# Barr restricting investigations into foreign contributions **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 6, 2020, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barr-restricting-investigations-into-foreign-contributions/847574 "2020-02-06T23:58:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barr-restricting-investigations-into-foreign-contributions/847574/1 "2020-02-06T23:58:14Z")
> [@](#): > > Barr’s memo says investigations, including preliminary ones, into a presidential or vice presidential candidate, their campaigns or staff cannot be opened without the written approval of the attorney general. > > Barr’s memo imposes the same requirements for investigations into illegal contributions, donations or expenditures by foreign nationals to a presidential or congressional campaign. [Cite](https://www.npr.org/2020/02/06/803506238/attorney-general-barr-issues-new-rules-for-politically-sensitive-investigations?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social) Wonder which presidents and congresspeople are getting Russian money that won’t ever be investigated? ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barr-restricting-investigations-into-foreign-contributions/847574/2 "2020-02-07T00:06:18Z")
I’m sure the Biden campaign is relieved that it will take the affirmative approval of the top levels of the Trump Administration before any politically-motivated investigation into his campaign can be initiated. See guys, the system works! ---
**Author:** ![Translucent\_Daydream](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/translucent_daydream/32/16170_2.png) [@Translucent\_Daydream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Translucent_Daydream)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barr-restricting-investigations-into-foreign-contributions/847574/3 "2020-02-07T15:02:39Z")
What is the republican defense for this? I try to have an open mind as much as I can but this doesn’t seem to be a good thing if we can’t track russian financial meddling into our elections. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barr-restricting-investigations-into-foreign-contributions/847574/4 "2020-02-07T15:14:56Z")
You know what, it would explain everything if Putin was paying every Republican in DC a hundred grand a month. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barr-restricting-investigations-into-foreign-contributions/847574/5 "2020-02-07T15:18:52Z")
Americans, and especially Republicans, need to pull their heads out the sand and stop believing/saying “It cannot happen here, this is America!” You’re watching your democracy be torn down piece by piece and doing nothing. Even worse, in many cases, Republicans voters are complicit. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barr-restricting-investigations-into-foreign-contributions/847574/6 "2020-02-07T15:20:10Z")
Why isn’t there more discussion in the media that Barr tried to quash even an investigation into the Ukraine issue? That is such blatant dereliction of duty. This is just maddening. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barr-restricting-investigations-into-foreign-contributions/847574/7 "2020-02-07T15:56:35Z")
> [@BeepKillBeep](#): > > Americans, and especially Republicans, need to pull their heads out the sand and stop believing/saying “It cannot happen here, this is America!” You’re watching your democracy be torn down piece by piece and doing nothing. Even worse, in many cases, Republicans voters are complicit. I hate to say I told you. But, I told you. And this is nothing - absolutely nothing. People have no idea how bad this can, and likely will, get. ---
**Author:** ![Kearsen1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Kearsen1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kearsen1)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barr-restricting-investigations-into-foreign-contributions/847574/8 "2020-02-07T16:47:19Z")
> [@GreysonCarlisle](#): > > [Cite](https://www.npr.org/2020/02/06/803506238/attorney-general-barr-issues-new-rules-for-politically-sensitive-investigations?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social) > > Wonder which presidents and congresspeople are getting Russian money that won’t ever be investigated? The real answer? ALL OF THEM ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barr-restricting-investigations-into-foreign-contributions/847574/9 "2020-02-07T16:57:41Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > I hate to say I told you. > > But, I told you. > > And this is nothing - absolutely nothing. People have no idea how bad this can, and likely will, get. Hey 22nd Amendment, strap-in, it’s going to be a rough ride. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barr-restricting-investigations-into-foreign-contributions/847574/10 "2020-02-07T17:07:41Z")
> [@KidCharlemagne](#): > > Why isn’t there more discussion in the media that Barr tried to quash even an investigation into the Ukraine issue? That is such blatant dereliction of duty. This is just maddening. And yet the Pubbies plan to open an investigation into possible conflict of interest re Hunter Biden’s board seat at Burisma while Joe was VEEP. **[Treasury Department complying with GOP requests for Hunter Biden review](https://www.axios.com/chuck-grassley-ron-johnson-hunter-biden-burisma-ukraine-4b0cd790-af3b-4102-a6e3-d8295992d559.html)** > [@](#): > > …Republican Sens. Chuck Grassley (Iowa) and Ron Johnson (Wis.) announced a review on Wednesday of “potential conflicts of interest posed by the business activities of Hunter Biden and his associates during the Obama administration.”… Double standard much? My god, the trump administration is the very definition of “conflict of interest.” :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barr-restricting-investigations-into-foreign-contributions/847574/11 "2020-02-07T17:21:38Z")
> [@Translucent\_Daydream](#): > > What is the republican defense for this? I try to have an open mind as much as I can but this doesn’t seem to be a good thing if we can’t track russian financial meddling into our elections. To put myself in their shoes, they would say that the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 campaign was a pretext to try to undermine the Trump campaign by the Deep State. They would say that career FBI and DoJ employees shouldn’t be trusted with starting investigations without consulting their superiors, because they could have an ax to grind. If I squint real hard I see their point, but trusting Trump and Barr – who are total conspiracy theorists and on the verge of being mentally incompetent – is just laughable. Their agenda is so obvious: investigate Dems, not Republicans. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barr-restricting-investigations-into-foreign-contributions/847574/12 "2020-02-07T18:26:38Z")
Odds of a mass arrest of Democrat politicians just before next election just went up. Don’t worry though. You can trust Trump to to the honorable thing. He’s a wise and honest leader with the maturity to do what’s best for the country first. And what’s best is that these politicians be locked up. What for, you ask? What crimes could they possibly be charged with? Mr. Barr will find the crimes, not to worry. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barr-restricting-investigations-into-foreign-contributions/847574/13 "2020-02-07T19:33:02Z")
Look, after 2018 it became obvious that gerrymandering and voter suppression were not enough. The GOP simply Has to cheat harder. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barr-restricting-investigations-into-foreign-contributions/847574/14 "2020-02-07T19:54:49Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > …Mr. Barr will find the crimes, not to worry. They will confess. True, enhanced interrogation is not an exact science, but great progress has been made. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barr-restricting-investigations-into-foreign-contributions/847574/15 "2020-02-07T20:13:06Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Odds of a mass arrest of Democrat politicians just before next election just went up. > > Don’t worry though. You can trust Trump to to the honorable thing. He’s a wise and honest leader with the maturity to do what’s best for the country first. > > And what’s best is that these politicians be locked up. What for, you ask? What crimes could they possibly be charged with? Mr. Barr will find the crimes, not to worry. What makes the situation dangerous isn’t the fact that Trump was just acquitted of known crimes; it’s the fact that the attorney general, with the power to prosecute and jail literally anyone he wants under federal law, is also quite clearly implicated in these crimes. Not nervous enough yet? Bill Barr has already requested a review of documents from national intelligence agencies, including some of the most sensitive data that can be found. To that end, he’s already requested the assistance of foreign intelligence agencies as well. Keep in mind that the US Senate sent a pretty clear message to countries like Ukraine: yes, the president used his power to illegally bribe your ass, and we will do absolutely nothing to stop him. So if you’re Ukraine or another country and want to curry favor with the US, you realize you’re dealing with this administration, and you do what they ask – or else. Did people not really believe we’d be here at some point? The first warning sign was the frequency and blatant degree to which Trump and his Republican supporters lied and accepted his lies without sanctioning him. We’ve been normalizing him ever since. If we think this ends with an election and at best a split government, we’re dreadfully naive. This is going to end badly. I think and hope that it will eventually end, but a lot of people are going to have to get hurt first, and it won’t change until enough of Trump’s own idiot supporters get hurt badly by their own foolish voting. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barr-restricting-investigations-into-foreign-contributions/847574/16 "2020-02-07T23:15:30Z")
there’s no need for mass arrests. how many arrests would it really take, how many opened investigations and announcements of “wrondoing” to scuttle democratic chances in key races that give the Republicans, or people trump can control domination in both houses? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barr-restricting-investigations-into-foreign-contributions/847574/17 "2020-02-07T23:20:22Z")
no need for mass arrests in a highly gerrymandered country when your domestic supporters manufacture the voting machines and your foreign allies control them ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barr-restricting-investigations-into-foreign-contributions/847574/18 "2020-02-08T00:34:32Z")
No need for mass arrests when most people don’t take some of the worst-case scenarios more seriously. By the time those worst-case scenarios (i.e. mass arrests) do occur, it’s far too late to challenge authority without risking liberty, life, or both. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barr-restricting-investigations-into-foreign-contributions/847574/19 "2020-02-08T00:52:20Z")
Um… the Republic \*has \*fallen, hasn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barr-restricting-investigations-into-foreign-contributions/847574/20 "2020-02-08T01:20:29Z")
The Durham report - investigating the investigators - should be out in a few months. There will be hearings, indictments and you can bet _somebody_ will be going to prison. I fully expect that Obama will be called to testify at some point. “What did the President know and when did he know it?” Trump won’t settle for less. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barr-restricting-investigations-into-foreign-contributions/847574.md?page=2)