Attorney General Investigations

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCONNELL. Now, Madam President, on one final matter, late last week, the Democratic leader and the Democratic whip gave in to the urge to pick at the scab of politically motivated investigations that have become their party's favorite weapon against the previous administration. They indicated that they were prepared to compel two former Attorneys General to testify before the Judiciary Committee on efforts to trace leaks of sensitive national security information.

In case anyone had forgotten, our colleagues are among the same Democrats who spent years demanding repeated investigations of a Republican President while turning a blind eye to the clear abuses of power that infected the investigation of his campaign. So any outrage from Democrats that alleged criminal leaks within their own ranks rightly drew the attention of Federal investigators rings completely hollow.

It is particularly disappointing that our colleagues have taken to attacking former Attorney General Bill Barr over investigative decisions that predated--predated--his time at the Department of Justice. Let me say that again. It is particularly disappointing that our colleagues have taken to attacking former Attorney General Bill Barr over investigative decisions that occurred when he wasn't there yet. Attorney General Barr served our Nation with honor and with integrity. These latest attempts to tarnish his name bear the telltale signs of a witch hunt in the making.

Here are the facts: The Department of Justice is empowered to investigate criminal conduct by Members of Congress and their staff. Necessarily, this sort of investigation is subject to strict procedural protections, and the Department's inspector general is fully equipped to determine whether these procedures were followed in this case. So I am confident that the existing inquiry will uncover the truth. There is no need for a partisan circus here in the Congress.
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