UPDATE: The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee is slamming Attorney General Bill Barr. New York Democrat Jerry Nadler opened a hearing and accused Barr of taking actions “in an apparent effort to secure favors” for President Trump. Barr ripped the surge of federal law enforcement agents into some cities.

Attorney General Bill Barr testifies during a House hearing today. He is expected to vigorously defend President Trump’s surge of federal agents into several cities that have been wracked by violence.

Barr will be pressed about the controversial ouster of Geoffrey Berman, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.

The office is reportedly involved in a number of ongoing investigations of Trump associates.

Barr will also be asked about his role in clearing a protest in a park across from the White House in June.

Tear gas and rubber bullets were deployed to end the protest that led to the torching of the President’s church. President Trump later walked through the park to display a Bible outside the vandalized church.

Meantime, Barr will be quizzed about a federal judge’s failure to drop the charges against Michael Flynn after both the DOJ and prosecutors withdrew all charges. Flynn is the former national security adviser who was force to plead guilty to lying to FBI agents about contacts with Russian officials.

Barr is expected to accuse Democrats of trying to discredit him over his investigation into the Russia investigation when he. His opening statement, released to media Monday, says President Trump has never interfered in how he handles criminal cases.

Read Bill Barr’s opening statement here.

The last time AG Barr was summoned in front of this House committee he declined. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) branded Attorney General William Barr as “Chicken Barr” after Barr did not appear for a House Judiciary Committee hearing.