Attorney General William Barr, who is stepping down, stated during his final press conference Monday that he sees “no reason” to appoint a special counsel to investigate alleged fraud in the 2020 presidential election or the ongoing investigation into the taxes of President-elect Joe Biden’s son, Hunter.
“I have not seen a reason to appoint a special counsel, and I have no plan to do so before I leave,” Barr said.
He said the investigation into Hunter Biden’s financial dealings are “being handled responsibly and professionally.”
According to the Associated Press:
Barr also told the Associated Press in a previous interview that he had seen no evidence of widespread voting fraud, despite Trump’s claims to the contrary. Trump has continued to push baseless claims even after the Electoral College formalized Biden’s victory on Dec. 14.
Naming a special counsel would make it harder for Biden to shut down investigations. But it’s not clear how it could be done without buy-in from Justice officials. And if Trump was expecting his newly named acting attorney general, Jeff Rosen, to go further than Barr on either matter, he could end up quickly disappointed.
Barr also said the recent massive cyberattack on U.S. businesses and institutions “certainly appears to be the Russians.”
Follow Penny Starr on Twitter or send news tips to [email protected].
