President Trump’s nominee for attorney general, William Barr, went before a Senate panel today for the first of two days of confirmation hearings, addressing some of the most controversial questions about his nomination head-on. He was particularly asked about the Russia investigation and whether the president would have too much influence on his actions. While he said that he would allow special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation to continue, he also left open the possibility that its final report would never become public, or that Trump could fire Mueller as long as he had “good cause.”
To discuss the takeaways from today’s hearing and what they mean for the ongoing investigation into Russian election meddling, Jim Braude was joined by Martha Coakley, former state attorney general and now partner at Foley Hoag; Renee Landers, Suffolk University professor and constitutional law expert; and Dan Small, a former assistant U.S. attorney who has worked with Mueller in the past and is now partner at Holland and Knight.
