Attorney General William Barr has authorized federal prosecutors across the country to “pursue substantial allegations” of voting irregularities, according to media reports citing a memo reportedly from Barr’s office.
The Epoch Times has yet to receive a response from the Department of Justice for comment.
“I authorize you to pursue substantial allegations of voting and vote tabulation irregularities prior to the certification of elections in your jurisdictions in certain cases, as I have already done in specific instances. 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,” read part of the 2-page memo.
“Any investigation of claims of irregularities that, if true, would clearly not impact the outcome of a federal election in an individual State should normally be deferred until after the election certification process is completed. While U.S. Attorneys maintain their inherent authority to conduct inquiries and investigations as they deem appropriate, it will likely be prudent to commence any election-related matters as a preliminary inquiry so as to assess whether available evidence warrants further investigative steps.”
The memo said that Department of Justice personnel should “exercise appropriate caution” and “maintain the Department’s absolute commitment to fairness, neutrality and non-partisanship.”
“You are the most senior leaders in the United States Department of Justice and I trust you to exercise great care and judgment in addressing allegations of voting and vote tabulation irregularities,” Barr wrote. “While serious allegations should be handled with great care, specious, speculative, fanciful or far-fetched claims should not be a basis for initiating federal inquiries.”
Barr also noted that the memo does not suggest that the DOJ has concluded that voting irregularities have in the past impacted the outcome of any election.
“Rather, I provide this authority and guidance to emphasize the need to timely and appropriately address allegations of voting irregularities so that all of the American people, regardless of their preferred candidate or party, can have full confidence in the results of our elections,” the memo said. “The American people and the leaders they freely elect deserve nothing less.”
A number of media outlets declared Democratic nominee Joe Biden as president-elect on Saturday, after they projected victories for the former Vice President in the battleground states of Pennsylvania and Nevada, putting him over the 270 electoral vote threshold.
President Donald Trump has alleged voter fraud and said any declarations of victory are premature, with his campaign announcing legal challenges in several states.
The Epoch Times Editorial Board will not declare a winner for the 2020 presidential election until all results are certified and any legal challenges are resolved across the country.