Bill Barr rejects Trump’s First Amendment defense for Jan. 6 indictment.
Former Attorney General Bill Barr Rejects Trump’s First Amendment Defense
“I really don’t think that’s a valid argument,” Barr told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Wednesday.
During an interview with CNN, former Attorney General Bill Barr dismissed the argument made by an attorney for former President Donald Trump that the First Amendment protects him from a new indictment related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
“As the indictment says, you know, they’re not attacking his First Amendment right. He can say whatever he wants. He can even lie. He can even tell people that the election was stolen when he knew better,” he explained. ”But that does not protect you from entering into a conspiracy. All conspiracies involve speech, and all fraud involves speech.”
“Free speech doesn’t give you the right to engage in a fraudulent conspiracy,” Barr added.
Barr emphasized that while Trump has the freedom to express his opinions, it does not shield him from being implicated in a conspiracy. He highlighted that all conspiracies and acts of fraud involve speech, and the First Amendment does not grant immunity in such cases.
Trump’s attorney, John Lauro, argued that political speech is highly protected under the First Amendment and that Trump had the right to advocate for his position. He claimed that Trump’s advocacy is now being unjustly criminalized.
Trump was recently indicted by a federal grand jury on four charges, including conspiracy to defraud the United States and obstruction of an official proceeding. These charges stem from his alleged involvement in the Capitol riot and efforts to obstruct the certification of the 2020 election results.
Barr, who has not endorsed Trump for the 2024 presidential nomination, is among the many former Cabinet members who have distanced themselves from the former president. According to NBC News, only four former Cabinet members have publicly supported Trump’s bid for the nomination: Matthew Whitaker, Mark Meadows, Russell Vought, and Richard Grenell.
Source: The Washington Examiner
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