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Trump Wanted AG Barr to Exonerate Him on Ukraine in News Conference, Post
Says

VOA News

   U.S. President Donald Trump had urged Attorney General William Barr to
   hold a news conference clearing him of any illegal acts in his phone
   call with the Ukrainian leader, but Barr declined, The Washington Post
   reports.

   The newspaper, citing people it says are familiar with the matter, say
   Trump's request came at the time the White House released a rough
   transcript of the call in which Trump urged Ukrainian President
   Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden.

   The Justice Department issued a statement saying no campaign finance
   laws were broken and "no further action was warranted."

   But it is unclear why Barr would not go beyond that statement and hold
   the news conference that Trump wanted.

   According to the Post, Trump had told White House aides and others he
   wished Barr had gone before the cameras.

   The Justice Department has not commented. But a senior administration
   official says any report of tension because there was a statement but
   no news conference is "completely false."

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