Judge orders Bill Barr’s secret Trump memo to be released

A federal judge this week rejected the Justice Department's attempts to keep secret a departmental opinion to not charge former President Donald Trump with obstruction at the end of the Mueller investigation, calling the administration's lawyers "disingenuous."
The department had argued in court that the largely redacted March 2019 memo was legal reasoning that helped then-Attorney General William Barr make a decision about Trump. But federal Judge Amy Berman Jackson said she believed Barr and his advisers had already decided they wouldn't charge the President with a crime before he got the written advice, and the memo was partly strategic planning instead of legal reasoning — and therefore could be made public.
The decision adds to the criticism federal judges and others have had about Barr and his handling of the end of the Mueller investigation. Jackson and others have repeatedly questioned Barr's motives to keep documents related to the investigation — including Mueller's findings and Barr's reactions to them — secret or by delaying their release.
"The agency's redactions and incomplete explanations obfuscate the true purpose of the memorandum, and the excised portions belie the notion that it fell to the Attorney General to make a prosecution decision or that any such decision was on the table at any time," Jackson wrote in a 35-page opinion released Tuesday.
"The fact that [Trump] would not be prosecuted was a given," she added.
The judge's opinion comes in a lawsuit where the government transparency group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is seeking access to DOJ documents through the Freedom of Information Act.
#CNN #News

96 comments

  1. It’s nice when we see little nuggets of justice every blue moon. Sadly, they’re way too few and far between.

    1. @String Bean this is an unusual case, though. Russian collusion and likely treason is a very big deal. The public has a right to know what is in the Muellar Report, not just the parts that weren’t redacted by Barr

    2. @mike briganti since when is the freedom of information act “communist propaganda?” The Public has a right to know

    3. With Limbaugh now fertilizer…..and Trump, Giuliani, Gaetz, Barr, and many more eventually heading to prison….2021 will be known as The Year of Reckoning.

    1. @Julian Rivera oh sorry, did you not see your holy grail news media CNN got caught lying from their own mouths, admitting they made up lies about Trump? Be a good sheep and keep listening to them.

  2. And why did it take so long? Declassify all of this, and publish publicly, then start the necessary criminal proceedings for all of these traitors….

    1. @Julia Clemencia You still have no evidence, Bill Barr, Trey Gowdy had no evidence and they were given more classified information than you’ll ever see. The real reason Republicans have a problem with Hillary Clinton is because she was involved in the investigation against Nixon. Most politicians have blood on their hands, they send our children to war, instead of fighting their battles themselves and like Trump when he got soldiers in Niger killed β€œthey knew what they signed up for!” So stop your bitching, you’re looking senile.

    2. @Julia Clemencia Since September 11, 2001, we’ve been waiting for the American traitors to make themselves known and they did on January 6, we know who the enemies are within America’s government, and in our towns. You’re on the wrong side.

    3. Trump administration buried this stuff as deep as their ability to do so was. We’ve been going through an insurrection for 5 years now.

    4. With Limbaugh now fertilizer…..and Trump, Giuliani, Gaetz, Barr, and many more eventually heading to prison….2021 will be known as The Year of Reckoning.

    1. @Democrats are Stupid Wow- Your comments… Doesn’t being a divisive troll leave you shallow and alone?

    2. @Democrats are Stupid Well it is true that trumper’s think the election was stolen but of course I think you believed it too which is funny but what you’re not understanding their buddy Trump didn’t get elected in 2016 he didn’t even get the popular vote Trump was put in there by Russia and there is proof that Russia interfered in the election by putting Trump into the White House what do you think that this segment is about it is about Trump getting information from Russia in the 2016 presidential election paid attention there bud but what I think is the beautifulest thing of all is that Trump lost the election fair and square and you’re just mad but it’s time for you to get over it already because it is what it is

    3. With Limbaugh now fertilizer…..and Trump, Giuliani, Gaetz, Barr, and many more eventually heading to prison….2021 will be known as The Year of Reckoning.

  3. Blatant crimes. Did they think anyone believed them from the start? NOW I BET THEY SCARED 😱

    1. No they arent.

      He William Barr did within his power allowed by mueller not recommending arrest.

    2. With Limbaugh now fertilizer…..and Trump, Giuliani, Gaetz, Barr, and many more eventually heading to prison….2021 will be known as The Year of Reckoning.

    1. @Darren Engels
      Na, not me, I’m jo stepmammas sisters bait store advisor and for just $3.99 I can hook u up with a mean box of squid

    2. @Darren Engels
      Quickly now, pucker up them big serpent licking botox smackers and Bloyourselfonwebcam

    3. With Limbaugh now fertilizer…..and Trump, Giuliani, Gaetz, Barr, and many more eventually heading to prison….2021 will be known as The Year of Reckoning.

    4. @Augie Rockero
      Tell us about the 1st time the devil made you eat a big hairy keyster

  4. Thank you for reporting what we all already knew. Barr was not just negligent but corrupt while the USAG.

    1. With Limbaugh now fertilizer…..and Trump, Giuliani, Gaetz, Barr, and many more eventually heading to prison….2021 will be known as The Year of Reckoning.

    2. @coled is everyone that disagrees with you a β€œRussian”? The β€œRussian asset” propaganda has been debunked 15 different ways, but you keep being an imbecile….it’s entertaining! 🀣

    3. @Will Scott bla bla bla Hunter Biden bla bla, tRump is a criminal, that is the subject here you russian troll.

    4. @Max KΓ€gi CNN technical director Charlie Chester on video admitting that they are PROPAGANDA.

    1. What things? Because you know that any CNN headline that has Trump in it is clickbait bullshit. They suck you in.

    2. In a nation with real laws……A 40 mm round to the heads. I just like to see S….hit come out of their heads!!! Because they are full of it!!!

    3. @Charles Bartlett ridiculous. That makes them above the law. It’s getting annoying, to say the least

  5. You can bet the S.O.B them destroy lot of the documents , they ALL was so dishonest & crooked they ALL need to be lock up & throw away the keys !!

  6. Isn’t misleading a judge in a court of law PERJURY?
    I’m not a lawyer, but if I did it I would go to jail.

    1. @Fred A and its more they missed or ignored..thee objective to keep all black people men especially..in the systems has already been in the making to its greatest degrees..but America has more interests with this being at the top of the list..the only thing i can say i just pray and hope nobody violate me many will pay. We gotta set examples and leave evidence. This empire was destroyed sents the very beginning its like the jungle with different animals!

    2. @Back On My Grind oh I think CNN technical director Charlie Chester would disagree. On video admitting CNN is PROPAGANDA, and no I don’t watch fox.

    3. @saxking101 you answered your own question in you whataboutism rant. Read your ? You have your answer. No there there!

  7. Anyone that watched the Mueller hearings and Bill Barr’s statement…was clearly aware of the huge discrepancy. It was just another moment of clear evidence, proof of what was going on in our government. I finally feel like there’s some hope that at least now, it’s being acknowledged and hopefully something being done about it. I can’t explain the anxiety that I have felt these past years watching one situation like this after another with zero accountability. The most terrifying aspect of it all was so many people that listened to propaganda, instead of doing their duty as American citizens and paying attention to what is going on before forming opinions. It doesn’t matter which β€œside you are on.” If you are truly watching what goes on during these hearings and statements that the politicians are making themselves… There is no miss information and all that should matter is the truth. Each one of us knows that the person we trust the most us ourselves. We can all easily fact check without listening to third parties with so much craziness going on, misinformation and corruption. There’s no excuse for choosing ignorance.

    1. I share your views on this, but do you really think anyone will be held accountable? I really doubt it.

    2. Well said, Gretchen! Especially that it should not matter one iota what side of the political aisle one is on. But these past four years have proven beyond a doubt one sad reality…too many people will turn a blind eye to what is blatantly wrong, be it a lie, a cover up, an unfathomably ridiculous conspiracy theory, etc, as long as it suits their agenda. And blindly support the most ill-prepared, dishonest, self-serving, uneducated pied piper in the nation’s history.

  8. So Fred Flintstone (apology to my favorite cartoon character) is as corrupt as I thought when he was sitting in front of committees lying through his teeth

    1. Not Fred🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣🀣!!!

    1. @Shaneia Pearson You know I was kidding, I hope. It was more fun before the troll appeared. I have good reason to believe strongly that justice is coming. Keep your eyes on the prize, Strong Sister. There is daylight ahead, and we shall continue to say their names. ONE LOVE. Namaste.

    2. @jones a bunch a vague horseshit by an DOJ obama appointed judge to further try to criminalize thier political opponents. Take your own advice

    3. @jones trump isn’t my guy. .not even close. More name calling too. Who’s the child? Cant even hold a conversation with out name calling .

    1. My mama said the same..and in 45 years of my life I’ve NEVER seen it fail. All those dirty, dirty deeds coming to light!!!!

    2. “Coming to light” and “anything actually happening” seem to be miles apart unfortunately.

  9. DOJ is gonna need to hire 400 more lawyers for all these court cases to come because of previous admin corruptions

    1. @16 Accounts Removed your racist is showing. BLM troll lives do not matter. Happy trolling.

    2. @Cecil_Branford46 _ Whats wrong, you don’t want the mueller report to put tRump in prison where he belongs? Are you afraid? Awwwww

    3. @Lily Jade how many got arrested and charged for the year of riots that injured and killed many people and caused billions in property damage? Asking for a friend!

    4. @16 Accounts Removed Hillary, Obama, BLM…… what about Hunter, you forgot him? Meanwhile the world watches tRump the loser criminal being destroyed by his own dirty deeds. But please go on endlessly about BLM and Hunter.

    5. @Bill Bolser But what about George Washington and the tooth fairy!!! I’m sure you have a lot to say. unfortunately none of it is true or relevant. Nice attempt at whataboutism though. Did you go to tRump university?

  10. Makes me wanna go back and watch Now Vp Harris and Barr questioning when she was in Congress. She touched on this exact thing

    1. With Limbaugh now fertilizer…..and Trump, Giuliani, Gaetz, Barr, and many more eventually heading to prison….2021 will be known as The Year of Reckoning.

  11. Nothing was more frustrating than watching the foxes gaurd the henhouse for four years. Time for real guard dogs to round them up.

    1. @Its me Quenten well I don’t think any of that, captain strawman, the _actual_ q-ball nutjob.
      tRump is a *wannabe* dictator who thought he could incite enough violence to declare martial law and STEAL the presidency from the American voters.
      Take your gaslighting back to Russia.

    2. @Melissa Hanselman πŸ‘ˆ. Naw watching biden trip up the stairs of AF1 several times is worse.

  12. Bar sold us all out until the attempt at the big steal . At least he had some limits but certainly they were not even close to high enough

  13. OH – OH! …the so- called ‘Witch Hunt’ might just have enough power to grab the head Warlock.

  14. He weaponized the Justice Department , and turned it into an extension of his
    “Piss ant” ego.☠

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