Former United States Attorney General William Barr has criticized the indictment of former President Donald Trump over his alleged involvement in a 2016 hush money scandal. Barr argued that the legal theory behind the indictment was "pathetically weak" and that it could further inflame divisions in the country.
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office convened a grand jury, which voted to indict Trump on Thursday, making him the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges for an incident involving a hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Barr accused Democrats of using this case as a political tool to "preempt political decisions and sow discord in the political process." He also criticized them for using it to help President Donald Trump win re-election in 2024, calling it an abuse of prosecutorial power.
In addition, Barr disagreed with claims that payments made by Trump were campaign finance violations since they were effectively contributions made towards his campaign. This is because he believes there was no evidence implicating any direct involvement from then-candidate Trump himself outside of Cohen's testimony and documentation.
President Joe Biden avoided answering questions about this controversy but said there is "zero chance" that Trump will plead not guilty. Meanwhile, members of his legal team have vowed never to seek plea deals or back down from fighting all charges brought against him.
Barr has become increasingly critical of former President Donald Trump since leaving his administration after serving as attorney general during his presidency. Despite being nominated by Mr.Trump himself just two years ago before resigning later on during backlash over politicizing DOJ investigations into friends and family members who supported him politically instead thereof impartial justice system based on meritocracy principles which goes against American values such as fairness under law without prejudice or bias regardless race/religion/class etc., this statement shows how much distance their relationship has come since then.
Trump has responded to the indictment by saying that the Democrats have "lied, cheated, and stolen" in their obsession with trying to get him. The former president has been very vocal about his belief that he is being unfairly targeted by political enemies seeking revenge for his presidency.
The indictment remains under seal, but legal experts suggest that Trump could face charges for falsifying business records by improperly marking down reimbursements to Michael Cohen as legal payments. Despite this, Barr believes that the case is flimsy and will not hold up in court due to its lack of evidence.
Critics argue that Barr's statements are an attempt to protect Trump from facing justice and further fueling divisions within the country while others view it as a classic example of how politics can intermingle with law enforcement.