With the troubling news that a long list of Republican politicians are patronizing Trump’s properties to appease him or gain favor with him, we can now safely add to the list, sitting Attorney General William Barr
AG Barr has reportedly paid Trump Hotel in DC $30,000 for a yead-end party. Questioned about this, AG Barr defended himself saying (a) this was not a Department of Justice party, (b) that these were his funds, not taxpayer dollars and (c) believe it or not, that he could not find any other hotel in DC to host his year-end party. Sad indeed.
The problem with AG Barr’s defense (aside from the unbelievable lie) is that there is a growing narrative among the public that Republican politicians are patronizing Trump’s properties to buy favors from him. You don’t have to take Yours Truly’s word for it, a Republican politician recently confessed to that. (see Hardball with Chris Matthews clip below)
Specifically, the Republican politician said, “When you have an event there [Trump Hotel] or do something there, it signifies that you are supporting the president, and supporting what he is doing…It sends a clear message.” There is no other way to read this statement other than Republicans are spending money at Trump’s properties to buy favors from him–essentially bribing him.
Additionally, people in legal circles know how important it is for people in positions of authority to not only steer clear of improprities but to also avoid even the “appearance of impropriety”. A sitting U.S. Attorney General paying $30,000 to a Trump hotel at a time when there’s growing public sentiment that politicians are patronizing Trump’s hotels to buy favors is the quintessential “appearance of impropriety.”
Even with this glaring appearance of impropriety, AG Barr has chosen to proceed full steam ahead with his party at Trump’s hotel because to him, appeasing Trump is all that matters, DOJ’s credibility be damned!!
Bottom line folks, there are already a litany of reasons justifying calls for AG Barr’s resignation–misrepresenting the Mueller report, politicizing DOJ, Epstein suicide etc. This latest example where he pays a Trump establishment $30,000 to appease him, knowing full well how corrupt this appears to the general public, should definitely lead to his ouster. Simply put, DOJ cannot/ must not be seen to be festering a culture of corruption and Barr’s $30,000 payment to Trump’s hotel does just that
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