He concluded AG Barr “does regularly lie in ways that impact official action.” At that moment, Rep. Gohmert began to disruptively bang on the table at his disapproval of the chairman’s inaction to quiet Ayer’s conclusion after he went into overtime.
The proceedings were characterized by such frequent interruptions, highlighting the political tension amongst members of the committee.
Antitrust abuse
Elias represented a more specific condemnation of the Attorney General’s actions; his perceived abuse of the Antitrust Division of the DOJ and the Attorney General’s investigation into mergers within the cannabis industry.
Specifically, Elias brought up an investigation into the merger of MedMen and PharmaCann. In spite of the fact that the Antitrust Division found little proof of the necessity for an investigation, the Attorney General pushed for an investigation.
Political pressuring
Zelinsky focused his testimony on the case of Roger Stone. He alleged that the acting D.C. attorney general felt pressured to grant Roger Stone leniency due to politics, including reducing his sentence. This resulted in Zelinsky’s resignation from the D.C. Attorney General’s office.
