Christine Moynihan Barr, William Barr’s Wife: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

William Barr wife

Getty William Barr arrives to testify next to his wife Christine during a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on January 15, 2019.

William Barr, President Tump’s nominee to be the next attorney general, will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee this week during his confirmation hearings. Barr, who served as attorney general in the early ’90s under President George H.W. Bush, has been married for more than 45 years to his wife, Christine Moynihan Barr.

Here’s what you need to know about William Barr’s wife:


1. William Barr & Christine Moynihan Barr Have Been Married Since 1973

FacebookWiliam and Christine Barr

Not much is known about Christine Moynihan Barr, since she tends to stay out of the spotlight and keeps her Facebook page publicly sparse. We do know that she and her husband have been married for a long time. They were married in 1973 and have been together ever since. In fact, they were already married when Barr began his work for the CIA, according to his bio. In most references, Christine is referred to as “Christine Moynihan Barr.”


2. Christine Barr Was a School Librarian in Maryland

According to a bio for Christine that was published back when William Barr was executive VP and general counsel of Verizon, Christine Barr worked as a librarian at Stone Ridge School in Bethesda, Maryland. Before that, she was a reference librarian at the IMF and Georgetown University.


3. She Has a Bachelor’s in English & a Master’s in Library Science

Christine has a bachelor’s in English from the College of Mount Saint Vincent, which she obtained in 1973, the same year she was married, according to her bio. She still helps out at the university. The College of Mount Saint Vincent, in its 2016 annual report, included Christine on a “Leaders in Service” list of alumnae and friends who “gave their time and energy … to enhance the College’s mission and programs.” She and her husband were also thanked in the 2018 annual report, including for giving a major gift of $5,000 or more. Annual reports indicate that the couple like to gift the college with a donation every year.

She went on to earn a Master’s in library science from Catholic University in 1975


4. She Has Served on a College Board & an Advisory Committee on Seeking to Stop Violence Against Women

Christine Barr served on the board of the College of Mount Saint Vincent in Riverdale, New York, when her bio was published. She was part of the National Advisory Committee on Violence Against Women.


5. William & Christine Moynihan Barr Have 3 Children, Including Mary Daly Who Oversees Opioid Enforcement for the Deputy Attorney General

According to a 1991 article by The New York Times, William and Christine Barr have three children. One of Barr’s children is Mary Daly, who works at the Department of Justice. The Washington Post pointed out that if appointed, Barr might indirectly oversee his daughter. Daly is a former federal prosecutor who prosecuted gang members and drug traffickers for 13 years. She’s now the Director of Opioid Enforcement and Prevention Efforts in the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, a position newly created in December 2017. Daly, 40, was appointed by Jeff Sessions to the position in February 2018.

Daly, like her father, favors a tough-on-crime approach. Her father helped Bush strengthen the war on drugs during his first tenure as Attorney General, and Daly also has a similar viewpoint. She told CBS, “We need to use tough prosecutions if we are going to get our way out of this epidemic. We don’t ignore the need for prevention and treatment efforts, but the notion that tough enforcement is the wrong approach is wrong.”

NPR noted that during her career, Daly had prosecuted all kinds of drug cases, from marijuana to heroin.