1,100 former U.S. judicial officials call for minister resignation

1,100 former U.S. judicial officials call for minister resignation

In the dispute over political interference in proceedings, more than 1,100 former prosecutors and lawyers from the U.S. Department of Justice have called for the resignation of Secretary William Barr.

The intervention of Barr and US President Donald Trump in the case of long-time Trump confidant Roger Stone contradicts the principle of an independent judiciary, the lawyers write in an open letter published on Sunday. “Governments that use the enormous power of law enforcement to punish their enemies and reward their allies are not constitutional republics but autocracies,” it continues.

Trump’s confidante Stone is currently on trial for his role in the so-called Russia affair. The prosecutors recommended that the federal court in Washington be sentenced to seven to nine years in prison last Monday.

Trump then vehemently criticized the recommendation on Twitter. A few hours later, the Ministry of Justice – which is superior to the public prosecutor’s office – advocated a significantly milder sentence. The four prosecutors resigned, which was widely seen as a protest against the government’s apparently politically motivated interference.

Barr asked Trump on US television on Thursday to stop interfering in ongoing legal proceedings via Twitter. From some commentators’ perspective, Barr’s announcement may have been an attempt to mitigate the damage agreed with the White House.

The signatories to the open letter obviously see it that way too. Barr admitted that the president should not interfere in law enforcement, the lawyers said. “But Mr. Barr’s deeds – how he dances after the President’s pipe – unfortunately speak louder than his words,” the letter said. (SDA / dpa)