In his written answers to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, William Barr reiterated that he would be as transparent as he could with Congress and the public about the results of the special counsel's investigation. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo Congress Senate Judiciary Committee delays vote on Barr

The Senate Judiciary Committee delayed a vote Tuesday on William Barr’s nomination for attorney general as Democrats’ voiced concerns on how Barr will handle special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian election meddling.

At Tuesday’s committee meeting, Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said she remains troubled over a memo Barr wrote last year to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein that criticized Mueller’s investigation into possible obstruction of justice by President Donald Trump.


“This memo is of serious concern to me and appears to be seminal in his appointment to his position,” Feinstein said. “If this view is applied in the current context there will be little check on the president.”

It's standard practice in the Judiciary panel to delay scheduled nomination votes for a week as senators deliberate. The panel is now scheduled to vote on Barr's nomination on Feb. 7.

Feinstein added that as the nomination hearing earlier this month progressed, Barr’s answers on how he would handle the release of a report on Mueller’s findings “became more qualified.”

In his written answers to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Barr reiterated that he would be as transparent as he could about the results of the investigation with Congress and the public.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to hold a vote next week on Barr’s nomination, and he is expected to clear the panel.

