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By Dareh Gregorian
Lock me up!
Attorney General William Barr kidded Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday about an impending vote to find him in contempt of Congress.
Barr approached Pelosi, D-Calif., at a National Peace Officers’ Memorial Day event outside the Capitol, shook her hand and said loudly, “Madam Speaker, did you bring your handcuffs?” a bystander told NBC News.
Pelosi — who will be scheduling the contempt vote against Barr before the full House — smiled, and indicated that the House sergeant-at-arms was present at the ceremony should an arrest be necessary, the bystander said. Barr chuckled and walked away.
The House Judiciary Committee voted to hold Barr in contempt last week for refusing to comply with a subpoena to provide Congress with an unredacted version of special counsel Robert Mueller’s report on Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Barr also joked about the contempt resolution at a farewell ceremony for former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein last week.
“This must be a record, of an attorney general being proposed for contempt within 100 days of taking office,” Barr said with a smile.
Dareh Gregorian writes for NBC News.
Alex Moe contributed.