WASHINGTON _ Donald Trump's attorney general nominee William Barr told senators he would resign if the president ordered him to fire special counsel Robert Mueller without good cause or claimed executive privilege to cover up a crime.
But Barr wouldn't promise to answer a potential subpoena for Mueller's report from the House Judiciary Committee.
Barr, who would oversee Mueller and his investigation if confirmed by the Senate, also told senators in written answers released Monday that he would refuse, and resign, rather than follow any Trump order to alter regulations governing the special counsel for the purpose of firing Mueller without cause.
"As I testified, I believe that Robert Mueller should be allowed to finish his investigation. Any review of the existing regulations should occur following the conclusion of the special counsel's work," Barr said in a written response to Democratic Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey.
The nominee was responding to follow-up questions from Judiciary Committee members after his Jan. 15 hearing before the panel.
"I would resign rather than follow an order to terminate the special counsel without good cause," Barr wrote.
But Barr, in answers to Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, declined to commit to how he would respond to possible subpoenas from congressional committees for the full Mueller report or for testimony by Mueller. He said he would be as transparent as possible under existing law and policy and "will let no personal, political, or other improper interests influence my decision."
"Congress can and does conduct its own investigations" even if the Justice Department decides "not to provide certain information about an uncharged individual gathered during the course of a criminal investigation," Barr wrote.
As for charging Trump, Barr pointed to an existing Justice Department legal opinion that prosecuting a sitting president "would unconstitutionally undermine the capacity of the executive branch to perform its constitutionally assigned functions."
He noted that it is department policy "not to criticize individuals for conduct that does not warrant prosecution." But Barr insisted he wouldn't be part of a cover-up of crimes.
"I would resign," he wrote, if he concluded the president was claiming executive privilege to cover up evidence of a crime.
Barr reaffirmed his position that the Mueller probe findings would be delivered in a confidential report to the attorney general. Whether that full report would be released to the public would depend on whether the attorney general concludes that doing so "would be in the public interest, to the extent that release would comply with applicable legal restrictions."
"I believe it is very important that the public and Congress be informed of the results of the special counsel's work," Barr wrote.
