Barr Shoots Down Trump Allies’ Wild-Eyed Idea To Seize Voting Machines

US Attorney General William Barr participates in a news conference to provide an update on the investigation of the terrorist bombing of Pan Am flight 103 on the 32nd anniversary of the attack, at the US Department ... US Attorney General William Barr participates in a news conference to provide an update on the investigation of the terrorist bombing of Pan Am flight 103 on the 32nd anniversary of the attack, at the US Department of Justice in Washington, DC, on December 21, 2020. - The US Justice Department unveiled charges against the Libyan who allegedly built the bomb that exploded aboard Pan Am flight 103 over Scotland exactly 32 years ago. Attorney General Bill Barr said a former Libyan intelligence operative, "Abu Agela Mas'ud Kheir Al-Marimi," helped build the explosive device that blew up the aircraft -- killing 259 people, including 190 Americans, aboard the US-bound flight and 11 people on the ground. (Photo by MICHAEL REYNOLDS / POOL / AFP) (Photo by MICHAEL REYNOLDS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) MORE LESS
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Attorney General Bill Barr said Monday that he saw “no basis” for the federal government to seize voting machines, responding to a reporter’s question geared at the recent news that President Trump’s allies have floated such a gambit.

Barr also gave no support to the idea of appointing a special counsel to investigate the conspiracy theories around election fraud. Over the weekend, Trump reportedly discussed the idea of appointing Sidney Powell — the fringy lawyer leading the flailing legal gambit to overturn the election results — to such a role.

“If I thought a special counsel at this stage was the right tool and was appropriate, I would have named one,” Barr said Monday. “But I haven’t and I am not going to.”

Barr said he stood by his previous remarks indicating the Department had not found evidence of mass voter fraud in the 2020 presidential contest, though he stressed Monday that he did think some fraud occurs in “most” elections.

Trump is continuing on his doomed quest to reverse his electoral defeat, having spent the weekend in meetings with Powell, Rudy Giuliani and Michael Flynn to reportedly discuss ideas such as having the Department of Homeland Security seize voting machines to investigate for fraud.

At Monday press conference, which was pegged to the Justice Department’s announcement of charges against an alleged conspirator in the 1988 Pan Am Lockerbie bombing, Barr was also asked to in on the prospect that he would appoint a special counsel to lead the investigation into Hunter Biden, son of President-elect Joe Biden, who is reportedly being probed for tax issues.

Prior to the election, Barr appointed as special counsel the U.S. attorney who had been reviewing the launch of the 2016 Russia probe.

“To this point, I have not seen a reason to appoint a special counsel” for the Hunter Biden investigation, Barr said, “and I have no plan to do so before I leave.”

Barr said last week that he was resigning from his post this month, before Trump’s term is up on January 20. Barr will be departing the Department on Wednesday.

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Notable Replies

  1. Trump is continuing on his doomed quest

    Tragic hero or insane fool?

    Maybe someone should write a book about him.

  2. There’s some gentle underbussing going on here.

  3. Avatar for revjim revjim says:

    This was on when I turned on my TV this morning. It was like waking up in a parallel universe where we actually had a functioning AG and Justice Department. I suppose he wants to try and salvage something of his reputation, good luck with that you schmuck…

  4. I’m guessing KAC’s is going to be number one on the runway.

  5. Surveying the wreckage of the Justice Department and the Supreme Court, Barr made a motion like he was washing his hands and said ,“My work here is done.”.

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