The Body Count -- Richard Pilger

A Reoccurring Feature on Who's Jumping Off Luxury Liner Trump

Yesterday, minutes after Attorney General William Barr waded into Trump’s unfounded accusations of widespread voter fraud and told federal prosecutors that they were allowed to investigate “specific allegations” of voter fraud before the results of the presidential race are certified, Richard Pilger, the Justice Department official who oversees investigations of voter fraud, stepped down from his position.

“Having familiarized myself with the new policy and its ramifications,” Pilger wrote to his colleagues, “I must regretfully resign from my role as director of the Election Crimes Branch.” 

Barr’s directive ignored the Justice Department’s longstanding policies intended to keep law enforcement from affecting the outcome of an election.

“It would be problematic enough if Barr were reversing longstanding Justice Department guidance because of significant, substantiated claims of misconduct — that could presumably be handled at the local and state level,” said Stephen I. Vladeck, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law. “But to do so when there is no such evidence — and when the president’s clear strategy is to delegitimize the results of a proper election — is one of the more problematic acts of any attorney general in my lifetime.” 

In the meantime, the act of a career Department of Justice official in charge of investigating election crimes is one of the more honorable decisions we've witnessed this month.