Washington, DC – Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released a letter today he sent to attorney general nominee William Barr regarding the findings of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. Whitehouse asks for clarification of written responses to his questions on the use of executive privilege and the release of the full Mueller report to the American people. Whitehouse points to his questions about U.S. Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) guidance that prohibits the release of derogatory information about uncharged individuals. During a Judiciary Committee business meeting on Barr’s nomination last week, Whitehouse noted that the combination of dubious claims of executive privilege and the OLC guidance could stymie the release of Mueller’s final report.
During an exchange with Whitehouse at Thursday’s business meeting, Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) agreed to press Barr for complete answers to Whitehouse’s questions.
Click here to watch the Whitehouse-Graham exchange
Barr did not fully address Whitehouse’s concerns in written responses submitted last week. In his letter sent Monday evening, Whitehouse asks for prompt answers from Barr, whose nomination is due for a vote in the Judiciary Committee on Thursday.
Read Whitehouse’s letter to Barr here.
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