William Barr, who is expecting to win Senate approval and become the next U.S. Attorney General Thursday, already has started discussing how the Justice Department might handle Special Counsel Robert Mueller's final Russia investigation findings.
CNN:
The most pressing question Barr will face is how much information should be included in a report to Congress based on the findings from Mueller.
Officials said Barr has not seen any part of Mueller's report and hasn't yet been briefed on the investigation, which -- according to acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker -- is nearing completion. Barr wants time to get up to speed and no firm plans on what goes to Congress have been made, the officials said.
Though Barr has enough votes to win Senate confirmation, Democrats remain concerned the new AG will protect the president by hiding parts - if not all - of the final Mueller report.
Under Justice Department regulations, Mueller must submit a "confidential report" to the attorney general at the conclusion of his work, but the rules don't require it to be shared with Congress, or by extension, the public. And, as Barr made clear, the Justice Department generally guards against making "derogatory" information about uncharged individuals public.
Instead, the department is only required to inform Congress when Mueller's job is done -- an unsatisfactory outcome for some lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-New York, announced Tuesday that he hired two veteran lawyers to advise on DOJ oversight issues and the Mueller investigation.
Separately, a bipartisan duo in the Senate has introduced new legislation that would require Mueller to provide a summary of his findings to Congress and the public.
Barr also is preparing to select someone to replace Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein, who has overseen the Russia probe from the beginning and has said he will leave the department soon.
Jeffrey Rosen, the deputy transportation secretary who was confirmed by the Senate in 2017, has emerged as the top contender for the job, multiple sources familiar with the discussions tell CNN. Rosen previously served as general counsel at the Transportation Department and in the Office of Management and Budget in the administration of President George W. Bush.
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Barr and Rosen have known each other for more than 20 years. "It's important in these positions that there be good chemistry between the No. 1 and No. 2," Yannucci said, adding that Barr "needs someone who he knows and trusts."
William Barr gears up to take the reins on Mueller probe and pick a top deputy (CNN)