William Barr’s ‘Unmasking’ Probe Comes Up Empty

A Justice Department probe commissioned by Attorney General William Barr into whether former government officials under President Barack Obama improperly sought to uncover the identities of individuals described in national security documents has concluded without finding any evidence of wrongdoing, The Washington Post reports. Former U.S. Attorney John Bash, who conducted the investigation, resigned from the Justice Department last week. Bash reportedly looked into whether Obama-era officials provided classified information to reporters but ultimately found nothing the federal agency would release publicly, and no charges have been filed. President Donald Trump had railed against the practice of “unmasking,” most notably as it related to former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, and used it as the basis of his attacks on political enemies, saying his opponents and critics should be arrested. Trump’s allies in conservative media had taken up the cause and painted a picture of political conspiracy.