The former director of the Justice Department’s Election Crimes Branch Richard Pilger resigned in an email from his position on Monday, November 9. It seems Pilger resigned after receiving a directive from the Attorney General William Barr ordering federal prosecutors to investigate the allegation President Donald Trump has made regarding voter fraud.
What We Know:
- According to NBC News, Pilger felt as if he could no longer perform the job in good conscience as seen in parts of his memo.
“Having familiarized myself with the new policy and its ramifications, and in accord with the best tradition of the John C. Keeney Award for Exceptional Integrity and Professionalism (my most cherished Departmental recognition), I must regretfully resign from my role as Director of the Election Crimes Branch.”
- “I have enjoyed very much working with you for over a decade to aggressively and diligently enforce federal criminal election law, policy, and practice without partisan fear or favor,” the letter said. “I thank you for your support in that effort.”
- As the claims of voter fraud are being investigated Barr noted in his memo “most allegations of purported election misconduct are of such a scale that they would not impact the outcome of an election and, thus, investigation can appropriately be deferred, that is not always the case”.
“Furthermore, any concerns that overt actions taken by the Department could inadvertently impact an election are greatly minimized, if they exist at all, once voting has concluded, even if election certification has not yet been completed.”
- Under normal circumstances, the policy the Justice Department follows hinders them from interviewing voters until after the “outcome of the election allegedly affected by the fraud is certified.” Barr’s memo continued,
“…I authorize you to pursue substantial allegations of voting and vote tabulation irregularities prior to the certification of elections in your jurisdictions in certain cases, as I have already done in specific instances… Such inquiries and reviews may be conducted if there are clear and apparently-credible allegations of irregularities that, if true, could potentially impact the outcome of a federal election in an individual State.”
- As many news outlets have declared Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 Election, the Department of Justice must still look into the allegations. President Trump has shown no motivation in conceding and according to NBC News, “one of his appointees in the General Services Administration has yet to sign paperwork to begin the presidential transition”.
Although Pilger resigned he is still expected to work within the Justice Department’s criminal division.
