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U.S. Attorney General William Barr will not recuse himself from oversight of the ongoing investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller, a Justice Department spokeswoman said Monday night. Barr's decision not to recuse himself follows guidance from "senior career ethics officials" at the Justice Department, the spokeswoman said. It also contrasts with the decision by his predecessor as attorney general, Jeff Sessions, to recuse himself from the Mueller probe. The special counsel is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, possible collusion by the campaign of President Donald Trump, possible obstruction of justice by Trump, and other issues. Trump denies any wrongdoing.

Following General Barr's confirmation, senior career ethics officials advised that General Barr should not recuse himself from the Special Counsel's investigation. Consistent with that advice, General Barr has decided not to recuse. Justice Department spokeswoman

Last year, while working as a lawyer in private practice, Barr sent the Justice Department an unsolicited memo that criticized Mueller's investigation into possible obstruction by Trump as "fatally misconceived." Barr, who previously served as attorney general under President H.W. Bush, was sworn in as Trump's second attorney general on Feb. 14. "Following General Barr's confirmation, senior career ethics officials advised that General Barr should not recuse himself from the Special Counsel's investigation," the Justice spokeswoman said. "Consistent with that advice, General Barr has decided not to recuse." During his confirmation hearings, Barr had said that if Justice ethics officials urged him to recuse from overseeing the Mueller investigation, but he disagreed with their recommendation, he would not follow it. But Barr also said he "absolutely" would guarantee that Mueller would not be fired as special counsel without good cause. He also said it would "unimaginable" for the former FBI director Mueller to do anything that would warrant termination. Sessions had recused himself from overseeing probes related to Russian election interference because of his own contacts with Russia's ambassador to the United States during the election while supporting Trump as a U.S. senator from Alabama. Sessions' recusal, combined with the firing of FBI Director James Comey by Trump in early 2017, set in motion the appointment of Mueller as special counsel by Sessions' deputy, Rod Rosenstein that year.

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