Durham revealed much about his own character when he issued a transparently political message challenging the IG’s report before completing his investigation. Barr, who deceived the public about the contents of the Mueller report, has similarly tried to undermine the IG report./2
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) December 11, 2019
Barr bizarrely argues it’d be bad if a president abused his power to sabotage a rival’s campaign with an investigation. The notion that Obama came anywhere near doing this is the debunked lunacy of pizzagate enthusiasts, but it’s exactly what the “transcript” shows Trump did. /4
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) December 11, 2019
Whether he ultimately intervenes in personnel matters is almost beside the point. His remarks were intended to intimidate the DOJ attorneys and FBI agents investigating others associated with the president. And there’s something far more ominous that his remarks have signaled. /6
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) December 11, 2019
Even the mere suggestion that he would do this is a direct assault on democracy and a betrayal of the public trust. It is extremely dangerous and may chill legitimate investigations. It’s the stuff of autocracies. It must not be tolerated. It cannot be tolerated in a republic. /8
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) December 11, 2019
In this context, it’s important to remember that Trump fired Sessions the day after the election because he would not stop the Russia investigation. A president firing someone for failing to treat him as though he is above the law should have been viewed as an impeachable act./10
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) December 11, 2019
It’s important not to make the same mistake twice. Some people underestimated Barr’s ruthless partisanship before. No one should do that again. Like Trump, Barr is capable of doing anything he can get away with—and that includes interfering in the 2020 election, if we let him./12
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) December 11, 2019
— Walter Shaub, former head of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, calling Attorney General William Barr a “threat to democracy” in an epic 12 part tweet and warning of potential 2020 election interference.