Blumenthal to vote against William Barr confirmation

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) announced on Monday that he would vote against the confirmation of William Barr, President Trump’s attorney general nominee.

“I will vote against his nomination in committee on Thursday,” Blumenthal said in a press release. Blumenthal is on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will vote on Barr’s confirmation Thursday.

Blumenthal was particularly concerned about whether Barr would release the results of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia.{mosads}

“The defining question for me was his declining to commit to release the Special Counsel’s report fully and completely,” Blumenthal said. “He chose not to make the commitment to release that report completely and directly to Congress and the American people.”

Blumenthal said he believed that the attorney general should serve the people, not the president.

“Will Mr. Barr be the people’s lawyer or the President’s lawyer?” he questioned.

The previous attorney general, Jeff Sessions, resigned in November. He said in his resignation letter that Trump asked him to resign. Trump had previously attacked Sessions for recusing himself from the Mueller probe. 

Barr’s nomination is expected to pass the committee vote, where Republicans hold a two-seat majority. Republicans also have 53 Senate seats. If he passes the committee vote, Barr will become attorney general unless all Democrats and at least four Republicans vote against his confirmation.