--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some commentators have attacked the…" description: "\"Some commentators have attacked the special counsel regulations as giving the attorney general the power to close a case against the president, as Mr. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/450/neal-katyal-8085_attorney-general_some-commentators-have-attacked-the-spec_2662318.jpg" --- # Some commentators have attacked the special counsel… ![“Some commentators have attacked the special counsel regulations as giving the attorney general the power to close a case against the president, as Mr. Barr did with the obstruction of justice investigation into Donald Trump. But the critics' complaint here is not with the regulations but with the…” quote by Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/450/neal-katyal-8085_attorney-general_some-commentators-have-attacked-the-spec_2662318.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/450/neal-katyal-8085_attorney-general_some-commentators-have-attacked-the-spec_2662318.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/450/neal-katyal-8085_attorney-general_some-commentators-have-attacked-the-spec_2662318.jpg) > “Some commentators have attacked the special counsel regulations as giving the attorney general the power to close a case against the president, as Mr. Barr did with the obstruction of justice investigation into Donald Trump. But the critics' complaint here is not with the regulations but with the Constitution itself.” [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Critics target the Constitution, not just regulations, when questioning special counsel powers. **In simple terms:** Constitutional concerns outweigh regulatory ones. Key Takeaway Address constitutional issues. Themes law constitution politics Mood analytical serious Type legal political When to use this quote - government oversight - judicial review - policy debate Key Concepts legal theory checks and balances Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards protect executive power? - How to balance oversight with rights? A Different Perspective Constitutional interpretation varies widely. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) ## Related quotes > [The idea that the special counsel regulations, which were written to provide the public with confidence against a coverup, would empower an attorney general…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/the-idea-that-the-special-counsel-regulations-which-were-written-to/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [The special counsel regulations were written to provide the public with confidence that justice was done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/the-special-counsel-regulations-were-written-to-provide-the-public/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [I don't think the special counsel can avoid that question based upon the president's Donald Trump own statements. But I'm not charging obstruction of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-king/i-don-t-think-the-special-counsel-can-avoid-that-question-based-upon/) [Angus King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-king/) > [When Congress gets through investigating Attorney General Janet Reno, will her agency become known as the Obstruction of Justice Department? The civil rights movement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/when-congress-gets-through-investigating-attorney-general-janet-reno/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [The special-counsel regulations were drafted at a unique historical moment. We were approaching the end of President Bill Clinton's second term, and no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/the-special-counsel-regulations-were-drafted-at-a-unique-historical/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [When it comes to investigating a president, the special counsel regulations I had the privilege of drafting in 1998-99 say that such inquiries have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/when-it-comes-to-investigating-a-president-the-special-counsel/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [Appointing special counsel Robert Mueller to probe Russian meddling in the 2016 election (and any possible ties to President Trump's campaign) was the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/appointing-special-counsel-robert-mueller-to-probe-russian-meddling/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [If I got my hands on the Mueller report, the thing I'd want to see is what are the reasons why Barr made the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/if-i-got-my-hands-on-the-mueller-report-the-thing-i-d-want-to-see-is/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [Obstruction of justice requires a corrupt intent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/obstruction-of-justice-requires-a-corrupt-intent/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [Firing the prosecutor who's about to get you or your campaign is kind of quintessential obstruction of justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/firing-the-prosecutor-who-s-about-to-get-you-or-your-campaign-is-kind/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [No one wants a president to be guilty of obstruction of justice. The only thing worse than that is a guilty president who goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/no-one-wants-a-president-to-be-guilty-of-obstruction-of-justice-the/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [I don't think the fact that something occurs in public or in private matters at all to obstruction of justice. I mean, if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/i-don-t-think-the-fact-that-something-occurs-in-public-or-in-private/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [Trump critics such as myself have been accused of living in a bubble. On the contrary, it is Trump's supporters in the 1 percent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-cohen/trump-critics-such-as-myself-have-been-accused-of-living-in-a-bubble/) [Richard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-cohen/) > [The Trump critics are legion, and they want him to fail, and my best advice is to just not listen to any of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-trump-critics-are-legion-and-they-want-him-to-fail-and-my-best/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [President Trump's critics call him an immoral lout. By strict moral standards, so are we all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-knowles/president-trump-s-critics-call-him-an-immoral-lout-by-strict-moral/) [Michael J. Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-knowles/) ## More by Neal Katyal > [Presidents routinely testify in criminal cases. You know, George W. Bush did it with Valerie Plame. Bill Clinton did it three times with Ken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/presidents-routinely-testify-in-criminal-cases-you-know-george-w-bush/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [I used to walk down the Justice Department on the fifth floor and see all those portraits of legendary attorneys general, Griffin Bell and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/i-used-to-walk-down-the-justice-department-on-the-fifth-floor-and-see/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [The Supreme Court should televise its proceedings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/the-supreme-court-should-televise-its-proceedings/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [People tend to take more risks in groups than alone. For these reasons, the law has always treated conspiracy harshly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/people-tend-to-take-more-risks-in-groups-than-alone-for-these-reasons/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [The Supreme Court has been very clear: when it comes to religious discrimination, you can take intent into consideration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/the-supreme-court-has-been-very-clear-when-it-comes-to-religious/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [I like doing scholarship for its own sake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/i-like-doing-scholarship-for-its-own-sake/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [I have no doubt that if confirmed, Judge Gorsuch would help to restore confidence in the rule of law. His years on the bench…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/i-have-no-doubt-that-if-confirmed-judge-gorsuch-would-help-to-restore/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [My wife is a doctor at a veteran's hospital.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/my-wife-is-a-doctor-at-a-veteran-s-hospital/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [There is no doubt that dissents can serve a useful role by explaining when a justice thinks the majority has gone off the deep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/there-is-no-doubt-that-dissents-can-serve-a-useful-role-by-explaining/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [One of our Constitution's greatest virtues is that it looks to judges as a source of reasoned, practical, rights-minded decision making.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/one-of-our-constitution-s-greatest-virtues-is-that-it-looks-to-judges/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [I generally sleep about four hours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/i-generally-sleep-about-four-hours/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [Appellate advocacy, particularly at the Supreme Court, is really intimate. I mean, you're just a few feet away from the Chief Justice. You know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/appellate-advocacy-particularly-at-the-supreme-court-is-really/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [Even though Mr. Trump can give his campaign as much of his own money as he wants to, he can't ask other people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/even-though-mr-trump-can-give-his-campaign-as-much-of-his-own-money/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [No responsible scholar who thinks a sitting president cannot be indicted also thinks an attorney general can try to truncate a process of oversight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/no-responsible-scholar-who-thinks-a-sitting-president-cannot-be/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) > [Justice Scalia was usually particularly challenging to me at oral argument, but I so respected his intellect and commitment to the pursuit of truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-katyal/justice-scalia-was-usually-particularly-challenging-to-me-at-oral/) [Neal Katyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) [Explore all 84 Neal Katyal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-katyal/) ## More Attorney general quotes > [My wife and daughters work. My campaign manager in 2005 was a working mother. I appointed 5 women to my senior staff as Attorney General.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mcdonnell/my-wife-and-daughters-work-my-campaign-manager-in-2005-was-a-working/) [Bob McDonnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mcdonnell/) > [On March 12, 2004, acting attorney general James B. Comey and the Justice Department's top leadership reached the brink of resignation over electronic surveillance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/on-march-12-2004-acting-attorney-general-james-b-comey-and-the/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) > [Protecting the rights of service members was an important part of my work as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-perez/protecting-the-rights-of-service-members-was-an-important-part-of-my/) [Thomas Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-perez/) > [“The farm labor movement saw him as a racist. He seemed to delight in the most outrageous snubs. Farm labor organizer Cesar Chavez was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jana-bommersbach/the-farm-labor-movement-saw-him-as-a-racist-he-seemed-to-delight-in/) Jana Bommersbach > [I am asking my Attorney General to create a special unit of federal prosecutors and leading state attorneys general to expand our investigations into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-am-asking-my-attorney-general-to-create-a-special-unit-of-federal/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [It was a privilege to serve as the assistant attorney general for civil rights, a role that allowed me to enforce the Civil Rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-perez/it-was-a-privilege-to-serve-as-the-assistant-attorney-general-for/) [Thomas Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-perez/) > [In other words, under Attorney General John Ashcroft, the FBI, the INS and the Department of Justice are so out of control that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/in-other-words-under-attorney-general-john-ashcroft-the-fbi-the-ins/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [Our country is fortunate to have Bill Barr, a man of integrity who has served two U.S. Presidents, as our Attorney General.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-braun/our-country-is-fortunate-to-have-bill-barr-a-man-of-integrity-who-has/) [Mike Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-braun/) > [If I am going to pick and choose the laws I defend, I wouldn't be doing my duty as attorney general.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ayotte/if-i-am-going-to-pick-and-choose-the-laws-i-defend-i-wouldn-t-be/) [Kelly Ayotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ayotte/) > [We've done amazing things for the state. Some of them have had a national impact, but I'm going to be ready for some new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-madigan/we-ve-done-amazing-things-for-the-state-some-of-them-have-had-a/) [Lisa Madigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-madigan/) > [“records in any form I request under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act within thirty days and for a reasonable handling and processing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-rosenthal/records-in-any-form-i-request-under-the-health-insurance-portability/) Elisabeth Rosenthal > [Since my election as Oklahoma attorney general in 2010, I have been a proud member of a group of federalism-minded state attorneys general who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-pruitt/since-my-election-as-oklahoma-attorney-general-in-2010-i-have-been-a/) [Scott Pruitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-pruitt/) > [Now, how do you explain Obama's claim, that he can kill American citizens without due process? Well, he has his attorney general get up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-mcgovern/now-how-do-you-explain-obama-s-claim-that-he-can-kill-american/) [Ray McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-mcgovern/) > [What disturbed me most, frankly, about the Rod Rosenstein memo, is the fact it was addressed to the attorney general. The attorney general was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-schiff/what-disturbed-me-most-frankly-about-the-rod-rosenstein-memo-is-the/) [Adam Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-schiff/) > [Our laws are very clear on a woman's reproductive health care. I will not only enforce those laws as attorney general, I will take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-donovan/our-laws-are-very-clear-on-a-woman-s-reproductive-health-care-i-will/) [Dan Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-donovan/) Browse all 289 Attorney general quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Some commentators have attacked the special counsel regulations as giving the attorney general the power to close a case against the president, as Mr. Barr did with the obstruction of justice investigation into Donald Trump. 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