The Justice Department has denied House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler’s request for testimony from senior officials — arguing that Democrats on the panel “squandered” their chance during Attorney General William Barr’s testimony.
In a letter signed by Assistant Attorney General Stephen E. Boyd dated Monday, the department rebuffed the request from Nadler (D-NY) to hear from three top officials: Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband, Bureau of Prisons Director Michael Carvajal and US Marshals Service Director Donald Washington.
Boyd argued that Barr had just come before the committee, prepared to discuss all of the topics that Nadler wanted to question Dreiband, Carvajal and Washington on, including the murder of George Floyd and the federal government’s response to months of racial justice protests that were sparked by his killing.
Instead, Boyd wrote, Democrats on the panel spent their time during the July 28 hearing “scolding and insulting” him.
“Unfortunately, when given the opportunity to obtain information from the head of the Department of Justice about precisely these matters, many committee members chose instead to use their allotted time to air grievances,” the letter read.
“Rather than attempt to obtain information from the department that would assist the Committee in recommending legislation to the House, many members of the majority devoted their time entirely towards scolding and insulting the Attorney General. These members refused to allow the Attorney General to respond to their accusations or to answer questions asked for rhetorical effect,” it continued before quoting a New York Times article that offered a take on Democrats’ handling of the hearing.
“Democrat after Democrat posed questions to Mr. Barr only to cut him off when he tried to reply, substituting their own replies for his,” the Times wrote in their quoted piece.
The attorney general and the New York Democrat have had a contentious relationship since Barr was approved by the Senate in early 2019.
During his July 28 appearance before the Democrat-led House committee, tensions came to a head between Barr and some Democrats on the panel.
Throughout the raucous hearing, Democrats repeatedly cut off the attorney general, refusing to let him finish his answers.
At one point, committee ranking member Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) sparred with Nadler over the bickering in the hearing room and whether they would allow Barr a five-minute break.
“For months you’ve tried to get the attorney general to come. He’s here. Why don’t you let him speak?” Jordan protested. “Why don’t you let him answer the questions, time after time? If you want the attorney general to come, at least let him answer the questions and the accusations made against him.”
Nadler fired back: “The gentleman’s rudeness is not recognized!”
“Rudeness? The rudeness is on the other side” Jordan said. “You refuse to let the attorney general of the United States answer the questions posed to him.”
Jordan defended Barr after Rep. Lucy McBath (D-Ga.) cut off the attorney general when he told her he sympathized with cancer patients, as two of his own children had cancer, and after McBath again cut him off when Barr said he ordered renewed efforts to prosecute people who lie on gun background checks, as she insisted he should do.
Another blowup followed over whether Barr could have just a short break despite having had no lunch at nearly 4 p.m.
A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.