Initial communications between the Department and the White House concerning pending or contemplated criminal investigations or cases will involve only the Attorney General or the Deputy Attorney General, from the side of the Department, and the Counsel to the President, the Principal Deputy Counsel, the President or the Vice President, from the side of the White House.
That essentially is the core of it, right, Mr. Donoghue, that only the AG and the DAG will talk to the White House counsel or the President about pending or contemplated criminal investigations?
A Yes, that's the core of the policy.
Okay. I understand as well that Congressman Raskin has joined. Congressman Raskin, can you see and hear us as well?
Mr. Raskin. Yes, I can. Thank you.
Great. Okay. Okay. Great.
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Q All right. Let me move you ahead now, Mr. Donoghue, if I can, to the November the 9th of 2000, and this is not reflected in a document, but is there a memo sent from Attorney General Barr out to the U.S. attorneys regarding their authority to investigate allegations of election fraud?
A Yes, AG Barr did send out a memo that day to not just the U.S. attorneys, but think it was also the AAGS who had election-related responsibilities within Main Justice as well as, I believe, the FBI Director.
Q Okay. And does that memo, the instructions in the memo, reflect a change in policy from the Department in terms of the pursuit of allegations of election fraud?
A I would say it reflected a slightly different approach, a change to practice rather than policy, and this is—
