Sen. Kamala Harris needs answers. On Tuesday, the Democrat from California requested that Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham call on William Barr to testify before Congress about his meddling in Roger Stone’s sentencing.
It was recommended this week that Stone, a former Trump campaign adviser, serve 7-9 years for obstructing an investigation into the 2016 Trump campaign. Hours after federal prosecutors made their recommendation, and subsequent to a condemning tweet by Donald J. Trump, Barr reversed order, suggesting a lesser sentence.
“I request that you immediately schedule a hearing for Attorney General William Barr to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee so that the committee and the American people can understand the Justice Department’s decision to overrule its career prosecutors in this case,” Harris wrote in a letter to Graham.
She added, “The Justice Department’s decision to overrule its career prosecutors, immediately after President Trump’s tweet, calls into question the independence and integrity of our legal system.”
Harris is not alone in her opposition to the way the sentencing was handled. The Hill reports that Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) also sent a letter to Graham on Tuesday requesting an investigation.
Though Trump, while talking to reporters, claimed that he did not interfere in the case, his tweets, which have a history of sending “subtle” commands, suggest otherwise.
“This is a horrible and very unfair situation. The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them. Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice!” Trump tweeted Tuesday morning after hearing of the 7-9 year recommendation.
Since Barr’s intervention, all four federal prosecutors in the case have withdrawn their participation. According to The Washington Post, two have also resigned from their jobs at the Department of Justice.
This is not the first time Kamala Harris has called on Barr to testify about his involvement with Donald Trump’s dealings. In September, she requested he come before Congress to explain why he was named during a phone call in which a quid pro quo was discussed. The call eventually lead to Donald Trump’s impeachment.
