Attorney General Barr moves to take reins of politically charged cases

The disclosures came as Trump made clear on Friday that he believes he has free rein over the Justice Department and its cases

While Attorney General William P Barr asserted his independence from the White House this week, he has also been quietly intervening in a series of politically charged cases, including against Michael T Flynn, President Trump’s former national security adviser, people familiar with the matter said on Friday.

Barr installed a phalanx of outside lawyers to re-examine national security cases with the possibility of overruling career prosecutors, a highly unusual move that could prompt more accusations of Justice Department politicisation. The case against Mr. Flynn, who twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in the Russia investigation, is a cause célèbre