Democrats to press defiant attorney general on response to protests, intervention in high-profile cases

As he makes a highly anticipated appearance before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, Attorney General William P. Barr is expected to face critical questions from Democrats about the government’s response to anti-police brutality protests across the nation, his controversial interventions in high-profile cases and an array of other matters.

Barr will tell the House Judiciary Committee that President Trump has not inappropriately intervened in Justice Department business — even though Barr has more than once moved in criminal cases to help the president’s allies — and he will defend the administration’s response to civil unrest in the country, according to a copy of his opening statement.

Barr, according to the statement, will take a defiant posture as he testifies before the panel for the first time since Democrats took control of it, alleging that they have attempted to “discredit” him since he vowed to investigate the 2016 FBI probe of possible coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign, and the media has been unfair in covering unrest.

The start time of the hearing was pushed back to 10:45 a.m. from 10 a.m. following a minor car accident involving Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.).

An aide to Nadler was driving him toward the Capitol when the vehicle hit something small in the road, causing it to stop, according to Nadler’s office. No one was injured, and a tow truck was called.

The episode has delayed Nadler’s arrival, and the Justice Department has raised no objections to the later start.