Department Of Justice Is Investigating Whether Staffers Interfered In 2020 Election
The Department of Justice announced on Monday that the Office of the Inspector General is probing the possibility that some of its staffers attempted to overthrow the 2020 election. The statement comes after The New York Times claimed on Friday that Donald Trump attempted to remove Jeffrey A. Rosen and replace him with an official that would help him remain in the White House.
“The DOJ Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is initiating an investigation into whether any former or current DOJ official engaged in an improper attempt to have DOJ seek to alter the outcome of the 2020 Presidential Election,” the announcement read.
“The investigation will encompass all relevant allegations that may arise that are within the scope of the OIG’s jurisdiction. The OIG has jurisdiction to investigate allegations concerning the conduct of former and current DOJ employees. The OIG’s jurisdiction does not extend to allegations against other government officials.”
According to the statement, the announcement was made to ensure that the public is reassured that claims of electoral interference are being probed by the proper agencies. The DOJ noted that it would not comment further on the investigation until it is completed, per OIG policy.
The New York Times reported that Trump crafted a plan to use the DOJ’s power to pressure Georgia state lawmakers to overturn the results of the state’s presidential election. According to the publication, lawyer Jeffrey Clark worked with Trump to craft the plot, which Rosen notably refused to go along with. The outlet claimed that many Justice Department officials who heard the plan were “stunned” and agreed they would resign if the then-acting attorney general was replaced with Clark.
Trump’s alleged plan also included a scheme to pressure the Supreme Court to overturn the electoral results via the Justice Department, a plan allegedly opposed by Rosen, former acting Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall, and former Attorney General William Barr. As CNN reported, the Wall Street Journal piece outlining the claims noted the scheme ultimately failed after the DOJ declined to file the proposed lawsuit in the high court.
In his final days in office, Trump continued to allege that President Joe Biden’s victory was the result of widespread electoral fraud. As The Inquisitr reported, the former head of state reportedly considered declaring martial law to overturn the results — even after the Electoral College certified his opponent’s victory. Notably, former national security adviser Michael Flynn allegedly influenced Trump and argued in support of the purported plot, which never came to fruition.
