Attorney General Bill Barr has authorized prosecutors in the Department of Justice to look into allegations of voter fraud in the 2020 election. While this should not be a surprise based upon the Trump campaign's claims of illegality, the response is somewhat unexpected. Media organizations appear to be launching a concerted effort to decry the investigation and are making a case that no inquiry whatsoever should be taking place.
William Barr
Barr wrote in a DOJ memo that "nothing here should be taken as any indication that the Department has concluded that voting irregularities have impacted the outcome of any election," and added that "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." He continued:
"While it is imperative that credible allegations be addressed in a timely and effective manner, it is equally imperative that Department personnel exercise appropriate caution and maintain the Department's absolute commitment to fairness, neutrality and non-partisanship."
Strange Stances
In a move that will have many scratching their heads, Richard Pilger, the DOJ's top prosecutor for election crimes, indicated that he would be stepping down. AP News suggests that this is in response to Bill Barr's memo. One wonders why a prosecutor whose job is to deal with election fraud would step down at a time when Barr has said that investigations would go forward if there are "credible irregularities."
CNN had this to say about Barr's memo:
"The attorney general has previously been supportive of Trump's unfounded claims about voter fraud, and this latest move comes during an incredibly tense time and could inflame an already fraught transition. President-elect Joe Biden is beginning his transition into office while Trump and his administration refuse to recognize the former vice president's victory, making baseless claims about voter fraud and illegal votes that threaten to undermine the bedrock of American government."
The use of the terms "unfounded" and "baseless" by a media outlet with a demonstrated bias do not make such proclamations so. "Unfounded" means without foundation – what are witness statements, photos, and videos, if not foundationary evidence? Whether they will be declared proof is for the courts to decide, not the left-leaning media with a vested interest.
CNBC also touted the notion that this investigation is being conducted without need, writing:
"Trump has not conceded the election and is instead claiming without evidence that there has been a widespread, multi-state conspiracy by Democrats to skew the vote tally in Biden's favor."
Rudy Giuliani
Again, the question of "evidence" is raised. As Rudy Giuliani recently pointed out, he has dozens of sworn affidavits, which are, by their very definition: evidence.
The Biden Reaction
The campaign attorney for Joe Biden, Bob Bauer, made a statement in response to Barr's memo. He said it is:
"[D]eeply unfortunate that Attorney General Barr chose to issue a memorandum that will only fuel the 'specious, speculative, fanciful or far-fetched claims' he professes to guard against.
Those are the very kind of claims that the president and his lawyers are making unsuccessfully every day, as their lawsuits are laughed out of one court after another. But, in the end, American democracy is stronger than any clumsy and cynical partisan political scheme."
But Bauer's point seems to justify Bill Barr's authorization. If claims are not investigated fully and appropriately, how can Americans have any faith at all in the electoral system's strength? The only thing more likely than an investigation to fuel the "specious, speculative, fanciful or far-fetched claims" is no investigation.
It appears that Team Biden and the legacy media want this election to be over with no investigations, no questions asked, and no answers given. Do they not trust the court system to deliver a verdict in line with the law? Or are they afraid of something far more damaging to their career prospects?
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Read more from Mark Angelides.
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