"America has seen which side William Barr is on. As the nation’s top law enforcement officer, the attorney general represents the “People of the United States.” Early in his tenure, Barr jettisoned that role.Operating as Trump’s personal advocate, Barr has abused the power of his office." — Steven Harper for the Fall 2020 issue of Litigation – The Journal of the Section of Litigation of the American Bar Association.

Attorney General William Barr will testify before the House Judiciary Committee tomorrow for the first time. The Attorney General of the United States is, of course, not the president’s lawyer. The AG is supposed to be the attorney for the United States, protecting the rule of law. (The office of the president has its own lawyer—the White House Counsel—and the president has his own bevy of personal lawyers.)

Media coverage of Trump’s commutation of his associate Roger Stone’s prison sentence has pushed the Russia bounty story out of the headlines. Knowing Trump’s skill at distraction, it’s hard to believe this is a coincidence.