Nancy Pelosi says the Justice Department has gone 'so rogue'
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in a Friday interview accused the Justice Department of having gone "rogue."
Pelosi spoke with MSNBC's Morning Joe days after launching an official impeachment inquiry into President Trump and, when asked about Attorney General William Barr, immediately replied, "he's gone rogue."
This interview took place the morning after acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire testified before Congress about the whistleblower complaint alleging abuse of power by Trump; the complaint mentions Barr as having come up in Trump's conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about investigating former Vice President Joe Biden. Maguire was grilled about why the complaint wasn't given to Congress within seven days, with Maguire saying he consulted the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel, which determined it was not of "urgent concern."
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.
After Joe Scarborough railed against Barr for having "buried" the whistleblower report, Pelosi agreed, saying the administration engaged in a "coverup of the coverup" and again saying that the Justice Department itself has gone "so rogue."
Maguire defended his handling of the whistleblower complaint Thursday, saying he went to the White House to determine whether it would be covered by executive privilege. But Pelosi said Friday that by not turning the complaint over to Congress, Maguire "broke the law." Brendan Morrow
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
