Attorney General William Barr has shut down several investigations into Donald Trump and his business interest, an author claims.
Don Winslow, a best selling author of historical nonfiction and mystery novels, wrote on Twitter that sources in the Department of Justice confirmed that Barr shut down six investigations into the president, his business interests, and close surrogates.
“I’m told Barr has also prevented *two new* investigations from moving forward,” Winslow added.
It was not clear what these investigations entailed, and Winslow did not share more details.
In another tweet, Winslow called on Democratic senators or congress members to question Barr under oath, pressing him on whether there were any ongoing Justice Department investigations into Trump, his companies, business loans, family, or surrogates that he had stopped since he became attorney general.
This came just hours after a report that Barr had instituted a change within the Justice Department requiring his approval before the FBI launched any investigations into 2020 presidential candidates. Critics said they move was a measure to protect Trump and allow Barr to be aware of any potential investigations into Trump or any part of his campaign.
As The Hill noted, Barr has been criticized for his handling of political investigations, including his summary of the Russia report that appeared to exonerate Trump despite the report itself outlining several actions that could constitute obstruction of justice. The report also made clear that Robert Mueller could not recommend charges against the president due to an internal rule within the Justice Department not to charge sitting presidents, and that it was up to congress to decide whether he would face charges through the impeachment process.
This is not the first time that Winslow has shared an apparent bombshell revelation citing sources within the Justice Department. Back in December, he claimed that Trump was “blackmailing” South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who was once one of the most vocal critics of Trump on the right but has since become on of his fiercest defenders. Winslow had hinted that Trump was using “personal” information on Graham that would be damaging if it came out, and was using that to keep the South Carolina Republican in his corner.
“Have you wondered why @LindseyGrahamSC has been defending @realDonaldTrump like his life depended on it? A friend in federal law enforcement told me about a certain threat @realDonaldTrump has made to Graham,” Winslow tweeted. “It’s personal. It’s awful. And it’s working very well.”