Barr tells House Judiciary Committee he won't testify Thursday

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published 1 May 2019

Attorney General William Barr told the House Judiciary Committee that he won't testify in front of the panel regarding Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report, Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) announced Wednesday evening.

Barr was scheduled to appear on Thursday, but does not agree with the format of the hearing, objecting to committee lawyers being able to ask him questions. Nadler said Barr is "terrified of having to face a skilled attorney," and "is trying to blackmail the committee."

There are "many questions that must be answered," he said, and lawmakers "cannot permit the administration to dictate to Congress how we operate." Nadler said the committee will still meet on Thursday, and he hopes Barr will "think overnight and will be there as well." Barr testified on Wednesday in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is led by one of President Trump's vocal supporters, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).

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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.

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