In their self-righteous letter calling on Attorney General Bill Barr to resign Monday, over 2,000 former Justice Department officials claimed he interfered with “the fair administration of justice” by recommending a reduced prison sentence for Roger Stone. But there was no such letter when the DOJ inspector general found that the FBI had lied to the FISA Court in order to obtain warrants to spy on a Trump campaign aid.
Of course, the same networks that blacked out how the top FISA judge accused the FBI of a criminal act were the same ones gushing about the new letter.
“The number of signatures on this letter doubled since this morning. And these former officials are calling Barr's actions outrageous,” CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell asked of White House correspondent Weijia Jiang.
Jiang quickly quoted a line from the pompous letter which insisted Barr was helping to enable Trump to set up an autocracy in America:
They are, Norah, and they are also warning that Barr's actions have damaged their reputation and the integrity of the Department of Justice and require him to step down.
So far, 2,003 former officials have signed the letter saying, “governments that use the enormous power of law enforcement to punish their enemies and reward their allies are not constitutional republics. They are autocracies.”
CBS had leaped at the chance to promote anti-Barr stories in the past. In May of last year, the network was excited to tell viewers about how Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) had called the AG a liar and a criminal.
Over on ABC’s World News Tonight, special correspondent Kyra Phillips hit the same talking points. “Tonight, more than 2,000 former Justice Department prosecutors and officials are calling on Attorney General William Barr to resign, signing a letter saying they ‘strongly condemn’ Barr and President Trump for ‘interference in the fair administration of justice,’” she touted.
She added: “They call Barr's decision to overrule his own prosecutors to recommend a lighter sentence for the President's friend, Roger Stone, ‘Unheard of’ and ‘Outrageous.’” But back in reality, there was a history of overzealous investigation and prosecution connected with the case.
Back in December, ABC didn’t want to admit how the FBI conducted itself during the infamous Russia investigation. World News Tonight anchor David Muir lied about there being “no spying” from the FBI and defended the error-filled probe. They, along with CBS and NBC, spiked how fired FBI director James Comey conceded the FBI deceived the FISA Court.
Of course, leave it to NBC Nightly News to beclown themselves by relying on an anti-Trump staple from MSNBC to make a ludicrous smear against Barr and pass it off as serious facts. “He may not resign but he should wear a red mark for the rest of his life for what he has done to this nation and to the notion of the rule of law,” demanded former federal prosecutor John Flannery.
NBC White House correspondent Kristen Welker even touted how former Vice President and floundering 2020 hopeful, Joe Biden was speaking out:
WELKER: But now, Democratic presidential candidates, including Joe Biden, are joining the chorus calling for the Attorney General to go.
BIDEN: Absolutely, positively [soundbite fades out]
NBC had joined ABC and CBS in hiding the fact that the lead juror in the Stone trial had a long history of anti-Trump statements and had once run for Congress as a Democrat.
All three of the networks praised the letter as “bipartisan,” because as Welker put it, it was signed by “officials from both Democratic and Republican administrations.” That may be true but they and the media share the same political motivation: remove Trump at all costs. Because if they really cared about “the fair administration of justice,” where was their outrage and condemnation of the FBI? Even current FBI Director Christopher Wray admitted what they did was “illegal.”
The transcripts are below click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
February 17, 2020
6:41:25 p.m. EasternDAVID MUIR: Next tonight, the growing firestorm surround, Attorney General William Barr. More than 2,000 former Justice Department prosecutors and officials now publicly calling for his resignation. The AG facing heavy criticism for intervening in the sentencing of President Trump's longtime friend, Roger Stone. That sentencing now set for Thursday. Kyra Phillips tonight from the White House.
[Cuts to video]
KYRA PHILLIPS: Tonight, more than 2,000 former Justice Department prosecutors and officials are calling on Attorney General William Barr to resign, signing a letter saying they "strongly condemn" Barr and President Trump for "Interference in the fair administration of justice." They call Barr's decision to overrule his own prosecutors to recommend a lighter sentence for the President's friend, Roger Stone, "Unheard of" and "Outrageous."
(…)
PHILLIPS: But Barr has taken an unusual interest in cases involved people close to the president. Including ordering a review of the prosecution of Trump's first national security adviser, Michael Flynn.
In their letter, those 2,000 former DOJ employees were blunt. "A person should not be given special treatment in a criminal prosecution because they are a close political ally of the president."
[Cuts back to live]
MUIR: So, let's get right to Kyra Phillips, live at the White House tonight. And Kyra, the White House obviously standing behind the Attorney General.
PHILLIPS: That's right, David. A senior adviser to the President telling me tonight that President Trump still has confidence in Barr and still considers him the best man for the job. David.
MUIR: Kyra Phillips tonight. Thank you.
CBS Evening News
February 17, 2020
6:38:17 p.m. EasternNORAH O’DONNELL: Tonight there are growing calls for the resignation of Attorney General Bill Barr and they are coming from a bipartisan group of former officials who served inside the department he leads. Weijia Jiang joins us now from the White House. And Weijia, the number of signatures on this letter doubled since this morning. And these former officials are calling Barr's actions outrageous. Right?
WEIJIA JIANG: They are, Norah, and they are also warning that Barr's actions have damaged their reputation and the integrity of the Department of Justice and require him to step down.
So far, 2,003 former officials have signed the letter saying, “governments that use the enormous power of law enforcement to punish their enemies and reward their allies are not constitutional republics. They are autocracies.”
The backlash began last week after Barr challenged the work of career prosecutors in the case against Roger Stone, a longtime friend of President Trump by pushing for a shorter sentence than those lawyers represented. Barr insisted the President does not influence his choices.
Now, those signing the letter have also called on every current DOJ official to report future abuses and, if necessary, to resign. Tonight, the Department of Justice has declined to comment. Norah.
O’DONNELL: All right, Weijia, thank you.
NBC Nightly News
February 17, 2020
7:09:04 p.m. EasternLESTER HOLT: There are new calls tonight for Attorney General Bill Barr to resign from thousands of former Justice Department officials and Democratic presidential candidates. Here’s NBC's Kristen Welker.
[Cuts to video]
KRISTEN WELKER: Tonight, pressure is mounting on Attorney General Bill Barr amid allegations of political interference by the Department of Justice. In an open letter signed by more than 2,000 former DOJ officials from both Democratic and Republican administrations, they call on Barr to resign arguing, “each of us strongly condemns President Trump's and Attorney General Barr's interference in the fair administration of justice.”
The controversy started after fallout from the Rodger Stone case. The President's longtime friend was convicted of lying and witness tampering. The Attorney General overruled career prosecutors, several of whom quit the case in protest after Barr lowered the recommended prison sentence for Stone. That move came just hours after President Trump tweeted: “Stone's sentence was horrible and unfair.”
Tonight, John Flannery a former federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, speaking out to NBC News accusing Barr of working on behalf of the President.
JOHN FLANNERY: He may not resign but he should wear a red mark for the rest of his life for what he has done to this nation and to the notion of the rule of law.
WELKER: The Attorney General denied he was coordinating with the White House and instead, criticized the President's tweets about DOJ cases in a recent interview.
(…)
WELKER: But now, Democratic presidential candidates, including Joe Biden, are joining the chorus calling for the Attorney General to go.
FORMER VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: Absolutely, positively [soundbite fades out]
[Cuts back to live]
(…)
