The head of the Election Crimes Branch at the U.S. Department of Justice leave office in protest belated Monday after Attorney General Bill Barr issued a new memo giving the fleeceable light for Union prosecutors to enquire alleged “ elector fraud ” in the presidential election . Richard Pilger , a prosecutor with the Justice Department since long before President Donald Trump conduct office , free as Trump still refuse to grant that he lost the presidential election to Joe Biden .
“ Having familiarized myself with the new policy and its ramification , and in accord with the upright tradition of the John C. Keeney Award for Exceptional Integrity and Professionalism ( my most care for Departmental recognition ) , I must regretfully free from my role as Director of the Election Crimes Branch , ” Pilger ’s letter to co-worker said , according toNBC News .
Barr ’s unexampled memo authorizing DOJ to conduct federal investigation before the right to vote tallies are officially certified by the states is a break from long - held tradition at the agency . Historically , the Election Crimes Branch ( ECB ) has been instructed to permit states attest their own resultant before any federal treatment .
Attorney General Bill Barr leaves the US Capitol after meeting with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) in his office on 8 March 2025 in Washington, DC.Photo: Samuel Corum (Getty Images)
“ Now that the voting has conclude , it is imperative that the American masses can believe that our elections were conducted in such a direction that the final result accurately reflect the will of the voters , ” Barr write in his memoranda , which was hold by theNew York Times .
“ Although the land have the master responsibility to channel and supervise elections under our Constitution and the laws enacted by Congress , the United States Department of Justice has an obligation to ensure that federal election are conduct in such a agency that the American multitude can have full self-assurance in their electoral process and their governing , ” Barr continued .
Pilger ’s resignation , first report by theNew York Times , fall on the same day that President Trumpfired Secretary of Defense Mark Esperin a move widely believed to be retaliation for Esper not authorizing the exercise of active duty flock on American streets during this summer ’s civil right field protests . Esper walked across the street from the White House for a exposure - op with Trump and Bill Barr inJune .
While Barr acknowledges the precedent against premature federal intercession in his Monday memo , the Attorney General suggested that if the normal process was follow , it might be too late to change the succeeder . Or , as Barr put it , “ misconduct can not realistically be rectified . ”
From the memo :
Those policies already allow preliminary enquiry , including looker interviews , to be conducted without ECB consultation . In instances in which they are consult , the ECB ’s world-wide drill has been to counsel that overt investigative steps ordinarily should not be taken until the election in question has been concluded , its results certify , and all recount and election competition concluded . Such a peaceful and delayed enforcement approach can leave in situations in which election wrongdoing can not realistically be rectified . Moreover , this ECB practice has never been a strong and immobile ruler , and case — specific determinations and judgment must be made . While most allegation of purpose election misconduct are of such a scale that they would not impact the issue of an election and , thus , investigation can appropriately be deferred that is not always the font . Furthermore , any concerns that open actions take on by the Department could inadvertently impact an election are greatly minimized , if they exist at all , once voting has concluded , even if election authentication has not yet been completed .
Every major word outlet declared Joe Biden the winner of the election on Saturday , after the Democrat had safely surpassed 270 electoral college votes and there was no chance of Trump making up the difference with any ballots still outstanding .
And while there ’s no grounds of far-flung elector fraud , expert are concerned that Barr might be trying to install Trump for a second terminal figure in the White House . Barr did , after all , provide stack of cover charge for Trump during Robert Mueller ’s investigation into connivance and accepting help from a extraneous index during 2016 ’s presidential election .
“ The good - case scenario is that Barr did this to appease Trump and add credibility to his allegations of elector fraud , ” Matthew Miller , a former functionary at the DOJ under Barrack Obama , separate theWashington Post .
“ The worst - case scenario is that DOJ is plan to intervene in some way and prove to throw the election to the president . Neither one is in effect , but one is much , much worse than the other . ”
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