About that Italian trip

In case anyone has forgotten with all the retooling his reputation is getting these days, Bill Barr is a sleeze.

House Judiciary Committee Democrats are asking the Justice Department (DOJ) to turn over information about a trip former Attorney General Bill Barr and special counsel John Durham took to Italy after reviewing a tip about possible financial crimes carried out by former President Trump.

Durham was appointed to investigate the FBI’s handling of the initial probe into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia.

But in the course of that investigation, the Justice Department received a tip from Italian officials alleging wrongdoing by Trump, spurring an unusual trip by both gentlemen.

“Because of the strength and seriousness of this evidence, Attorney General Barr acknowledged that the Department was compelled to investigate, but instead of allowing the investigation to proceed through normal channels, he asked Mr. Durham to handle the investigation secretly,” ranking member Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) wrote in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland.

[...]

In a June appearance before Congress, Durham said little about the trip, stressing that high level DOJ staff were needed to properly engage with the Italian officials.

  The Hill

Sure. Whatever. And Bill Barr himself had to go because he had the highest level?

He also said that “investigative steps were taken, and grand jury subpoenas were issued” but that he saw no reason to include information about the episode in his report.

[...]

“In this instance, it appears that Attorney General Barr turned the Special Counsel regulations on their head and used the Special Counsel not to promote independence and fairness, but to bury a potentially significant criminal investigation from the public,” Nadler wrote.

“Mr. Durham’s refusal to explain his decision not to charge former President Trump after secretly investigating him for alleged financial crimes is highly concerning, especially considering Mr. Durham’s extensive public discussion of evidence that was rejected by juries which acquitted the defendants that he charged.”

The letter asks DOJ to turn over specifics that were not included in Durham’s report, including more details about the tip provided by Italy, details about how it was investigated, and any rationale for not bringing charges, including in a so-called declination memo.

Perhaps Garland can ask the Italians.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.