#Rep. Jim Jordan defends Attorney General Barr, slams Dems during House hearing

The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee defended Attorney General William Barr on Tuesday, saying Democrats are simply upset that Barr condemned FBI “spying” on President Trump’s 2016 campaign — and played a lengthy video montage that detailed violence at protests across the nation.

“Spying. That one word, that’s why they’re after you, Mr. Attorney General,” Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said Tuesday in opening remarks before Barr testified.

Jordan, attempting to flip the script on Democrats, said,  “Chairman [Jerry] Nadler refuses to allow [Justice Department inspector general Michael] Horowitz to come here and testify and answer our questions about the 17 lies the Obama-Biden administration told to the secret court.”

An inspector general report last year documented 17 FBI omissions or lies to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to obtain or continue surveillance orders against Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.

“I want to thank you for having the courage to say we’re going to get the politics out of the Department of Justice that was there in the previous administration,” Jordan said.

Jordan concluded by playing a seven-minute video montage showing battle scenes between protesters and law enforcement in major cities, along with discordant journalist remarks describing “peaceful protests.”

The Trump administration deployed federal agents to four US cities to quell bloodshed unable to be handled by local law enforcement as well as violence linked to protests against the May killing of George Floyd by Minnesota police.

Democrats led by Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York allege that Barr corruptly has done Trump’s personal bidding and wrongfully allowed federal officers to be deployed to cities without local consent.

“At your direction, department officials have downplayed the effects of systemic racism and abandoned the victims of police brutality… and expressed open hostility to the Black Lives Matter movement,” Nadler said in opening remarks.

“In this Justice Department, the president’s enemies will be punished and his friends will be protected. No matter the cost. No matter the cost to liberty, no matter the quest for justice,” Nadler said.

“This administration has twisted the Department of Justice into a shadow of its former self, capable of serving most Americans only after it is first served those in power. This committee has a responsibility to protect Americans from that kind of corruption, Mr. Barr.”

Barr said in his opening remarks that “I feel complete freedom to do what I think is right” and “the president has not attempted to interfere” in his decisions.