Attorney General William Barr is now trotting around the globe looking for dirt on America's intelligence agencies, some of which are under his direction. Apparently, no lead is too obscure for Barr—like traveling to Italy to listen to a recording of Joseph Mifsud, the mysterious professor who told a Trump campaign aide in 2016 that the Russians had dirt on Hillary Clinton. Oh, and why not take the guy you assigned to investigate the origins of the Russia investigation too, U.S. attorney John Durham?
What Barr is devoting the Justice Department's precious time and resources to is relitigating the Mueller report in an effort to discredit the collective U.S. intelligence conclusion that Russia attacked the 2016 election to benefit Donald Trump. That fact is a festering wound for Trump, and it also certainly makes it hard to argue that the U.S. should lift the election-related sanctions it put on Russia following the intelligence community’s assessment. But if Barr were to discover a molehill he could turn into a mountain, that sure would make bossman Trump happy, not to mention the apple of Trump's eye, Russian President Vladimir Putin. All those election-related sanctions could suddenly be called into question.
Nothing about Barr's obsession with the "oranges" of the Russia probe is normal or even remotely justifiable. There's never been a single credible allegation of misconduct, and therefore there’s no reason to launch a probe. And the fact that Barr is micromanaging the ‘independent’ investigator he appointed is just plain weird, not to mention unethical. Former FBI Assistant Director Frank Figliuzzi—who has worked with Durham in the past and considers him an honest broker—told MSNBC Tuesday that Barr's personal involvement in the matter suggests he is trying to make certain the investigation yields fruit and perhaps isn't happy with the results thus far.
Barr has clearly predetermined the outcome of his probe into a Trump-concocted conspiracy theory, and he is particularly dangerous when it comes to spinning the results of an investigation (see: the Mueller report). Furthermore, much of the Democrats' momentum on impeachment depends at least partially on quashing everything associated with Barr at this point. Remember, we are still awaiting a Justice Department IG report on the Russia probe, not to mention the findings of Durham's “independent” investigation. A determination by either one in support of Trump’s treasured conspiracy theory could be seized on as a foil to the most important matter at hand: Trump’s Ukraine escapade.
Anything Democrats can do to hobble Barr's impact and reputation right now is a worthy endeavor. Sure, he should be impeached. But if Democrats don’t have the bandwidth for that, they should waste no time calling Barr to the Hill to testify on his recent activities. If he refuses to come, perhaps they could freeze funds for his travel or the salaries of top Justice Department officials until such time as Barr is willing to explain what he is doing.
At the very least, Democrats need to make Barr’s peers think twice before siding with him or blindly delivering on the outcomes he seeks. If Barr’s position and reputation are viewed as precarious by those around him, his ability to continue producing some of Trump’s biggest political wins will be greatly diminished. That’s why, as busy as Democrats are, they cannot afford to leave scrutiny of Barr for another day.