Former Attorney General William Barr has dismissed the recent indictment of former President Donald Trump as a "pathetically weak case" and a politically motivated event. He believes that Democrats are using this opportunity to sink Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
Trump is set to become the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges in a case involving a 2016 hush-money payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office claims that these payments were campaign finance violations, given their role in influencing the outcome of the election.
However, Barr has criticized this legal theory and argued that it is designed more to go after Trump himself than any specific crime. He also accused Democrats of using law enforcement as a political tool and suggested they may be trying to undermine him ahead of another potential run for office.
Barr's comments came after Joe Biden sidestepped questions from reporters about the indictment but suggested there was "zero chance" that Trump would plead not guilty. Meanwhile, Trump's legal team vowed on Friday that he would never seek a plea deal and was ready to fight all charges against him.
The indictment remains under seal, but experts have suggested that it could relate to falsifying business records by improperly marking down reimbursements as legal payments. Regardless, Barr argues that this entire situation represents an abuse of prosecutorial power and undermines faith in the rule of law.
Trump himself has responded by lashing out at Democrats for what he sees as an obsession with trying to indict him on false pretenses: "They have lied, cheated and stolen," he said recently.