September 30, 2019
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Attorney General William Barr has met overseas with foreign intelligence officials to seek their help in a Justice Department inquiry into the origins of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe, the Washington Post reported on Monday, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.
The Post said Barr had made overtures to British intelligence officials and last week traveled to Italy, where he and John Durham, the U.S. attorney in Connecticut who in reviewing U.S. intelligence work surrounding the 2016 election, met senior Italian government officials and Barr asked the Italians to assist Durham.
The Post said Barr’s involvement was likely to spur further criticism by Democrats who are pursuing an inquiry into impeachment of Republican President Donald Trump.
(Reporting by Tim Ahmann; Writing by Mohammad Zargham; editing by Grant McCool)
