William Barr has spoken to the Jan. 6 committee


Former Attorney General William Barr has spoken with the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, the panel's chair, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), said on Sunday.
During an appearance on CBS's Face the Nation, Thompson said the committee has had "conversations" with Barr and several "Department of Defense individuals." He did not elaborate on what Barr said to the panel.
A committee staffer told The Washington Post that the discussions with Barr have been informal. Barr resigned as attorney general in December 2020, just a few weeks before the Capitol riot. Before submitting his resignation letter, Barr pushed back against Trump's false claims of widespread election fraud, saying the Justice Department did not uncover any evidence of this happening.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Trump's lawyers attempted to shield hundreds of documents from the Jan. 6 committee, but lost at the Supreme Court last week. Politico reports that one of the documents the lawyers attempted to block was a draft executive order that would have directed the defense secretary to seize voting machines from states. Thompson was asked about the document on Sunday, and whether it will be discussed with Barr.
Thompson replied that while it was a draft and the executive order was never implemented, "we are concerned that our military was part of the big lie on promoting that the election was false. So, if you are using the military to potentially seize voting machines, even though it's a discussion, the public needs to know. We've never had that before."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
5 biting editorial cartoons about 'Alligator Alcatraz'
Cartoons Artists take on dangerous green things, historical precedent, and more
-
A journey into the deep past on beautiful Arran
The Week Recommends New Unesco Global Geopark played a 'key role' in the birth of modern geological science
-
China's London super-embassy
The Explainer The People's Republic wants to build a massive new embassy in central London, and a lot of people aren't happy about it
-
How will Trump's megabill affect you?
Today's Big Question Republicans have passed the 'big, beautiful bill' through Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling
-
How successful would Elon Musk's third party be?
Today's Big Question Musk has vowed to start a third party after falling out with Trump
-
Thai court suspends prime minister over leaked call
Speed Read Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended, pending an ethics investigation
-
Senate passes GOP megabill after Alaska side deal
The pivotal yes vote came from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whose support was secured following negotiated side deals for her home state Alaska
-
How would the Trump administration denaturalize immigrant citizens?
Today's Big Question Using civil courts lowers the burden of proof
-
'Trucking is a dangerous business'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump sues LA over immigration policies
Speed Read He is suing over the city's sanctuary law, claiming it prevents local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities