Barr says it was 'duty' to drop Flynn case: 'It upheld the rule of law'

Attorney General William Barr defended the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) decision Thursday to move to drop the case against former national security adviser Michael Flynn for charges of lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia in 2017. 

Barr dismissed accusations that he’s doing the “president’s bidding” in moving to drop the case.

“I'm doing the law’s bidding. I’m doing my duty under the law, as I see it,” Barr told CBS News in an interview Thursday. 

Barr said he was “not at all” influenced by President Trump regarding the case.

“I made clear during my confirmation hearing that I was gonna look into what happened in 2016 and '17. I made that crystal clear,” Barr said. “I was very concerned about what happened. I was gonna get to the bottom of it. And that included the treatment of General Flynn.”