Departing Attorney General William Barr continued to distance himself from President Donald Trump, saying Monday that he saw no reason to appoint special counsels to investigate Hunter Biden or unsubstantiated allegations of election fraud.
Barr, who is set to leave office Wednesday, also broke with Trump by publicly blaming Russia for a massive cyber attack that has affected more than a half-dozen government agencies and an untold number of private companies, even as the president pointed the finger at China over the weekend and sought to downplay the breach.
“From the information I have, I agree with Secretary Pompeo’s assessment,” Barr said, referring to State Department chief Mike Pompeo. “It certainly appears to be the Russians, but I’m not going to discuss it beyond that.”
Trump has accused the media of inflating the seriousness of the cyberattacks and deflected blame from Russia, undermining his own administration’s warning last week that the cyberattacks believed to be tied to Russia continues to pose a “grave risk” to government networks and the private sector.
During an unrelated — and perhaps last — briefing at the Justice Department, Barr addressed a range of questions, including inquiries about special counsel appointments that Trump has been privately pushing.
In the case of Hunter Biden, the attorney general said that an ongoing tax inquiry involving President-elect Joe Biden’s son’s was being handled “responsibly and professionally” by federal prosecutors in Delaware.
The attorney general also said there was “no basis” for seizing voting machines to investigate unsubstantiated allegations of election fraud.
In both cases, Barr said there were no plans to address either matter with a special prosecutor appointment before he departs.
Barr, long regarded as Trump’s most consequential advocate, announced his resignation last week after clashes with the president over his unfounded election fraud claims.
Trump also was angered after learning that Barr had not publicly disclosed the investigation involving Hunter Biden during the campaign. The case had been opened in 2018, though Barr had been briefed on it after taking office in February 2019.
When Barr departs, Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen will serve as acting attorney.
