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William Barr

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description William Barr Overview

William Pelham Barr is an American lawyer who served as the 77th and 85th Attorney General of the United States. He first held the office from 1991 to 1993 under President George Bush and returned to it from 2019 to 2020 under President Donald Trump. Before and between those appointments, he held senior Justice Department roles, including leading the Office of Legal Counsel and serving as deputy attorney general, and later worked as a corporate general counsel.

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When did William Barr serve as Attorney General?

Barr served as the 77th Attorney General from 1991 to 1993 under President George H.W. Bush, and returned as the 85th Attorney General from 2019 to 2020 under President Donald Trump. He is one of the few people to hold the office in two separate stints.

What did William Barr do during his first term as Attorney General?

As Attorney General under George H.W. Bush, he oversaw the Justice Department during the final Iran-contra fallout, supporting Bush's December 1992 pardons of six figures in the scandal, including former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger. He also dealt with major prosecutions of that era, including the BCCI banking scandal.

How did William Barr handle the Mueller report?

In March 2019, shortly after taking office, Barr released a four-page letter summarizing Robert Mueller's findings before the redacted report itself was made public. The letter drew criticism for its framing of the report's conclusions on obstruction of justice.

Why did William Barr resign in 2020?

Barr resigned in December 2020, weeks before the end of Trump's term, after publicly stating that the Justice Department had found no evidence of widespread voter fraud sufficient to change the election outcome. His departure came amid open friction with Trump over that position.