House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) was in a minor car accident Tuesday morning, his spokesperson confirmed to The Hill, delaying Attorney General William Barr’s congressional testimony by about 45 minutes.
Nadler was on his way to the hearing — the first time Barr will appear before the committee — when the accident happened. He was not driving the vehicle, according to CNN. The hearing, which was initially scheduled for 10 a.m., will now take place at 10:45 a.m.
Democrats are seeking to press Barr on the politicization of the Department of Justice, particularly after the firing of Geoffrey Berman, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York who was leading several investigations into President Trump’s associates, including his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani.
Barr is expected to blast Democrats for seeking to “discredit” him because of that decision and the fact that he chose to investigate the origins of the FBI’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
He will likely be asked about his handling of two high-profile cases involving Trump’s inner circle: Roger Stone and former national security adviser Michael Flynn.
Democrats are also expected to bring up the instances where federal law enforcement have been deployed at recent protests, such as the clearing of peaceful protesters outside the White House so that Trump could stage a photo-op in front of a historic church, among other instances.
Barr is expected to argue in support of law enforcement, targeting Democrats who have joined protesters in calling for police department funds to be diverted to community programs using the slogan “defund the police.”
Olivia Beavers contributed.