Attorney General Bill Barr has been telling administration officials that he’s thinking about resigning in wake of President Donald Trump’s meddlesome tweets bashing Roger Stone’s criminal case.
Three unnamed administration officials told Washington Post about Barr’s private comments about Trump’s interference on Tuesday night.
“He has his limits,” one of the sources said.
The Associated Press and ABC News also reported Barr’s musings.
Kerri Kupec, Barr’s spokesperson, denied the reports, with a tweet late Tuesday night: “Addressing Beltway rumors: The Attorney General has no plans to resign.”
After Trump complained about prosecutors’ recommended prison sentence for Stone after he was found guilty on all charges of obstruction, Barr walked back the recommendation and had the Justice Department file for a lighter sentence.
The move triggered a wave of criticism against Barr, who was accused of using the Justice Department to shield Trump’s associates. Barr claimed he did not make the reversal in the case at Trump’s behest, despite the President’s “disruptive” tweets.
Trump has admitted his interference doesn’t help.
“I do make his job harder, yes, I do agree with that,” he told reporters on Tuesday after Barr had complained about the tweets in an ABC News interview.
However, Trump also claimed that he’s “allowed to be totally involved” in criminal cases, he just “chose not to be involved” in Stone’s case.
“I’m actually, I guess, the chief law enforcement officer of the country,” he said.
This story has been updated to include the Associated Press and ABC News’ reports.
