Barr Reportedly Told Prosecutors To Look At Sedition Charges For Protest Violence
Attorney General William Barr reportedly told federal prosecutors to aggressively consider charging violent demonstrators at anti-racism protests with crimes, including with plotting to overthrow the government, several media outlets said Wednesday.
Barr spoke with U.S. attorneys around the country during a call last week following months of largely peaceful demonstrations that surged nationwide following the May 25 death of George Floyd, a Black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck. The Wall Street Journal first reported that the attorney general urged prosecutors to pursue federal charges whenever they could, listing laws they could potentially cite.
The attorney general specifically pointed to a rarely used sedition law, which criminalizes plots to overthrow the government. Although rarely invoked, violations of the provision have been treated harshly in the past: The New York Times noted a seditious conspiracy conviction can carry a sentence of 20 years in prison.
The Department of Justice did not immediately reply to HuffPost’s request for comment.
Barr’s efforts come amid Donald Trump’s attempt to cast himself as the “law and order” president as he seeks reelection. Trump regularly cited Seattle in his attacks on the racial injustice protests, specifically demonstrators who had established a police-free zone for several weeks this summer.
The president had called those in the zone “domestic terrorists” and sent federal agents to the city despite local leaders’ protests.
The Times added that Barr had asked prosecutors to investigate if they could charge Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, a Democrat and frequent target of the president, with any crimes. The publication notes such pressure is highly unusual and adds to concerns that Barr is politicizing the Justice Department and potentially wading into spats that could benefit Trump and his administration.
The attorney general has aggressively defended the...
