The video shows Harris, taking in May 2019 before she became vice-president, asking the then-attorney general whether anyone at the White House suggested to him he should open an investigation into anyone.
In the recording, Harris asks: “Has the president or anyone at the White House ever asked or suggested that you open an investigation of anyone?”
“Um. I wouldn’t… Could you repeat that question?” Barr responds.
After Harris repeats the question and demands a yes or no answer, Barr says: “Um.. the president or anybody else..”
“Seems you’d remember something like that and be able to tell us,” Harris says.
“Yeah, but I’m trying to grapple with the word suggest. There have been discussions of matters out there but they have not asked me to open an investigation, but…” says Barr.
“Perhaps they suggested?” Harris fires back.
“I don’t know. I wouldn’t say suggest?”
“Hinted? Inferred?”
“I don’t know,” Barr says, before Harris moves onto the next question.
On Thursday, it was revealed that prosecutors at Barr’s department took a highly unusual step when investigating who was behind leaks of classified information early in the Trump administration, by subpoenaing Apple for data from Democrat accounts between 2017 and early 2018. The subpoenas were reportedly issued as part of a leak probe around Trump allies meeting with Russian officials.
Among the Democrats included was Adam Schiff of California, then head of House Intelligence Committee that was investigating Trump.
Eric Swalwell, another California Democrat, confirmed in an interview Thursday he had also been told his data had been subpoenaed.
The DoJ hit Apple with a gag order that restricted them from telling those who had been subpoenaed they were under investigation. The order ran out last month.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) described these actions as “harrowing” and backed calls for an investigation into the matter.
She said transparency was “essential,” as she also accused Trump of having weaponized law enforcement against his political opponents.
“Recently, it has become public that the Trump Administration sought account metadata of House Intelligence Committee Members and staff and their families,” her statement read.
“The news about the politicization of the Trump Administration Justice Department is harrowing. These actions appear to be yet another egregious assault on our democracy waged by the former president.
“I support Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff’s call for an investigation into this situation and other acts of the weaponization of law enforcement by the former president. Transparency is essential.”
Newsweek has contacted the Justice Department for comment.
