Head Of DOJ’s Election Crimes Unit Steps Down After Barr OKs Election Inquiries

Richard Pilger resigned as head of the Justice Department’s election crimes branch Monday night, protesting Attorney General William Barr’s memo authorizing federal prosecutors to pursue allegations of voting irregularities.

Barr’s policy is seen as a step toward validating President Trump’s baseless attacks on the integrity of an election in which he has been declared the loser.

Pilger said Barr’s memorandum breaks with the Justice Department’s policy on avoiding interference with elections that has stood for 40 years. The policy had set a high bar for launching a public investigation into any election that has not yet been certified. Important deadlines to certify the U.S. presidential election arrive in December.