WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General William Barr has given extra protection to the prosecutor he appointed to investigate the origins of the Trump-Russia probe, giving him the authority of a special counsel to complete the work without being easily fired.
Barr told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he had appointed U.S. Attorney John Durham as a special counsel in October under the same federal statute that governed special counsel Robert Mueller in the original Russia probe. He said Durham’s investigation has been narrowing to focus more on the conduct of FBI agents who worked on the Russia investigation, known as Crossfire Hurricane.
Under federal regulations, a special counsel can be fired only by the attorney general and for specific reasons such as misconduct, dereliction of duty or conflict of interest. An attorney general must document such reasons in writing.
The investigations grew out of allegations of cooperation between Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and Russians to help him defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton.
“I decided the best thing to do would be to appoint them under the same regulation that covered Bob Mueller, to provide Durham and his team some assurance that they’d be able to complete their work regardless of the outcome of the election,” Barr said Tuesday.
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Biden’s transition team didn’t immediately comment on the appointment.
The current investigation, a criminal probe, had begun very broadly but has since “narrowed considerably” and now “really is focused on the activities of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation within the FBI,” Barr said. He said he expects Durham would detail whether any additional prosecutions will be brought and make public a report of the investigation’s findings.
In an Oct. 19 order, obtained by The Associated Press, Barr says Durham is authorized “to investigate whether any federal official, employee or any person or entity violated the law in connection with the intelligence, counter-intelligence or law enforcement activities” directed at the 2016 presidential campaigns, anyone associated with the campaigns or the Trump administration.
A senior Justice Department official told the AP that although the order details that it is “including but not limited to Crossfire Hurricane and the investigation of Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III,” the Durham probe has not expanded. The official said that line specifically relates to FBI personnel who worked on the Russia investigation before the May 2017 appointment of Mueller, a critical area of scrutiny for both Durham and for the Justice Department inspector general, which identified a series of errors and omissions in surveillance applications targeting a former Trump campaign associate.
The focus on the FBI, rather than the CIA and the intelligence community, suggests that Durham may have moved past some of the more incendiary claims that Trump supporters had hoped would yield allegations of misconduct, or even crimes — namely, the question of how intelligence agencies reached their conclusion that Russia had interfered in the 2016 election.
As President-elect Joe Biden exited The Queen theater following his event announcing his economic team in Wilmington, Delaware, he answered a few shouted questions from the pool from afar before he got into his SUV.
He said that he hasn’t yet spoken to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
“Not yet,” Biden said when asked if he’s spoken to McConnell. Asked whether he supports the $900 billion stimulus proposal, he replied, “I’ve just heard about it. I’ll take a look at it when I get back.”
Biden did not answer a shouted question about whether he plans to go to Georgia to campaign ahead of the Senate runoff. As President-elect Joe Biden prepares to announce more key appointments to his administration, the door is closing on the prospect of tapping a nominee from one of his most cherished places in Washington: the halls of Congress.
Inside his transition team, there is a real recognition of how difficult it would be to choose a Senate Democrat for any role, given how closely divided the upper chamber will be next year.
And the narrowing Democratic majority in the House has made it far less likely that he would be able to easily turn to any House members for posts in the administration.
Multiple sources familiar with the transition say that regardless of what happens in the two Senate runoff races in Georgia next month — where even in the best case for Democrats, the Senate would be split evenly with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris serving as the tie-breaking vote — the bar would be extremely high for Biden to appoint a Senate Democrat to an administration role and take them out of Congress.
What Biden has indicated to allies is that “it would be really, really hard to take someone out of the Senate because the margin is so slim, no matter what happens in Georgia,” one source said. He echoed that sentiment in his interview with NBC News last month.
It certainly doesn’t mean there is no chance that Biden would do it — but it would need to be for the right person and for the right job, and if the person hails from a state where their Senate replacement would be appointed by a governor who guaranteed naming another Democrat. And in the House, even in a safe Democratic district, a vacancy could complicate close votes before a special election could be held.
We’ve already seen the effects of that political calculation. As CNN reported earlier this week, Illinois Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth was in the mix for the defense secretary job, but is now longer getting a serious look given Biden’s reluctance to create any vacancies in the Senate.
Alabama Sen. Doug Jones is under consideration for attorney general, but Jones lost his seat last month and is leaving the Senate. The only two remaining Democratic senators in the mix for positions appear to be New Mexico Sen. Tom Udall for Interior secretary and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders for Labor secretary, although Republicans have said prospects for confirmation are slim.
President-elect Joe Biden unveiled the top members of his economic team this afternoon in Wilmington, Delaware. They will be tasked with leading the incoming administration’s economic response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The nominees outlined their vision of the US economy and their role. Here’s some of what they had to say: Janet Yellen, Secretary of the Treasury nominee Yellen said that the nation is “facing historic crises” like those the US saw during the Great Recession.
Yellen said “it is essential we move with urgency” to address the economic problems in America today.
“Inaction will produce self reinforcing downturn causing yet more devastation,” the nominee added.
If confirmed, Yellen would be the first woman to be treasury secretary.
Neera Tanden, Director of the Office of Management and Budget nominee
Tanden said it is her “profound honor to help shape the budgets and programs to keep lifting Americans up, to pull families back from the brink, to give everybody the fair chance my mom got, and that every single person deserves.”
“That’s the America they were drawn to, the America the President-Elect and Vice President-Elect are ready to grow,” the nominee added.
Tanden noted that as Vice President-elect Harris, her mother also was born in India and immigrated to the US to pursue a better life.
If confirmed, the nominee would be the first woman of color and first South Asian American to oversee the office.
Wally Adeyemo, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury nominee
Adeyamo said he looks forward to working at Treasury with Janet Yellen “to reduce inequality in this country, expand the middle class, make sure we build an economy that works for everyone.”
He said the country “must also remain laser focused” in the treasury department’s role in “protecting national security.”
“This includes using sanctions regime to hold bad actors accountable, dismantling financial networks of terrorist organizations and others that seek to do us harm, ensuring foreign investment policy protects America’s national security interests.”
He said, “The challenges before us today are unlike anything we have ever faced.”
If confirmed, Adeyemo would be the first Black deputy Treasury Secretary.
Cecilia Rouse, Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers nominee
Rouse said that the country is facing a moment of urgency and opportunity, unlike any we faced in modern times.”
“The urgency of ending a devastating crisis and the opportunity to build a better economy in its wake, an economy that works for everyone, brings fulfilling job opportunities and leaves no one to fall through the cracks.”
Jared Bernstein, selected as member of the Council of Economic Advisers
Bernstein said the Biden-Harris economic agenda is ‘“timely, resonant, and visionary.”
“Yes, they stressed the urgent need to control the virus, provide the relief needed to help families and businesses get to the other side of the crisis. But they’ve been just as adamant that simply getting back to where we were sets the bar too low.”
He added that the US must create an economy “that’s far more resilient, far more fair, and far more inclusive.”
Heather Boushey, selected as member of the Council of Economic Advisers
Boushey said she’s dedicated her career to figuring out how we can grow and sustain the middle class.”
She said the American economy should “uproot the gender barriers and racial barriers that leave too many Americans outside the dream looking in.”
Learn more about Biden’s picks here.
President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are formally introducing key members of their economic team at an event happening now in Wilmington, Delaware.
Biden pledged that his diverse team will create a recovery “for everybody” to get the economy moving again and promised that “help is on the way.”
“A first rate team that is going to get us through this ongoing economic crisis and help us build the economy back, not just build it back, but build it back better than it was before. A team that’s tested and experienced,” Biden said of the nominees and appointees sitting at tables at both sides of the President-elect.
“It includes groundbreaking Americans who come from different backgrounds but who share my core vision for relief here in the United States of America,” Biden continued.
Yesterday, Biden made the long-expected announcement of Janet Yellen as treasury secretary along with three other women in top roles on a diverse team that will be tasked with helping lead Biden’s economic response to the coronavirus pandemic and meet the former vice president’s campaign promises of narrowing economic disparities.
If confirmed, Yellen would be the first woman to be treasury secretary.
Among the other barrier-breaking nominees Biden announced is Adewale “Wally” Adeyemo, president of the Obama Foundation in Chicago, for deputy Treasury Secretary, serving under Yellen. If confirmed, he would be the first Black deputy Treasury Secretary. Biden also named Neera Tanden to lead the Office of Management and Budget. If confirmed, she would be the first woman of color and first South Asian American to oversee it.
Harris declared “this is the right team for this moment,” and thanked all for their continued government service.
Here’s a look at the list of nominations and appointments:
Janet Yellen: Nominated to serve as Secretary of the Treasury.
Neera Tanden: Nominated to serve as Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
Wally Adeyemo: Nominated to serve as Deputy Secretary of the Treasury.
Cecilia Rouse: Nominated to serve as Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers.
Jared Bernstein: Selected as a member of the Council of Economic Advisers.
Heather Boushey: Selected as a member of the Council of Economic Advisers.
The President-elect called on Congress to pass a “robust package” for relief but urged that anything passed during the lame duck session will almost certainly at best be “just a start.”
“Let’s begin the work to heal, to unite, to rebuild an economy for all Americans. They deserve and expect nothing less,” Biden said.
Read more about Biden’s picks here.
President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will formally introduce key members of their economic team shortly at an event in Wilmington, Delaware.
Biden made the long-expected announcement of Janet Yellen as Treasury secretary yesterday along with three other women in top roles on a diverse team that will help him navigate the nation’s punishing fiscal headwinds in hopes of building an economic recovery.
They will also be tasked with the Biden-Harris administration’s economic response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“This team is comprised of respected and tested groundbreaking public servants who will help the communities hardest hit by COVID-19 and address the structural inequities in our economy,” Biden said in a statement yesterday on the nominations.
2 hr 34 min ago
Second half of Biden’s economic team will be unveiled in the coming days
From CNN’s Jeff Zeleny
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen speaks during her last news conference in office in Washington DC, on December 13, 2017.
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen speaks during her last news conference in office in Washington DC, on December 13, 2017. Alex Wong/Getty Images
President-elect Joe Biden is formally introducing his economic team shortly in Delaware, with Treasury Secretary nominee Janet Yellen, OMB Director and the Council of Economic Advisers expected to stand on stage with him in Wilmington.
But today’s announcement is only one part of his economic team. Biden has settled on Brian Deese to lead the National Economic Council, people familiar with the transition tell CNN, and is still making final decisions on US Trade Representative, Commerce Secretary and others posts. Those announcements will be made in the coming days, transition officials say.
So what’s the difference between the Council of Economic Advisers and the National Economic Council? A simple way to look at the CEA is “the president’s think tank on the economy.”
Cecilia Rouse, who will be nominated to lead the CEA, will be joined by Jared Bernstein and Heather Boushey. The three-member Council of Economic Advisers was formed in 1946 to give economic advice to the president.
The National Economic Council was formed in 1993, during the Clinton administration, to coordinate policy across the government. It does not require Senate confirmation like the CEA.
