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general (all times local):
3:55 p.m.
President Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general will tell senators “it is vitally important” that special counsel Robert Mueller be allowed to complete his Russia investigation.
William Barr also says he believes Congress and the public should learn the results, according to remarks prepared for his confirmation hearing.
Barr will testify Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
In prepared testimony released Monday, Barr says Trump never sought any promises, assurances or commitments before selecting him to be the country’s chief law enforcement officer.
He describes Mueller, a former Justice Department colleague, as a friend he has known personally and professionally for 30 years.
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10:12 a.m.
President Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general will tell senators that Trump didn’t seek any assurances or promises before nominating him.
That’s according to William Barr’s prepared remarks, obtained by The Associated Press ahead of his confirmation hearing Tuesday.
Trump had complained that his first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, did not protect him from the Russia investigation. Lawmakers want assurances that Barr will be impartial and allow special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation to continue.
Barr said Trump “sought no assurances, promises, or commitments from me of any kind, either express or implied, and I have not given him any”, other than a promise to run the department with integrity.
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10:10 a.m.
The president’s pick for attorney general will continue to prioritize immigration enforcement and says the government must be able to hold and remove people who illegally enter the U.S.
That’s according to a copy of William Barr’s prepared remarks for his confirmation hearing Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The remarks were obtained Monday by The Associated Press.
Barr’s comments on immigration show similar thinking to former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who had a hardline immigration policy.
Barr will tell senators the Justice Department cannot allow people to flout America’s legal system by “crashing in through the back door.”
Sessions drew heavy criticism from immigration activists after defending the Trump administration’s policy separating families during a crackdown on those entering the U.S. illegally.
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10:03 a.m.
President Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general will tell senators at his confirmation hearing “it is vitally important” that special counsel Robert Mueller be allowed to complete his Russia investigation.
That’s according to a transcript of William Barr’s prepared remarks obtained Monday by The Associated Press.
Barr is to face the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday. He will face questions about his views on Mueller’s investigation into potential coordination between Russia and the 2016 Trump presidential campaign.
Democrats have raised concerns about comments Barr has made about Mueller’s probe, including an unsolicited memo he sent the Justice Department last year criticizing Mueller’s inquiry into whether Trump sought to obstruct justice.
Barr will say he’s known Mueller for decades, respects him and believes he should be allowed to complete his work.
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