The Department of Justice's Inspector General's Office (OIG) issued a report on Thursday, criticizing former Attorney General Bill Barr for sharing non-public investigative information with former President Trump concerning the department's probe into alleged 2020 election fraud. While Barr's disclosure did not violate any departmental policies, the OIG stated that it was not in line with Barr's own guidance to the department.

During the time when Barr shared the information, Trump was actively promoting baseless claims of election fraud in his bid to overturn the election results. The OIG's report pointed out that Barr's actions created the risk that Trump would use the confidential information to advance his own political agenda. This risk became a reality when President Trump mentioned the ballots on a national radio show the following morning, according to the report.

The report emphasized that Barr's disclosure did not technically break any rules, as current policies allow the attorney general to exercise discretion in deciding what information can be shared with the president. However, the OIG highlighted that Barr's actions contradicted his own guidance to the department.

Interestingly, Barr, who has announced his support for Trump in this year's election, did not participate in a voluntary interview with the inspector general's office despite being invited multiple times. The OIG noted that Barr's letter in response to the investigation did not address certain issues discovered during the probe.

In an interesting twist, it was revealed that initial public statements from the MDPA (mentioned in the provided text) incorrectly stated that all nine ballots were marked for Trump. In reality, only seven were. This discrepancy shed light on possible inaccuracies in the information initially shared by the department.

Although Barr's disclosure did not breach any departmental policies, the OIG's report raises concerns about the sharing of non-public investigative information with the president. It underscores the need for clearer guidelines and protocols regarding such disclosures to ensure the integrity and objectivity of the Department of Justice's investigations.

As of now, there has been no response from Bill Barr or the Trump administration regarding the OIG's report.