Secret William Barr memo saying not to charge Trump must be released, judge says

[spanone]

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.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/04/politics/william-barr-memo-trump-memo/index.html

[piddyprints]

1. When will we learn?

The law only applies to us little folks.

I mean, good on Judge Jackson for telling everyone what we already knew. But why are these people still walking around as rich free men?

[uponit7771]

2. Barr broke the law by lying to congress ... it'd be nice if some of these people went to jail

[spanone]

5. ⇧⇧⇧⇧⇧⇧⇧⇧⇧⇧⇧⇧

[C Moon]

6. And when he realized Trump wasn't go to be re-elected, he tried to change.

Like that would work so late in the game.

[dchill]

10. John Mitchell did some hard time...

...why not William Barr? (I remember when you could go to jail for that...)

[uponit7771]

11. +1

[multigraincracker]

3. Give federal Judge Amy Berman Jackson

a job on the SC, please.

[brooklynite]

8. Age 66? no thanks

[dalton99a]

4. It is a must.

[malaise]

7. Justice is coming

Take that to the bank

[Tommymac]

9. I just wonder what it is going to take to make his uneducated minions see the light of Truth.

There just has to be a scandalous line even they will not follow him across.

Not sure this is it - it is too complicated for those with 3rd grade educations.

But here's hoping we'll find it sooner rather then later.

[malaise]

16. That's a great question

particularly given his perfection at projection. Trump should already be in prison and I'm convinced they will get him on at least of his crimes

[Progressive Jones]

19. If and when Trump faces prosecution, they'll call it a hoax and a witch hunt. nt

[KS Toronado]

12. I wish Merrick Garland would release an entire unredacted Mueller report.

Would expose so much of the Qrump administration as being corrupt.

[Patterson]

13. Won't this go to the Supreme Court?

[Thunderbeast]

14. So...What is the upshot of this?

Will the AG have the guts to bring Barr up on charges?

A judge can not impose sanctions.

Will Congress spend political capital on an impeachment of Barr?....Not likely.

Would he be dis-barred? Possibly.

[Bob_in_VA]

18. Impeachment not likely

While it is possible to impeach someone after they have left office, there's no real value to it. Remember, impeachment is a political punishment, not a criminal one. Impeaching Barr at this time would simply mean that his eligibility for future Federal government service is prohibited, that's it. No disbarment, no jail time.

Now, having his license to practice law removed, having him tried and convicted on multiple counts of perjury, those are real possibilities. Those depend on whatever state his law license was issued in and the US Attorney for the District of Columbia. respectively. Congress has no reason to get involved... well, maybe Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer asking for the indictments. After all, they were the ones lied to.

[BobTheSubgenius]

15. Good!

The more sunlight let into the sewer that was the former administration, the better. I don't think anything short of sensitive national security items should be held back...but you can make the case that anything like that is already in Russian hands, at the least. Maybe more than just Russia's.

[Solly Mack]

17. K&R