Rep. Steve Cohen, in a blistering op-ed published Friday, called on Congress to convene an impeachment inquiry into Attorney General William P. Barr.
Mr. Cohen, Tennessee Democrat, wrote that the attorney general is conducting a “politically motivated assault on the rule of law, the norms of procedural due process and our election systems.”
“That is why I have attempted to address these concerns by introducing H. Res 1032, calling for an inquiry into whether Barr should be impeached,” he wrote in the opinion piece published by The Hill. “Some people counsel patience, but I’m reminded of what wise men have always known: If we do not stand up to injustice, our silent indifference will condemn us.”
Mr. Cohen’s comments come a day after the attorney general blasted his own Justice Department prosecutors, saying they behaved as “headhunters” and comparing them to preschoolers.
Rejecting the concept that prosecutors should have the final say in cases brought by the department, Mr. Barr derided them as part of “permanent bureaucracy” and suggested they need to be supervised by politically appointed leaders.
Mr. Cohen, who chairs a key House Judiciary Committee subcommittee, called Mr. Barr’s remarks “hyperbolic and exaggerated,” adding that they were worthy of ridicule.
In June, Mr. Cohen filed a resolution calling for an inquiry to investigate whether Mr. Barr committed impeachable conduct.
He urged Democrats to sign his resolution, but the measure failed to gain steam in the Democrat-controlled House.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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