CREW files criminal complaint against Trump’s former Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Clark – YubaNet

The Justice Department should investigate whether former Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Clark tried to undermine our democracy by joining in the efforts of former President Trump and former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, according to a complaint that was filed, to report the results of the 2020 elections to be overturned today by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. Clark, who reportedly sympathized with former President Trump’s allegations that the election was stolen, appears to have violated the same criminal laws that CREW previously likely violated former President Trump and Meadows.

Like former President Trump and Meadows, Clark appears to have pressured DOJ officials to take steps aimed at changing election results to help Trump win an election he actually lost. Based on information from recent news reports and documents released in the past few weeks, Clark put pressure on then-incumbent Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen and Acting Assistant Attorney General Richard Donoghue to urge Georgia to take steps that open the door for repeal the election results of the state would open. Clark also spoke directly to President Trump and met with him about alleged election fraud issues without alerting Rosen, and his efforts almost resulted in Trump replacing Rosen with Clark.

“Jeffrey Clark appears to have taken significant steps to support Donald Trump and Mark Meadows’ attempt to overturn the outcome of the 2020 election, a campaign that undermines the principles of democratic elections and peaceful transfer of power on which our constitutional system is based, fundamentally undermined. ”said CREW President Noah Bookbinder. “It is impossible to overestimate the gravity of these potential crimes and we respectfully request the DOJ to open an investigation into the potentially criminal behavior of Jeffrey Clark.”

Under the US Code, it is unlawful for two or more people to “conspire to harm, suppress, threaten or intimidate any person in any state, territory, commonwealth, property or district in the free exercise or exercise of any right.” or privileges accorded to him by the constitution or law of the United States, ”including the right to vote in federal office and the right to a fair count of his vote. The criminal law provisions of the Hatch Act also make it illegal for anyone to force federal employees to engage in political activities and prohibit officials from using their official authority to disrupt federal elections. Clark’s actions may have violated these laws.

In July, CREW called on the DOJ to investigate whether former President Trump and Mark Meadows violated these laws. The complaint, which also identified a wider conspiracy aimed at undermining the democratic process, described the behavior of other officials and potential co-conspirators, including Clark. CREW had filed a complaint with the DOJ and Fulton County District Attorney back in January alleging that President Trump had violated several laws by pressuring Georgian Foreign Secretary Brad Raffensperger to overturn the results of the Georgian presidential election.

“Jeffrey Clark’s behavior is an example of the corrupt behavior and abuse of power that was allowed and often encouraged during the Trump administration,” said Bookbinder. “We urge the DOJ to act quickly to ensure that all attempts to co-opt our government and undermine our democracy are fully investigated.”

Click here to view the complaint.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a nonprofit legal watchdog group committed to holding officials accountable for their actions. More information is available at www.citizensforethics.org