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April 10, 2019 2:53 p.m.
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I think this is a very plausible read. Barr uses his smarts to help Trump attack the rule of law with a fig leaf of deniability and pared back enough to avoid triggering a new crisis. From TPM Reader JO

I think we can see where this “investigation” is going with Barr. I imagine that Trump wants Barr to prosecute individual FBI team members for illegal spying. Barr is probably offering Trump an alternative: instead of creating a political crisis by focusing on the personalities who started the investigation (Comey, etc.), instead focus on discrediting the legal basis on which the FISA warrants were issued, as well as the “improper” FBI/DOJ policies and procedures that gave rise to opening the investigation in the first place. After all, Barr’s power is at its apex in setting (or rescinding) DOJ policy, and he can dress up a change in the DOJ’s discretionary exercise of authority as a formal, legal repudiation of Obama’s DOJ/FBI regime. He’s not a judge, but as we saw from the Mueller report letter, he knows how to act like one.

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